Warp sets record in Holland
The widely popular Warp* Fluid Technology continues to establish milestones with the drilling of a record set ting well offshore The Netherlands. Used in the 8 1/2 in. section of the AWG 101 well drilled from the Ameland Westgat 1 platform in Block M09 in the Southern North Sea, the Warp system drilled the 8,246 ft (2514 m) section in eight days, 28 days ahead of the planned curve. During the operation, the system recorded rates of penetration of up to 262 ft/hr ( 80 m/hr) and in one 24 hour period drilled a world record 2,657 ft (810 m). In electing to employ the micronized barite fluid technology in its ninth well from the platform, operator Shell
E.P. Europe had concluded that using an oil based fluid system with conventional barite would have added an additional five days’ drilling time. At first, Shell considered drilling the section with a 9 1/2 in. hole opener to reduce the expected high equivalent circulating density (ECD) values expected when using a conventionally weighted oil based drilling fluid.
“The M I SWACO Warp* Fluid Technology does exactly what it says. It not only delivered on ECD management required for this challenging interval, but also contributed to a world record drilling performance in the Zechstein (formation),” said Shell E.P. Europe Senior Well Engineer Sean McGurk.
