The EC-Drill® system from Enhanced Drilling is a managed-pressure-drilling system for use off floating rigs. The pilot, conducted on the Troll Field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, saw EC-Drill® being used in the drilling of three branches of a well. Drilling of the 8½" section started from the COSL Innovator on 10 March this year, concluding on 30 April. During this period, 9.5km of sand was pumped.
EC-Drill® made it possible for Statoil to minimise losses, while the amount of drilling mud used was reduced by approximately 70 per cent in relation to comparable wells.
