Oct. 2001 Vol. 222 No. 10  Drilling

Robert E. Snyder,  Editor

New drilling techniques cut operating costs

Spent an interesting day, recently, touring the Halliburton Energy Services facility in Houston. It’s amazing how such organizations have merged the services of several long-established companies to offer integrated technology packages to operators. In this example, taking Halliburton’s basic technologies in well completions and adding the contributions of Sperry-Sun, Security DBS and Baroid provides a big share of what it takes to drill and complete a well.

A few of the new technologies covered in this visit are particularly interesting, to me anyway. Sperry-Sun described its new SlickBore Matched Drilling System using a modified pin-down mud motor with a box-up, long-gauge PDC bit from Security and appropriate borehole-quality sensors. The greater bit length, about 1-1/2 times bit diameter, acts to reduce vibration. Less spiraling, better hole cleaning, higher ROPs and fewer MWD/mud motor failures are some other benefits.

The company’s BAT (Bimodal AcousTic) LWD tool logs 6-in. to 20-in. hole – a new 9-1/2-in. tool is industry’s largest. Using two radially opposed, dual-frequency transmitters with opposed, seven-receiver arrays, the tool gives: pore pressure, rock-strength calculations and bit wear predictions, plus bore-stability analysis. Other applications include porosity, real-time seismic and seismic interpretation, and gas detection. It can be a direct replacement for wireline dipole sonic tools.

Chemostratigraphy and regional stratigraphy have been available in the lab, LaserStrat takes the technology to the wellsite. Based on LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) provided by Sperry-Sun and Westport Technology Center, in alliance with Chemostrat Ltd., the new service can obtain inorganic geochemical data within minutes of cutting samples reaching surface. What does this do? It: enhances correlation between offset wells; helps pick casing / coring / TD points; identifies missing or expanded sedimentary sequences; and it cuts cost and risks.

Security DBS discussed its GeoMechanics program, a computerized drilling analysis that combines advanced drilling mechanics with sophisticated rock strength analysis. The program can offer a model of the entire drilling system to: 1) optimize WOB and RPM to maximize ROP, while avoiding impact bit damage; 2) predict performance at any user-specified operating parameter; and 3) calibrate, i.e., the prediction is compared to actual performance to "history-match" the drilling mechanics model.

Security has also developed a computer simulation program to predict bit performance during the design procedure, so as to achieve Energy-Balanced Roller Cone Bits. Sub-models numerically simulate the drilling procedure of any type of roller cone bit to predict performance, including: 3-D bottomhole, teeth trajectories on bottom, removed rock by each tooth, forces on teeth / teeth rows / cones / bearings, and predicted bit ROP.

And PDC cutter development continues to be one of the primary focuses in continued growth of the fixed cutter market. The Elite Series Cutter technology deals with managing residual, thermal and impact stresses to maximize cutter and ultimate bit performance. This is accomplished through FEA analysis, destructive / non-destructive testing, manufacturing process / materials development and optimization of cutter to carbide interface.

It may not look like it on the rig floor, but there’s a lot of R&D going into the drilling process these days, and I didn’t even mention mud.

UK drive to provide skilled labor. The UK offshore oil and gas industry is launching a major recruitment drive, with government backing, to address concerns that the sector is heading for a shortage of skilled technicians over the next five to ten years. Oil/gas E&P companies, through their representative body, the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA), and the government / industry PILOT initiative, will contribute an additional £1.5 million over the next three years to boost the number of technician apprenticeships in a bid to reverse aging trends in the current workforce.

The industry needs to recruit and train about 150 new technicians each year to replace those leaving the sector, either to retire or take up jobs elsewhere. The funding will allow the ECITB (Engineering and Construction Industries Training Board), which had originally agreed to train 42 production technicians for the offshore industry this year, to provide an extra 38 apprenticeship places. This will bring to 80 the total number of apprenticeships on offer this year through ECITB.

These are in addition to 72 technician training places that oil/gas companies have already committed to fund this year. July’s Pilot Newsletter didn’t mention workers for the rigs operating in North Sea/NW Europe waters. We know contractors elsewhere are still looking for a few good hands.

New hydraulic drilling / workover system. Cudd Pressure Control has introduced its new hydraulic drilling / workover Rack Jack System. The company reengineered its stand-alone hydraulic snubbing / workover unit to improve operational efficiency and safety for use in conventional drilling / workover applications. The new system enhances operations and reduces cost by making the unit practical for side-track drilling and heavy workover, cutting space requirements during transport and operation, reducing trip times and providing a safer work environment.

The system is a more compact unit. Its modular style makes transportation and rig up on remote and conventional job sites easier and less expensive. Offshore shipments are typically reduced to only one work boat with a clear deck of 30 x 130 ft. The workbasket is designed to rack vertically in single or double stands. Vertical racking of a pipe improves trip times and workspace safety compared to traditional hydraulic units.

Cudd says the new system allows vertical racking of tubular goods between the snubbing unit’s workbasket and the platform floor, substantially eliminating the labor-intensive handling processes of tubular goods between pipe rack and snubbing unit workbasket. The company has successfully completed a total of six drilling / workover operations, including four re-entry directional sidetracks, with the new system, which is currently available in two models with lift capacities of 225,000 and 340,000 lb. Both size units are equipped with integral, 6,000 ft-lb torque capacity rotaries for drilling or milling operations with higher torque ratings available on request.