A horizontal vertical exploration well!

You probably would stifle a wry smile if you’d just heard that a straightforward vertical exploration well had accidentally gone horizontal – yes – horizontal! “that was rather careless – probably bordering on neglectful” might be your response.

This event actually did happen and ended up in litigation between two licensee-partners with one claiming the other (the Operating partner) had been negligent. Our client (the plaintive) engaged Robert MacAndrew and Andrew Tugwell as expert witnesses respectively in drilling management and directional drilling. They were able to persuasively argue that:

• the Operating team – in view of the constantly changing well conditions had acted competently at all times, and;
• in a formation exhibiting relatively severe anistropic and dip characteristics the chosen BHA could indeed build in the resultant catenary profile,

A third (geological) expert witness with particular knowledge of the geology of East Africa confirmed the strong likelihood of such formation characteristics being predominant in the area. Faced with such evidence the defendant “lodged no counter to the technical submission” and settled fully out of court.

A corollary to this case was Andrew subsequently joining Robert as a co-director of ADM.