8/10/2019 SPE-24605-PA

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Drilling Long

Salt

Sections

long

the

U S

Gulf Coast

J.W. Barker, SPE Exxon

Co.

IntI.;

K.W.

Feland,* Exxon Co. U.S.A.; and

V-H. 15ao, SPE Exxon Production Research Co.

Summary

As

the petroleum industry has matured along the U.S. gul f coast, the

need

to

drill long salt sections to reach hydrocarbons has increased.

This paper summarizes the special techniques that have been devel

oped to drill long salt sections and reviews case histories where long

salt sections have been successfully drilled. A new analytical equa

tion to predict the rate of salt creep into a wellbore is also presented.

Introduction

The U.S. gulfcoast basin contains the largest known deposits of salt

in the world. The many possible types of hydrocarbon traps near the

salt structures increase the potential

of

significant hydrocarbon ac

cumulation.

The

ability

of

salt to deform under temperature and

pressure and its very low permeability and porosity make it a very

successful hydrocarbon trap generator. At least 50 0 salt domes in

the

gulf

basin have been penetrated in search

of

these traps, and up

to 80

of

proven

gulf

basin reserves probably are related to salt

structures.

1

Offshore in the

Gulf of

Mexico, salt sheets could be con

cealing oil- and gas-bearing strata under as much as

60

of the gulf

in