Video: ‘Drillers Knowledge Book’ a practical guide to avoiding drilling problems
The forthcoming “Drillers Knowledge Book” aims at helping drillers drill more efficiently and safely, bolstered by specific, previously unpublished solutions to common drilling problems. Uniquely, the “Drillers Knowledge Book” will help drillers continually improve efficiency while drilling a well.
The authors, Dr Leon Robinson and Juan Garcia, have between them a century of drilling experience. Dr Robinson, recipient of the prestigious 2013 IADC Exemplary Service Award and, in 1985, the SPE Drilling Award, retired from Exxon Production Research Corp in 1992 after a 39-year career researching drilling and oil recovery. He was named an SPE Drilling Legend in 2008, one of only five people thus honored. He currently is an instructor with Petroskills, and chairman of the IADC Technical Publications Committee. Mr Garcia served as worldwide drilling manager for ExxonMobil until retiring with 38 years of experience under his belt.
The book, being published by IADC later this year, covers all aspects of drilling, including well design and construction, hydraulic optimization, rock mechanics, drilling fluid processing, well control and much more.
“The book begins with well planning and how a well should be designed so that it can be drilled safely and efficiently,” Mr Garcia said in an exclusive video interview with DrillingContractor.org.
Subsequent chapters introduce key technical topics that are integral parts of drilling and completing wells.
“One of the main elements,” Mr Garcia added, “is to show how the data you have before you plan the well can be supplemented with data acquired while drilling so that the process is a continuous improvement process.”
During drilling, it’s critical to avoid “invisible nonproductive time (NPT),” Dr Robinson said.
“Drilled solids have a tremendous impact on the total cost of drilling,” he explained. “Most of drilling operations have problems with NPT – stuck drillpipe stuck, lost circulation. These are drilling problems that are quite obvious.
“Probably the largest impact is what we call invisible NPT,” he said, “because if drilled solids affect the viscosity of the fluid hitting the bottom of the hole, the increase in viscosity and lower the founder point of the bit, the bit founders, starts redrilling cuttings and the drilling rate. And it’s invisible, because you don’t know if the rock is harder or if you are regrinding cuttings.”
The “Drillers Knowledge Book” is part of the IADC Drilling Series, published under the auspices of the IADC Technical Publications Committee. IADC is currently also working to publish a groundbreaking work by noted cementing expert Ron Sweatman, “Well Cementing Operations.”
Watch for future announcements and pre-publication discounts as these books go to press. Contact bookstore@iadc.org or call +1 713 292 1945.
Authors Dr Leon Robinson and Juan Garcia discuss their forthcoming book in an exclusive interview with DC’s Joanne Liou. Messrs Robinson and Garcia also made a detailed presentation on the book to the SPE Gulf Coast Section in February 2014. Click here to view the entire presentation.
