Case Study: Lukoil achieves record 8½-in horizontal drilling and saves 29 days with SLB integrated drilling services

Lukoil Drills Record 8 1/2-in Horizontal Section in North Caspian Sea, Saving 29 Days off AFE

Lukoil, one of Russia’s largest oil and gas producers, needed to drill an extended-reach horizontal well in the North Caspian Sea to maximize reservoir exposure in the 8½-in section. SLB worked with Lukoil on an integrated drilling program that combined directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and drilling fluids to improve efficiency in a challenging lateral.

SLB deployed the PowerDrive X6 rotary steerable system, MDSi716 SHARC PDC drill bit, and MEGADRIL one-drum drilling-fluid system to drill the long lateral in one run. The solution set a Russian record for an 8½-in horizontal section at 3,770 m, boosted average ROP by 61.7% to about 55 m/h, and eliminated extra trips, helping Lukoil finish the well in 62 days instead of 91 and save 29 days of offshore rig time.

Lukoil