Employing Process, Benchmark Automation, and Real-Time Analysis to Improve Drilling Efficiency

Abstract

Using the right offset well data to plan the next project is critical, but performance expectations get diluted when metrics are averaged over large depth ranges. Focusing on the rate of penetration (ROP), a benchmarking process was developed to improve drilling efficiencies. The whole process was automated and included a real-time analysis of the well being drilled that was capable of quickly identifying the 1) offset wells based on location, lithology, well type, and performance; 2) sectors within those wells with common formation, wellbore, and tubular characteristics; and 3) the effective technical limit (ETL)—the best drilling performance that realistically can be repeated. The process mentioned in this paper identifies opportunities for operators to reduce inefficiencies while drilling, allowing users to take action while there is still opportunity to mitigate or eliminate the damage. Using the guided workflow and real-time data to identify and select the appropriate offset wells, multiple ETL sectors are created based on the characteristics they share (formation, wellbore, tubular). During real-time operations, when the same set of characteristics for a particular sector is met, ETL data for that sector are displayed, and users can evaluate performance in real time compared to best historical performance. This paper also presents a case study in which this process was applied to improve an operator's drilling efficiency.