Ann: Currajong 1 Exploration Well - Operations Update, page-30

Yatchy tell me how they would cope with multiple potential gas zones in an exploration well .
Would there be regulations that said they would have to set casing or liners into the seal of each one before they drilled ahead .
What if there was six such zones ?

I agree completely that there are regulations to have wells drilled as safely as possible but lots of potential hydrocarbon zones are drilled with considerable open hole sections above them .

Rocks generally get stronger as you drill deeper .
Generally the weakest zone is immediately below the last casing point .
That is the zone most likely to fail in a pressure control situation .
That is why they do leak off tests after drilling out of critical casings .

The cement job has to be good enough that the pressure cannot get to weaker zones above the casing shoe .
That is why they run cement bond logs for critical casing .

I have not been on an oil rig for about 40 years so maybe regulations have changed and maybe the laws of physics too .

You implied that BRU would need to run two sets of casing before they entered the Dolomite because of regulations .I very much doubt that is right .

No more argument from me , I am content to differ on this .
If the strength of the rocks at the intermediate casing point was strong enough then it is conceivable that they could drill to TD safely without running further casing .
However as you know I always thought they would not do that .
There are other reasons besides well control that you would run casing .

I am going to just shut up now and wait .
GLTAH