Drilling Consultancy
IDEAS Mission is to create solutions through applying:
◆ Creative thought, Ingenuity, Experience, Integrative Life-cycle Considerations and
◆ Fully Focused Dedication and Commitment to Problem-solving
We carry-out our Consulting assignments with the best, top-notch Consultants / Members of Staff who are all experts in their own discipline; many of whom are Expert Witnesses. All have over 25 years’ experience, with many having considerably more – e.g. 35 years plus.
Our Consultants / Members of Staff are committed to solving your problems, whether they’re engineering related, operations related or people / soft issues related. We focus our in-depth and holistic knowledge, breadth of experience and expertise onto operators, drilling contractors and service companies’ drilling engineering / operations / personnel work requirements to provide top quality fast turnaround bespoke work packages on either an ad-hoc or long-term basis, 24 hours per day / 365 days per year worldwide.
Specializing in applying thought to the solving of problems, IDEAS aim to create the most cost-effective and safest solutions to those problems / situations which are increasing exponentially in today’s ever increasing cost-driven and safety conscious industry.
IDEAS applies creative lateral thinking, objective traditionalist thinking or a combination of the two, as required, in order to provide optimal solutions on an independent basis without bias or prejudice.
Accident Investigative Analysis
Added Value:
➤ Understanding where & how things went wrong
➤ How to prevent a repeat accident
➤ Insurance
➤Loss adjustment Correctness
Example :
In late-October 2007, the Usumacinta jack-up was positioned over the Kab-101 platform. Strong winds forced the jack-up off location, causing it to collide with the Kab-101 platform and rupture the platform’s production tree. Twenty-two workers lost their lives as a result of the emergency evacuation in storm-force conditions. The leaking hydrocarbons ignited twice, causing major fire damage to both the Usumacinta and the Kab-101.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Insurance
➤ Bank Risk Exposure
➤ Loss Adjustment Claims
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Blowout Investigative Analysis
Added Value:
➤ Cause of Blowout Determination
➤ Maximise Safety : No Loss of Life
➤ Government Regulation Conformance
➤ Environmental Protection
➤ Insurance Claim Clarity
Blowouts are the last thing anyone wants to see. Because people get killed. The environment becomes severely polluted. And they’re 100% negative in the public’s eye. And yet, despite the marvellous advances in drilling technology over the years, they still keep on happening. Why?
Type-in “Rig Blowout” into any search engine and you’ll be swamped – and amazed – and the number of blowouts which have happened worldwide since the “famed” Spindletop, Texas, blowout in 1901. You’ll then ask yourself “Why are we still having blowouts One Century Plus?
IDEAS’ Founder spent 8 years studying Blowouts as one part of his tri-part PhD Thesis and noted almost identical “behaviours” and “problems” relating to blowouts over 100 years plus of oilfield drilling operations. Principal amongst these observations is poor well control tuition and consequential poor understanding – e.g. everyone on Macondo was well control certified, right? And yet? So what’s the real value of that piece of paper at the end of a week’s course?
IDEAS Staff are all 35 years plus experienced. We want to help you. We want to prevent blowouts. Learn from us. That’s what we’re here for.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Insurance
➤ Bank Risk Exposure
➤ Loss Adjustment Claims
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Competency
Added Value:
➤ Maximise Safety
➤ Maximise Efficiency
➤ Maximise Performance
➤ Maximise Profitability
➤ Maximise Production
With low prices and wells becoming more difficult to drill (e.g. HPHT, Multi-lateral, Extended Reach, Deepwater for example), the competency of people has perhaps never been more important than it is today.
IDEAS has been involved with the world’s optimum Drilling Contractor and a major Service Company regarding drill crew competency, helping to draw-up “Technical” & “Job” scopes as well as direct advice to clients.
If you have the right team, there’s really nothing that cannot be done. And the right team translates into the above “Added Values”.
In conjunction with the above “Added Values”, assessed, proven Competencies can also help companies to win valuable contracts: whether it be Operators seeking contracts from Ministries or Governments, Drilling Contractors or Service Companies seeking contracts from Operators, and SME’s seeking contracts in their areas of expertise.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Drilling Contractor Crew Competency
➤ Drilling Engineers / Senior Drilling Engineer (Operator) Competency
➤ Service Provider Competency
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Deepwater Drilling
Added Value:
➤ Minimise Well Cost
➤ Maximise Efficiency
➤ Achieve Well Objectives
Deepwater drilling is extremely expensive, with some latest generation drill-ships having daily operating costs in excess of $1million per day. Thus, anything that can be done to save time will translate into massive cost-saving.
Very often it’s planning that saves the most money, particularly if Technical Limit Drilling is being utilised.
Experience and competency are key human factors as is dual activity; both able to save $millions.
Particularly important is an “Optimised” Drilling Programme. IDEAS has been, through Programme Review, to improve Programmes in South East Asia & U.K.
IDEAS has worked with many Operators & Drilling Contractors with respect to Deepwater Drilling in the areas of the conceptual, planning, risk analysis, training and drilling programme writing stages.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Deepwater Well Control
➤ Risk Management (using Risk Impact ™ Software)
➤ Technical Limit Drilling
➤ Training
➤ Deepwater Well Programme Review
➤ Competency
➤ Deepwater DWOP
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Drilling Studies
Added Value:
➤ Reduced Costs
➤ Improved Safety
➤ Maximised Promotion
With projects becoming more and more demanding (e.g. Extended Reach Drilling, “Designer Well” drilling, Deepwater, HPHT, Multilateral etc.) and because of the drop in oil prices, more than ever we need to study what we’re doing so that we can drill cost-effective wells.
For example, in drilling a high-angle well, have we carried out the necessary rock mechanics work to prevent hole collapse due to sufficient mud weight?
Over the years, IDEAS has carried out over 125 studies* for clients (mostly Operators), all resulting in success for the Operator in terms of safety, efficiency, hydrocarbon production and thereby profitability. In short, drilling studies reduce problem risk.
*Please call us for a full listing of the studies we have carried out for our clients worldwide. Ranging from the driller to and through the reservoir through to the first stage separator, we have saved in total $millions – and maximised safety. Our most recent studies are in the areas of :-
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ HPHT
➤ Deepwater
➤ Multi-lateral wells
➤ Stuck Pipe Prevention
➤ Performance Drilling
➤ Well Control
➤ Production Optimisation
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
DWOP
Added Value:
➤ Allows Peer Review
➤ Improves Safety
➤ Allows Drilling Contractor & Service Companies To Add Value
➤ Increased Performance
With projects becoming more and more demanding (e.g. Extended Reach Drilling, “Designer Well” drilling, Deepwater, HPHT, Multilateral etc.) and because of the drop in oil prices, more than ever we need to study and talk about what we’re going to do so that we can drill cost-effective, safe wells.
If you study how the best Operators, Drilling Contractors & Service Companies work, you’ll see that they’re all for DWOP’s.
Over the years, IDEAS has carried out many DWOP’s for clients (mostly Operators), all resulting in success for the Operator in terms of safety, efficiency, hydrocarbon production and thereby profitability. In short, DWOP’s give fellow peers a chance to comment on the well – and a chance to improve safety, efficiency, maximum hydrocarbon production and profitability.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Brunei (Shell) – HPHT Workshops
➤ Brunei (Total) & Singapore (Total) – Deepwater
➤ Cuba – (Repsol) – Exploration Well
➤ Vietnam (Vantage) – HPHT Workshops
➤ U.K. – (G de F) – Exploration Well
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Engineering / Technical Advisors
Added Value:
➤ Maximise Safety
➤ Maximise Efficiency
➤ Maximise Profitability
➤ Enhance Performance
IDEAS’ Staff have helped numerous Operators, Drilling Contractors, Service Providers, Banks, Insurance Companies and Loss Adjustors regarding many, many areas and issues e.g. (to name but a few) :
• Conceptual Engineering
• Pre-project Engineering
• Project Engineering
• Post Well Analysis etc.
With the latest advances in technology (e.g. stronger drill-pipe, rotary steerable systems, horizontal drilling, multilateral drilling and ERD etc.), platforms can be smaller for the same production rates if new technology is used compared with, say, 2 decades ago.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Providing Operators with Independent advice re performance
➤ Providing Operators & Drilling Contractors re safety;
➤ Solutions provision
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
ERD - Extended Reach Drilling
Added Value:
➤ No requirement for sub-sea wells (Production Straight to Platform for Processing & Subsequent Export)
➤ No rig hire requirement if rig still on-board platform
➤ Production is centralised (Whether Platform or Manifold / Template)
Efficient, fit-for-purpose ERD well design requires a combination of experience, expertise, lateral thinking, focus, a full understanding of life-cycle considerations and impacts coupled with optimal engineering philosophy, rationale and methodology.
To date, experience shows that ERD wells are a success if they are properly planned, risk-assessed and executed with rigs with sufficient power and motivated / trained drill crew.
Utilizing the breadth and depth of a completely independent company such as IDEAS, allows for unbiased review of existing well design, optimal well design to begin with or improved well design if IDEAS are to work with the design engineer(s) / planning team on a consultative basis.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Rig Power Requirements (Fulmar Platform & Various) & Rig Upgrade
➤ Casing Wear Study
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Horizontal Drilling
Added Value:
➤ Maximised Production
➤ Reduced Platform Size
➤ Reduced Number Sub-Sea Wells
Horizontal wells have many advantages over other types of well design – in particular increased production (which means smaller / lighter platforms and reduced sub-sea well requirements) and less likelihood of water / gas coning (at least for a decent period of time).
As can be seen in the schematic below, when the original wellbore eventually water’s out, the mother bore can be side-tracked to allow oil in the oil rim to be produced.
IDEAS has worked with many Operators in the areas of horizontal drilling through virgin reservoir pressure wells and through depleted reservoir pressure wells, side-tracking through 9 5/8” / 7” liner.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Conceptual Engineering
➤ Whipstock work
➤ Differential Sticking Prevention
➤ Horizontal Well Control
➤ Risk Management (using Risk Impact ™ Software)
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
MPD - Managed Pressure Drilling
Added Value:
➤ Management Of Small Margin Between Pore-Pressure & Fracture Pressure
➤ Deeper Hole Sections Are Drillable – Necessary On Some Deepwater Wells / HPHT Wells
There are many definitions of – and systems related to – MPD.
Essentially, especially where the margin between pore pressure and fracture gradient is low, MPD can “manage” the window very effectively through the use of a specialised choke system (either manually or automatically) thereby adjusting the “back-pressure” on the well (which, in turn, alters the pressure on the bottom of the hole).
One such system is portrayed below :
IDEAS has worked with many Operators & Drilling Contractors in the areas of the different levels of multi-lateral well designs, particularly at the conceptual, planning and risk analysis stages.
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Multi-Lateral Drilling
Added Value:
➤ Maximised Production
➤ Reduced Platform Size
➤ Reduced Number Sub-Sea Wells
Multi-lateral wells have many advantages over other types of well design – in particular increased production (which means smaller / lighter platforms and reduced sub-sea well requirements) and production over a longer period of time due to multiple layers of the reservoir or reservoirs plural.
One thing to note though is that they require a great deal of planning. Synergy with the Service Providers is essential, particularly with the high-level systems.
It may also be prudent to carry-out Risk Analysis and Case History studies beforehand, particularly if the Operator has never carried out high-level multi-lateral work before.
IDEAS has worked with many Operators in the areas of the different levels of multi-lateral well designs, particularly at the conceptual, planning and risk analysis stages.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Conceptual Engineering
➤ Risk Management (using Risk Impact ™ Software)
➤ Well Planning
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Operations Advisors
Added Value:
➤ Maximise Safety
➤ Maximise Efficiency
➤ Maximise Profitability
➤ Enhance Performance
IDEAS’ Staff have helped numerous Operators, Drilling Contractors & Service Providers with Operations advice, particularly in the very expensive areas of HPHT, Deepwater & Horizontal wells in the following areas :
- Exploration Drilling
- Appraisal Drilling
- Development Drilling
- Work-overs / Interventions
Despite the latest advances in technology (e.g. MPD) there are still certain areas where the experienced human is required, for example HPHT drilling which requires “Finger-printing”. And it may be that the crews on-board a rig have never carried-out “Finger-printing” or used MPD. This is where the experienced Operations Advisor can help.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Providing Operators, Drilling Contractors and Service Providers with HPHT Drilling Practices Expertise
➤ Providing Operators, Drilling Contractors and Service Providers with HPHT Well Control knowledge
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Optimized Drilling Practices
Added Value:
➤ Reduced Costs
➤ Improved Safety
➤ Maximised Production
With wells becoming more expensive and difficult to drill (HPHT, Deepwater, Extended Reach, Horizontal etc.) Optimised Drilling Practices have become more and more important from both the operator’s and drilling contractor’s perspectives.
This area of consultancy typically involves what can be readily done to achieve optimised drilling performance results – in terms of safety, efficiency, oil and gas production, and cost effectiveness (and so profit maximisation).
Starting typically with review of the Operator’s Procedures, Policies & Standards, IDEAS then spends time reviewing the Drilling Program before the DWOP. The areas for improvement garnered from the DWOP are then incorporated into the Revised Drilling Programme.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ HPHT Wells
➤ Deepwater
➤ Stuck Pipe Prevention
➤ MPD
➤ Blowout Prevention
➤ Slim-hole Drilling
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Production Optimisation
Added Value:
➤ Maximise Productivity
➤ Maximise Profitability
➤ Lengthen Mature Field-Life
➤ Delay Abandonment Costs
IDEAS’ Staff have helped 2 major Operators regarding Mature “Brownfield” Asset Production Uplift with respect to “Barrier” and “Hidden” Reserves. We spent a great deal of time in :
- Reviewing the latest seismic data
- Reviewing the latest reservoir models
- Determining how “Barriers” to production could be overcome
- The work-over / intervention / re-drilling required.
With the latest advances in technology (e.g. slim-hole drilling, through tubing rotary drilling, coiled tubing drilling, fracturing, acids, hydraulic work-overs etc.)
it’s possible to do things today that couldn’t be done a decade or so ago, meaning that “Barrier” reserves are now accessible. This not only translates into production but that mature field life is extended.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Providing Operators with increased reserves
➤ Providing Operators with solutions re how to extract those reserves
➤ Designing new wells with long periods of production in mind
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Rig Survey (Including HPHT)
Added Value:
➤ For operator’s : Ensuring that the rig is fully capable of drilling HPHT Wells
➤ For drilling contractors : HPHT Capability / Increased Income
We provide a comprehensive technical survey of all critical equipment and systems on offshore and onshore installations, rigs, accommodation or camp. This includes all drilling systems, mechanical, safety, marine, well control, BOP and electrical generation equipment and mud systems. Our focus is to minimise rig downtime, control/reduce risk to ALARP and help ensure a safe working environment.
Upon completion of a survey, our technical engineers and surveyors will issue a full report in addition to classifying deficiencies as Critical, Major or Minor, providing clients with a complete picture regarding the integrity of their assets. And when you consider our inspections cost less than a single day’s operating costs, the commercial added value they provide can’t be underestimated.
Not only do they minimise or eliminate downtime, our inspections also provide an excellent tool for future contract negotiations & shipyard work scopes.
HPHT wells are extremely expensive to drill – particularly for Operators in the Exploration Phase if no hydrocarbons are found. Generally, as HPHT equipment is costly, Drilling Contractors charge a premium for a HPHT rig. What if, however, the rig is not, at this moment in time, HPHT certified – but the Drilling
Contractor wishes to upgrade it at its next ship-yard visit? What needs to be done in order for the Drilling Contractor to cost the upgrade? It makes sense to send surveyors out to the rig to assess its capability – and what is needed to be done in the ship-yard before marketing the rig as being “HPHT Capable”.
IDEAS is capable of providing such a service through its HPHT personnel based in Singapore & Aberdeen, U.K.
IDEAS will state, clearly, those areas which require to be up-graded when the rig is next in the ship-yard in accordance with API & IADC, in report format. We will also advise on any issue you require.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ HPHT Drilling Upgrade Requirements
➤ The most cost-effective way to up-grade the rig if necessary.
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Rig Training (Including HPHT)
Added Value:
➤ Cost Effective Training For Drill Crew
➤ Greater Understanding Of Required HPHT Drilling Practices
➤ Greater Understanding Of HPHT Well Control
Since HPHT wells are so expensive to drill, it is prudent for the Drill Crew to be fully aware of the differences in drilling standard wells versus HPHT wells. IDEAS personnel go offshore to help the drill crew to understand such things as “Finger-printing”; Why we must be careful regarding swab & surge pressures; Why we may need to “Pump out of hole” and of course HPHT Well Control.
Apart from educating the drill crew, the Operator gains the knowledge that the drill crew have been adequately trained in HPHT Drilling Practices & HPHT Well Control.
IDEAS will train the rig crew, as required.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Insurance
➤ Bank Risk Exposure
➤ Loss Adjustment Claims
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Risk Management
Added Value:
➤ Maximised Safety
➤ Maximised Efficiency
➤ Maximised Production
Sadly, we all remember the Piper Alpha, Montara, Macondo, Hercules & KS Endeavour disasters – and many, many others too.
One advantage of carrying out proper Risk Analysis is that it forces us to face possible difficulties – and address them head-on long before they even have the slightest chance of beginning to happen.
Standard red, amber and green methodologies give a “general” approach, but are not exact. Therefore, IDEAS has, in conjunction with Oilfield Risk Analysis, designed a Monte Carlo Risk Impact™ System which gives 100% “Probability / Tolerability” correctness and accuracy in terms of Safety Factors.
IDEAS “Risk Impact” software is extremely user-friendly. Once Probabilities and Tolerability’s have been determined through workshops like the one pictured above, the “Risk Impact” software determines which factors yield a low safety factor – which then tells you which areas you must address in order to either mitigate or eliminate risk. Please remember that “Risk” is not just about eliminating or reducing those things you can “see” (10%) but rather about the 90% of things you cannot see. The things you cannot see are often the things which hit you the hardest.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Fractured Carbonate Reservoir Drilling (HAZID)
➤ HPHT Field Conceptual Engineering (HAZAN)
➤ Underground Blowout Likelihood (HAZOP)
➤ Level 6 Multi-laterals (RISK IMPACT™)
➤ HPHT Well Control
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Specialised Well Control
Added Value:
➤ Reduce Risk
➤ Increase Understanding
➤ Retain Control Of The Well
➤ Prevent Well Control Event
IDEAS’ Staff are WellCap Plus and IWCF certified. Apart from the key areas of Drilling & Tripping, we also provide Well Control Training in the areas of Work-over and Intervention.
With regard to Well Control, IDEAS specialises in the following areas :
- Deepwater Drilling
- HPHT Drilling
- Horizontal Wells & Slim-hole Wells
- Well Intervention & Well Work-over
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Deepwater Well Control DWOP
➤ HPHT Well Control DWOP
➤ Service Provision Offshore
➤ HPHT & Deepwater Well Control Manual Writing
➤ Public Course Tuition – Deepwater WC
➤ Specialised HPHT Well Control Training Onshore
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Technical Limit
Added Value:
➤ Increased Efficiency
➤ Reduced Costs
➤ Improved Safety
➤ Maximised Production
With wells becoming more expensive and difficult to drill (HPHT, Deepwater, Extended Reach, Horizontal etc.), “Time” taken to drill has become more and more important of late as, simply, “Time” is money.
This area of consultancy typically involves what can be readily done to achieve optimised drilling performance results – in terms of safety, efficiency, oil and gas production, and cost effectiveness (and so profit maximisation).
There are 3 time components to any well :
- The “Theoretical Best Time”;
- Invisible or “Lost Time” and
- “Down Time”.
If we can remove or at least reduce 2 & 3 then we are drilling cost effectively. Operators, Drilling Contractors, Service Companies, low MTBF Equipment, Logistics, Servicing, Maintenance all play a vital role – particularly if things are co-ordinated.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Exploration Wells
➤ Appraisal Wells
➤ Development Wells
➤ Jack-Up
➤ Semi-submersibles & Drill-ship
➤ Platform Drilling
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Well Engineering / Well Design
Added Value:
➤ Reduced Costs
➤ Improved Safety
➤ Maximised Promotion
Efficient, fit-for-purpose well design requires a combination of experience, expertise, lateral thinking, focus, a full understanding of life-cycle considerations and impacts coupled with optimal engineering philosophy, rationale and methodology.
To date, experience shows that wells may be quite considerably over-designed (for example, casing burst design based on full evacuation to dry gas for an oil reservoir) or under-designed (for example, severe casing design on a long reach well).
Utilizing the breadth and depth of a completely independent company such as IDEAS, allows for unbiased review of existing well design, optimal well design to begin with or improved well design if IDEAS are to work with the design engineer(s) / planning team on a consultative basis.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ HPHT Wells
➤ Deepwater
➤ MPD
➤ Horizontal Wells
➤ ERD Wells
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Well Examination / Well Review
Added Value:
➤ Maximum Safety
➤ Maximum Well Integrity
➤ Aligned API / IADC Recommendations / Practices
Ever since the Design & Construction Regulations were enforced through the Health & Safety Executive in the U.K.in 1996 IDEAS has examined many, many wells courtesy of its in-house Well Examination Scheme which covers Drilling, Testing, Completion, Intervention & Work-overs etc.
All of our Examiners have a minimum of 30 years’ experience and they will do their utmost to examine your wells with the utmost exactitude as is possible.
Wherever possible, IDEAS will also suggest to you, the Operator, how things might also be improved – through certain new technologies and ways of working etc., all part of the service. To date, we have helped our clients save $millions through being able to look at Drilling Programmes without bias or prejudice – to help you save time, money and “untoward” events.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Deepwater Drilling
➤ Fractured Carbonate Reservoir Drilling
➤ HPHT Drilling
➤ Well Control Scenarios
Please contact us to see how we can help you!
Well Integrity
Added Value:
➤ “Reduced Incident” Risk
➤ Increased Daily Production & Long-Term Production
➤ Governmental Compliance
➤ Safety
IDEAS’ Staff are WellCap Plus and IWCF certified regarding Well Control and are also very experienced with regard to Well Integrity.
We follow the key DCR statement “It is essential to demonstrate that the pressure boundary of the well is controlled throughout the life-cycle of the well & that the pressure containment equipment that forms part of the well is suitable for this purpose” to the letter.
When the incident on the Snorre “A” (Well P31A) happened, the Norwegian Authorities cited the following (which applied to both Operator & DC) :
- Failure to comply with governing documentation
- Deficient understanding & implementation of risk assessments
- Deficient involvement of management
- Breach of well barrier requirements
IDEAS has well and field life-cycle experience.
Our Most recent “Added Value” services are in the areas of :
➤ Providing an Operator with a detailed Well Management scheme.
➤ Providing an Operator with a Well Integrity System.
➤ Bridging Documentation between Drilling Contractor & Operator.
Please contact us to see how we can help you!