DRILLING ENGINEERING

APPRECIATION
BY
ENGR. DR.UCHE OBIAJULU FNSE, FNIMechE, MASME, MSPE KSC

PREPARED FOR OCEANGATE OIL AND GAS ENGINEERS’ INHOUSE TRAINING

 COURSE OUTLINE

1. Introduction
2. Definitions
3. Drilling Engineer and the Duties
4. Before Drilling
5. Moving Rig and Spudding of Well
6. Drilling Fluids
7. Rigs – types, parts and operations
8. Casing selection and cementation
9. Loggings
10. Well completions and tubing
 INTRODUCTION

This course is not designed to make a non-Drilling Engineer to become a

Drilling Engineer. It is not designed to make it’s class participant any of
the professionals that supervise one cardinal section of drilling or the
other.
Its aimed at making you appreciate what the Drilling Engineer think and
worry about to construct a path through which oil found underneath
reach surface where it is processed and sold.
Drilling is not only complicated, its expensive and risky too, hence a strict
engineering precision is deployed matched with great HSE culture
throughout the life of the drilling.
Mistakes are always dangerous, expensive and sometimes fatal.
 DEFINITIONS
1. Drilling Engineering is a subset of petroleum engineering that design and implement Procedure
to drill a well as safely and economically as possible.
2. Drilling is the action of making a hole in something by boring with a drill. It is better defined in
this context as sinking a borehole into the ground to obtain oil or water.
3. Drilling Fluid is also known as Drilling Mud ,is a liquid or gaseous substance or mixture of both
(Foam) and solids pumped downhole during drilling of boreholes.
4. Logging while drilling is a technique of conveying well logging tools of the formation data
during operations into the well borehole downhole as part of the Bottom hole Assembly.
5. Bottom Hole Assembly is the lower potion of the drilling string. It extend from the drill bit to
the drill Pipe. It normally consist of Drill Collar, Subs, Stabilizers, Reamers, Shocks, hole
Openers, Bit Subs and Bit. It carry some MWD/LWD tools too. It is the rock breaker, hole maker.
6. Drill Pipe is a heavy walled seamless steel tube with tool joints used in oil and gas drilling. It
transmit rotary motion (minus in SMS) and circulating fluid to the bit. Its designed to withstand
torsional stress and Extreme Pressures
DEFINITIONS
• Mud Logging is the creation of a detailed record of a borehole by examining the cuttings of rock
brought to the surface by circulating drilling medium. Normally done by the specialist service
provider.
• Drilling Rig is a machine used to bore holes into the earth surface primarily to extract oil, gas or water.
• Company man is the representative of the lease operator on location managing the contractor’s
equipment and personnel towards a safe and economical drilling operation.
• Tool Pusher – the head of the drilling contractor crew on the drilling site
• Cementation – pumping calculated and tested cement slurry and placing it behind the casing to hold
it in place for purpose of preventing wellbore failure or to isolate zones.
• Pay zones is the subsurface layer or reservoir that contains economically recoverable hydrocarbons
such as oil and gas.
• Completions is the process of preparing a drilled well for the production of hydrocarbon.
• Drilling Stem Test is a mock or temporarily completion of a well used to assess a formation’s potential
for production by evaluating pressure, permeability and fluid properties before a well is permanently
competed. Zones are isolated with packer and allowing the well to flow thru the drill pipe to surface
to measure well characteristics in order to determine if there will be need to complete the well or
not.
DRILLING ENGINEER AND
FUNCTIONS
• Drilling Engineer is a professional who is responsible for the design,
planning, and management of drilling operations for the extraction
of natural resources such as oil and gas.

• Drilling engineers develop and supervise the drilling of gas and oil
wells. They assist in the designing, testing and creation of wells and
are employed on land or offshore platforms. Drilling engineers work
with other mining professionals like Geologists, Earth Scientists, Geo
Physics specialists, Drill Site Managers, Project Managers, Drillers and
oversee the drilling progress and safety of the site.
BEFORE DRILLING
There are many processes and transactions that would have taken place before Drilling rig move to site.

1. GEOLOGISTS MUST HAVE ENTERPRETED FROM SIESMIC SURVEY THAT THERE IS A COMMERCIAL QUANTITY OF
HYDROCARBON IN THE FORMATION,
2. GOVERNMENT PROTOCOLS COMPLETED INCLUDING PAYING REQUIRED FEES ABD PAPER WORK.
3. GEOTECHNICAL AND GEOMECHANICAL SURVEYS DONE ON THE SAID SEA BED AND FORMATION TO ENSURE
DRILLABLILITY OF THE WELL BY THE MACHINE.
4. WELL DESIGNED AND APPROVED BY BOTH THE MANAGEMENT AND REGULATORY AGENTS.
5. SUPPLY MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS SIGNED OUT WITH RELEVANT VENDORS FOR MATERIALS AND SERVICES..

SITE PREPARAION:
- FOR OFFSHORE WELLS
PLATFORMS ARE INSTALLED NO MATTER THE SIZE OR TYPE.
DRIVE AND PUT IN POSITION THE CONDUCTOR CASING THRU THE HOLES IN THE CELLAR DECK OF THE PLATFORM WITH PLIING
UNITS
It’s a bit different

- FOR LAND DRILLING

A) for land rigs: building clearing land for use by the rig, building access roads to the well site or well pad, construct
infrastructure for water, water disposal, and electricity, dig and line all mud pits to prevent ground water or water table
contamination, dig reserve pits for cutting storage (for eventual disposal), and drill the holes which will eventually become the
SITE PREPARATION PICTURES

LAND LOCATION

OFFSHORE
LOCATION
RESERVOIR THAT WE ARE
CONSTRUCTING THROUGH WITH
THE RIG
Types of Reservoir
• Sandstone
• Limestone
• Main Trapping Mechanism
• Anticline
• Fault
• Stratigraphic
RIG MOVES
• Key Steps in the Rig Move Checklist
• Pre-Move Preparations:
• Confirm the move date and time with all relevant parties.
• Review the rig move plan and identify key personnel involved.
• Conduct a risk assessment and safety briefing for all crew members.
• Ensure all necessary permits and paperwork are in order.
• Verify that the rig and equipment are in good working condition and
inspect for any visible damages.
RIG MOVE
• Equipment and Communication:
• Check all rigging and lifting equipment for compliance and safety.
• Test communication equipment to ensure functionality during the move.
• Ensure all vehicles and transport equipment are ready for use, including forklifts and
cranes.
• Confirm availability of spare parts and tools for the move.
• Site Survey and Setup:
• Conduct a site survey of the new location to ensure accessibility and safety for rigging
operations.
• Prepare the new site for rig positioning and setup, confirming utilities (water, electricity,
etc.) are available.
• Establish a designated area for materials and equipment storage at the new site.
RIG MOVE
Personnel Coordination:
• Confirm the availability of all required personnel for the move and review roles
and responsibilities with the crew.
• Ensure all personnel have the necessary safety gear and equipment.
• Conduct a final safety briefing before the move begins, ensuring everyone is
aware of emergency procedures.
During the Move:
• Begin the rig move according to the established plan, maintaining communication
between all teams.
• Conduct regular checks to ensure safety and efficiency throughout the move.
• Document any incidents or issues that arise during the move.
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• Conduct a thorough inspection of the rig at the new location to
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• Review the move process and gather feedback to improve future rig
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• This checklist serves as a guideline to ensure that all critical aspects of

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the rig move are addressed, promoting safety and efficiency

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RIG – TYPES AND OPERATION
A drilling rig is an integrated system that drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or
holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface.

• Types of Drilling Rigs

• Drilling Rigs are classified as follows
• Land Rigs
• Submersible Rigs
• Jack-up Rigs
• Platform Rigs
• Semi-submersible Rigs
• Drill Ship Rigs
RIG – TYPES AND OPERATIONS
• Based on the configuration of the drilling rigs, they are grouped into
Light, Medium, Heavy and Ultraheavy groups. The capabilities of such
drilling rigs are tabulated below:

Duty Depth
Feet Meters
Light 3000 – 5000 1000 – 1500

Medium 4000 – 10,000 1200 – 3000

Heavy 12,000 – 16,000 3500 – 5000

Ultraheavy 18,000 – 25,000 5500 – 7500

RIGS –TYPES AND OPERATION
1) Land Drilling Rigs
The features of Land drilling rigs are:
• They typically come in light, medium, or heavy configuration
• Is moved using heavy trucks and cranes
• Small rigs may only drill to a few thousand feet.
• But larger ones are capable of 12,000 and more
RIG – TYPES AND OPERATION
2) Submersible Drilling Rigs
The features of Submersible Drilling Rigs are

• Tend to drill in fairly shallow water. They flood the legs with water and
submerge them.
• Some of the rigs are above water, and crews drill from that location.
• Swamp type, river, and inland bay areas
• Typical water depths are 20 feet
3) Jack-up Drilling Rigs
The features of Jack-up Drilling Rigs are
• Have lattice legs that can be hoisted and lowered at will.
• They are hoisted and the rig is either towed or transported by ship.
• When in location, the legs are lowered to the sea bed.
• Jack-up rigs can drill in water depths up to
400ft
RIG - TYPES AND OPERATIONS
4) PLATFORM RIGS
The features of Platform Drilling Rigs are
• Are immobile once built.
• However, they drill several wells from one location.
• They can be tender assisted.
• Three types of Platform are:
• 1-Steel Jacket, 2- Caisson Type
3- Concrete Gravity
RIGS – TYPES AND OPERATIONS
5) Semi-submersible Drilling Rigs:
The features of semi-submersible drilling rigs are
• Has hollow legs and pontoons. Like the submersible, the legs are also
flooded
• However, anchors and/or Thrusters and Positioners keep the rig in
position,
• When thrusters are used, it is called Dynamic Positioning (computer
controlled),
RIGS – TYPES AND OPERATIONS
6) Drill Ship
• Are self-propelled, floating offshore drill units
• A template that has holes drilled though it is fitted to the sea bed
RIG - OPERATIONS
RIGS ARE DIVIDED INTO 5 MAJOR SYSTEMS
Rig Systems:
• The Power System
• The Rotating System
• The Hoisting System
• The Circulating System
• The Blowouts Prevention System
Rigs – types and operations
Power System – RIG generate her own power and transmit same to the
required parts and systems of the rig including accommodation.
Subdivided into two parts
• Power Generation
• Power Transmission
Those becomes the prime mover for -
• Electrical Transmission
• Mechanical Transmission
RIGS – TYPES AND OPERATIONS
Hoisting System – include:
• The supporting structure
• The hoisting equipment
RIG – TYPES AND OPERATIONS
CIRCULATING SYSTEM
RIGS – PARTS AND OPERATIONS
CIRCULATING SYSTEM CONTINUE:
This system pumps and circulate the drilling fluid through the drill line.

Drilling Fluid:
• Transports cutting out of the hole
• Supports well-bore wall
• Cools and lubricates bit and drill stem

Fluid Composition
• Water-based drilling fluid
• Oil-based mud
• Air or gas-based drilling fluids
RIGS –PARTS AND OPERATION
Blowouts Prevention System:
• The BOP system has two function
• To seal the wellbore on a kick
• To maintain sufficient back pressure

BOP used in
• Land
• Submersible
• Jack-up
• Platform

Sub Sea BOP used in

• Semi-submersible
• Drill Ship
ELEMENTARY CASING DESIGN
• Drilling Engineer normally design casings based on realities od the formation pressures vs Hydrostatic pressure
of your of the fluid introduced into the casing or stagnant in the casing, rig ability to carry the casing at full
string and Casing not breaking on its own weight.
• The Engineer will choose a casing that will not burst the fluid from the formation or fluid pumped to continue
drilling deeper or pumped during normal circulation before or after cementation.
• The engineer is selecting a casing that will not collapse on the impact of the pressure at its back or break when
being rundown to depth.

Casing Design
Hydrostatic Pressure- Hydrostatic Pressure is defined as the pressure exerted by a column of fluid this pressure is a
function of average fluid density and the vertical height or depth of the fluid column. Wells are designed that this
pressure is slightly above the pore pressure but high enough to cause breaking down of the rock. That will cause
fluid loss that becomes a big danger to the life of the equipment and people on the rig.

Mathematically it is expressed as: HP=g. ρf.D

HP = Hydrostatic pressure. (psi),

g = Gravitational acceleration,
ρf = Average fluid density. (ppg),
ELEMENTARY CASING DESING
Pore Pressure is defined as the pressure acting on the fluids in the pore spaces of the
rock.

• Normal Pore Pressure: is equal to the hydrostatic pressure

• Abnormal Pore Pressure: It is defined as any pore pressure that is greater than the
hydrostatic pressure
• Subnormal Pore Pressure: It is defined as any pore pressure that is less than the
corresponding pore fluid hydrostatic pressure at a given depth
• Overburden Pressure: Overburden Pressure is defined as the pressure exerted by the
total weight of overlying formations above the point of interest,
• Fracture Gradient: It is defined as the pressure at which formation breakdown occurs
ELEMENTARY CASING DESIGN
Functions of Casing
• Prevent cave-in or washout of the hole
• Prevent contamination between zones
• Exclude water from producing formations
• Confine production to the wellbore
• Provide a means for controlling well pressure
• Provide a path for produced fluids
• Permit installation of artificial lift equipment
ELEMENTARY CASING DESIGN
Casing Design Principles
• Collapse Pressure- This pressure originates from the column of mud
used to drill the hole and acts on the outside of the empty casing,
Since the hydrostatic pressure of a column of mud increases with
depth collapse pressure is highest at the bottom and zero at the top.
• Collapse (C):
C = mud density x depth x acceleration due to gravity,
C = ρgh,
C = 0.052 ρ (Common in the design)
ELEMENTARY CASING DESIGN
• Burst: The burst criterion is normally based on the maximum formation pressure resulting from a
kick during the drilling of the next hole section.

• Therefore, the burst pressure is highest at the top and lowest at the casing shoe where internal
pressure is resisted by the external pressure originating from fluids outside the casing.
• Burst pressure at the surface (B1) = Pf – G x TD, Calculate the internal pressure (Pi) at the shoe
using the maximum formation pressure at the next hole TD, assuming the hole is full of gas:

• Pi = Pf – G (TD – CSD)

• Pe = 0.465 x CSD,

• Burst pressure at shoe (B2) = Pi – Pe

• B2 = (Pf – G) x (TD – CSD) – 0.465 x CSD

ELEMENTARY CASING DESIGN
Tension:
Most of the axial tension arises from the weight of the casing itself, Other tension loadings can
arise due to: Bending, Drag, Shock loading, and during pressure testing of the casing.

• Calculate the weight of the casing in the air (positive value) using true vertical depth,

• Casing air weight = casing weight (lb/ft) * hole depth (TVD),

• Calculate buoyancy for (negative value),

• BF = Pe (Ae – Ai) for the open-ended casing,

• BF = Pe Ae – Pi Ai for closed casing

DRILLING PROCESS

• We have discussed the components of the drilling rig, now let’s discuss the drilling process itself. An
oil or gas well is drilled in a very ordered sequence. The steps in this sequence are almost universally
applied to the drilling of all wells.

• Plan the Well: As we have discussed, exploration well prospects are generated by exploration
geologists; while development wells locations and objectives are generated by development
geologists. Once the surface locations and well objectives are known, the geologists work with the
drilling engineers to develop the detail drilling proposals. In addition, all permits (environmental,
safety, regulatory, etc.) are acquired during the final stages of the planning process when a solid well
proposal is developed.
• Perform Shallow Gas Survey: To ensure there are no shallow gas hazards which may result in a kick
or blow out, a shallow gas survey is performed to identify the locations and depths of any potential
shallow gas hazards. Preliminary surface locations and well trajectories may be altered from the
original well proposal to avoid these shallow gas hazards.
DRILLING PROCESS
Prepare the Wellsite: The site preparation involves building clearing land for use by the rig, building access roads to
the well site or well pad, construct infrastructure for water, water disposal, and electricity, dig and line all mud pits to
prevent ground water or water table contamination, dig reserve pits for cutting storage (for eventual disposal), and drill
the holes which will eventually become the rat hole and the mousehole. The site preparation may involve multiple
contractors and companies to perform all of the required work. As we discussed in earlier lessons, a lot of site-
preparation time and the environmental footprint can be minimized if multi-well pads are used in the field development.
• Set the Conductor Casing: Prior to the arrival of the drilling rig, an Auger Unit (in hard rock regions) will drill a large
diameter hole capable of accommodating 18 in. to 36 in. conductor casing (see Figure 9.16). In soft rock regions or at
offshore locations, a diesel hammer may be used to hammer the conductor casing into place. The conduct casing may
go to depths of 40 to 300 ft depending on the location. The conductor casing is typically set through the top soil and
loose rocks to the bed rock. The objective of the conductor casing is to isolate the wellbore from the top soil to ensure
that loose debris does not enter the well during early drilling operations. The conductor casing is then cemented into
place.
• Move-In and Rig Up (MIRU): Once the wellsite is prepared and the conductor casing is in-place, the rig is brought on
location. Most land rigs, particularly those in North America, are transported on multiple trucks. Once on the well site
or well pad, the rigging-up process begins. Rigging up the well consists of taking the rig modules from the trucks and
assembling the rig. Included in the rigging up process is setting-up all of the rig systems and testing these systems.
Here is a YouTube video, "Rigging up Land Drilling Rig" (3:35), showing the Rigging Up process of the derrick:
DRILLING PROCESS
• Transporting and assembling the rig may take 50-75 workers (two crews), 35 – 40 vehicles, and take up to four days. If a multi-well
pad is used, once the rig is rigged-up for the first well, then the rig can simply be skidded over to the next location without having to
dig-down.
• Spud the Well: After the rig has been inspected and all of the systems tested the well can be Spudded. Spudding a Well refers to
starting the rotary drilling operations for that well.
• Drill Down to the Surface Casing Depth: The first section of the well to be drilled is the section that goes down to the pre-
determined surface casing depth (Casing Point). Obviously, for this section of the wellbore, the drill bit diameter must be smaller
than the ID (inner diameter) of the conductor casing. In this shallow section of the wellbore, fresh water aquifers (both for personal
and municipal use) exist. As discussed earlier, shallow gas hazards may also exit. The objectives of drilling this first section of the well
is to allow the setting and cementing of the surface casing to:
• protect the fresh water aquifers by placing a steel and concrete barrier to isolate the water table from the well;
• protect the well from the aquifer (cutting of the drilling fluids with fresh water);
• protect the well from shallow gas hazards.
• This section of the well is drilled through the most environmentally sensitive depths. Consequently, when this section of the hole is
drilled, it is typically drilled with the most environmentally friendly drilling fluid (possibly either air or fresh water) and cased and
cemented as soon as possible to alleviate any potential of contaminating fresh water aquifers. By running the surface casing string,
we are putting the environmentally sensitive water table behind pipe and protecting it from future well (drilling and production)
activities.
DRILLING PROCESS
• Run and Cement the Surface Casing: Once the surface casing point is reached, the surface
casing is run into the wellbore and cemented into place. This process is performed by:
• Pulling Out of Hole (POOH): Tripping out of the hole with the drill pipe to remove it from the
wellbore during cementing operations;
• running the surface casing;
• pumping a cement slurry down the interior of the casing;
• chasing the cement with drilling fluid to displace the cement up into the annular space
between the casing string and the wellbore (rock);
• allowing time for the cement to Cure (harden).
• Cementing is a common activity planned and implemented by drilling engineers, and you will
learn a lot more of the details in your future drilling courses. The following YouTube video,
"Running Casing" (7:01), shows the cementing process (note: this is a commercial video for
Frank’s International):
DRILLING PROCESS
• Continue this Process to Drill to the Next Casing Point: This drilling process is continued to the
next pre-determined casing point. The selection of these intermediate-string casing points is
beyond the scope of the class, but the criteria are based on the mud weight, the Fracture
Pressure of the formations to be drilled (the pressure that causes the formation to fracture),
the locations of any Lost Circulation Zones, and the locations of any High Pressure Zones. As we
discussed earlier, any of these situations may result in a kick and a potential blowout. The
objectives of the intermediate casing strings are:
• isolate unstable hole sections behind pipe;
• isolate lost circulation zones behind pipe;
• isolate under-pressured zones behind pipe (prevent lost circulation);
• isolate over-pressured zones behind pipe (prevent a kick);
• isolate multiple producing zones
• Continue this Process to Drill to each Casing Point: This process is repeated for each of the
planned casing points. Obviously, as successive casing strings are run and cemented into place,
smaller diameter tools and drill bits must be used for continued drilling operations. As we
discussed earlier, the two most important drilling parameters within the Driller’s control to
maximize the Rate of Penetration (ROP) of the drill bit are the weight-on-bit and the rotational
speed of the rotary system in Revolutions per Minute (RPM).
DRILLING PROCESS
• Continue this Process to Drill to Total Depth (TD): Once the final intermediate casing string is run and
cemented, the drilling process is continued until the well reaches the TD (Total Depth) of the well. At this
point, the well is said to be TD’ed.
• Log the Well with Open-Hole Logs: At this point, the sand face is exposed to the well and Open-Hole
Logging Tools can be run in the well. Open-hole logs are used to measure certain properties of the
subsurface formation that are of interest to the geologists and engineers working on the well and the
reservoir.
• Run and Cement the Production Casing String or Liner: If a production casing string or production liner is
to be used in the completion, then they are run and cemented at this time.
• Compete the Well: Install the well completion. THAT WILL INCLUDE TO INSTALL THE FOLLOWING:
• tubing
• gravel packs
• packers
• sliding sleeves
• Carry out stimulation
• acidize the well
• Do hydraulically fracture in the well if engineering survey showed the need
• Install artificial lift – plus the assembly including slickline jobs to install gas lift mandrels and the ducts
DRILLING PROCESS
LOGGING
Logging is a science of evaluating or measuring borehole properties
using special equipment for purpose of safely and economically drilling
the well with little or no deviation from well drilling objectives.
Some types of drilling logging are done in open hole (Open Hole
Logging) while some are done after installing Casing (Cased hole
Logging).
• Here are many different types of well logging, including but not
limited to, resistivity, sonic, caliper, electric, seismic, and radioactivity.
Each type of well logging involves a different process and provides
different information about the subsurface.
LOGGING
The pictures below represent land
well logging at location.
The logging units are the same but
offshore units are mounted on a
skid instead on truck
COMPLETION
• Well completion is the term used to describe the assembly and installation of a
downhole pipe and related equipment so that oil and gas can be efficiently and
safely extracted from a well. Well completions refer to everything that takes place in
and around an crude oil or gas well between the end of the drilling process and the
moment when a well is put into production.

• Well completion is the process which connects the producer/driller to the reservoir.
Engineers at oilfield services say that the well completion stage begins with the
drilling into the reservoir because if a company doesn’t do a proper job when drilling
into the reservoir, it doesn’t matter how good the well completion is.
What is the Purpose of Well Completions?
• After drilling an oil or gas well, the company evaluates the presence of hydrocarbons
in place. If it determines that commercially viable volumes of oil and/or gas can be
extracted cost-efficiently, it moves to prepare the well for the start of production.
COMPLETION
Oil and gas well completions should have the following outcomes in order to be deemed successful:

• Well completions should connect the reservoir to the production tubing so that oil and gas can flow through
the pipe to the surface, or fluids can be injected into the reservoir.
• Well completions should isolate the oil and gas reservoirs to protect the producing zones from non-producing
zones in order to avoid interference with the producing reservoir.
• Well completions must protect the reservoir’s integrity and reduce damage to the formation.
• Well completions should help reduce the resistance to oil and gas flow.
• Well completions must ensure that the completion resists corrosion and creep and does not collapse into the
reservoir or the wellbore.
• Well completions should also ensure a means to detect and assess changes in the reservoir conditions and
hydrocarbon flow rate by well tests.
• Well completions must get the wells ready for the subsequent stages of oil or gas extraction.
• Ultimately, the way in which engineers decide to complete a well will impact the rate of oil and gas production
and will directly influence the time over which oil and gas will be pumped from the well.
COMPLETION
What Are the Types of Well Completions?
• The type of well completions that engineers choose depends on many variables, including the
targeted volumes of oil and gas to be produced, the type of fluids that will be pumped,
temperatures at the surface and at the downhole, the depth of the production zone, the rate
of production, the expected pressure, the location of the well, the surrounding landscape and
environment, and the costs and expected returns on investment.
• Basing their well completion design on the above-mentioned variables, engineers can opt for a
type of well completion that can vary from the most basic and cheapest open-hole completion
to complex completions with many horizontal wellbores from a main wellbore, each of which
will include a completion.
• Depending on the place where the completion is made, oil and gas well completions are
divided into lower completion or downhole completion, and upper completion. The lower
completion connects the oil and gas formation with the wellbore. The upper completion is the
link between the lower completion and the surface.

At the reservoir (lower) level, there are two main types of well completions—the open-hole
completion in which there is no casing placed across the reservoir, and cased completions, or
liner completions in which casing or liner are run and cemented across the reservoir zone.
COMPLETION
1. Open-hole completions
• Open-hole completion is the simplest and cheapest type of oil and gas completion. Open-hole
completion, also referred to as barefoot completion, is a completion that does not have casing or liner
across the reservoir formation. In open-hole completions, the production casing is set just above the
reservoir’s pay zone, the one that contains economically producible oil and/or gas. The bottom of the
pay zone is left uncased. This allows the hydrocarbons to flow directly into the wellbore. The open-hole
completions allow for maximum exposure to the pay zone.
• Although open-hole completions are the least complex and cheapest type of completions, they have
some drawbacks which limit their use. Open-hole completions make control over excessive water or
gas difficult because water and gas zones cannot be plugged off. Moreover, the sandface—the physical
interface between the formation and the wellbore—is not supported in open-hole completions and
could collapse.
• Remedial work and treatments of the flow and of the reservoir are more difficult when an oil or gas
well is an open-hole completion. This type of completion would be generally used for reservoirs that
are estimated to have little chance of producing unwanted fluids or sand. These completions also
typically target hard and consolidated reservoir rocks.
COMPLETION
2. Cased-hole completions
• Cased-hole completions refer to the well completion method in which casing or a liner goes
through the pay zone and is subsequently cemented across the reservoir zone. ‘Cased-hole’ as a
term can apply to any section of the hole, but in well completions, it typically refers to the
techniques applied after a casing or liner has been set across the reservoir zone.

• Drillers ensure the connection between the wellbore and the reservoir by perforation, in cased
and perforated completions. The perforation in the casing allows for precise positioning and
isolation of the different zones in the reservoir and stimulation of different zones in a multi-layer
reservoir.

3. Liner completions
• A liner is a type of casing in which the top is suspended from the inside and does not go all the
way to the surface. That liner is hung from a liner hanger. Because the liner does not extend to
the surface, it allows for more flexibility in the completion design of the upper wellbore by
increasing, for example, the diameter if the characteristics of the fluids and flow rates call for
larger diameters at the upper end of the wellbore. The design of many conventional wells
includes a production liner set across the reservoir zone
 COMPLETIONS – TUBING & PACKERS
• One of the most important components is the production tubing, which is the pipe used as the main tubular to
produce fluids from the reservoir or to inject fluids into the reservoir. The characteristics of the production
tubing will depend on the size and geometry of the wellbore, on the type of fluids in the reservoir, and on the
production characteristics.
The tubing, assembled with other completion components, makes up the production string—the primary conduit
through which oil is brought to the surface.
• Another very important component in almost every well completion is the packer. The packer is a downhole
device typically placed just above the production zone in order to isolate the production string from the inside of
the casing or liner. The production packer also helps to anchor and secure the bottom of the production tubing
string. Production packers protect the casing from bursting under high pressures and against corrosion from
fluids. They prevent the movement of fluids between productive zones in multiple reservoir zones.
• Depending on their application, the method of setting, and the possibility to be run and retrieved, packers can
have different characteristics. They can be
• retrievable mechanical packers
• permanent packers
• rotation-set packers
• hydraulic-set production packers
• inflatable packers
• compression-set packers
• tension-set packers
• Apart from the production packer, the downhole completion equipment may also include downhole gauges to
• Most completions also include landing nipples placed at strategic predetermined
intervals along the completion string to allow the placing of various devices for flow
control.

• At the upper level, a key completion component is the so-called Christmas tree—the
assembly of various valves, pressure gauges, spools, and chokes at the wellhead, the
surface end of the wellbore. The Christmas tree contains the main and backup
equipment to control production and shut in the wellbore, as well as equipment for
safe access for well intervention operations.

• From the initial engineering well design to the production tubing and the smallest
screw, well completions are the essential stage between drilling and the start of oil and
gas production.
COMPLETION
COMPLETION STRINGS
CHRISTMAS TREE
DRILL STEM TEST
A drill stem test (DST) is a temporary completion of a wellbore (normally with packer
and drill Pipe) and flow well and by that, provides information on whether or not to
complete the well. The zone in question is sealed off from the rest of the wellbore
by packers, and the formations' pressure and fluids are measured. Data obtained
from a DST include the following:

• fluid samples
• reservoir pressure (P*)
• formation properties, including permeability (k), skin (S), and radius of
investigation (ri)
• productivity estimates, including flow rate (Q)
• hydrodynamic information
Analysis of flowing DSTs is less complicated because
flow rates can be measured throughout the test
THANKS FOR LISTENING

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