Integrating Emerging Drilling Methods From Floating Drilling Rigs—Enabling Drilling Solutions for the Future

Abstract Drilling offshore oil and gas wells is more challenging than ever. Drilling problems resulting from narrow margins between collapse and fracture pressures, pore pressure uncertainty, high pressure, high temperature, and wellbore instability have resulted in significant additional cost because of the time required to rectify these drilling problems. These problems can occur in both shallow and deepwater areas and are similar to drilling problems encountered in many land drilling areas. These problems have multiple origins related to: geo-mechanics, rock and fluid chemistry, temperature, local and regional tectonic stresses, abnormal or sub-normal pressures etc. Many methods have been developed or proposed to address these wellbore stability problems. These included: addition of wellbore strengthening agents, wellbore temperature management, expandable casing, and wellbore pressure management among others. This paper considers those methods related to wellbore pressure problems, and the tools and techniques that have been developed to overcome these. The paper discusses the challenges and possible solutions required to cost effectively integrate these Emerging Drilling Methods with existing offshore drilling equipment to facilitate deployment of these drilling methods from floating drilling rigs.