DRILLING AND FORMATION EVALUATION

Course Name Course ID Prerequisite

DRILLING AND F ORMATION
EPS 343 EPS 342
EVALUATION

Course Description

Rotary drilling and drilling bits. Drilling fluids and hydrostatic pressure in liquid and gas
columns. Cements and cement testing. Casing design criteria and design considerations.
Well completion design and tubing strings. Perforating oil and gas wells. Directional
drilling and deviated wells.
Introduction to open-hole logging and spreadsheet programs. Estimation of shale
volume from Gamma Ray Logs. Porosity calculation from Sonic, Density, Neutron, and
Neutron-Density combination. Lithology identification. Determination of formation
resistivity from Resistivity Logs. Calculation of formation water resistivity from
Spontaneous Potential Logs. Water saturation determination for clean formations (Archie
equation). Shaly-sand analysis and shale models. Term Project.

Course Objectives

1. Time is money. Drilling time is big money. Technical and managerial decision
makers must grasp the language and technology of drilling operations in order to
minimize expenditures throughout the producing life of a well. Successful drilling
requires blending many technologies.
2. The drilling of an oil well is seen as the culmination of the exploration process.
3. This course highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of the subject, examines the
tools and methods used in exploration drilling and formation evaluation, and
provides an understanding of the technical terminology used.
General References for the Course: (Books/Journals…etc.)

Students in this course can read from:

1. A Primer of Oil Well Drilling: A Basic Text of Oil and Gas Drilling, by Baker, R.,
2000. Publisher: Petroleum Extension Service; Bk & Poster edition, ISBN:
0886981948.
2. A Primer of Oil well Service, Work over, and Completion, by Van Dyke, K.,
1997. Publisher: Univ. of Texas at Austin Petroleum; 1st edition, ISBN:
0886981751.
3. Basic Mud Logging, Sperry Sun Drilling Services, Middle East Training Centre,
2004.
4. Basic Well Log Analysis for Geologists, by Asquith, G., and Gibson, C., 1982.
Academic Press, London.
5. Cased Hole and Production Log Evaluation, by Smolen, J.J., 1996. Penn Well
Publishing Company.
6. Drilling Fluids Mud Pumps and Conditioning, by Van Dyke, K., Baker, R., 1998.
Publisher: Petroleum Extension Service; ISBN: 0886981816.
7. Drilling Fluids: Lesson 2, by Van Dyke, K., and Baker, R., Publisher: Univ. of
Texas at Austin Petroleum; Revised edition (April 1, 2000), ISBN:
0886981891.
8. Drilling Technology in No technical Language, by Devereux, S., 1999. Publisher:
Pennwell Books, ISBN: 0878147624
9. Drillings fluids (Rotary drilling series), by Van Dyke, K., 2000. Publisher:
University of Texas Press at Austin; 1st edition, ASIN: B00069BG30.
10. Horizontal Wells -- Focus on the Reservoir, by Carr, T., Mason, E.P., and Feazel,
C.T., 2003. AAPG Methods in Exploration 14, Tulsa.
11. Oil Field Familiarization Training Guide, Baker Hughes INTEQ, 1994
12. Oil Well Testing Handbook, by Chaudhry, A., President & Engineering Manager,
Advanced TWPSOM Petroleum Systems Inc., Houston, TX, USA, ISBN: 0-
7506-7706-6, 525 pages, publication date: 2004, Imprint: Gulf Professional
Publishing.
13. The Bit (Rotary Drilling, Unit 1, Lesson 2), by Van Dyke, K., 1995. Publisher:
Univ. of Texas at Austin Petroleum; 4th edition, ISBN: 0886981670.
14. The Drawworks and the Compound: Unit 1, Lesson 6 (Rotary Drilling, Unit 1,
Lesson 6), by Kate Van Dyke, Publisher: Petroleum Extension Service; 1st
Edition (August 1, 1995), ISBN: 0886981719.
15. The Geological Interpretation of Well Logs. Second Edition, By Rider, M., 1996.
Gulf Publishing Company.
16. Geological Applications of Well Logs, AAPG Methods in Exploration No. 13, 292
pages Edited by Mike Lovell and Neil Parkinson.
17. Schlumberger Log Interpretation Charts, by Schlumberger Co. 1997.

List of URLs for this Course

 • www.sciencedirect.com

Course Outcome

Students are expected to study multi-disciplinary nature of the subject, examine the tools
and methods used in exploration drilling and formation evaluation, and provide an
understanding of the technical terminology used. Students will also learn the following:
1. Student can be able to learn the language of drilling equipment and procedures
that must be conquered for maximum benefit.
2. Student can know the skills needed to interpret the information gathered at the
drilling rig in order to improve operations and to decrease downtime.
3. Student can importantly taught the skills necessary for identifying opportunities in
the Oil and Gas industry, such that upon completion of the course, they are ready
to perform in the industry as multi-disciplinarians.
4. Student can further, trained to give a competent technical presentation in English
to a broad audience, as well as writing a technical report in a concise and effective
manner.
5. Student can get the talent to encourage working in a team; stimulate creative
thinking and problem solving ability; and foster initiative and self-discipline.