1 Montanuniversitaet Leoben Chair of Drilling and Completion Engineering Master Thesis Feasibility Study of a Well Scale Laboratory at Erzberg, Austria Author Medardus Ramsauer, B.Sc. Supervisor Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. mont. Gerhard Thonhauser Leoben, March 2011 II EIDESTATTLICHE ERKLÄRUNG Ich erkläre an Eides statt, dass ich diese Arbeit selbstständig verfasst, andere als die angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel nicht benutzt und mich auch sonst keiner unerlaubten Hilfsmittel bedient habe. AFFIDAVIT I declare in lieu of oath, that I wrote this thesis and performed the associated research myself, using only literature cited in this volume. _____________________ __________________________ Datum / Date Unterschrift / Signature III Acknowledgements First of all I have to thank Professor, Dr. mont. Gerhard Thonhauser, for giving me the opportunity to work on this interesting and forward-looking topic for the purpose of my master thesis. I hope I can witness the realization of the well scale laboratory and the first spud of a well in the near future. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the Chair of Drilling and Completion Engineering, namely Abdelfattah, Asad, Rahman, Christoph and Johannes for the discussions, inspirations and the good atmosphere during the work on this thesis. In addition, I want to thank my student colleagues with whom I spent days and weeks learning for exams, doing practical exercises and field trips over the last few years. Many thanks as well to all the people from the industry, particularly Dr. mont. Hermann F. Spoerker, who gave me the chance to get hands-on experience in the oil field. Without this experience I would certainly not have the same understanding, feeling and passion for petroleum engineering. Additionally I have to thank my family, in particular my parents, who have supported me mentally during my academic career, throughout the past years and who certainly will do so also in the future. And last but not least, I want to thank a special person who gives me the strength to pursue my goals and dreams and the confidence that there will always be someone by my side. Thank you Karin. IV Abstract Nowadays, it is still a challenge to drill wells precisely, fast and cheap. Due to the high oil price in recent years and the generally conservative attitude towards changes in technologies in the petroleum industry, new developments in drilling and completion of a well were sluggish on the market. However, the current price development and rising environmental requirements call for reducing costs, increasing efficiency, highest safety levels and sustainability, during the drilling process and over the entire life cycle of a well. This work deals with a feasibility study of a Well Scale Laboratory (WSL) on the location Palmer at the lowest part of the Erzberg in Eisenerz, Styria, Austria. For this purpose, a drilling rig should be used which is equipped with sensors at all relevant parts of the rig. Also the drillstring and even the borehole should be equipped with sensors for data gathering. At this for continental Europe unique research center, development and research should be done on drilling process and dynamics, well integrity and light weight drilling. Furthermore, the WSL offers the industry and the students the unique opportunity for training under real conditions in the oil field. This master thesis covers both, local circumstances and the relevant infrastructure as well as the technical and economic part of the well scale laboratory at Erzberg. V Kurzfassung Heute ist es nach wie vor eine technische Herausforderung, eine Tiefbohrung präzise, schnell und kostengünstig abzuteufen. Aufgrund des hohen Ölpreises in den letzten Jahren und der allgemein konservativen Denkweise in der Erdölindustrie, kamen neue Technologien nur schleppend auf den Markt. Die aktuelle Preisentwicklung und steigende Umweltanforderungen machen jedoch Kostenreduktion, Effizienzsteigerung, hohe Sicherheit und Nachhaltigkeit während des Bohrprozesses und über den gesamten Lebenszyklus einer Fördersonde notwendig. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit einer Machbarkeitsstudie eines Well Scale Laboratory (WSL) an der Location Palmer im untersten Teil des Erzberges in Eisenerz, Steiermark. Dazu sollte ein speziell für Forschungszwecke mit Sensorik bestückter Bohrturm, Bohrstrang und Bohrloch verwendet werden. Die Forschungsschwerpunkte für dieses in Kontinentaleuropa einzigartige Projekt sind Bohrprozessdynamik-Optimierung, Zementierungsintegrität und Leichtgewichtbohren. Des Weiteren bietet das WSL Studenten und Mitarbeitern der Industrie Übungs-, Simulations- und Fortbildungsmöglichkeiten unter realen Bedingungen. Diese Master-Thesis behandelt sowohl die örtlichen Gegebenheiten am Bohrplatz Palmer und die lokale Infrastruktur als auch den technischen und wirtschaftlichen Aspekt des WSL. VI Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... III Abstract ................................................................................................................. IV Kurzfassung ........................................................................................................... V Table of Contents .................................................................................................. VI List of Figures ........................................................................................................ X List of Tables ........................................................................................................ XII List of Equations ................................................................................................. XIII 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 2 Geography and Geology ................................................................................. 5 2.1 Geography ................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Geology ..................................................................................................... 5 3 Local Weather Conditions ............................................................................ 12 3.1 Weather conditions / climate .................................................................... 12 3.1.1 Precipitation ...................................................................................... 12 3.1.1.1 Rain ........................................................................................... 13 3.1.1.2 Snow fall, snow cover and snow loads ....................................... 13 3.1.2 Temperatures .................................................................................... 15 3.1.3 Lightning and thunderstorms ............................................................. 16 3.1.4 Wind.................................................................................................. 16 4 Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 17 4.1 Eisenerz ................................................................................................... 17 4.2 Erzberg .................................................................................................... 17 4.3 Location Palmer ....................................................................................... 18 4.4 Transportation .......................................................................................... 19 4.4.1 Roads ............................................................................................... 19 4.4.1.1 Truck traffic restrictions and toll .................................................. 19 4.4.1.2 Most important access roads ..................................................... 20 4.4.2 Railway ............................................................................................. 21 VII 4.4.3 Airports and heliports ........................................................................ 22 4.5 Rescue teams .......................................................................................... 23 4.5.1 Emergency medical doctor and emergency team .............................. 23 4.5.2 Fire fighters ....................................................................................... 24 4.6 Internet coverage and data transfer rate at Palmer .................................. 24 4.7 Electricity.................................................................................................. 25 4.8 Workshops ............................................................................................... 26 5 Areas of Research, Testing and Training .................................................... 27 5.1 Drilling Engineering .................................................................................. 29 5.1.1 Top drive ........................................................................................... 29 5.1.1.1 Electrical TD............................................................................... 31 5.1.1.2 Hydraulic TD .............................................................................. 32 5.1.1.3 Areas of research ....................................................................... 34 5.1.2 Hoisting system ................................................................................. 35 5.1.2.1 Draw works: Description, measurement and problems ............... 35 5.1.2.2 Hydraulic