DETAILED ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF CUTTINGS FROM OIL AND GAS WELLS AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION AND DRILLING OPERATIONS

Abstract

For date we can observe nearly full exhaustion of the largest deposits of hydrocarbons that are easy constructed in geological way, that’s why today’s exploration work is oriented on searching of small deposits and non-traditional reservoirs. For searching and development of such deposits it is necessary to apply the high-technological methods of geologic and geophysical research, previously provided mainly by foreign companies. In this regard, there is an acute need for the emergence of new costeffective approaches for the providing of geological exploration works. In such conditions the exploration of cuttings material by the modern analytical methods may become one of the main drivers of new direction of geological works because it lets to process the results directly while drilling and receive the information in real time. The main advantages of cuttings are: the possibility to study the section of well with equal discretization distance; minimal terms of sample preparation and partial conduction of analytical studies directly during the drilling process, sampling of cuttings does not affect on the technology of well construction and does not require the conduction of supplementary tripping operations, detail study of cuttings may replace highcost methods of geophysical logging and allows to conduct the correct interwell lithological and stratigraphic correlation while cluster drilling online. However, the complex and profound study of cuttings material allows to characterize and estimate the quality of reservoirs and caprocks; study the rock sources of oil and gas and their properties; built the detailed lithological, facial and mineralogical models; detect and localize zones of latent faults and tectonic tensions, achieve the reliable stratigraphic dating; to provide the most effective tracing of horizontal production wellbore. The exploration of cuttings is actual as for old oil and gas regions, as for new oilfields with difficult construction, because it allows to achieve the qualitative geological information all over the section. Within the conditions of sanction pressure (including the import of equipment for searching and production of hydrocarbon) from the west countries, the complex exploration of cuttings material may not only complete the leakage of geological information, but also provide its growth.