Details
Northern Kuwait
Lithology
Shale
Formations
Ahmadi and Wara
Sections
121/4 in and 81/2 in
Dogleg severity
11°/100 ft
Background
Due to wellbore stability issues, lubricity requirements, and depleted zones, Kuwait Oil Company historically used nonaqueous fluid to drill the buildup section in challenging shale formations. However, to meet new environmental regulations, the operator needed an alternative drilling fluid that would satisfy both operational and environmental objectives. M-I SWACO deployed a high-performance, water-base mud (HPWBM) incorporating KLA-STOP* liquid polyamine shale additives and POROSEAL* copolymeric filtration- control sealing additives. The additives enabled Kuwait Oil Company to drill the target sections in a record 11 days.
