Sakhalin-1 Drilling Program Marks 10th Anniversary with World Records

In August 2003, drilling of the first extended reach well began from the onshore well site at Chayvo in North East Sakhalin.

Extended reach well drilling continued and in 2013, the Exxon Neftegas drilling team completed two wells, which set two consecutive world records for measured depth. With these accomplishments, currently 8 of the 10 world’s longest wells belong to the Sakhalin-1 Consortium. The technology used for the wells enables drilling from an onshore-based well site to the oil and gas reservoirs located offshore. A well is usually started vertically and then steered gradually to a horizontal path to tap a subsoil formation containing hydrocarbons.

In April, the Z-43 well broke the previous world record set at Sakhalin-1, reaching 12,450 meters (40,847 feet) of measured depth.

The record was then beaten in June by the Z-42 well, with a measured depth of 12,700 meters (41,667 feet) and a horizontal reach of 11,739 meters (38,514 feet). This well was completed in only 73 days, and maintained a high degree of precision by placing the bottom-hole location within 4 meters of the planned target.