(418ap) High Pressure, High Temperature Wells

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This turned out to be one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history. This high-profile blowout at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico brought the challenges and the perils of drilling into high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) fields increasingly into focus. High-pressure, high-temperature fields exist in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Almost a quarter of HPHT operations worldwide is expected to pass on the American continent particularly in North America. There are so many factors that need to be addressed and learned in order to safely overcome the challenges of drilling into and producing from HPHT oil and gas wells.

Drilling into HPHT wells is a new frontier for the petroleum and gas industry. The growing need for oil and gas throughout the world is driving the exploration and production industry to look for raw resources. Some of these resources are located in deeper formations. As we drill into deeper formations we will experience higher pressures and temperatures. Drilling operations in such high pressure and high temperature environments can be very challenging. Accordingly, several companies are compelled to meet or exceed a vast array of technical restrictions as well as environmental, health and safety standards. This report explains the technical challenges in developing HPHT fields, deepwater drilling, completions and production.