Introduction to Well

Planning
M. Arif Fadilah
Arif Farhan

Outline
Well Planning Objective
Classification of well types
Formation Pressures
Planning Costs
Overview of the planning process

WELL PLANNING
Is the most demanding aspect of drilling engineering
Requires the integration of engineering principles,
corporate or personal Philosophies, and experience
factors.

Objectives:
SAFE
MINIMUM COST
USABLE

Three common traits for skilled well planners:

1. They are experienced drilling personel
2. They utilize available engineering tools
3. They have Sherlock Holmes Characteristic

SAFETY
THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IN WELL PLANNING
Personnel considerations must be placed above all other aspects
of the plan

THE SECOND PRIORITY INVOLVES THE

SAFETY OF THE WELL.
The well plan must be designed to minimize the risk of blowouts and
other factors that could create problems.

MINIMUM COST
A valid objective of the well planning process is to
minimize the cost of the well without jeopardizing
the safety aspects.

USABLE HOLES
The terms usable implies the following:
1. The hole diameter is sufficiently large so an adequate completion
can be made
2. The hole or producing formation is not irreplarably damaged

Fig. 1-1.
Well costs
can be
reduced
dramaticall
y if proper
well
planning is
implement
ed

WELL TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Wildcat
Exploratory
Step-out
Infill
Reentry

No known (or little) geological

foundation for site selection.
Site selection based on seismic data,
satellite surveys, etc,; no known
drilling data in the prospective horizon
Delienates the reservoirs boundaries;
drilled after the exploratory
discovery(s); site selection usually
based on seismic data.
Drills the known productive portions
of the reservoir ; site selection usually
based on patterns, drainage radius,
etc.
Existing well reentered to
deepen, sidetrack, rework, or
recomplete; various amounts of
planning required, depending on
pupose of reentry.

Formation Pressures
The formation, or pore, pressure encountered
by the well significantly affects the well plan.
The pressures may be:
Normal
Abnormal (high)
Subnormal (low)

Normal pressure wells generally do not create planning problems. The

mud weights are in the range of 8.5-9.5 lb/gaI. Kicks and blowout
prevention problems should be minimized but not eliminated
altogether.

Subnormal pressure wells may require setting additional casing

strings to cover weak or low pressure zones. The lower-than-normal
pressures may result from geological or tectonic factors or from
pressure depletion in producing intervals.

Abnormal pressures affect the well plan in many areas, including the
following:
casing and tubing design
mud weight and type selection
casing setting depth selection
cement planning

Planning
Costs
The costs required to plan
a
well
properly
are
insignificant in comparison
to the actual drilling costs.

Overview of the Planning

Process
Well planning is an orderly process. It requires that some
aspects of the plan be developed before designing other
items. For example :
Mud density plan
Bit programming
Casing and tubing design.