Drilling and Well Engineering

SPT Group has a unique well engineering expertise with significant and unsurpassed knowledge in hydraulics, thermodynamics and multiphase flow. All of this expertise is important in the analysis and understanding of issues that arise during Underbalanced Drilling, Managed Pressure Drilling, High Pressure High Temperature, Deepwater and other advanced well engineering operations.

The dynamic modeling of hydraulics, multiphase and thermodynamics allows SPT to offer expert solutions and answers when drilling operations encounter issues during Drilling and Well Control operations.

With numerous well engineering studies related to HPHT, UBD, MPD, Deepwater, Well control and Relief well operations conducted in the past few years, we have significant expertise in solving advanced and dynamic well engineering issues.

The full drilling life cycle can be covered with our technologies. From well design, verification and analysis through to real time operations and post drilling analysis.

Well Design and Engineering

Some of the most important aspects of the well design that are being conducted using the dynamic software is the establishment of dynamic kick tolerance calculations. Rather than using a single bubble model, the dynamic software allows a more realistic kick tolerance design thus potentially saving casing strings and allowing wells to be drilled in narrow margin pressure windows in deepwater and HPHT wells.

Temperature and pressure modeling of Equivalent Circulating Pressures and Equivalent Static Pressures and Temperatures ensures that bottom hole pressures remain within the pore and fracture limits during drilling, tripping and completion operations. Temperature models ensure that down hole tools and packers can be operated within the temperature limitations of the tools.

Procedural verification for drilling and well control operations can be undertaken to ensure that flow rates, pressures and temperatures remain within limits. Well control procedures can be verified against kick margins. Surface equipment, such as mud gas separators can be verified for the expected kick tolerance specifications.

Contingency planning for blowout control in the form of capping operations and the associated pressures as well as planning of fluid schedules for dynamic kill operations should a relief well become necessary. The solubility of gas in oil based fluids can be modeled and this allows riser gas handling procedures to be reviewed.

The use of the Neotec Wellflo multiphase software allows all aspects of the design of underbalanced drilled wells as well as air and foam drilling operations to be modeled.

The SPT-Group technology is offered both as software licenses and as consulting services. A consulting project may be an ideal solution in cases where the resources to perform advanced modeling are scarce, or in cases where a second opinion about the well design is required or in cases where a jump start in application of the technology is needed.

SPT personnel can assist with a variety of services ranging from dynamic hydraulic analysis and well control to comprehensive analysis projects leveraged by the total SPT competency. Our consultants apply specialized usage and modeling to achieve reliable results.

Typical consultancy tasks carried out are:

• Modeling of ECD & ESD
• Modeling of thermal effects 
• Fingerprinting 
• Kick tolerance calculations 
• Surge & swab calculations 
• Design of well control equipment 
• Sensitivity studies 
• Evaluation of well design 
• Risk evaluations

Dynamic Well Kill Operations

The OLGA based Dynamic software has allowed to build a unique system for the planning and simulation of blowouts. Finding answers for dynamic well control kill operations is extremely complex. Planning for dynamic kill operations in surface blowouts or underground blowouts or when drilling relief wells can be easily done with our OLGA based software systems.

We have one of very few tailor made software packages that allow relief well pumping schedules and mud weights to be designed accurately. The software allows rapid screening of operational approaches to blowout control. Not only can the software predict maximum expected reservoir flow rates, it also allows capping operations and relief well operations to be designed.

Training and Design Verification

Design verification of wells can be offered as part of the Drilling the Well On Paper Exercises DWOP or during HAZOP and HAZID processes. The dynamic models offer a unique way to show changes that occur during drilling operations. This can be especially advantageous during design verification meetings.

Training courses in the use of the SPT software can be offered. The following Training Courses can be offered as tailor made courses:

• Advanced Well Control
• Dynamic Kill Operations
• Drilling Hydraulics
• Underbalanced Drilling
• Managed Pressure Drilling
• Air and Foam Drilling
• Thermodynamics in wells

Post Drilling Analysis

Gaining a better understanding of the issues that were encountered during the well construction operations allows improvements in the well design for the next well. The use of Dynamic Simulators allows optimum reviews of events that happened during a drilling operation.

Data collected during the operation can be entered into the model to simulate actual conditions. The dynamic model can then be used to review what happened and what pressures, volumes and temperatures were encountered. Based on that information, new procedures can be derived to ensure that further similar events are avoided.

Real Time Operations

The existing drilling software can be used to provide daily support to clients in their operations centers or as a service where daily analysis of a drilling operation for hydraulics and temperature modeling is required. This can be done by an SPT Engineer in the RT Operations center or it can be done remotely by one of our engineers in the offices.