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Even this Rock Hound (Geologist) knows:
He's holding for the Harrier Well and re-entry of Merlin-1...oil folks know...
https://www.reddit.com/r/EEENF/comments/mkn63w/merlin_1_links_to_my_geological_discussions_here/
Seen this happen to Mobil....
We drilled into a reservoir exploring Nigeria offshore, they saw it had a thick sand, but thought the reservoir was not worth developing it was a low pressure reservoir...stuck pipe, stuck wireline, etc....left it behind...
ExxonMobil bought them out and Exxon Group went back over the logs....developed it, one of the highest producing reservoirs in Nigeria....one well I discussed with Reservoir Engineer he said if we just opened it up through the 5-1/2" Tubing it would flow 75,000 bopd....crazy flow rates...set another platform beside it and I did 8 wells on it as well...they all flow 5000 bopd easily...
The Merlin-1 two prospect reservoirs: 88E needs this data urgently...the season ending was a big cost IF they got a the rig trapped on the tundra for several months....casing it and testing the well, would have run them out of time on the season...
Bidens delay cost us dearly...and 88E....
Several reasons to sidetrack:
1) They possibly "see" more reservoir with cleaner sand available after reviewing Seismic and Wireline Logs combined and have a clearer map of the reservoirs of interest
2) Drilling fresh sidetrack hole will create a clean un-deteriorated hole to work with for optimal logging conditions
3) They probably realized some errors they made drilling this hole that caused the logging issues, it could be too much Mud Weight, Washed Out hole (oversized due to pump rate too aggressive)
4) They will probably have a plan to switch from Water Base Mud to Oil Based Mud after they run the first logs and acquire Sidewall Cores - they will probably adjust their mud properties as well to stop invasion of the drilling mud into the reservoirs prior to logging (critical)
5) The hydrocarbons and water Dave spoke of initially when the tool failed while trying to acquire a sample, the water was probably from the drilling fluid not the reservoir
6) The Oil Base Mud will allow them to leave the Logging Tools static and on station for longer periods to get quality samples of the reservoirs they missed
7) They will also have contingency to run the Formation Tester on drill pipe giving a big advantage while testing formation with logging tools (They probably didn't even have this contingency on site)
North Slope drilling season usually starts in December and runs till April or until melt...the Ice Roads start deteriorating once temp starts rising...will have to see what their plans are now once they re-evaluate Seismic by interpreting and reviewing the logs...the Charlie-1 well results were revised and announced in Sept 2020 after being plugged back April 2020, so the results for Merlin-1 should come in a few months from the sidewall core samples...Charlie=1 took 4 months, hopefully they will review/test Merlin-1 sidewall core samples quicker and make an announcement...I'm sure they are as interested as we are in what they actually contain...
Most important words not to be taken lightly: "Not being able to sample these two most prospective zones does not preclude a discovery (does not prevent this from being a discovery); however, analysis of sidewall cores and potentially further drilling may be required for confirmation."
"Significantly, one of these zones is considered to be a new prospective horizon within the Nanushuk Formation that may be wholly within the Project Peregrine acreage and was not one of the pre-drill targets.
The other zone is interpreted to be shared with one of the zones in the Harrier prospect, to the north of Merlin. Further work, integrating the results from logging with the seismic, is required to map / re-map the volumetric potential of these zones.
Differential Sticking Logging Tools:
When the Mud Weight is excessive, several things happen that are detrimental to the reservoirs, hole condition, and then potential differential sticking of Logging tools
This is what occurred when they got stuck: Differential Sticking
The Mud Weight was much heavier then the Formation Pressure and it "pushed" the Logging Tools against the wall of the hole and "pinned" the Logging Tools there...
Similar to trapping someone against a wall and holding them there where they can't move...pressure differential plain and simple...if you exert more pressure on them than they can overcome to get off the wall they are 'stuck" same thing happen to downhole tools, logging tools, drill strings, etc...
Mud Weight too high or excessive and Mud Rheology allowing too much invasion into the porous formation...
In simple terms their Mud Rheology was poor...I would love to have a Mud Report by the Mud Engineer just before they started logging....
Would love to see those Sidewall Cores!
From the two prospective zones...
Texas, but I have traveled ALL around the world and US several million miles, Alaska Highway thru Canuck Land would be a great photo op...lol...
I've got a Super C Motorhome thats ready to roll with Jeep and RZR in tow...
OIL BASED DRILLING FLUID would have saved this well:
aka OBM...plain and simple, they needed oil base mud to successfully log and get the samples they did not recover...
The lubricity, sealing off formation (Wall Cake), no Water Loss so it doesn't deteriorate the hole, it is phenomenal compared to Water Based Mud aka WBM...we use it all the time for this application successfully over and over....
Will do my best, since I am contracted elsewhere, they may not throw me a bone...I am going to straight up ask for the logs...man, would love to get my hands on those...and the formation log as they drilled the Mud Loggers recorded the formation as it lies in the hole with the gas shows and gas units recorded, would love to see the results of that as well...sometimes they do make them public, but you have to get the logs from the Courthouse in the county the well was drilled in...and they will not mail it, maybe I should drive up there since it's coming summer?
EXACTLY...lol...
Yes Sir, but what they had was a MUD Problem that deteriorated the hole condition...the hole deteriorated from the Water Based Drilling Fluid (WBM Water Based Mud) being absorbed into the shale and reservoirs due to water loss control, this is a inherent characteristic of Water Based Drilling Fluids unless you use some that are extremely exotic WBM, but they are extremely expensive and probably not easy to find in Alaska, but ConocoPhillips probably had some available, just getting it from them and then to location would have been a great challenge...
Water Based Drilling Fluid was the culprit that stopped them
IF they had completed the Quad Combo Log, then retrieved Sidewall Cores, then ran a clean out trip to bottom with the drilling assy and displaced to OIL BASED DRILLING FLUID they could have 99% have gotten the Pump Out Samples from the other two reservoirs.
They also could have gotten the samples if they had ran them on Drill Pipe or TCL (Tubing Conveyed Logging) - The Logging Tools are made up and ran in hole, then they are then connected to the Drill Pipe, they then run the Logging Tools in the hole to the casing shoe, at the casing shoe they then run a Wet Connect on Wireline thru" a SES (Side Entry Sub) and connector to the Logging Tools downhole. Then the Logging Suite is ran in hole on Drill Pipe and logging operations are carried out with a much more resilient companion Drill Pipe instead of weak Wire Line.
The logs they ran more than likely in this order
1) They ran the initial Logs (Gamma Ray-Resistivity-Bulk Density-NMR) (NMR = MRI in medical terms) in Water Based Drilling Fluid the hole was still in "good" condition at this point (They call this a QUAD COMBO LOG)
2) They then ran a Modular Dynamic Formation Tester (MDT aka RFT) basically a Formation Tester that has extendable probe that penetrates the reservoir of interest and records: (It has an electric internal ~10000 psi pump)
a) Formation Pressure and Mud Column Hydrostatic Pressure simultaneously (Which is very pertinent data)
b) Temperature
c) It can "pump" out a sample into the well bore from the formation of gas/oil/water and it will tell the gradient of the fluid
d)It can fill several sample chambers that are connected in the tool string separately with different samples from different reservoirs
https://www.slb.com/-/media/files/fe/brochure/mdt-br.ashx
EXACTLY...they are going to be wanting to know what is in those two other reservoirs...itching to know...
Agreed Dave Wall played it down some,
ANY Drilling Company would, until they have the Sidewall Cores reviewed and results confirmed by a Petrophysicist, we do it ALL the time, we NEVER give out unconfirmed data period...thats ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Saudi Aramco, opens yourself up to all sorts of integrity issues that can come back to haunt a company....
Once that's done an update will be provided that will confirm the discovery...
Reading between the lines on the updates, it's way larger than they ever anticipated or imagined...they were really wanting those samples and that's why they were getting stuck they were staying on station too long and the tools were getting what we call differentially stuck....they were doing their best to get samples from the other two reservoirs that were surprises...
No sir, they are drill and dump...lol....explorers that have a good idea of what they are doing and mediocre support...I.E. tight to tighter budget...they actually did very well under the circumstances, the Biden Admin delay cost them dearly...they exhausted a lot of their funds paying for the delay....
Excellent points...synopsis....
Several reasons:
#1 Bird Brain Biden Administration delayed them...or we could have gotten results
1) They were getting stuck with the logging tools - this could have cost them MILLIONS not only in lost tools, lost well, fishing job, and all the while losing money on rig dayrate, logistic support, and service hands standing by on payroll....
2) They were running out of season to take any risk of getting stuck or into a fishing job for MILLION dollar Logging Suite
3) They could have completed the Logging easily with a little time and money, they didn't have it...(Will explain in another post)
4) The formation COULD have been invaded by the Water Based Drilling Fluid dependent upon the overbalance (Hydrostatic of the Drilling Mud vs Formation Pressure) this would make it difficult for the MDT Tool to pump out the sample or retrieve the sample, and it was probably plugging the probe on the tool repeatedly...they needed a straddle packer setup which probably wasn't in the suite due to cost
5) They need more time in the season and could have run casing and then gotten the samples thru the casing with a MDT Tool that perforates then retrieves samples
6) They basically ran out of season to get equipment out, and time to get well results verified by alternate methods...will add another post and tell you exactly how this could have been achieved relatively easily...
Yes sir, I would love to sit down and go over ALL the data they have acquired and look at the logs...I could tell you quick what we are looking at....
Offshore: 17 years from Roustabout to Toolpusher Reading and Bates Drlg Co....3 yrs as a Drilling Supervisor...21 yrs as a Sr Drilling Supervisor...10 yrs for Mobil/ExxonMobil, 6 yrs for Addax Petroleum (Consultant), 5 yrs Saudi Aramco (Consultant) - at present
Drilled many Water Wells on my days off onshore...very interesting job as well...lotsa fun...
LOL...that sounds awesome...I'm in I need a few more million...
Oil Guys know...
https://stocktwits.com/StanMan17/message/312210395
Dave Wall would have never said what he did about Merlin-1 being the best well yet...they thought Charlie-1 was dry "it wasn't" it was a HUGE discovery....
They have intercepted two other major "finds/reservoirs" that they didn't know was there and may be ONLY in 88 Energy Lease (Thats HUGE for buyer interest...hint-hint)....these have oil shows...the Sidewall Cores will tell the story, they know it, but can't say anything until verified by a third party Petrophysicist Laboratory...it's coming...
They will revise the reservoir Map with the new data, it's going to show HUGE reserves there, remember it was ~500 thicker than anticipated...
This will bring in potential buyers, of course they will try to buy it out cheap....
EDIT: The Sidewall Cores tell the WHOLE story of oil saturation or how much oil is in the pore space in the reservoir = Volume Confirmation and Permeability (Flow space)...once they get them to a Petrophysicist in a Laboratory, they'll evaluate and announce results...timing depends on 88 Energy solely....they need to push them through quickly....size of sand as well = Millidarcies
https://www.petroleumonline.com/modules/m005/hl_005_011.asp
Reworking, reevaluating, and revising Seismic Map will be of a GREAT Interest! This will truly establish reservoir potential gross volumes fairly accurately....
They have the Pressures of the Reservoirs as well...so that will be VERY telling...
Great plan!!!
Awesome thanks!!!!
This will be a HUGE DISCOVERY Merlin-1! Exceeded my posting limit
We'll have to stay tuned next couple weeks....
Plugging back a well is what ALL the companies do after exploration, I have worked for Mobil, ExxonMobil, Addax Petroleum, Oando, and now Saudi Aramco and a few more...they all explore get Sidewall or Drilled Cores (that's what I did last) attempt to get Samples and Pressures with Logging Tools which is VERY difficult in Water Based Mud (WBM) in Oil Based Mud (OBM) much easier...I left a string of Logging tools in the hole and cemented them up two years ago, Saudi Aramco can afford it, ExxonMobil can afford it...88 Energy cannot afford it...lol...
The same happened at Charlie-1 Well but they didn't even see NEAR as good of results as they have from Merlin-1...a huge discovery is forthcoming...
"Logging Problems Update"
Those Logging Tools are $1,000,000+ to lose downhole, then the cost of the fishing job, that alone can't sink a small company...
They made the right decision to get the Sidewall Cores and get them evaluated by a Petrophysicist in a Laboratory...safest bet...
Those Logging Tools are $1,000,000+ to lose downhole, then the cost of the fishing job, that alone can't sink a small company...
Many people don't understand the challenges of logging in water based drilling fluid...EXTREMELY challenging...the SIDEWALL CORES will prove the DISCOVERY it's HUGE!!!!
IF they were using Oil Based Drilling Fluid there would be NO ISSUES at all...the thing is you can't discover oil while logging in oil, it distorts the results obtained...lol...
41+ and still making hole...
A HUGE DISCOVERY THE SIDEWALL CORES will prove it....just like Charlie-1 only BIGGER and BETTER....
DON"T LET THEM STEAL YOUR SHARES! Merlin-1 is going to be larger and more productive than Charlie-1 Discovery...let the Lab confirm results from Sidewall Cores....
https://www.oilandgastoday.com.au/88-energy-upgrades-net-pay-from-charlie-1-well-confirms-large-oil-discovery/
Final third party petrophysical interpretation from the recently drilled Charlie-1 well have now been received.
This petrophysical interpretation, using sophisticated Laminated Sand Analysis, substantially upgrades net hydrocarbon pay in the Charlie-1 well to 398 feet from 280 feet.
The largest contribution comes from the Lima discoveries in the Seabee Formation. Both Upper and Lower Lima (in the Seabee formation) are confirmed as large oil discoveries by this interpretation and the lab results.
Seabee hydrocarbons are proven in the historical Malguk-1 well by oil observed over the shakers at surface and in cores from Heavenly-1 and now Charlie-1
The reservoir quality is clearly evident to be higher away from the Charlie-1 location, both updip and downdip.
It means Harrier-1 will hit for sure...
"The other zone is interpreted to be shared with one of the zones in the Harrier prospect, to the north of Merlin." this means it larger than anticipated...
"IT IS already clear that Merlin-1 has delivered by far the best outcome of any of the 5 wells drilled by 88 Energy in Alaska over the last 6 years."
That means it's bigger than Charlie-1!!!
Charlie-1 was a confirmed discovery from the Side Wall Core Samples...they know what they got, bot have to confirm it thru' a Laboratory, data will be forthcoming and IF determined a discovery as Charlie-1 was GOOD NEWS!!!!
Core analysis is used to define not only the porosity and permeability of the reservoir rock, but also to unearth the fluid saturation and grain density.
All of these measurements will tell them what they need to know to determine the discovery and oil content!
The cores are going to result in another big discovery....
IT IS already clear that Merlin-1 has delivered by far the best outcome of any of the 5 wells drilled by 88 Energy in Alaska over the last 6 years. That means it's bigger than Charlie-1!!! Charlie was a confirmed discovery from the Side Wall Core Samples...they know what they got, bot have to confirm it thru' a Laboratory, data will be forthcoming and IF determined a discovery as Charlie-1 was GOOD NEWS!!!!
Core analysis is used to define not only the porosity and permeability of the reservoir rock, but also to unearth the fluid saturation and grain density.
All of these measurements will tell them what they need to know to determine the discovery and oil content!
The cores are going to result in another big discovery....
Same geological structure/formation/reservoir as ConocoPhillips Willow Wells...which tested very well...(Nanushuk formation)
88E are running Logging Suites that will identify the reservoirs, and also confirm gas, oil, water...IF these reservoirs are viable, they will then they will run tools that will confirm the permeability of the formation that the oil is in, which is basically the ability of the oil to flow through the reservoir, if it CANNOT flow through the reservoir then it's not much good, they will also recover samples and confirm the API or Quality of the oil, the lighter the oil the better, takes less refining and it is "cleaner"...so the "in the ground" price will go up...they will record pressures at various points as well, the higher the better...sometimes the hole gets "stick" and they have to run a clean-out or wiper trip to condition the hole for additional logging runs, if the hole continues to be "sticky" then they will run the logs on drill pipe, the same drill pipe or drill string they drilled the well with, to keep from getting the logging tools stuck and costing a fishing job....obviously the logging is taking considerable time, thats a GOOD THING...it means something of interest is there for sure...if it was mostly water they would abandon and plug back immediately....
https://www.ogj.com/exploration-development/article/14200306/88-energy-finds-hydrocarbon-zones-on-alaskan-north-slope
LOL, I smell what you are stepping in....
IF they had failed to find oil, the Logging Program would have been cut short, it cost MILLIONS to log...we would have known by now...