Optimizing Deepwater Salt/Subsalt Drilling with Hole Openers | SLB

Optimizing Deepwater Salt/Subsalt Drilling with Hole Openers

Published: 01/01/2010

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Deepwater drilling today – in the Gulf of Mexico and other basins worldwide – often involves drilling both salt and subsalt intervals. Over the past decade, the use of expandable concentric underreamers or "hole openers" in deepwater drilling has become widespread. An estimated 75% of the salt/subsalt sections in the GoM now use underreamers. There are various reasons to enlarge a hole, including to enhance equivalent circulating density, to reduce cementing pressures, and to counter salt creep so casing will reach bottom. Underreamers are especially important in deepwater wells that require numerous casing strings.

Optimizing Deepwater Salt/Subsalt Drilling with Hole Openers
Location
Gulf of Mexico, United States, North America, Offshore
Byline
Marco Aburto, Schlumberger; Piero D'Ambrosio, formerly Schlumberger
Publication
Offshore Magazine
Article Topics
Directional & Extended-Reach Drilling Deep Water