Adverse conditions are often encountered during managed-pressure drilling (MPD). These conditions can include wellbore instability, kicks, and losses that create challenging scenarios for cementing operations, such as a narrow operational window between the pore pressure and the fracture pressure, which can compromise the necessary barrier and require unconventional solutions in deep water. This paper reviews a successful managed-pressure-cementing (MPC) operation and presents findings and lessons learned.
Introduction
The case in this paper is an exploratory well drilled at a water depth of 1700 m in the Caribbean Sea. Well 1 was designed to drill through a potential shallow gas interval directly below a 22‑in. shoe using MPD. A total length of 350 m of 22‑in.
