Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) overcame challenges in fault detection and wellbore trajectory optimization using the SLB AlphaSight™ 3D multidepth reservoir mapping and horizontal look‑ahead‑while‑drilling service. The solution enabled high‑resolution mapping of 2‑ft TVD layers, real‑time trajectory adjustments, and faster ROP, resulting in precise stratigraphic positioning and improved drilling efficiency. This innovative approach reduced geosteering workload, minimized wellbore tortuosity, and maximized reservoir contact.
KOC faced significant challenges in drilling horizontal wells in the Sabriyah field, a carbonate reservoir in North Kuwait. The complex drilling environment, characterized by unknown fault locations, vertical displacements, and extended overburden shale, made it difficult to maintain optimal wellbore trajectory. These challenges increased wellbore tortuosity, heightened the risk of stuck pipe incidents, and reduced reservoir contact, ultimately impacting production potential.
Previous attempts to address these issues using legacy drilling technologies failed to deliver the required sensitivity and real-time imaging. The lack of actionable data led to unreliable stratigraphic placement and delayed decision making, leaving KOC dissatisfied with the results. The company sought a solution that could provide high-resolution imaging, enable proactive trajectory adjustments, and ensure precise reservoir placement to maximize production efficiency.
SLB deployed its cutting-edge AlphaSight service, an industry-first multidepth azimuthal resistivity (MDAR) geosteering platform, to address KOC’s challenges. The platform’s fully triaxial, collocated antenna arrays provided unparalleled 3D resistivity mapping, capturing directional measurements across shallow, medium, deep, and ultradeep spacings. This advanced capability enabled the detection of structural changes, such as faults, up to 75 ft ahead of the bit, allowing for timely trajectory adjustments and reducing the risk of stuck pipe incidents.
The integration of the AlphaSight service into the RSS in the BHA ensured seamless operation. Real-time at-bit inversions and reservoir mapping inversion (RMI) services provided high-resolution mapping of layers as thin as 2 ft TVD. This precision enabled accurate correlation with offset wells and pinpointed the wellbore’s exact position within the stratigraphy.
Additionally, SLB Stream™ high-speed intelligent telemetry, a high bit-rate mud-pulse telemetry system, facilitated real-time data transmission to the cloud-based Subsurface Advisor™ intelligent subsurface drilling solution. This setup allowed for continuous inversion and interpretation, enabling proactive decision making during each drilling stage. The result was faster ROP without compromising data quality, reduced geosteering workload, and minimized wellbore tortuosity.
By leveraging AlphaSight service capabilities, KOC achieved precise stratigraphic positioning, maximized reservoir contact, and improved drilling efficiency. The success of this deployment has set a new benchmark for fault detection and well placement in complex drilling environments, with KOC planning to adopt this technology for future projects.
