PowerPak Steerable Motors | SLB

PowerPak

Steerable motors

A manufacturing technician examining a rack holding dozens of small-diameter drilling motor rotors

Consistent and dependable wellsite performance

Meeting the demanding criteria of directional drilling and other applications requires innovative motor technology. PowerPak steerable motors are designed to deliver dependability when drilling in vertical, tangential, or horizontal sections and for kickoffs or course corrections in oriented drilling. Its modular design enables the motor to be tailored for performance drilling in specific environments or operations. In straight-hole applications, PowerPak motors increase ROP and reduce casing wear by minimizing string rotation.

Directional drilling with high-torque capabilities

The compact design and high-torque capabilities make PowerPak motors ideal for conventional directional drilling and geosteering. In conventional directional drilling, an adjustable bent housing in the transmission section and a stabilizer on the bearing section allow drilling either in sliding or rotary mode.

The PowerPak steerable motor consists of three major subassemblies:

  • power section composed of a rotor and stator to convert hydraulic energy into mechanical rotary power
  • transmission section that transmits rotary drive from the power section to the bearing section
  • bearing section that supports axial and radial loads during drilling and transmits the rotary drive to the bit through a drive shaft.
A simplified and shortened side-view rendering of a PowerPak drilling motor BHA
Diagram highlighting the stator, rotor, and elastomer of a PowerPak motor

Specifications

Motor selection

Standard power is used for kickoffs and nudges in large-diameter holes and for steerable motor operations in tophole and intermediate sections.

  • Extra Power (XP) with a high-torque power section ensures superior reliability. 
  • Greater Torque (GT) is for drilling with aggressive bits and deliver maximum ROP. 
  • High Speed (HS) is often used in abrasive formations requiring diamond-impregnated drill bits. 
  • High Flow (HF) is for the longer pitch on the spiral; applications include PDC bits in ultrasoft formations where high ROP requires improved hole cleaning. 
  • Air Drilling (AD) is for underbalanced applications or when drilling with mist, foam, or aerated mud.

PowerPak DTX

The PowerPak DTX even rubber thickness high-performance motor delivers more than twice the torque output of conventional motors by using even rubber technology in the power section, enabling more of the hydraulic horsepower generated by mud flow to be converted to available bit torque. Higher differential pressures enable using aggressive bits to their full potential, and the higher torque results in a smoother toolface when sliding for more time on-bottom drilling, not off-bottom reorienting.

Lower pressure drop per stage of power section

The PowerPak DTX motor is designed to drill faster than conventional power sections. It has a lower pressure drop per stage of power section, making it the most reliable choice for additional demands placed on the power section during performance drilling operations.

Performance and reliability make shoe-to-shoe drilling more feasible than ever before. With a wide range of sizes, this motor improves performance for most drilling applications.

Diagram highlighting the stator, rotor, and even-thickness elastomer of a PowerPak ERT motor