'admin' pid='44533' dateline='<a href="tel:1402160 Wrote:["The only sensible reason for the delay on the update for Wahoo is that there is strong evidence of hydrocarbons that make him think this is a viable discovery, but they are overwhelmed with problems e.g., well control and hole stability. He doesn't want to lose the well and report out that there was a big HC zone but he lost the well. So he's in a lose / lose situation on reporting. He will stretch it out as long as he thinks they can save the well and as long as he is convinced there is a discovery."] While losing a well certainly is a setback, if there are hydrocarbons I would say the positive (a new discovery) could easily outweigh the negative (the cost of drilling and efforts to control the well, the time lost). Plug the well and drill another one, or is that too simple?
That's pretty much the case but unfortunately the problems can begin before the entire pay zone is drilled and as a result a very incomplete picture is in hand. E.g., they may have gotten 50 ft into a large HC bearing zone when all hell breaks loose. The pore pressure/frac gradient prediction may have missed resulting in a big kick and/or lost returns and/or stuck pipe and/or a hole collapse. The PP/FG prediction is the essential tool needed to determine mud densities, casing points, max circulating rates, etc. In exploration areas these predictions are highly uncertain. Hence the term "wildcat." Because when things go wrong, that wildcat can kick your Xxx. I've had my own well from hell working 24 hrs a day to figure out how to recover without junking the well. It can be really rough especially when working on site. If there are unusual stratigraphic pressure anomalies, they could have used up their casing contingencies for such situations. That can mean you P&A the well and come back later with a new improved design. It happens. Note that a really bad wildcat ain't letting go of you until she's had enough. So that scenario with big gas and/or oil kicks may give nice indications they are into something potentially good, but they would have very little info to assess the size. Such a scenario might give MH a reason for delay and excuse him. They could also be fighting problems on all 3 wells simultaneously. We already know the other 2 have had (or maybe still are). Now you are talking major crisis time. You forget updates until most things are back in control. This is all plausible rational explanation. Life in the oilfield. Hoping this makes waiting more tolerable.
Kaliboo