October 2007
Special Focus
Large hole RSS used for shallow kick-off, directional control in soft sediment
Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS) have revolutionized the way that oilfield operators drill wells. The advantages of drilling with this technology are documented and have been proven in a wide variety of drilling applications. Utilizing a rotary steerable system allows E&P companies to push the drilling envelope by providing access to more complex plays. The efficiency and reliability of the system also contributes to an overall reduction in lifting costs.1 The advantages of using RSS are highlighted in Fig. 1.
The need to access deeper reservoirs, high step-out targets and large-bore well construction requirements for HPHT and high-flowrate deepwater wells demanded that the advantages that RSS technology brought to smaller hole sizes be delivered to large hole sizes.
