Case Study: Rotary Steerable System Makes Record-Setting 21,095-Ft Run

Horizontal 8 1/2-in section of extended-reach Middle East well drilled in single run in high stick/slip environment and geosteered to within 0.62 ft of target at TD

Challenge: Drill 8 1/2-in horizontal section of extended-reach Middle East well for more than 21,000 ft in high stick/slip environment.

Solution: Geosteer PowerDrive X6 rotary steerable system (RSS) using real-time data from geoVISION675 6.75-in MWD/LWD imaging system, TeleScope high-speed telemetry-while-drilling service, and adnVISION675 6.75-in azimuthal density neutron tool.

Result:

• Drilled section in one 21,095-ft run.
• Placed wellbore within 8 in of planned TD.
• Set record for footage drilled in single run with PowerDrive X6 RSS.

Drill long horizontal section

The plan for an extended-reach well an operator was drilling in the Middle East called for an 8 1/2-in horizontal section more than 21,000 ft long at a depth of less than 4,000 ft. Adding to the challenge of drilling and geosteering such a long step-out was the likelihood of encountering the same high stick/slip conditions experienced in previous extended-reach drilling in the area.

Reach TD in single run

The well’s long 8 1/2-in horizontal section was drilled and placed as planned using a BHA incorporating PowerDrive X6 RSS, geoVISION675 imaging system, TeleScope service, and adnVISION675 tool. This BHA enabled real-time geosteering of the section, which was drilled to TD in a single 8-day run. During that 21,095-ft run, 178.14 h were spent pumping, of which 104.2 h were spent drilling.

Place wellbore as planned

Despite severe stick/slip, the push-the-bit PowerDrive X6 RSS provided steerability all the way from the 9 5/8-in casing shoe to the planned TD at 25,805 ft MD. At TD, the wellbore was within 8 in of its intended target—accuracy made possible by the real-time data for geosteering delivered by the geoVISION675 system, the TeleScope service, and the adnVISION675 tool. The 21,095-ft horizontal section set a new record for footage drilled in a single run with a PowerDrive X6 RSS.

Download: Rotary Steerable System Makes Record-Setting 21,095-Ft Run (0.82 MB PDF)

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