Paper: Planning For Trouble-Free Drilling

The World War II Allied assault on the beaches of Normandy is described by Corneluis Ryan in The Longest Day, a book in which the author provides a detailed record of one day in history. It would be a mistake, however, to think that the story of the Normandy Invasion is completely told by relating only events of that single day. Planning for June 6, 1944 began years before, and nothing that happened on that day was more important than the efforts spent in planning the operation. Not only a military operation, but any major undertaking demands a detailed, well thought-out plan to achieve success, especially when the undertaking involves safety of personnel, considerable financial investment, and coordinated efforts of many people. Drilling a well is just such an undertaking, and a plan for drilling the well provides the drilling manager, the person with ultimate responsibility at the wellsite, exactly what a battle plan gives an army general -- a orderly and detailed program for successful completion of his mission. This paper will discuss in detail each of the components of a drill plan. In the case of a drilling project, success is measured by reaching total depth without exposing personnel to unnecessary hazards, while reducing total drilling days, keeping non-drilling days at a minimum and controlling overall costs. Simply stated the benefits of effective planning are fourfold: * Safety * Economy * Evaluation * Formation Protection