Modern Well Design: Second Edition

Modern Well Design provides a systematic approach to improve the planning and the design of petroleum wells, and it contains a number of new and original contributions. Borehole stability issues are presented in a simple and understandable manner. Methods to estimate in-situ stresses and fracturing gradients are given. Also simple correlation methods to evaluate borehole collapse are given. In particular time-dependent hole problems are analysed.

One of the most important chapters deals with a new method to define to optimal mud weight used to drill a new well. Field cases demonstrate improvements in a number of wells using this method. Hydraulic optimisation is also treated. For long reach wells new flow criteria are derived, which ensure good hole cleaning.

The complete casing design process is reviewed, and the direct application of geomechanics is shown. This includes casing design and pressure testing. A complete design example is given, structured for easy verification and modification. A separate chapter is included on high-pressure-high-temperature (HPHT) wells. In addition, in order to supply a complete well design, a number of related issues are treated like operational problems and mud ballooning.

To a large extent, the book covers application of geology and geomechanics into the well design process. In addition to serving as a text book, it is a good reference book for practising geologists and petroleum engineers. Rock mechanics specialists will find it an important tool for finding information on borehole stability problem modelling and in-situ stress determination.

Bernt S. Aadnoy is a Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Stavanger in Norway. He started in the oil industry as a trainee for Phillips Petroleum in Odessa, Texas in 1978.  He later worked  for Phillips Ekofisk operations in Norway.  In 1980 he started working for Rogaland Research where he mainly built a full scale offshore drilling rig for research purposes. This facility called Ullrigg still carries out research both in well technology and in rig automation.  Dr. Aadnoy worked for Statoil and Saga Petroleum and entered his present position in 1994.  He developed the common Well Design Manual for the Norwegian oil companies, which also led to the book Modern Well design in 1996. He has performed consultancy work for many oil companies, including being an advisor for the Petroleum Safety Authority. In the period 1998-2003 he was adjunct Professor at the University of the Faroe Islands where he built a petroleum engineering program aimed at the coming deep water exploration activities.  In 2009 he was a visiting Professor at the University of Calgary. Professor Aadnoy holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Stavanger Tech, a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wyoming, a MS degree in Control Engineering from the University of Texas and a PhD in Petroleum Rock Mechanics from the Norwegian Institute of Technology.  He has authored more than 120 publications mostly within drilling and rock mechanics but also within reservoir engineering and production.  In addition to Modern Well Design he has also authored Mechanics of Drilling and will soon publish Fundamentals of Rock Mechanics.  He was chief editor for the new SPE book: Advanced Drilling and Well Technology in 2009. Aadnoy  has received numerous awards over the years, amongst them he was the 1999 recipient of the SPE International Drilling Engineering Award.