Sakhalin-1 Project Drills World's Longest Extended-Reach Well

Scandinavian Oil-Gas Magazine, Jan 31, 2011
Exxon Mobil Corporation says that its subsidiary, Exxon Neftegas Limited, has successfully drilled the world's longest extended-reach well at the Odoptu field, offshore far east Russia. Exxon Neftegas is the operator of the Sakhalin-1 Project on behalf of an international consortium that includes affiliates of the Russian state company Rosneft RN-Astra and Sakhalinmorneftegas-Shelf; the Japanese corporation SODECO; and the Indian state oil company ONGC Videsh Ltd.

The Odoptu OP-11 well reached a total measured depth of 40,502 feet (12,345 meters or 7.67 miles) to set a world record for extended-reach drilling (ERD). The Odoptu OP-11 also set a world record with a horizontal reach of 37,648 feet (11,475 meters or 7.13 miles). Exxon Neftegas completed the record-setting well in only 60 days using ExxonMobil's Fast Drill Process and Integrated Hole Quality technology to maximize performance in every foot of hole drilled at OP-11.

Odoptu, one of three Sakhalin-1 Project fields, is situated 5 to 7 miles (8 to 11 kilometers) offshore northeast Sakhalin Island. [See map below -- D.R.]. The ERD process enables onshore drilling beneath the seafloor to the offshore oil and gas reservoirs to successfully operate in a safe and environmentally responsible manner in one of the most challenging sub-arctic environments in the world. [...]

Since the first Sakhalin-1 well was drilled in 2003, six of the world's 10 record-setting ERD wells have been drilled at the project. The specially designed Yastreb rig [see photo 1 below] has been used throughout, setting multiple industry records for measured depth, rate of penetration and directional drilling.

Since startup, the Sakhalin-1 project has produced approximately 300 million barrels (39 million tons) of oil for export to world markets. It also has been a key supplier of approximately 235 billion cubic feet (6.8 billion cubic meters) of associated natural gas to customers in Khabarovsk Krai, in far eastern Russia, to heat homes and meet growing energy needs. The project will continue to help meet future natural gas demand in this region.

Sakhalin-1 includes the Chayvo, Odoptu, and Arkutun Dagi oil and gas fields located off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. [See map and photo 2 below -- D.R.]. Potential recoverable resources are 2.3 billion barrels (307 million tons) of oil and 17.1 trillion cubic feet (485 billion cubic meters) of natural gas. Read more
                                      Map: Sakhalin-1

Source: Rigzone Description: Oil from the Chayvo deposit started to run through a pipeline to the De-Kastri terminal in Russia's Khabarovsk Krai in September 2006. An export terminal at De-Kastri began shipments to Japan and South Korea in October 2006. The Sakhalin-1 gas is supplied to local consumers via a pipeline owned by Daltransgaz. Drilling at the Odoptu oil and gas field began in May 2009, and commercial production began in September 2010. The product goes to the Chayvo processing facility and then to the De-Kastri for export. The Arkutun-Dagi field is yet to be developed, but first oil is expected in 2014; it will also go to De-Kastri via Chayvo. -- D.R.

                             Photo 1: Yastreb Land Rig
                                             

Source: offshore-technology.com Description: The Chayvo Yastreb land rig, above, launched in June 2002, was engineered and constructed especially for Sakhalin-1 (Houston-based Parking Drilling Co designed and constructed the "Yastreb"). It is designed to drill extended reach wells to offshore targets from land-based locations. State-of-the-art extended reach drilling (ERD) technology reduced the high capital and operating costs of large offshore structures and at the same time minimized the environmental impact in this sensitive near-shore area. Drilling at Chayvo was completed with a total of 20 ERD wells drilled, setting records in depth, horizontal reach and drilling speed. The Yastreb rig was dismantled, modified and transported to Odoptu field where it has been in operation since the startup of drilling in May 2009. -- D.R.

             Photo 2: Sakhalin-1 - Orlan Offshore Rig (Chayvo)

                                                 Source: Rosneft website

(Sakhalin-1 is the first large-scale shelf development project in Russia being implemented under a production sharing agreement---concluded in 1996. Project participation: Exxon holds an operating 30% stake in the project, Japan's Sodeco holds 30%, with Rosneft---via its affiliates RN-Astra, 8.5%, and Sakhalinmorneftegas-Shelf, 11.5%---and India's ONGC holding 20% each. For cooperation between Rosneft and ExxonMobil, see also my post here. For the longest extended-reach well, i.e. ERD, in Saudi Arabia -- Manifa field, please see my posts here and here. -- D.R.)