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Abstract Loss of circulation is one of the most challenging complications during drilling a well. The problem is even more severe in exploratory wells due to the absence of a clear understanding of the formation pressure and the presence of any high-pressure zones that may cause well control problems due to loss in hydrostatic pressure associated with loss of circulation. Furthermore, the problem will have a substantial budgetary impact, especially in deep water environments, considering the high running cost of the rigs along with all the side services that must be on standby on the rig. With the operator's decision to drill a sidetrack from the original well, an engineered cement slurry was designed to cure losses, plug and abandon the original hole, and act as a kick-off point for another trajectory. The cement job was intended to be pumped and displaced through the drilling assembly and through the side circulating sub. After the planned wait on the cement period, the plug was successfully tagged, pressure tested, and used as a kickoff point to start drilling the sidetrack section. The purpose of this paper is not to recommend such a procedure but to discuss a successful case study and the mitigations and measurements that must be taken and ensured before deciding to execute such jobs.
Spagnolo et al. (Mon,) studied this question.