Case History
Repeated Savings and Use of FLC 2000® in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
A deepwater Gulf of Mexico operator experienced major mechanical wellbore instability issues, including borehole collapse, hole closure, torque and drag increase, stuck pipe, and lost circulation due to existing and induced microfractures. This particular operator was an early adapter of FLC 2000 and used the technology to prevent and mitigate lost circulation issues and associated non-productive time (NPT).
FLC 2000 is well suited for this operator’s offshore wells. These wells are drilled through depleted zones, high temperature and/or high-pressure zones, existing microfractures and other wellbore stability challenges, such as induced fractures and operating in a tight fracture and pore pressure environment. FLC 2000 is used to enhance wellbore stability and to reduce induced losses while improving the overall performance of the drilling fluid system.
Since 2005, this operator adopted the use of FLC 2000 to improve wellbore stability, lower overall fluid cost and losses, reduce differential sticking, reduce the number of sidetracks and increase the operational windows between the fracture and pore pressure gradients. An internal review by the operator indicated improved drilling times and lower NPT in excess of 60%, with average estimated costs savings in excess of $500,000 per well, with the savings on many wells in the millions of dollars.
