Design of conductor soaking time in deepwater drilling

To decrease the risk in deep water drilling and shorten the drilling period, a conductor soaking time design method for deep-water jetting was provided and verified by oil field application. Based on the field simulation experiment of soil-pile interaction, the relationship between soaking time and bearing capacity was achieved, and a real-time bearing capacity calculation model of conductor was established. The mechanical properties of conductor in two conditions were analyzed, including Cam Activated Drilling Ahead (CADA) tool releasing stage and surface casing cementing stage, and the soaking time windows of the two stages were designed. Field application results show that: This method can ensure the safety in deep water drilling, optimize driving depth of conductor, and also improve the drilling efficiency. More than 12 hours per well on average in CADA tool releasing stage and 24 hours per well on average in surface casing cementing stage were saved.