LANL LogoPROPOSAL FOR A 5000-FT MICROHOLE DEMONSTRATION

Our proposal. Los Alamos proposes to complete the development of a microhole drilling system to demonstrate the capability to drill and exploit 5000-ft microholes for reservoir characterization and evaluation for production service. A demonstration microhole will be drilled using coiled tubing with an open-hole diameter of 1-3/8 in. at terminal depth. Limited characterization, mud-logging, and openhole production testing will be conducted.

Benefits of coiled tubing microholes. Microholes will reduce hole costs and environmental impacts. They will be produced with a highly mobile drilling machine that is quickly assembled from transportable subsystems, and operated on a very small footprint. A highly automated coiled-tubing deployed drill will support reliable pressure control, and will require a minimum field crew and field support system. Conventional holes would then be needed only when it has been determined that reservoir productivity justifies them.

Hole sizes and casing schedule. 4-3/4-in. hole with 3-1/2-in. conductor casing; 2-3/4-in. hole with 1.9-in. surface casing; 1-3/8-in. terminal open hole completed with 1-in. OD flush-joint tubing or 1-in. coiled tubing for measurements in unstable formations.

Target demonstration field and company participation. We are looking for a producing field where the use of microholes can be assessed for formation evaluation, reservoir monitoring, or low-rate production. The first demonstration will be conducted at a site where experience has shown that vertical drilling and conventional mud drilling are practical. The field should have established production and the host company should be able to provide: drilling records and logs for contemporary wells in the immediate vicinity; permitted drill sites; and contract or in-house field support to assist with drilling, logging, and testing.

Remaining development requirements and issues for microdrilling. Fabrication, evaluation, and development of prototype 1-in. downhole motor; a prototype 7000-ft-long, 1-in. OD coiled-tubing with telemetry wire; and instrumentation sub for orientation and vibration measurements of bottomhole assemblies. Bottomhole assemblies will be evaluated in shallow drilling tests using the Los Alamos coiled-tubing drilling research platform.

Relationship with oil and gas industry service sector. All equipment will be obtained through development contracts with industry and consequently the technology, after development and successful demonstration, will reside within the service sector. We hope to obtain cost sharing with the service sector for use of experienced personnel and a coiled-tubing drilling platform, and for modifying slimhole drilling and completion equipment to support microhole development.

Requested budget. Los Alamos will seek funding for the demonstration project from government sources. Government funding is intended to cover the development cost for the remaining drilling components identified above, as well as to cost-share with the service sector the planning, coordination, mobilization, and actual drilling of the microhole. The host company is expected to assume the costs of supplying the drilling history and logs of the field site in question, permitting, routine field support, and on-site coordination.

Schedule. It is the Los Alamos intention to define the nature and the scope of the demonstration, and to complete a detailed proposal and submit it for consideration by the spring of the year 2000, with the goal of completing the project by the end of the year 2002.

Contact Jim Albright or Don Dreesen.