Engineering in Support of Transformative Science

Scientific Ocean Drilling of Mid-Ocean Ridge and Ridge-Flank Setting Workshop

August 27 2009August 27, 2009Austin, Texas

Greg MyersIODP-MI

OutlineOutline

o Main engineering needs for young crust drillingo Main engineering needs for young crust drillingo Where do technology gaps existo Solutions and explanationso Solutions and explanationso Next steps

Primary engineering goalsPrimary engineering goals1. Increasing the quantity and quality of acquired coreg q y q y q2. Increasing the borehole depth achieved

The goals for young crust drilling are inline with the primary IODP engineering goals…

3.1 Technology Challenges Facing the IODP

T hi th i tifi l id tifi dTo achieve the scientific goals identified in the ISP, there is a range of technology challenges that requires engineering development (Table 2).

Table 2. Technology Challenges for the IODP

1 Expand temperature and pressure tolerance 2 Drill/Instrument unstable lithologies and over pressured zonesg p3 Improve core recovery and quality 4 Improve depth control and cross-instrument depth correlations 5 Develop long-term borehole monitoring systems 6 Develop ability to perform in situ experiments 7 Improve well directional control7 Improve well directional control8 Make measurements under in-situ conditions 9 Sample at in situ conditions and transfer samples at in situ conditions

shipboard 10 Improve hard-rock drilling capabilities 11 I t d t d l t biliti11 Improve remote and post-deployment capabilities12 Improve reliability 13 Extend depth capabilities 14 Improve operability under strong currents and severe sea state 15 Magnetic orientationg

From EDP technology roadmap Version 3.0

Current solutions to primary issuesCurrent solutions to primary issueso Marine drilling riserg

• Chikyu provides true borehole management system• Present riser will operate in water depths up to 2,500 meters• Engineering feasibility and scoping underway for 4000 meter• Engineering feasibility and scoping underway for 4000 meter

riser• CDEX is working on extreme length drillstring

o Drillstring stabilization• Active and passive compensation systems are in use in IODP

o Coordinated system analysis - study to establish ao Coordinated system analysis study to establish a baseline for core quality and quantity

Technology Gapsgy po Drilling and coring in deep or unstable boreholes in water depths

greater than 4,000 m

o Over pressured or gas bearing formations drilled with riserless rig

o Core recovery and quality still needs improvement in all depths of borehole• Recovery % improvement critical in all borehole depthsy p p

o Reliable hard rock spudding and reentry

o Ability to operate in water temperature >200C

Solutions to technology gapsSolutions to technology gaps

Four main focus areas:Four main focus areas:

D ill t i t bili tio Drillstring stabilizationo Spudding and reentryo High temperatureo Borehole managemento Borehole management

Drillstring Stabilization Techniqueso BHA bumper sub

• Used with limited success pre IODP • Enhancements can be made

o Passive compensation• Presently installed on JOIDES Resolution• Presently installed on JOIDES Resolution• Refurbished in dry dock, anecdotal evidence suggest core

quality / quantity improvement

A ti tio Active compensation• Presently installed on CHIKYU. Effectiveness of system is under

investigation. Appears to be providing significant benefit

o Seafloor mounted• Still conceptual, likely the most effective technological approach• Must be developed and is likely to be expensive (cost will be• Must be developed and is likely to be expensive (cost will be

justified by core quality and quantity results)

Spudding and Reentryo Coring and Bit technology

• High temperature bits…(under development by CDEX)• Retractable bit technologyRetractable bit technology

o Operational techniques not yet developed or utilized• For instance, utilization of an ROV to identify and prepare the site

i t bili ti f th d ill i b tti bprior to mobilization of the drill rig by setting up sub-sea infrastructure

o ED A-4: Hard rock re-entry system (HRRS)The current design of the HRRS installs a single string of 16” casing to shallow sub seafloor depths (<30 m). This depth limitation is likely insufficient to isolate the unstable upper crust of morphologically young basalt flows, thus limiting the ability to attack scientific objectives focused on zero age crust. The penetration limitation is partly due to j g p p yfrictional drag along the casing as it follows behind the hammer bit. An improved theoretical design of the hammer-in-casing system uses dual hammers: one hammer at the bit creates the hole and is coupled to a second hammer at the top of the casing, which overcomes the frictional drag and drives the assembly into the bedrock. This g ydevelopment is still completely theoretical at this time. The two bit styles that have been developed with a ring style offer the most promising option.

Spudding and Reentry (cont.)o Sea floor coring systems for acquisition of the “upper

section” rocks

ED A-13: Seabed coring devicesExplore the application of seabed coring devices to capture the uppermost 0 to 150 m of the seafloor. Several shallow seabed-coring devices have been developed, utilizing high-speed diamond coring techniques employed by the mining/mineral exploration field Developments in the mid- to late-1990’s saw themining/mineral exploration field. Developments in the mid to late 1990 s saw the advent of several new seabed corers with extended reach capabilities that are capable of obtaining deeper cores with the addition of rods behind the core barrel.

Continued development of these types of tools into the 2000’s has seen these devices become a routine tool for geotechnical operations for collecting not only hard rock cores but CPT data and piston samples as well. Newer seafloor corers have wireline retrieval capabilities and reverse circulation modes for capturing 100have wireline retrieval capabilities and reverse circulation modes for capturing 100 percent of the material drilled.

High Temperature

o High quality drilling muds become ineffective beyond 200Co Extreme logging tools will not operate beyond 250C for moreo Extreme logging tools will not operate beyond 250C for more

than a few hours o Bits and core barrels will fail

o ED B-32: Temperature tolerant muds and drilling bitso ED C-1: High temperature electronics, sensors, and

sensor systemssensor systemso ED C-10: Accurate estimates of downhole temperatures

Borehole Managemento Drilling fluid is required to:o Drilling fluid is required to:

• Remove cuttings• Provide lithostatic and pore pressure compensation

P id d h l i l b i i d li• Provide dowhole equipment lubrication and cooling• Develop mud cake on borehole wall to provide additional borehole

stability

o Historically, seawater with occasional mud sweeps has been utilized thus the deepest IODP hole is just overbeen utilized, thus the deepest IODP hole is just over 2,111m deep.

o To avoid borehole collapse, engineered mud must be circulated continuously as part of a comprehensive plan to drill deeply This is likely the single most importantdrill deeply. This is likely the single most important technological improvement that can be made.

Techniques for borehole managementTechniques for borehole management

o Existingo Existing• Riserless drilling - pump and dump• Riser - complete mud circulation solutionp

o Emerging• Riserless Mud Recovery - mud circulation without

blowout prevention

o ED B-29: Mud circulation in drilling systems over 2,500-m water depth

DeepStar – Riserless Mud Recovery Project

The industry funded project identified the requirements for deploying AGR Drilling Services’ Riserless Mud Recovery system at ultra-deepwater (between 5 000ft and 12 000ft) sites in(between 5,000ft and 12,000ft) sites in the Gulf of Mexico aboard a 3rd

generation drillship such as the JOIDES Resolution.

A successful test would provide theA successful test would provide the impetus for lower cost drilling and exploration in water depths of12,000 feet and greater.

This enabling technology benefits the g gyIODP science community by providing environmentally friendly drilling access to areas previously not drillable by IODP, this includes deep crustal and overpressure sites. This technology is directly applicable to Chikyu JOIDESdirectly applicable to Chikyu, JOIDES Resolution or MSPs.

Sea trials may be targeted as early as mid FY2011.

RMR StatusRMR Status

o 1st generation – shallow water capableo 1 generation shallow water capable• In operation and available

o 2nd generation – deep water (4,800 ft) (1,600 m)o 2 generation deep water (4,800 ft) (1,600 m)• In operation and available with modifications

o 3rd generation – ultra-deepwater and beyondg p y• IODP-MI is working with the oil and gas industry to

develop this technology

Deepwater Inline Pump Module

Summary of the RMRTM BenefitsReduced fluid and cement volumes

Enables use of engineered fluid systems

Predictable setting and cementing of casing at desired depth

Extended casing depths to get past troubled zones - save casing strings

Early gas kick detectionEarly gas kick detection

Mud volume control

No wash out seen on wells drilled with RMR and inhibitive fluid

Improved wellbore stability

Mitigation of shallow hazards

Fl h k f h l tiFlow check of open hole sections

Obtain geological information from tophole section

Reduced discharge to seag

Does not interfere with the wireline coring operation, all cuttings returned to the vessel

Issues to be addressed prior to hyper-deepwater RMR deploymentdeepwater RMR deployment

o Site characterization and well planning• Lithology, seabed composition, borehole stress regime, borehole fluid

temperature, thermal effects, casing, mud design, etco Vessel modifications

• Lifting, power, deck space, plumbingo Tether management

• Clash avoidance and fouling preventiong po Pumping system modifications

• Engineering, fabrication and testingo Operation simulationo Operation simulation

• Ship crew, drilling crew, ROV operator, RMR operators to simulate hyper-deepwater deployment

Timeline o 2009 - Feasibility project – completed by IODP-MI

• Demonstrated RMR feasibility for IODP to 12,000’ (on paper) F nded b DeepStar Ind str Consorti m• Funded by DeepStar Industry Consortium

o 2011-2012 Field Trial from an IODP platform in <12,000 feet of water• Must be preceded by procurement of funding and completion of

engineering, vessel modifications and operations simulation• Funded partially by DeepStar, RPSEA, major IndustryFunded partially by DeepStar, RPSEA, major Industry

operator/s, cost sharing by AGR and IODP operators

o 2013-2014 Field trial in water depth >12,000 feetM t b d d b t f f di d l ti f• Must be preceded by procurement of funding and completion of engineering, vessel modifications and operations simulation

o 2015 – Ultra-deephole in hyper-deepwater capability could be ready.

RMR platform suitabilityRMR platform suitability

o <100 m of water - MSPo 100 m of water MSP o 100 to 2,750 m of water – JOIDES Resolutiono 2 750 to >3 650 m of water – CHIKYUo 2,750 to >3,650 m of water CHIKYU

o Primary factors:o Primary factors:• Lifting capacity• Derrick capability (single vs dual derrick)Derrick capability (single vs dual derrick)• Bulk material and tubular storage • Deck space

EDP INVEST White PaperEDP INVEST White Paper

Th IODP E i i D l P l i d l io The IODP Engineering Development Panel is developing an engineering white paper for the INVEST meeting which will cover the deep borehole drilling/coring needs p g g

o White paper will be distributed prior to the INVEST meeting and will be available electronically on the IODP website.

To realize these goalsTo realize these goals…o A engineering paradigm shift is needed if we

hi h l i dare to achieve these goals as an integrated program.• We have extremely high expectations for the

technical panels, yet we cannot continue to rely so heavily on volunteer based engineering. We must bolster our engineering resources.

• Centralized engineering must be able to solicit proposals rather than passively receive them as we do nowwe do now