OUT OF THE BOX

Ideas, thoughts and things tried that are not standard oil-field practice:

Indonesian Navy Mine Sweep = Site Survey.

We had to clear a coastal mine-field (WWII Japanese) offshore Indonesia.

After the mines had been cleared we asked FUUGRO to uise the seismic data from the Indonesiam NAVY to complete a

site suvey for a Jack-Up location. Which FUUGRO did.

Two goals achieved with a single survey.

Done.

Using Cellar as Pit.

A casing had to be cut on a land-well in Khurdistan. We had minimal resources available.
The cellar was used as a pit to monitor the well while cutting the casing.

Done.

Nudge and Core Vertical.

We drilled the main-wellbore as a nudged away from vertical. This allowed cutting a core in a vertical (straight) hole.

This main-bore was drilled first, directional, allowing for a vertical sidetrack for the core.

Done.

Macondo Well Shut-Off.

In early stages of Macondo Blow Out I suggested to BP to cool the well down by injecting liquid Nitrogen to develop Hydrates inside the wellbore and shut-off the well.

After all hydrates had plugged up everythiog else (e.g. top-hat) that was tried.

Suggested.

Russian Navy Current Data.

When planning to drill in the zone between the Faroes and Scotland we had no current data.

The "zone" was the corridor for Soviet submarines out of the Artic Sea into the Atlantic.
I approached the Royal Navy who in turn asked the Russian Navy for current data.

The Royal Navy confirmed the data was available in Russia but could not be used as it had not been declasified.

Almost.

Upside Down Flapper valve.
We had to run a completion in a live gas well. We fitted the tail pipe with an upside down Flapper Valve (1) that prevented flow up the tubinig. The tubing was filled with killweight Brine and had a Fluid Loss Valve (2) fitted preventing fluid from falling out out the tunbing. Valve (2) relied on a ball on a seat. Blowing the ball from valve (2) down the tubing it landed on valve (1) whch removed the flapper and brought the well on stream.

Done.

Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC) for Shale Analysis.

In West Africa all early well never made it to TD without a sidetrack.

Finding the KT boundary became critical to set casing at the right depth and prevent hole problems.

We develeoped a CEC method that would allow us to find the the sweet spot in the shale. No more side-tracks.

Done.

Seismic Receiver for Well Intervention.

It was considered to deploy (wireline) a susbsea seismic receiver in a well to "listen" for approaching intervention well.

Idea.

Corehead for Wireline Conduit.

The idea would allow to run ranging tools inside drill pipe and come out at the bottom of the srtring after a clean out trip.

The corehead had its thoad enlarged to the same ID as the drill string.

Done, not used.

Differentially Stuck.

Reduced bottom hole hydrostatic by displacing the whole string to base oil using circulation sub (Well Commander) and closing the BOP. This allowed for a far larger reduction in BHP than when putting base oil in the annulus.

Tried, see Resources.

Cement Plug.

Use as the basis for a open/cased hole cement plug a bottom cement-wiper-plug that is deployed on a stinger.

Idea.

Torq.

Use wheel nut idicators as a quick check on nut make-up in less accessible positions.

Idea, see Links.

Revs.

Use rev counters for lorries on the power end of a mud-pump.

Idea.