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com CASE HISTORY

MAX-BRIDGE System Enabled Drilling with

Water-based Mud in Challenging Overbalanced Well
Location: Oman

Results
nn Successfully drilled the well to
TD of 4570 m (14,990 ft) despite
differentially pressured zones
causing two offset failures
nn Eliminated NPT by minimizing
downhole losses and incidents
of differential sticking

Challenges
nn Changing pressure in highly
depleted formations in
563 m- (1,847 ft-) section
nn Buildup of 0º to 80º in reactive shale
In Oman’s mature Saih Raw field, an operator team worked with the operator to develop a and depleted zones
had historically experienced sloughing shale, MAX-BRIDGE™ solution for this depleted well. nn Extremely overbalanced conditions
downhole losses, and incidents of differential
The well was drilled successfully through the
nn Sloughing shale
sticking. Due to the low formation pressures,
there is a narrow operating margin between depleted Barik formations (Barik 1-5) with the nn Deviated wellbore
the pore pressure and formation breakdown. highest overbalanced pressures of 5,800 psi.
The low pressure does not allow for increased
Baker Hughes solution
drilling fluid density, causing a dilemma The fluid density was increased from 11 nn The BRIDGEWISE engineering
over how to address the borehole stability to 12.1 ppg to combat increasing wellbore software to design an optimized
requirements without inducing fractures. instability, which increased the overbalanced MAX-BRIDGE bridging solution
differential from 4,000 to 5,800 psi. As a to strengthen the wellbore
Saih Rawl deviated production wells typically result, the operator was able to log the nn Maintained the system despite
consist of surface and intermediate sections, with well and reduce the fluid density while overbalanced conditions up to 5,800
kick-off points around 4040 m (13,255 ft), casing keeping the hole open. psi during the drilling operation
set around 4700 m (15,420 ft), and then drilled
out at 80º through the four Barik formations. The MAX-BRIDGE solution was used to drill
These formations are largely sandstone and the 5 7/8-in. reservoir section to a measured
shale layers and are depleted with formation depth of 5365 m (17,602 ft) and total vertical
pressures as low as 3,481 psi. depth of 4570 m (14,990 ft) at an inclination
of 80º with excellent results. The solution
Analyzing data from offset wells in previous increased wellbore stability and eliminated NPT
operations using the Baker Hughes BRIDGEWISE™ by minimizing downhole losses and incidents
engineering software, the Baker Hughes of differential sticking.

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