Heritage Community Foundation Presents
Alberta Online Encyclopedia
Canadian Petroleum Heritage
titlebar Home | About | Contact Us | Search | Sitemap | Sponsors spacer
Industry
Technology
People
hertiage community foundation, ckua, albertasource

The Drilling of Atlantic No. 3 (Page 3)

1 | 2 | Page 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

[<<Previous]

Drilling "dry" meant drilling ahead while pumping water down the drill pipe without actual circulation. It was felt that this would be safe as the production zone (probably meaning the oil zone) was expected some 30 ft. deeper.

They decided to go ahead on this basis. Jack Pettinger: "1 do remember that Lloyd Stafford was 'dead against it'. I remember him saying 'the least that can happen is a blow-out'."11

Wellhead AssemblyUpon the decision of March 6, to drill "dry", a water line was rigged up to the standpipe so that water could be pumped directly down the drill string. Daylight tour on March 7 made 19 ft. and the afternoon tour 22 ft. of new hole with no returns. The graveyard tour of March 8 had drilled 17 ft. to 5,331 ft., still 23 ft. short of the projected total depth for running the production casing when the well blew out completely at 4:15 a.m., flowing large amounts of oil and gas from both D-3 and Viking.

Bill Kinghorn, now retired at the Pacific Coast, had been brought up from the Valley as mentioned before and was one of the Conservation Board's "bottom hole" men taking pressure surveys. He said he had pleaded with Red Goodall to not let them drill "dry".

Jack Pettinger,9 now retired from Halliburton, set down in a letter of May 1981 his recollections of March 6 discussions:

    On the Atlantic 3 job, total frustration eventually set in...I remember sitting in on a conversation with Cody Spencer, Clarence Matthews and Lloyd Stafford... - Clarence was of the opinion according to geological information...that there was still...30 ft. of the 'Lost Circulation Formation' to penetrate and it was suggested that they drill ahead 'dry' and then try to control circulation over the area in one operation.10

(This may help resolve the Spi Langston account which follows.)

There is another item which is difficult to explain although there was a motley assemblage of mixed grades of casing on the Atlantic racks. Spi Langston had a special casing shoe which had been flown in from the U.S., ready to run on the long string. This was a Larkin, which had a set of petals opening up below the ports when the shearing ball was pumped down. This would partially shield from the D-3 the scouring and lost circulation effect of the cementing. Spi said he was ready to run casing with this special shoe, Because of a possible mix-up in drill pipe measurement (an extra single picked up?) 30 ft. of hole were inadvertently drilled, according to Spi, This could have happened during the struggle to get cement plugs set and regain circulation from March 2 to March 8.

Information gathered shortly after the D-3 blow-out from those parties having responsibility, is summarized:

- Dave Gray had suggested drilling be continued. He had seen "dry" completions in the Middle East through a limestone in which it was particularly difficult to maintain circulation. The technique was to drill ahead with water, reach the required total depth and cement the drill pipe in place as production casing.

- Lloyd Stafford and Nate Goodman telephoned Gene Denton and Cody Spencer to discuss the proposal. Nate also contacted the Board's Deputy Chairman, Red Goodall and further discussions were held in Calgary between Denton and the Deputy Chairman, as to the advisability of drilling "dry".

- Red Goodall confirmed that Nate Goodman was in constant attendance during the time circulation was lost and did not object to the procedure outlined, having in mind the drilling experience up to that time.

- Goodall mentioned that the annulus should be kept full 'in order to counteract a possible blow-out'. (This was impossible to achieve.)

- Clarence Matthews had contacted Atlantic Oil Co. and made his recommendation to them to drill "dry". He was then reported to have received their approval by telephone. Clarence then conveyed the word to Lloyd as to how he was to carry on: if cement did not hold at 5,265 ft...."dry" drilling was to be proceeded with.

[Next>>]

quicklinks
quicklinks
filler
bottom

Albertasource.ca | Contact Us | Partnerships
            For more on the oil industry in Alberta, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.
Copyright © Heritage Community Foundation All Rights Reserved