Tailored Risk Management In Drilling & Completion: Illustrative Case Study Of A Well Campaign

Abstract

Risk Management (RM) is a well recognised approach to address projects uncertainties, to provide accurate CAPEX estimates and to have proactive responses to unplanned events. However, RM is often presented as a standard and repetitive process, disregard to projects diverse challenges. This acceptance is a main obstacle to its successful implementation, because this can lead to over complex risk studies for simple matter or, on the contrary, scarce results for intricate issues. Drilling & Completion projects present a high versatility of situations (from a standard onshore workover to a very challenging deepoffshore exploratory campaign). Project challenges can be very different: technical (HP/HT, new technologies, etc), environmental (sensitive areas, deep offshore conditions, etc), economic (market conditions, etc), or strategic (partnership, etc). The natural consequence is that each project requires an adequate response in terms of RM. Actually, RM toolbox encompasses a number of different studies, such as risk registers, risk mapping, probabilistic CAPEX/schedule, fault trees, etc. Not all studies should be systematically performed. Thus, the RM approach must be tailored to each project challenges, in order to bring the highest added value to the decision makers.eni Drilling, Completion & Production optimization department has built an integrated RM system that provides a properly designed workflow for treating each project with a suitable approach according to its maturity and other technical, environmental, economic or strategic criteria. This paper takes advantage of an eni experience on a well campaign and describes how RM approach supported strategic decisions on the implementation of technologies (RSS, continuous circulating system, aluminium drill pipe, ceramic protectors and centralisers) to reduce well operations uncertainties. This case study encompasses the complete decision loop, from the cost/benefit analysis of each technology to the measured benefits from the rig operations in terms of performance enhancement.Finally, it substantiates the values of RM in investment decision by addressing RM in a practical way. This case study will definitely help to spread a RM culture within project management organizations.