Case Study: Halcón Resources achieves record-speed horizontal drilling in Bakken Shale with SLB’s managed-pressure and underbalanced drilling services

Halcón Resources Drills 20,645-ft Horizontal Well at Record Speed in Bakken Shale

Halcón Resources asked SLB to help drill a 20,645-foot horizontal well in McKenzie County, North Dakota, while dealing with influxes and contamination of its brine drilling fluid. The company needed a way to reach total depth without switching to a heavier mud that could increase the risk of losses, and it used SLB’s @balance managed pressure and underbalanced drilling services along with VIRTUAL HYDRAULICS software.

SLB recommended a 10-ppg drilling fluid and an engineered pressure-control plan to manage bottomhole pressure during drilling and connections, including holding backpressure to reduce influx risk. Despite float failures near TD, SLB used weighted pills and controlled backpressure to complete the well, prevent influxes during trips, keep the hole and fluid in good condition, and achieve Halcón Resources’ record for the fastest lateral drilled in the Bakken Shale, with decreased NPT.

Halcón Resources