Case Study: Petroleum Development Oman reduces mud losses and optimizes completions with SLB MicroScope HD imaging

LWD Imaging Identifies Cause of Drilling Mud Losses in Heavily Fractured Reservoir

Petroleum Development Oman was drilling horizontal wells in a heterogeneous, heavily fractured carbonate gas field in Oman and faced severe drilling mud losses, along with the risk of early water breakthrough, in previous wells. SLB supported the challenge with its MicroScope HD high-definition imaging-while-drilling service to help identify the cause of the losses and better understand the fracture network.

SLB used MicroScope HD resistivity images to characterize fractures, faults, and formation dips, then guided completion design to isolate troublesome fracture zones and place perforations away from fractures. The high-resolution images enabled real-time well placement updates, improved geological modeling, and supported sedimentology and porosity analysis, helping optimize production and mitigate mud loss issues.

Petroleum Development Oman