Reconciling Subsurface Uncertainty With the Appropriate Well Design Using the Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) Approach

The involvement of the well engineer (WE) competency from<br>the earliest phases of exploration is reaping economic benefit<br>for major capital projects (single wells costing at least<br>$25,000,000 US). As the geological and geophysical modeling<br>work of the Explorationists matures and the subsurface picture<br>becomes clearer, the appropriate well design flexibility is<br>being achieved using Mechanical Earth Model (MEM)<br>technology. This approach to well planning is particularly<br>beneficial for deepwater exploration.