A top score for efficient drilling operations during 2002 has been awarded to Statoil in a benchmarking of 18 European operator companies.
Carried out by Rushmore Associates, this comparison places the group as best or among the best in all the categories covered.
The benchmarking is based on 280 wells drilled off Europe during the year. Accounting for 60 of these, Statoil ranks as the largest participant.
Statoil was far above the norm for daily drilling progress, at 103.5 metres compared with an average of 65, notes Mads Grinrød, vice president for drilling and well technology.
“This is an excellent result,” he says, but adds that the wells benchmarked could differ greatly in terms of depth, pressure and geological challenges.
“As a result, they’re not wholly comparable. All the same, the findings confirm that we’re doing things right.”
Mr Grinrød emphasises that, even though the focus of the study was on efficiency, all the operations covered were required to meet proper safety standards.
He believes that Statoil’s result must be attributed primarily to good and well-established processes for planning and follow-up in the operations entities.
Positive collaboration with drilling contractors and service companies has also contributed to the group’s high ranking.
The most efficient single well in the benchmarking exercise was drilled by Statoil, notching up a rate of 384.4 metres per day.
Eight Statfjord wells were among the 10 best in the category for new sidetracks from existing producers, while three of the 10 best extended-reach wells were also Statoil’s.
And the group is best for high pressure and temperature (HTHP) wells, with a progress of 72 metres per day as against a daily average of 53 metres.