Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS) are well known as drilling optimization steering tools. Better borehole quality and faster rates of penetration are achieved by RSS capability to steer the wells without sliding. The evolution of RSS has been very rapid in the past several years, with most improvements focused on tool reliability, variety of collar sizes, electronics robustness and mechanical efficiency. This paper describes an innovative automated method for drilling directional wells remotely with RSS, which has been successfully deployed in south Mexico during 2008. The directional driller (DD) is located remotely in the operator's office with the ability to remotely control the mud pumps. If a command is required for changing the RSS program, the system remotely controls the rig pumps to execute the downlink sequence and change the downhole settings of the RSS. The automatic generation of the mud pulses to transmit the downlink sequences also eliminates missed commands due to human error. This system allows experienced DDs to control multiple operations, either directly through remotely drilling simultaneous wells or by providing direct supervision to less experienced DDs. The ability to have the DD work remotely with the well engineering team improves collaborative workflows to optimize drilling performance. Introduction Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS) have provided a step-change in the improvement of the rate of penetration (ROP) since their introduction in the last decade. There are multiple references of successes in different geological provinces; for example the North Sea (Eaton, 2005), the Gulf of Mexico (Chydi, 2008), the Middle East (Pratten, 2003) and many other places. Mexico is no exception; the RSS were introduced in 2005 with such success that in an onshore project in South Mexico the technology boosted the ROP from 90 meters per day to 170 meters per day through eliminating the slow ROP that is a consequence of slide drilling with motors (Figure 1). This increase in ROP, and corresponding reduction in required rig time, has enabled operators to significantly reduce well AFE costs. Aside from elimination of the slow "sliding" sections encountered while drilling with motors, RSS brings benefits from a well construction viewpoint. For example RSS leads to smooth wellbores, eliminating the "slide and rotate" profiles that characterize directional wells drilled by motors (Weijermans, 2001). This further reduces the well AFE by minimizing the problems due to running casing. Another example is that fully rotating systems reduce the risk of packoff due to poor hole cleaning found with some non-fully rotating systems (Riyami, 2008).
Hydraulic modeling is a fundamental piece of any Managed Pressure Drilling operation using multiphase gasified drilling fluids. MPD Engineers rely on hydraulic flow modeling systems to predict equivalent circulating densities. Models also allow designing and manipulating hydraulic parameters such as gas/liquid ratios, pressures and flow rates to achieve desired conditions. Therefore, the selection and calibration of the correct hydraulic model is critical for the success of any MPD Operation. The ECD calculation in an MPD operation is not the solely objective of using a complex modeling system. Today's downhole drilling tools technology makes available a variety of sensors capable of measuring actual downhole pressure values. Prediction of flow behavior is also an important step that will increase the ability of monitoring and keeping efficient hole cleaning, cutting transport and heat transfer efficiency, which are critical for all multiphase drilling operations. Actual measurement of downhole equivalent circulating density becomes now a critical new calibration value to compare hydraulic models performance and approximation to reality. This paper compares the two-phase hydraulic simulations results with the data gathered from a drillstring installed annular pressure sensor used while drilling a highly deviated well in a low pressure reservoir using nitrogen injection through concentric string technique in an MPD operation. This technique poses a series of new challenges for the MPD engineer that needs to predict hydraulic behavior created by the typical transient "U" tube effect caused by connections, trips and surveys in this kind of applications.The paper details the model and calibration process, findings and best practices gathered from multiple runs, real time transmission and high definition memory data. Actual results and conclusions and also discussed and analyzed in depth for the benefit of any further concentric job applications associated with use of downhole pressure sensors.
The intelligent drilling system (IDS), based on the 57,000 bits per second and bi-directional wired drill pipe telemetry, has been under experimental trial in the industry in a variety of applications. Several SPE papers have covered these applications, which include: drilling optimization, hole cleaning, drilling risks and NPT reduction. The IDS can also be utilized with other tools to expand the window of drilling optimization applications to include the risk management approach, where the system value and the impact on drilling operations will be greater. To achieve this change, it is important to expand and improve the current techniques and develop new methods that will expand the application of the wired drill pipe (WDP) system. This paper will describe the application of WDP in middle east during a trial test, showing how it was expanded and customized to suit complex drilling environments. This field trial involved a three-phase approach. Each of these phases tested the functionality and application of the IDS to determine the potential benefit for different projects. Phase 1 aimed at testing the system functionality and integrity. This includes along string measurements (ASMs), logging while drilling (LWD) data transmission, wired bottomhole assembly components, top drive and surface system, and interface sub and signal boosters. Phase 2 aimed at testing the top-of-mud measurements derived from the ASMs pressure readings. The objective was to test the algorithm and validate the results to ensure accurate readings. Measuring the fluid level is critical in managing total loss situations. Phase 3 aimed at early kick detection simulation. In this phase, a kick was simulated by pumping a heavy mud pill and checking ASM response while the pill was progressing up the annulus. This simulation has important applications in early downhole kick detection in total loss situations where there are no returns to surface. Finally, the paper will outline future applications of the IDS in managing risk in complex and risky drilling environments. This is where total losses are encountered while drilling across high-pressure reservoirs. Fluid level, in total losses situation, will be monitored by high-frequency downhole pressure measurments at multiple depths. These measurements of the downhole hydrostatic and dynamic pressure will also be providing early kick detection.
Hydraulic modeling is a fundamental piece of any Managed Pressure Drilling operation using multiphase gasified drilling fluids. MPD Engineers rely on hydraulic flow modeling systems to predict equivalent circulating densities. Models also allow designing and manipulating hydraulic parameters such as gas/liquid ratios, pressures and flow rates to achieve desired conditions. Therefore, the selection and calibration of the correct hydraulic model is critical for the success of any MPD Operation. The ECD calculation in an MPD operation is not the solely objective of using a complex modeling system. Today's downhole drilling tools technology makes available a variety of sensors capable of measuring actual downhole pressure values. Prediction of flow behavior is also an important step that will increase the ability of monitoring and keeping efficient hole cleaning, cutting transport and heat transfer efficiency, which are critical for all multiphase drilling operations. Actual measurement of downhole equivalent circulating density becomes now a critical new calibration value to compare hydraulic models performance and approximation to reality. This paper compares the two-phase hydraulic simulations results with the data gathered from a drillstring installed annular pressure sensor used while drilling a highly deviated well in a low pressure reservoir using nitrogen injection through concentric string technique in an MPD operation. This technique poses a series of new challenges for the MPD engineer that needs to predict hydraulic behavior created by the typical transient "U" tube effect caused by connections, trips and surveys in this kind of applications.The paper details the model and calibration process, findings and best practices gathered from multiple runs, real time transmission and high definition memory data. Actual results and conclusions and also discussed and analyzed in depth for the benefit of any further concentric job applications associated with use of downhole pressure sensors.
The current combination of increasingly complex wellbores and tightening budgets forces operators to do more with less and find new ways to expand the drilling envelop. Often this pushes the parameters to the limit in order to achieve faster penetration rates. Operating at the limit or beyond impacts equipment reliability and project cost. A thorough failure analysis of the root cause(s) of every incident can help identify and address areas that need improvement. Identifying a cause fosters improvement while it simultaneously pushes the boundaries so the profitability of mature assets can be maximized. Typical failure analysis attempts to determine the cause of a failure and establish corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence. In a large extended reach drilling project targeting a mature field, the approach to a single failure was expanded and projected in a proactive manner to anticipate the impact of current failure modes in future more challenging scenarios. This innovative method combines the classic failure analysis approach with a comparative approach designed to identify and classify each factor that contributed to the failure. This information is then compiled into a dynamic predictive risk matrix to improve the planning. This method, thanks to the contextualization of individual failures and the multi-facet comparative analysis, revealed a pattern between reliability trends and environmental challenges. The pattern was correlated with the increased drilling difficulty over the lifetime of the project, and suggested that the long-established practices had to be revised to overcome the new scenario. The analysis contributed to the delineation of a strong action plan that immediately revealed a consistent service quality improvement quarter on quarter and nearly a 50% decrease in failure rate. The enhanced reliability had a direct impact on the performance that registered a significant reduction of the drilling time, thus lowering the overall well construction cost. In today's economics where cost reduction, resource optimization and sustainability are at the top of the operator's priority list, failure analysis has become paramount to ensure continuous improvement. Effective analytic methods to identify and eliminate showstoppers are needed to minimize unplanned events and deliver within budget. By digging deep into the root cause of incidents, this new approach to failure analysis enabled an enhanced, broader and more effective quality improvement plan that tackled service quality from multiple angles. From refining bottomhole assembly (BHA) design and risk matrix to drafting field guidelines and roadmaps, this approach also provided extra guidance and risk awareness for future well planning improvement. This particularly applies to mature fields where wellbore complexity increases at the same time budgets decrease and it's necessary to improve operational excellence to assure profitability.
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