Halliburton’s Logging Technology for Deepwater Pre-Salt Wells in Angola

Halliburton announced that it has provided wireline services technology for two deepwater exploratory wells in Angola’s demanding pre-salt environment for Cobalt International Energy, Inc. 

The wireline technology enhances the understanding of the rock and fluid properties of the formation and enables the company to make informed decisions and minimize drill-stem test risks.

Combined with the standard suite of petrophysical tools, Halliburton employed its RDT™ reservoir description tool to collect reservoir formation pressure and samples over the course of three to four days. The tool collected reservoir formation pressure gradients, mini-drill stem test with straddle packers and fluid samples in a single run, saving time by working longer than conventional tools in this hostile environment.

In addition, Halliburton’s new HRSCT-B™ hostile rotary sidewall coring tool was deployed on both rigs, taking samples at three times the volume of conventional core samples and allowing for more meaningful lab results given that the larger samples offer a better representation of the formation. This technology produces samples that are 1.5-inches in diameter and 2.4-inches in length, while eliminating the microfractures typical in percussion cores and reducing the potential for uncertainties. Rated to withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the tool saved considerable time over coring operations performed by previous service providers in some of the most challenging formations on earth.

“Halliburton’s latest portfolio of technologies designed specifically for the challenging and often hostile environment of deepwater exploration performed exceptionally well and delivered key data for the analysis of these wells,” said Brady Murphy, senior vice president of Halliburton’s Business Development and Marketing. “We are proud to be a part of this exciting and new play in the pre-salt of Angola and with such an innovative operator as Cobalt.”

James Painter, Cobalt’s executive vice president, Execution and Appraisal, stated, “Utilizing technology that provides representative and meaningful information in the pre-salt environment enables Cobalt to assess risk, mitigate hazards and make safe and timely decisions.”

Along with the other tools, Halliburton used its new Integrated Computational Element (ICE CoreSM) optical fluid analyzer technology to obtain a better understanding of the reservoir fluid composition. Using ICE Core tool technology, the company was able to identify which fluid components were present in a sample.

Press Release, January 15, 2014