As lateral lengths in unconventional wells continue to increase and drilling schedules become tighter, operators face growing challenges in running production casing to the bottom of the well. To address these challenges, Tenaris technical teams published and presented a technical paper at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)/IADC Drilling Conference in March 2026, outlining best practices.
The paper brings together data from multiple US shale basins on production casing installation in extended-reach lateral wells. With longer laterals, operators work against increased drag, risk of buckling, loss of access, and torque limits. To combat these potential issues, proactive well planning and collaborative partnership between operator and supplier engineering teams help reduce risk of surprises. This includes selecting the right connections that are most appropriate for predicted downhole conditions, as well as establishing communication channels to adapt when situations change.
“The best practices and case studies highlighted in the paper showcase how iRun Casing® and the remote monitoring center benefit operators,” said Adonis Ichim, Well Integrity Services Director. “Our ability to monitor well conditions in real time is a key differentiator, and we already have case studies in which we were able to anticipate and nimbly address running delays to save our customers operation costs and reduce risk of unplanned events or casing damage.”
Real-time monitoring to anticipate and diagnose issues was emphasized as key for visibility of running operations. Tenaris’s iRun Casing® digital tool, enabled by the company’s Remote Monitoring Center in Houston, Texas, is a cloud-native tool that processes rig data to optimize casing installation through physics-based models and advanced analytics. Additionally, during running, string rotation was shown to be an often-necessary practice and is most beneficial before buckling occurs. Utilization of flotation tools is also a key enabler of reaching total drilled depth.
“We have become a strong technical partner offering effective engineering, digital monitoring, and field execution support,” added Carlos Blanc, Supply Chain Services Senior Director. “We can better anchor discussions around risk mitigation and reliability, going beyond product specs.”
Ichim and other panelists will discuss this and other Multi-fractured Horizontal Well integrity aspects in November at an SPE Well Integrity Workshop.
Read the full paper here.
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