An Innovative High-Temperature High-Pressure Measurement While Drilling (MWD) Tool

Abstract

Measurement while drilling (MWD) tools specified to 150°C (302°F) that provide wellbore surveys, real-time inclination, and natural gamma ray detection are a commodity item in the oilfield services industry. MWD tools specified to 175°C (347°F) that routinely demonstrate highly reliable operation are available from only a few service companies. Commercial MWD tools that reliably operate to 200°C (392°F) for extended periods of time and offer features like real-time gamma ray, retrievability, and reseatability are nonexistent. Need for these higher temperature tools will increase as wells become hotter in the search for new oil and gas resources. The goal of this project was to design a retrievable and reseatable high-pressure/high-temperature MWD tool with real-time continuous inclination, vibration detection, annular pressure, and gamma ray detection. This report describes the development of such a tool from concept, through feasibility, and into field testing and preliminary development planning. It describes the challenges encountered in the design of the tool, along with testing results and decisions about the commercial viability of the tool in the configuration in which it was developed. The decision was made not to commercialize the tool developed under this project because of a combination of battery technology problems and modulation power consumption at the required depths.