Very High Overbalanced, HPHT Offshore Well Drilled Successfully with FLC 2000® Low-Invasion Additive in South China Sea

HPHT drilling operations in exploratory areas with high differential pore pressures are an ongoing challenge. One operator used an unconventional drilling fluid formulation to successfully drill their highest overbalanced well to date. The high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) section exhibited pore pressures up to 14,000 psi with 310°F bottomhole temperature. The challenge was further compounded by the very high overbalance pressure − approximately 6,800 psi observed while drilling with an 18.4-lb/gal drilling fluid.

In the deeper section, where wellbore pressure control was critical with approximately a 1.5-lb/gal drilling window, the HPHT drilling fluid formulation and rheology were optimized to minimize the equivalent circulating density. To minimize risk of wellbore losses and differential sticking, a HPHT low-invasion fluid system with FLC 2000 technology was selected to provide wellbore shielding. Monitoring in the lab and with unconventional test equipment in the field provided further fine tuning of the mud formulation.