Innovative Concentric Reamer Enhances Deepwater Drilling Operations

Miller, Gregory; Childers, Ronald D.

doi:10.2118/84247-ms

Cited by 15 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…44 But it may not work to reamer due to the special construction of reamer blades with the characteristics of long-parabola and long gauge land. 45 This construction indeed decreases the quantity of main cutters which take the loads of cutting rock and leads to the decrease of aggressiveness of reamer blade. So the ROP which is controlled by the aggressiveness mostly will decrease accordingly.…”

Section: The Ropmentioning

confidence: 96%

Improving the drilling performance of hole enlargement via optimized operation

Zhu

Jiang

2014

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C:

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The severe vibration experienced by the bottom hole assembly (BHA) in the process of hole enlargement when drilling (HEWD) is the major cause for deteriorated drilling performance. A dynamic model of the system of reamer near pilot bit (RNB)-HEWD-BHA including the drillstring and drill collar is formulated with the finite element method. Based on the dynamic analysis and some project cases of hole enlargement, the relationship between operating rotation speed and dynamic characteristics of RNB-HEWD-BHA is discussed. The results show that “the optimum operating rotation speed” exists to this kind of BHA, and the dynamic characteristics of this BHA such as the rate of penetration (ROP), vibration, and safety can be improved effectively when the optimum operating rotation speed works. Furthermore, this paper offers a more scientific and objective method, the Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation Model, to make a comprehensive evaluation of drilling performance of RNB-HEWD-BHA at different operating rotation speeds. These evaluation results will guide the operator to make more reasonable drilling operation plan to enlarge the hole efficiently and safely.

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Section: The Ropmentioning

confidence: 96%

Improving the drilling performance of hole enlargement via optimized operation

Zhu

Jiang

2014

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C:

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“…Therefore, this makes the concentric reamer a viable drilling tool in today's complex well programs. 4 As of November 2003, the concentric reamer has more than 100 drilling runs and has enlarged more than 40 miles of hole.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wellbore Enlargement for a Deepwater Casing Program: Case Study and Developments

Courville¹,

Childers²,

Miller³

2004

Proceedings of IADC/SPE Drilling Conference

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fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe success of deepwater exploration and development operations is greatly dependent on utilizing larger OD casing to reach the ever-increasing depths of today's prospects. Recently in the Mississippi Canyon region of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico's deepwater arena, a leading exploration company utilized new hole enlargement technology to simultaneously drill and enlarge a wellbore to facilitate the installation of a multiple string casing program.A case study is detailed to illustrate how proper planning and the utilization of new hole enlargement technology matched with a rotary steerable system, culminated in the successful execution of this critical well construction operation. As part of the planning process, hydraulics analyses and BHA stabilization optimizations using special computer software are discussed. The application of a new design concentric reamer in a deepwater tight clearance casing program that enlarged more than 18,000 ft of four differentsized wellbore intervals will be presented.

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Achieving Shoe-to-Shoe Drilling Performance in Hole-Opening Application With Rotary-Steerable Systems

Heisig

Hood

Okewunmi

et al. 2007

SPE/IADC Drilling Conference

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Detailed analysis of downhole weight-on-bit, torque, bending moment and vibration signals measured between bit and hole opener have provided clear insight into the dynamic response of hole opening BHAs in interbedded formations. Based on transmitted real-time information from an advanced downhole multi-sensor data acquisition and processing system, application-specific drilling procedures and guidelines have been developed to avoid or to identify and overcome critical dynamic situations downhole. Applying the new procedures, several hole sections in the GOM were drilled for the first time in one run from casing shoe to casing shoe. Here previous attempts had resulted in failures of the drilling equipment or even in twist-offs. The paper starts with a list of observations made with the downhole multi-sensor tool placed between bit and hole opening device. Log examples with downhole and surface drilling data demonstrate the dynamic response of hole opening BHAs. For the first time, the paper presents downhole measurements showing the changes in weight on bit versus weight on reamer when drilling interbedded formations. Again, log examples are used to document the effect of the drilling procedures that were applied to successfully resolve critical downhole situations. The paper concludes with a summary of the lessons learned in planning and executing hole opening applications with shoe to shoe performance. Introduction Driven by a variety of technical and economic reasons, more and more drilling programs include hole enlargement operations while drilling. In deepwater applications, the ability to enlarge the hole below the last casing shoe allows for tighter tolerance intermediate casings to be run. Figure 1 shows a typically deepwater casing and drilling program, where the intermediate casing strings are instrumental to reach the reservoir with an economically viable production string size. In other applications, hole opening or underreaming techniques are applied to address ECD limitations or to deal with swelling shale or salt formations. Earlier, hole enlargement operations were carried out by first drilling a pilot hole through the interval of interest and then opening it up with a second pass. Today, several enlargement options while drilling are available to eliminate the second pass: Bicenter PDC bits, eccentric reaming-whiledrilling (RWD) or concentric reaming devices1–10. In particular references 3, 9 and 10 discuss at some length the benefits and limitations of the three options for various applications with respect to dynamic stability, reliability, steerability and hole quality. Over the past years, the concentric reaming devices have gained significant market share, in particular in rotary steerable (RSS) applications. Concentric reamers include expandable arms, ribs or blocks, which are mechanically or hydraulically activated, after passing e.g. the last casing shoe8,9. All examples except one presented in this paper feature concentric reaming devices. In general, drilling with a reaming device in the bottom hole assembly (BHA) with the associated lack of stabilization in the BHA in the enlarged borehole above the reamer significantly increases the risk of the drilling operation. In particular, dangerous backward whirl situations with high lateral vibrations can develop and result in failures of BHA components, and subsequently in costly trips or even more costly fishing operations. Several deepwater projects in the GOM suffered significant cost overruns as a result of vibration problems during hole enlargement operations while drilling. In some cases in the GOM and other areas, operators decided to go back to a second run for the hole enlargement operation.

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Innovative Concentric Reamer Enhances Deepwater Drilling Operations

Cited by 15 publications

References 4 publications

Improving the drilling performance of hole enlargement via optimized operation

Improving the drilling performance of hole enlargement via optimized operation

Wellbore Enlargement for a Deepwater Casing Program: Case Study and Developments

Achieving Shoe-to-Shoe Drilling Performance in Hole-Opening Application With Rotary-Steerable Systems

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