L3 - DRILLING & SUBSEA WELLHEADS

• EXPLORATION METHODS
• RESERVOIR MODELLING AND DRILLING PROGRAMME
• TYPICAL SUBSEA WELLS
• OFFSHORE DRILLING VESSELS
• DRILLING A SUBSEA WELL
• WELLHEADS – Design & Function
• WELLHEADS - Connection to BOPs and Trees
 WELL TYPES

Production Platform
Mobile Drilling Vessels

Xmas
tree
Flowline

Satellite
Development wells well

Appraisal well
Wildcat well (at reservoir
boundary)
(dry hole)
Original
Exploration/D
iscovery well
Note
Development wells may be
vertical wells or more
complex extended reach or
horizontal wells
 Reservoir engineering is
defined as the application
of scientific principles to
drainage issues arising
during the development
and production of oil and
gas reservoirs.
The science explores the engineering operations involved in
analysing the production behaviour of oil and gas wells,
including well performance engineering, reservoir aspects of
well erformance, restricted flow into the wellbore, rate decline
analysis, and fundamentals of artificial lift.

• Build reservoir
architecture utilising
G&G mapping
• Populate model with
reservoir properties
utilising G&G
integration
• Evaluate production
tests
• Flow analysis Water
drive, gas
injection,water flood,
etc.
• Volumetrics
• Reservoir simulation
• Production history
match
DEVELOPING THE DRILLING PLAN - Bottom Hole Targets

BRITANNIA FIELD - North Sea

 XMAS TREE WHEN IN
PRODUCTION MODE
BLOWOUT PREVENTOR WHEN IN
IN PRODUCTION MODE A 5½ “ PRODUCTION DRILLING MODE
TUBING IS HUNG FROM THE
WELLHEAD/TREE TO THE RESERVOIR. IT IS
PACKED OFF THERE. WHEN THE CASING IS
PERFORATED THE OIL FLOWS UP THE WELLHEAD FIXED TO TOP OF INNER
WELLHEAD
PRODUCTION TUBING AND THROUGH THE CONDUCTOR
TREE
SEA BED
120 m
OUTER CONDUCTOR
36” HOLE
30” CASING 200 m

26” HOLE INNER CONDUCTOR

183/4” CASING
450 m

171/2 ” HOLE
133/8” CASING SURFACE STRING
1300 m

121/4” HOLE INTERMEDIATE STRING

95/8” CASING 2600 m

LINER

81/2” HOLE
3200 m
7” CASING

RESERVOIR
A TYPICAL NORTH SEA CASING DESIGN
 JOINT OPERATORS -
CONOCOPHILLIPS AND
CHEVRONTEXACO
 OFFSHORE DRILLING RIGS

Station
keeping
normally
using
Legs sit on seabed
Dynamic
JACK UP
Positioning
Thrusters
Shallow water

SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE DRILLI NG RIG

Shallow and Deepwater. Station keeping

by Mooring Lines or Dynamic Positioning
Thrusters DRILLSHIP

Normally Deepwater
SEDCO EXPRESS
DRILL SHIP

PRIDE AFRICA & ANGOLA - Working in Deepwater Angola

OFFSHORE
DRILLING SYSTEM
 RUNNING WELLHEAD AND CEMENTING CASING

Casing lowered into funnel

up capture on guidebase
 RUNNING WELLHEAD AND CEMENTING CASING

Wellhead locked into housing

 Subsea Wellheads / Purposes

• To support BOP and

seal with well casing
during drilling
• To support and seal
the subsea
production tree
• To support and seal
the well casing
• To support and seal
the production tubing
hanger
 Subsea wellheads

• Most widely size used : 18” 3/4

(Nom. Bore)

• Other sizes: 13” 5/8 , 16” 3/4 Vetco H-4 mandrel profile
(Brasil) and 21 ” 3/4

• 18” 3/4 x 15 Ksi now available

• Deepwater wellheads designed

for much higher bending and
tension loads

Cameron hub profile

 18 ¾” HP wellhead housing

Wellhead to casing hanger

Metal Seal assembly
Bypass Area 7” casing hanger – For Glenelg the
tubing hanger is at this elevation
and replaces the 7” casing hanger
Wellhead to casing hanger
Metal Seal assembly 10 3/4” casing hanger

Passive Pre-loaded 13 3/8” casing hanger

lockdown system
Wellhead to casing hanger
Metal Seal assembly

High strength load shoulder

TYPICAL SUBSEA WELLHEAD

10 3/4” casing

13 3/8” casing

20” casing

30” conductor

A Annulus

B Annulus

C Annulus
Wellhead Housing Joint
• Provides a mechanical
connection and sealing
preparation for the BOP
stack and tree.

• Provides landing,
locking, and sealing
preparations for the
subsequently run casing
hangers
 Permanent Guide Base

Mounted to the low

pressure conductor
housing. structure with
guideposts for guiding
equipment onto or into the
wellhead, or it may be a
guidelineless style with
funnels.
GUIDE BASE WITH 4 STANDARD GUIDE POSTS
SUBSEA WELLHEAD