Page 63 - Drilling Technology in Nontechnical Language

54 Drilling Technology in Nontechnical Language Second Edition

In a remote desert location, a concrete-lined water pit is dug and a
water well drilled. Water is required in large quantities during drilling,
to mix up drilling mud and cement as well as to keep the rig clean. The
water well produces water into the water pit. If the water well cannot keep
up with the rig requirements, water can be trucked in and dumped in the
water pit to supplement the water well production.

Ordering equipment

A lot of equipment is needed to drill even a shallow well on land.
Depending on the country, equipment may be freely available (North Sea
or Gulf of Mexico), or it may take months to order, ship, clear customs,
move to the logistics base, inspect, and be ready to mobilize to the rig
(East Africa). In some countries, equipment can be tied up in customs for
weeks or months.
If an operator or contractor is established and well experienced in the
country, these factors will be known and can be anticipated in the planning
stages. With long lead time items, it may be necessary to get management
approval to order those items before the well itself is approved.
Quality control is very important in order to ensure that items ordered

are as per specification and are fit for purpose. If equipment fails (breaks

or stops working) while drilling, repairs and downtime can be expensive,
and in some cases, equipment failure can endanger personnel working
around it. There are various industry standards, ISO 9000 requirements,
and company procedures that can assist the drilling engineer in ensuring
that equipment ordered is suitable.

Checking the infrastructure

Infrastructure covers such things as roads, airfields, harbors, and
storage areas, among others. A drilling operation requires a lot of logistical

support, and the infrastructure should be able to handle high traffic loads,
at any time of the day or night, in all weathers. If there is an emergency
situation and the infrastructure cannot support the demands of the rig in
solving that emergency, people can be placed in more danger. In addition,
more environmental damage may occur, and the reservoir could be
damaged if the situation is not resolved quickly.

_Devereux_Book.indb 54 1/16/12 2:06 PM