DEC Committee Chair Discusses Standardization in Drilling Contractor Perspectives

6 April 2022

Topics

In Drilling Contractor Magazine’s latest editorial in the March/April issue of Drilling Contractor magazine, Chair of the Drilling Engineers Committee discusses how integration and standardization are key to improving well construction.

That’s the thing, we’re working on today: How do you take a plan to drill of pipe and then do that 200 times safetly and efficiently to deliver a 20,000-ft well?

With over 30 years in the industry, Isbell has spent a career figuring out how to improve the tools of the trade by whatever means necessary, whether it’s redesigning, upgrading, or retooling equipment that’s used in everyday in the field. This is the focus he’ll be bringing to the IADC’s Drilling Engineers Committee and their quarterly DEC Tech Forums, a space for innovating on optimizations.

The Q2 DEC Tech Forum will cover Drilling Hazards and the impact on Well Design and Delivery

This forum will explore the changes in well design from changes in philosophy, technology and risk. Clearly, well designs are constantly evolving, and well-site operational practices have improved (lost-circulation materials, mud weights/properties, stress cage, controlled drilling practices, managed pressure drilling,…) to mitigate exposure and risk. Some operators are calling for state or regulatory tracking of well influxes and lost-circulation zones so that hazards can be identified to avoid surprises drilling in the known areas., i.e. frac hits or salt water flows. In known hazard areas, operators are using “water strings” and other contingencies to manage risk.