Case Study: Lukoil delivers the first Baltic Sea ERD exploration well with SLB integrated drilling services

Integrated Services Provide Wellbore Assurance for First ERD Well in Baltic Sea

Lukoil asked SLB to help drill the first extended-reach exploration well in the Baltic Sea, offshore Kaliningrad, where nearby wells had severe borehole instability and inclinations above 43° were considered too risky. The company needed to safely drill 12¼-in, 8½-in, and 6-in sections through challenging formations, including a coring run and openhole sidetrack in the 6-in interval.

SLB designed an integrated drilling system featuring the PowerDrive X6 rotary steerable system, a full suite of LWD services, a customized PDC bit, and the MEGADRIL oil-base drilling fluid system. Using real-time geomechanics and measurements, Lukoil drilled and cased the well at inclinations greater than 80° with no stability incidents, increased ROP by about 30% in the 6-in section, more than quadrupled ROP in the 12¼-in section, and improved 8½-in section ROP by 10 times versus the nearest offset well.

Lukoil