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HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES' ZONAL ISOLATION TEAM SETS NEW WORLD CEMENTING RECORD
DALLAS, Texas - Halliburton Energy Services (HES), in conjunction with Burlington Resources in Midland, Texas, recently set a new world record for successfully cementing 23,644 feet of casing at Burlington's Bighorn 5-6 well in Fremont County, Wyoming. The HES Zonal Isolation (ZI) team from Casper, Wyoming set the new depth record by using a non-conventional reverse circulation method that incorporated the single stage placement of competent cement in the annulus of the well, from top to bottom, while reducing the costs of the entire job. Halliburton Energy Services is a business unit of Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL).
"Our combined sales, technical and operations team did an outstanding job in Wyoming. While setting the new world record, they used an unconventional process that provided the best solution to a variety of complex problems - saving Burlington both time and money," said Halliburton Energy Services President Edgar Ortiz.
When cementing the well, the primary goal for Burlington Resources was to have competent cement placed from surface to Total Depth (TD) with particular emphasis on the previous drilling liner top at 14,372 feet. The HES team proposed the reverse cement job to achieve this goal with several added benefits. The process would significantly reduce the job complexity, preserve the casing integrity and eliminate potential remediation problems, while significantly reducing the overall job costs.
In addition to Burlington's goal, HES worked with logistical issues at the well that required the use of the reverse cementing method. The extreme temperatures encountered at TD (410 degrees Fahrenheit) normally would have required a complex multi-stage conventional cement job in order to return competent cement to the surface.
The conventional multi-stage process also typically requires a minimum of 10 hours of work, per stage, and up to 2 days more in down rig time before normal drilling operations resume. The reverse cementing process for this job was completed in 3½ hours by mixing and pumping more than 3,300 sacks of cement down the annulus and back up inside the casing. Additionally, this process avoided the use of multiple stage cementing tools, which can add cost and present future well-intervention considerations.
When asked to describe the challenging and unique cement process, Western Area ZI Operations Manager George York, explained, "Think of the well as a glass and the 10¾" by 7¾" tapered casing as a straw. In conventional cement jobs, the cement is pumped down the casing and is returned through the annulus (area between the glass and the straw). In reverse circulation, the cement is pumped down the annulus and comes back up the casing."
Since completing the reverse cementing job, Burlington Resources has begun drilling toward their final target total depth of approximately 25,200 feet. They will then run a tapered string of 5" by 4" Hastelloy G-50 liner and complete the well with a tapered string of 4 ½" by 4" tubing.
In petroleum well construction, zonal isolation is the process used to ensure optimum reservoir access and fluid zone protection. When a well has been drilled and lined with pipe, the connection between the geological formation and the well must be established. Zonal isolation establishes the connection, while isolating fluid zones and maximizing wellbore stability. Halliburton is the world leader in zonal isolation, both in market position and customer perception. Consistently ranked number one in value by independent surveys of oil and gas customers, the Zonal Isolation Product Service Line provides excellent value for oil and gas operators throughout the world.
Halliburton Energy Services provides products, services, and integrated solutions for oil and gas exploration, development, and production. Capabilities range from the initial evaluation of producing formations to drilling, completion, production enhancement, and well maintenance - for a single well or an entire field. With over 300 service centers in more than 90 countries, Halliburton possesses the global perspective that is increasingly important for energy exploration and production.
Founded in 1919, Halliburton Company is the world's leading diversified energy services, engineering, construction, maintenance and energy equipment company. In 1998, Halliburton's consolidated revenues were $17.4 billion and it conducted business with a workforce of approximately 100,000 in more than 120 countries. The company's World Wide Web site can be accessed at http://www.halliburton.com.
Contact
Wendy Hagan
Halliburton Company
(p) 713.676.5619
wendy.hagan@halliburton.com
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