the string of stuff ups, page-2

It is very important to have a good plan, the right engineering and the right people to execute it - which is doubtful.

It is even more important to record, understand and anaylise the data and anticilate where something did not go to plan.

Biggest mistakes in my opinion:

Drill to lowest closeure on 3D seismic and encounter complete losses - dead giveaway that this is the oil-water contact - STOP DRILLING!

Cure or control the losses before coming out of the hole and definitely before running casing or liner (or guess where your cement goes) - NOT DONE!

Monitor returns during your cement job (for losses) and calculate the theoretical top of cement based on pressures at the end of the cement job (standard practice) - NOT DONE?? if it was then the uncemented casing wouldnt be a surpries when water came in early.

Run a cement evaluation log if any problems were encountered / losses suspected during the cement job.

Don't sidetrack out of uncemented liner, go 150m up the hole and sidetrack out of the last properly cemented casing string.

If you intend to run any equipment (swell packer) ask for results of testing or test yourself with the fluids in the reservoir and any you will pump/use (or at least search for SPE papers on the subject).

Cement your sidetrack liner and perforate - it is lower risk of communicating back to the original wellbore.

When selecting contractors (Well test equip) use Schlumberger or Expro - the only two companies with a really solid reputation and track record - dont use Weatherford who were trying to establish a testing business and may have been cheap but had no track record.

Pay for the best people, one day of downtime will pay their wages for a year. 3 months of downtime will exhaust all of the cash and lead to a CR.

Be selective abot your JV partners, make sure they have the financial capacity to pay and the technical capacity to decide.

That is about all for now - I'm sure there are more...

p1000