The horizontal wells in an unconventional area of interest are designed with combined 8½-in. vertical/curve/lateral sections. The section typically is drilled with oil-based mud (OBM). Severe to total losses might occur while drilling through potential loss zones in the vertical section. By applying the presented practices in the complete paper, the losses are cured successfully in most cases to allow drilling ahead to well total depth (TD) in less time than when using conventional approaches.
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