Drill, complete, ready-for-production—SLB accelerates field development in southeastern Mexico

Delivering efficiency across complex terrain

In this prolific but technically demanding basin in southeastern Mexico, development had long been challenged by complex reservoirs, difficult terrain, and strict environmental constraints. Despite significant hydrocarbon potential, the basin's low-permeability formations and dispersed well locations made conventional drilling and completion operations slow, costly, and difficult to scale.

The NOC needed to accelerate field development while lowering costs, reducing environmental impact, and improving well performance.

With 30 drilling rigs, seven workover units, and seven rigless intervention fronts mobilized across the basin, operational coordination was critical. The goal was clear: deliver more wells safety, faster, and at lower cost—without compromising technical quality or sustainability.

To achieve this, the operator partnered with SLB to implement an integrated, fit-for-purpose well-delivery model, designed to optimize every phase—from drilling through to completion and facilities connection. .

Integrated well delivery and remote operations

SLB introduced a multi-well pad development approach specifically tailored to the basin’s operational and geological challenges. This model streamlined drilling, completion, and production facility tie-ins under a unified execution plan, ensuring maximum efficiency and minimal downtime.

The main factors that made the solution possible were:

• Fit-for-purpose rig fleet management
  SLB optimized rig utilization and movement logistics, significantly reducing rig-move times between pads and cutting nonproductive time.
• CO₂ fracturing technology
  Advanced stimulation techniques were deployed to enhance well productivity and reduce fluid use, minimizing environmental footprint while increasing reservoir contact.
• Integrated digital coordination
  SLB's remote operations center provided real-time visibility and coordination across all sites—enhancing safety, enabling simultaneous operations (SIMOPS), and reducing the need for on-site personnel.
• End-to-end execution
  From drilling to completion to facility tie-ins, SLB ensured seamless integration of workflows, technologies, and services—delivering predictable outcomes across 29 rigs and multiple operational fronts.

This integrated delivery model unified planning, operations, and logistics—bringing the basin's complex development activity under one coherent, data-driven system.

Shorter cycles, lower cost, and faster production

The collaborative model between SLB and the NOC achieved measurable improvements in both speed and performance.

Across the campaign, SLB successfully:

• Drilled, completed, and connected 1,099 wells to production facilities—bringing new wells online faster and with greater operational consistency.
• Reduced rig-move time by 35% by utilizing skidding systems.
• Overall cycle duration cut through optimized pad design and logistics planning.
• Enhanced reservoir stimulation with CO₂ fracturing and advanced completion technologies, improving production while reducing environmental impact.
• Enabled seamless SIMOPS and improved operational uptime through SLB’s centralized remote operations coordination.

The program demonstrated that even in complex, infrastructure-limited basins, a fully integrated model can unlock significant efficiency gains, and accelerate time to first oil.

By combining technology innovation, operational discipline, and strong local execution, SLB helped Mexico’s NOC transform one of its most technically complex regions into a model for efficient, scalable development.