Each well was drilled highly deviated with a 3D design in three sections, 11 3/4 in., 8 1/2 in., and 6 1/8 in., using Halliburton Sperry-Sun's AGS™ (adjustable gauge stabilizer) technology in the 6 1/8-in. section. Three of the 8 1/2-in. sections also resulted in individual world records of 831feet per hour, 850 feet per hour, and 933 feet per hour plus daily footage records of 5,223 feet and 6,007 feet.

"Halliburton Energy Services' ability to align itself with Unocal Thailand's drilling goals enabled us to successfully complete this record-setting project," said John Gibson, president, Halliburton Energy Services. "These drilling milestones also exhibit the value of teamwork and Halliburton's ability to provide the industry with a complete real-time reservoir solution in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner."

Halliburton Energy Services' Sperry-Sun and Logging & Perforating product service lines provided DD (directional drilling), MWD (measurement-while-drilling), LWD (logging-while-drilling), and electric wireline logging services to set the footage records.

Halliburton logged the first three wells using its HEAT™ Suite quad combo with an operating efficiency of 100 percent and average logging time of four hours. LWD services obtained triple combo data for the remaining nine wells; a total of 41,260 feet (12,576 meters) of LWD data were obtained.

The total time in hole for the LWD tools was 295.75 hours, saving approximately 36 rig hours. For the 6 1/8-in. sections, Sperry-Sun used its 4 3/4-in. LWD triple combo services, with an average rate of penetration of more than 400 feet per hour.

The Gulf of Thailand is a highly faulted area, with various pockets of gas and oil found throughout the Thailand-controlled southern portion. Most wells are highly deviated with as many as 12 individual pockets of production in a single well.

Unocal produces more than 30 percent of the total gas in Thailand, with 75 percent of the gas produced being used for electricity generation.