Date of Award
1958
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Geology
First Advisor
F. D. Holland Jr
Abstract
Collapse of casing due to formation slumping and salt flowage into cavities in these formations has presented a difficult problem. The major salt deposits of western North Dakota may be placed in three evaporite types: normal marine, penesaline, and saline. The four major formations encountered in oil well drilling are the Prairie Evaporite of Devonian age, Mississippian Charles, Permian Opeche, and the Spearfish of Triassic age. A variety of drilling muds including gypsum, lime, high PH, barium carbonate, and saturated salt base muds have been used to drill the salt units. The saturated salt base mud has proven to be the best suited to-date. At the request of the Amerada Petroleum Corporation, the Battelle Memorial Institute prepared a report covering the flow of salt associated with casing collapse. Although the report did not solve the collapsed casing problem, experimental results proved that under pressure, salt will flow, if a cavity provides space for movement. The elimination of such a cavity could be accomplished by the use of a salt base mud and a good casing cementing job.
Recommended Citation
Alkofer, Anton R., "Salt Drilling Problems in North Dakota" (1958). Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects. 25.
https://commons.und.edu/senior-projects/25