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kownski

08/10/09 10:01 AM

#173551 RE: midtieroil #173549

Midtier, are you sure about this?

The depth they have drilled to or plan to drill to is measured from the sea floor and is commonly called the mudline.

I thought all wells were measured from KB.

John

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Stay the Course

08/10/09 11:56 AM

#173593 RE: midtieroil #173549

Offshore well depths are counted by the distance from the rotary kelly busing (RKB). That is on the drillfloor on drillship and is above the sea surface. This way it is straightforward to count all lengths of pipe in the hole down to the drill bit.

Principle is the same as for wells anywhere else in the oilpatch.

So total depth is composed of (1) the distance from RKB to the water surface, plus (2) water depth, plus (3) depth drilled into the seabed (mudline downwards).

For example an appraisal well in abt 6,500 ft. wd going down at the moment in GoM has a target of about 33,000 ft. and so they are drilling about 26,500 ft. of hole. This one is a subsalt well ("presalt" in South Atlantic speak!).

Hope this helps explain.

Now back to the boredom, waiting on well results.