Page 54 - Drilling Technology in Nontechnical Language

Chapter 3 – DRILLING A LAND EXPLORATION WELL 45

might remain inside the completion, or be replaced with completion fluid.

If the well is abandoned, the hydrocarbons will be removed and replaced

with completion fluid or drilling mud. Most likely, cement will be placed

inside the well to ensure that in the future, hydrocarbons cannot flow to the
surface through the well.

Drilling program

The program contains, among other things, a set of advisory
instructions to the rig that show how it is thought that the well can be

drilled most efficiently. Note especially the word advisory. It is impossible
to anticipate everything that might happen as the well is drilled, and the
drilling supervisors in charge of the rig operations may need to deviate

significantly from the program if safety or efficiency might otherwise suffer.

A well program should never be thought of as a precise set of instructions,

but rather as advice that, if justified, can be changed. However, it is also
important that the program contains the information behind all of the major
decisions made, so that all of this original information can be combined
with new information to make the most informed decisions possible. In
other words, the program should not just say what should happen, but also
why it should happen.
A well program is a comprehensive document and can be quite long.
The major headings of a well program for drilling and completing a well
may include the following sections:

1. General information
2. Well objectives
3. Potential hazards
4. Surface location and how the rig is to be positioned

5. General notes, including:
a. References to government regulations, company policies, and
oilfield standards

b. Reporting procedures
c. Quality control and data recording requirements
d. A diagram of the completed well

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