Alternative Vertical Drilling Technology Delivers Premium Performance While Reducing Operating Costs

Abstract

Maintaining verticality in today’s challenging drilling applications is of critical concern. The vertical section is increasingly important in anti-collision situations, as well as in extended reach directional wells where weight transfer through tortuous vertical sections can make the difference in calling Target Depth (TD) early of not. Excessive dogleg severity compromises well completion and adds costs that erode the profitability of operations and ultimately production of the well. To date, a limited number of options have been available, with low cost, low performance systems at one end of the scale and high cost, high performance systems at the other. Every day we are looking at more unconventional reserves and tighter budgets to work within. To align with these goals, we must find a solution that provides the quality performance through a technology that fits today’s fiscal demands as well. Conventional vertical drilling approaches such as control drilling, drilling with bent housing motors, and rotary steerable systems have notable drawbacks. Poor performance and efficiency on the low end and exorbitant cost on the high end push us to a new solution. A technology is now commercially available that provides all the performance of the higher cost Rotary Steerable System (RSS) while offering a better economic position for operators. With this new technology, borehole quality no longer has to be sacrificed for cost. The technology is fully autonomous and recent performance data shows that a major operator has utilized this technology for a reduction in costs of over 20% versus conventional technology while providing comparable rates of penetration and borehole quality.