Applied Drilling Engineering

Applied Drilling Engineering 
Adam T. Bourgoyne Jr. 
Professor of Petroleum Engineering, Louisiana State U. 
Keith K. Millheim 
Manager-Critical Drilling Facility, Amoco Production Co. 
Martin E. Chenevert 
Senior Lecturer of Petroleum Engineering, U. of Texas 
F.S. Young Jr. 
President, Woodway Energy Co. 
First Printing 
Society of Petroleum Engineers 
Richardson, TX 
1986 
• 
Dedication 
This book is dedicated to the many students who were forced to study from trial drafts of this work. 
©Copyright 1986 by the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Printed in the United States of America. All rights 
reserved. This book, or parts thereof, cannot be reproduced in any form without written consent of the 
publisher. 
ISBN 1-55563-001-4 
• 
A. T. Bourgoyne Jr. 
Keith K. Millheim 
Martin E. Chenevert 
F.S. Young Jr. 
Adam T. Bourgoyne Jr. is Campanile Professor of Offshore Drilling 
and Petroleum Engineering at Louisiana State U., where he earned BS 
and MS degrees in petroleum engineering. He was chairman of the Pe-
troleum Engineering Dept. during 1977-83. Bourgoyne also holds a PhD 
degree in petroleum engineering from the U. of Texas. He is an SPE 
director-at-large, LSU student chapter faculty sponsor, and a member 
of the Accreditation Review and Advisory Panel. He has also served 
as both a member and chairman of the Engineering Manpower Com-
mittee and was a member of the 1980-83 Education and Accreditation 
Committee. 
Keith K. Millheim is manager of the Critical Drilling Facility for Amo-
co Production Research Co. in Tulsa. He earned a BS degree from 
Marietta (OH) C. and an MS degree from the U. of Oklahoma, both 
in petroleum engineering. Millheim is an SPE Distinguished Member, 
1984 Drilling Engineering Award winner, and the 1965 National SPE 
Graduate Paper winner. Millheim served as chairman of the 1981 An-
nual Drilling Technology Technical Program Committee and was a mem-
ber during 1978-84. He was chairman of the Directional Drilling Forum 
in 1983 and served as a member of the Editorial Review Committee dur-
ing 1980-82. Millheim is a Distinguished Lecturer for 1986-87 and is 
the Executive Editor for SPE Drilling Engineering. 
Martin E. Chenevert is The Sylvain Pirson Centennial Lecturer of pe-
troleum engineering at the U. of Texas, where he earned MS and PhD 
degrees in petroleum engineering. He also holds a BS degree in petrole-
um engineering from Louisiana State U. Chenevert is a member of the 
Distinguished Author Series Committee and the Education and Profes-
sionalism Technical Committee and is a student-chapter faculty sponsor 
at the U. of Texas. He was chairman of the 1977-78 Textbook Commit-
tee and was a member during 1975-78. He also served as a member 
of the 1971 Annual Meeting Drilling Technology Technical Commit-
tee. Chenevert has presented the SPE Drilling Fluid and Wellbore Sta-
bility short courses since 1975 and is the author of the SPE videotape 
text course on Petroleum Drilling Fluids. Before joining the U. of Texas, 
Chenevert was employed by Exxon Research Co., was an associate 
professor at the U. of Oklahoma, and served as the president of his con-
sulting firm. 
Farrile S. Young Jr. is an independent oil and gas operator and consult-
ing petroleum engineer. Previously, Young worked for Exxon Co. 
U.S. A., where he was a senior and a staff engineer engaged in the de-
velopment of computerized rig monitoring and instrumentation equip-
ment. He has also worked for Baroid Div., NL Industries, in research 
and operational assignments relative to the application of drilling tech-
nology. Young currently is the president of Woodway Energy Co. Inc. 
in Houston. He holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in petroleum engineer-
ing from the U. of Texas. Young served as a member of the 1975-78 
Investments Committee and as the chairman of that committee in 1978. 
He was a member of the SPE Long Range Planning Subcommittee on 
Professionalism and Welfare in 1975, the Nominating Committee dur-
ing 1974-75, and the Editorial Review Committee during 1969-71. 
Young was registration chairman for the first Offshore Technology Con-
ference in May 1969. He has also served on the Advertising and Ex-
hibits Committee and the Cementing Monograph Review Committee. 
He has written numerous publications in the field of drilling and rock 
mechanics. Young is a registered professional engineer in the State of 
Texas. 
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Acknowledgments 
The authors would like to acknowledge the help of individuals and companies in the oil-
and gas-producing industry that are too numerous to mention. Without the unselfish help 
of so many, this book would not have been possible. In particular, the American Petrole-
um Inst., the Inti. Assn. of Drilling Contractors, and the Petroleum Extension Service 
of the U. of Texas were of tremendous assistance in providing background material for 
several chapters. 
Special thanks are due numerous individuals who have served on the SPE Textbook 
Committee during the past decade for their help and understanding. In particular, a large 
contribution was made by Jack Evers of the U. of Wyoming, who served for several years 
on the Textbook Committee as senior reviewer and coordinator for this work. Finally, 
the authors would like to recognize the contribution of Dan Adamson, SPE Executive Direc-
tor, who constantly prodded the authors to "finish the book." 
Adam T. Bourgoyne Jr. 
When I accepted the challenge of writing part of this textbook, I had no idea of how much 
of my free time would be consumed. There were many evenings, weekends, and even 
holidays and vacations when I was busy writing, correcting, or editing. I thank Valerie, 
my wife, for the understanding and patience in letting me complete this monumental task. 
I would like to extend my gratitude to Allen Sinor for his dedicated effort in helping 
me with our part of the textbook. If it were not for Allen, I doubt I could have completed 
it. I would also like to thank John Horeth II, Warren Winters, Mark Dunbar, and Tommy 
Warren for their assistance with the problems and examples; Amoco Production Co. for 
permission to write part of this textbook; and the research staff in Tulsa that helped with 
the typing and drafting. 
Keith K. Millheim 
It is impossible for me to list the many people to whom I am indebted for their assistance 
in the preparation of my part of this book. The many meetings, discussions, and work 
sessions I had with my drilling industry associates span a period of 8 years and are too 
numerous to recall. For their assistance I am thankful. 
I would also particularly like to thank the U. of Texas and SPE for their encouragement 
and support. 
Martin E. Chenevert 
The Society of Petroleum Engineers Textbook Series is made possible in part by grants 
from the Shell Companies Foundation and the SPE Foundation. 
SPE 
SPE Foundation 
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SPE Textbook Series 
The Textbook Series of the Society of Petroleum Engineers was established in 1972 by 
action of the SPE Board of Directors. The Series is intended to ensure availability of high-
quality textbooks for use in undergraduate courses in areas clearly identified as being within 
the petroleum engineering field. The work is directed by the Society's Textbook Commit-
tee, one of more than 50 Society-wide standing committees, through members designated 
as Textbook Editors. The Textbook Editors and the Textbook Committee provide techni-
cal evaluation of the book. Below is a listing of those who have been most closely in-
volved in the final preparation of this book. Many others contributed as Textbook Committee 
members or others involved with the book. 
Textbook Editors 
Jack F. Evers, U. of Wyoming 
David S. Pye, Union Geothermal Div. 
Textbook Committee (1984) 
Medhat Kamal, chairman, Flopetrol-Johnston 
Jack Evers, U. of Wyoming