Rosneft drills a record-breaking well in Venezuela

Rosneft, as part of a PetroMiranda JV including PDVSA and Gazprom Neft, has drilled an unprecedented horizontal well GG1-14 at the Junin-6 block. The well is unique for the shallow depth, only 1140 ft or about 347 m, of the reservoir interval and the length of horizontal section 4920 ft or 1500 m. The total length of the well is 6059 ft (some 1847 m).

The increasing of technological implementation in field development is a top priority for Rosneft’s long-term development strategy in the upstream area, which allows maintaining cost-efficient production at brownfields, and increasing production at greenfields.

Unique well placement

Never before have such wells been drilled in Venezuela using conventional vertical drilling units. The GG1-14 is also unique for its precise well placement in productive interval executed with continuous control of trajectory. Complex directional work was performed to build up an angle with simultaneous azimuthal turn of well direction in the limited boundaries of the reservoir interval, thus solving the challenging task of strict following of geological targets, which is often a problem on such wells. This result was achieved due to the use of an advanced rotary steerable system (RSS), which had been introduced at the Junin-6 block with the support from Rosneft specialists.

According to the generally accepted system of ERD (Extended Reach Drilling) wells complexity evaluation, the GG1-14 is classified as the most difficult, with a Directional Difficulty Index (DDI) index of 6.63 and an ERD index of 4.44, which is a record for wells in Venezuela today. In order to meet geological objectives and place the well exactly in the reservoir interval, such projects require technologically competent planning and outstanding delivery in terms of construction.

Geological analysis

Drilling of such shallow wells opens up new prospects for the development of hydrocarbon reserves in the Venezuelan Orinoco Oil Belt. According to the geological analysis made by Rosneft and PDVSA, significant oil reserves are located in shallow formations. The Company intends to further expand the use of advanced solutions to drill more efficient wells and access significant hydrocarbon reserves.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/12102015/rosneft-drills-a-record-breaking-well-in-venezuela/