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
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