Prepared by

Y. MADI

FOREWORD
The present document is devised for non
experienced engineers acting in drilling
field engineering.
The course is composed on sequences
related to drilling operations in order to
make hole, to stabilize the wall formations
and to keep under control oil wells.
As the completion of the program, the
engineers will be able to understand:
Well planning
Drill String
Casing design
Cementing job

Wellheads and BOP

Well Control

WELL PLANNING
PRELIMINARY STUDIES
Geophysic Studies (Logging)
Geology Studies
Reserve Estimation

Well Implantation
Well Coordinates
Preparation of the Rig site

WELL PLANNING
Well Planning is defined as the drilling program to
drill a well from the rig site to the target. This
program is also called "Architecture". It includes all
operations involved to build the well such as casing,
cementing, well control and safety.
Well Planner Engineers are responsible to elaborate
the drilling program taking into account the cost, the
duration with the respect of the environment.
To perform this task, they need to gather many
informations and work with a team composed by
Geologists, Log engineers, Reservoir engineers,
Production engineers, Drillers, Mud engineers
The main required data is the Lithology that shows
all formations to be drilled from the surface to the
target.
Based on this lithology, the team work is able to:
Identify the nature of formation (sand, clay,
sandstone, dolomite.)
Estimate the thickness of layers
Estimate the Dip of layers
Detect weak zones
Presence of undesirable fluids contained in the
formation
Detect faults, anticlines..

WELL PLANNING
The total depth to reach the target is
required to plan the well path.
The size of the tubing needed to
produce the oil is very important data
given by the Production Department.
The drilling program permits to determine
:
The number of drilling sections
The depth of each section
The diameters of bits
The diameters of casings
The type and properties of the drilling
fluid
Based on the oilfield experience, the
drilling program is composed from 3 to 5
sections.
Exploration : sections
Development : 4 sections

CASING PROGRAM

Hole Depth x 1000 ft

Formations

Mud Weight ppg

Casing

How to elaborate Well Planning

Data
Lithology
Total Depth
Production diameter

Example : Drilling program

of 4 sections

Start from the last section where the

production
diameter
is
given
(known). This diameter is C4 (Casing
diameter)

To drill the section, the drilling bit

diameter is D4 (Drilling diameter)

Clearance

J1

J1

C4
D4
4th Section

Clearance

J1 : Clearance between the bit

diameter and the outside diameter
casing in the same section.
This clearance vary from 11/2 to 4"
J2 : Clearance between the inside
diameter casing and the bit diameter
for the next section. The minimum
clearance may be :
1/8 " casings 41/2 to 85/8
5/32 " casings 95/8 to 133/8
3/16 " casings 16" to 20"

D4 = C4 + 2 J1

3rd Section :
ic3 = D4 + 2 J2 where :
ic3 inside diameter casing
ec3 = ic3 + 2 e where
e : outside diameter casing

and
e : wall thickness of the
casing

D4= ec3 + 2 J1

J2

J2

J1

3rd Section

J1

4th Section

2nd Section :
iC2 = D3 + 2 J2
eC2 = iC2 + 2 e
D2 = eC2 + 2 J1

J2

J2

J1

J1

J1

J1

J2

J1

J2

2nd
section

3rd
section

J1

4th
section

st
1

section :

iC1 = D2 + 2 J2
eC1 = iC1 + 2 e
D1 = eC1 + 2 J1

Well Planning

Example of Well
Planning

Drilling
26"
16"
121/4
81/2
6"

Casing
185/8
133/8
95/8
7''
41/2

Depth (ft)
1200
4500
8700
13500
15200

26" Hole @ 465m

18"5/8 Casing shoe @ 464m

16" Hole @ 2393m

13 3/8 " Casing Shoe @ 2392m

121/4" Hole @ 3346m

K.O.P @ 3060m
8 3/8" Hole @ 3405m
6" O-Hole

9 5/8 " Casing Shoe @ 3345m

7" Casing Shoe @ 3404m

Drilling / Casing Program

Casing

Cement

Drilling

Surface Casing

Intermediate
Casing

Intermediate
Casing

Production
Casing