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 deep
offshore 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.