Shell, Enventure complete well with new casing technology

Companies say MonoDiameter well bore eliminates telescoping effect of decreasing tubing diameters, allows smaller surface bore, deeper drilling, more production; will also reduce cost

Petroleum News Alaska

Shell said Sept. 17 that it has completed the world’s first application of a new technology eliminating the telescoping effect in current well design at a well in south Texas.

The trademarked MonoDiameter was used in a well spudded May 18 in Starr County, Texas. The well has been completed and is flowing gas, Shell said. The project was a collaborative effort between Shell Exploration & Production Co., Shell International Exploration & Production Inc. and Enventure Global Technology.

Shell said this new technology eliminates the telescoping effect in current well design, allowing operators to slim down the top of the well while increasing the well diameter at total depth, creating the “big straw” system through which to flow hydrocarbons from subsurface reservoirs.

Deepwater Gulf of Mexico next year

“We expect this revolutionary process to do for well design what 3-D seismic did for geologic exploration and hydrocarbon development,” Restucci said in a statement.

John Darley, director of Shell Technology Exploration and Production, said implementation was originally planned for 2007, but was shortened by five years.

“This technology allows the industry to drill deeper than ever before and reach previously unattainable geological objectives, while decreasing waste products and reducing the surface footprint. Additionally, we expect to cut costs and increase production rates,” Darley said.

“We fully expect the technology to be ready to take offshore by the 4th Quarter of 2003,” said Lance Cook, president and CEO of Enventure Global Technology. Enventure is a joint venture of Shell Technology Ventures Inc. Halliburton Energy Services.

“Backed by two parents like Halliburton and Shell, the success of Enventure and MonoDiameter technology is virtually guaranteed for the industry as a whole,” he said.

Shell said the MonoDiameter well design uses expandable tubular technology to create one continuous internal diameter from surface to total depth. The expandable tubular is made of standard tubular steel that is subjected to a special process to increase the ductility, reduce defect sensitivity and increase fracture toughness, the company said. A proprietary process allows the steel pipe to be permanently deformed in the well bore, analogous to performing the final manufacturing process of the tubular down hole.