An offshore operator in the Middle East aimed to redrill wells that already had casing in place. These wells were situated in a highly magnetized environment with a high inclination. In such conditions, traditional measurements while drilling (MWD) is ineffective. Precise azimuth control was essential in this scenario to achieve the planned deviation and avoid potential collisions. Furthermore, traditional technology would require a dedicated pumpdown gyro to be deployed.
SLB recommended the GyroLink definitive gyro-while-drilling service to precisely position the cased hole sidetrack well and access the most productive reservoir zones. This approach maximized production potential while minimizing operational risks.
By deploying the GyroLink service to steer the well in real time, the operator was able to avoid deploying a dedicated pumpdown gyro for the sidetrack. Additionally, the GyroLink service overcame the limitations of conventional gyro-while-drilling (GWD) methods, particularly in high-angle holes. This led to a significant reduction in uncertainty in well placement—200% improvement compared with MWD surveys and 130% improvement compared with MWD surveys corrected postdrilling by a multistation algorithm.
In total, the operator successfully drilled more than 22,400 ft, encompassing the magnetic interval and marking the longest run ever recorded with the GyroLink service. This innovative approach not only saved time and costs but also avoided potential collisions during drilling.
