Accuracy Under Pressure How a UKCS Operator Enhanced Real-Time PPFG Insights

Background

A global, independent UKCS operator, committed to the safe delivery of its wells, deploys effective planning and real-time monitoring of wellbore stability during drilling operations. As part of this, during the planning stage, a specialist geopressure consultancy is used to predict Pore Pressure and Fracture Gradient (PPFG) for the well. This analysis is critical in determining mud weight, hole depth intervals, and pressure transition zones, thus ensuring well safety and successful delivery. The operator then incorporates this data into their well planning and risk mitigation strategy.

Challenges and Opportunities

The pre-drill geopressure analysis is reformatted into a log that allows the operator’s geoscientists and geologists to manipulate and integrate geopressure data with formation geology and casing architecture. During drilling, this log enables operations geologists to track PPFG and the mud weight window in near real-time.

Initially, this workflow was constructed using a spreadsheet, transposing pre-drill pressure data into pressure-depth cross plots. However, this approach posed several challenges

• Manual data reformatting introduced potential for error
• Static lithology representation reduced visualisation flexibility
• Depth scaling across well datasets was complex to manage
• Updating and modifying data required significant time investment

As a result, the operator sought a more efficient and reliable solution.

Solution

Geologix’s Customer Experience Programme fosters engagement with clients, providing opportunities to share workflow challenges and explore new software developments. As a result, Noel Geoghegan, an experienced Operations Geologist, recognised that their spreadsheet-based PPFG workflow, while functional, was placing additional time demands on the team and reducing process efficiency. Proactively seeking a way to enhance this workflow, Noel invited Geologix’s geoscience technicians to analyse opportunities for streamlining and improvement.

Noel and his team were already using Geologix’s GEO Suite software for traditional operations geology tasks. After reviewing the workflow and identifying key bottlenecks, Geologix’s team in Norwich tailored the GEO application to simplify the workflow, reduce complexity, and improve efficiency. With the software already in general use, it was a seamless transition to adopt the enhanced workflow with minimal effort, benefiting from intuitive, purpose-built tools.

A customised template was developed to

• Quickly load and log predrill pressure data
• Automatically generate PPFG models in both PPG and PSI units
• Seamlessly integrate casing, lithology, offset well pressure test data, and mudline information

Outcome

Implementing this workflow in GEO had a significant impact on efficiency

• Faster predrill preparation – reduction in time needed to make data operationally useful, improving planning efficiency.
• Improved validation – the workflow enabled cross-referencing with known well engineering and geological data points from other GEO well logs
• Enhanced real-time monitoring – the pressure log could be updated quickly using real-time well data for faster and more accurate decision making
• Greater accuracy and efficiency – automation in GEO fast-tracked data visualisation, ensuring a repeatable, reliable, and scalable process

By adopting this process within GEO, the operator eliminated the challenges associated with spreadsheet-based workflows. The new approach offers a more robust and easily adoptable solution for future operations teams. Moreover the operator benefits from business continuity through Geologix’s ongoing support services, easily porting the workflow over to new projects and teams.

Next Steps

To learn more about how Geologix can help enhance real-time PPFG insights, increase efficiency and reduce error, request a call with an expert here.