Turbodrilling in the Hot-Hole Environment

Pat Herbert,
Sii Dyna-Drill

Summary
Historically, geothennal and other types of hot-hole drilling have presented what seemed to be insunnountable barriers to efficient and extended use of downhole drilling motors, particularly those containing elastomeric bearing or motor components. Typical temperatures of 350 to 700F (177 to 371C) damage the elastomers and create other operating problems, reducing the life of the motors and their ability to drill efficiently. Recent innovations in turbodrill design have opened heretofore unrealized potentials and have allowed, for the first time, extended downhole drilling time in hot-hole conditions. The unique feature of this turbodrill is the lack of any elastomers or other temperature-sensitive materials. Its capabilities are matched closely to the requirements of drilling in elevated-temperature environments. The bearing assembly can withstand conditions encountered in typical geothennal fonnations and provides the performance necessary to stay in the hole. The result is increased rate of penetration (ROP) and more economical drilling. temperatures while providing output power needed to drill the most commonly encountered fonnations (e.g., graywackes, granite, siltstone, and claystone), which, by their lithology, present difficult drilling conditions. These conditions also play havoc on traditional fonns of drilling equipment, adding importance to the development of downhole motors. Standard rotary assemblies used for drilling geothennal and hot petroleum wells do not realize the same life as their counterparts in most other nonnal drilling operations. This is true for two major reasons: (1) doglegs or sharp bends in the hole accelerate wear on the rotating assembly because of wall friction with these hard fonnations, and (2) the higher stresses, both bending and thennal, reduce the fatigue life of the material. Therefore, all drilling must be done by placing all available rotational power at the bit with downhole motors for economy. Another important factor to consider is escalating costs associated with drilling, making the potential savings available with downhole motors a major factor in the increased use of these tools.

Introduction
Typical hot wells drilled in the U.S. present fonnidable technical difficulties in the effective use of such standard tools as downhole motors, bits, and surveying instruments that are used every day in the petroleum drilling industry. The foremost obstacle to the downhole life of these tools is elevated-temperature environments. All positive-displacement motors and turbodrills currently used contain elastomeric components that cannot survive in the temperature ranges of 350 to 700F (177 to 371C). This disadvantage provided the impetus for development of a new generation of turbodrills capable of perfonning under these conditions. Turbodrills have been developed that can withstand high operating
0149-2136/8210010-9936$00.25

Design Features
A turbodrill consists of a multistage motor, each stage comprising a rotor and stator. The stator, the stationary part of the motor, is attached rigidly to the housing. The rotor is attached rigidly to the main shaft and makes up a rotating assembly (Fig. 1). The complete motor assembly is a multitude of stages stacked one upon the other in sufficient number (usually more than 100) to develop the power dictated by the blade profile design. The turbodrill develops this power by directing the hydraulic flow of drilling fluid passing through the stator to the rotor blades, causing rotation. Fig. 2 shows a typical blade configuration of 1 V2 stages and the flow of drilling fluid through the motor. Visualizing the impact of the fluid on the individual blade segments reveals how the flow is deflected. The input flow will split into com2369

Copyright 1982 Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME

OCTOBER 1982

ponents that will produce thrust, rotation, and torque. The splitting of this fluid is controlled by the entrance and exit angles of the blade profile, which can be manipulated to develop any power output required. The flow is divided according to a velocity triangle (not shown) dictated by the blade profile, and, when this triangle is optimized, the output power is optimized. The operating characteristics of the turbodrill vary in relation to the flow rate of drilling fluid by the following formulas. *
Housing

(ql)
WI=--W,

q
An _

""'I---

(ql) 2

u.p,

Fig. l-Typical motor assembly.

T = (qJ} 2 T,
1

INPUT FLOW

5' m i J[] IT\\n ~_

R ,

Tj = - -

(qJ} 2 F

T,

~~,:':;~:

Of

5,

"-Entrance Angle

-e=Exit Angle
Fig. 2-Energy transfer.

P\DW RAft Q. SOC) ..... ,WoIIT'I.II,

110

.0

.....
1100

to

where W is the turbine speed, q is the input flow, .:lp is the motor pressure drop, T is the output torque, PHis the output power, and F T is the axial thrust. In reference to the power and thrust equations, it is evident that the turbodrill is a flow machine, as opposed to positive-displacement motors, which are pressure machines. Typically, for the same flow rates, the turbodrill will develop the same output horsepower as a comparably sized positive-displacement motor but will require a higher pressure drop. The power output of the turbodrill is highly dependent on the amount of fluid passing over the blades. The motor should not consume so much fluid that, to run at its optimal output level, it would exceed pressure limitations of current mud systems. Matching design to field requirements can be ensured by controlling the blade design so that when the general desired output requirements are established, a blade profile is achieved that provides the ideal motor assembly for those characteristics sought. A unique feature of the stacked-stage design is the capability to add or to remove stages of the motor to stay within a prescribed hydraulics program that is worked up on each new well to be drilled. Hydraulic calculations are performed on this proposed drilling assembly to account for all losses in the interval to be drilled. The remaining system pressure is compared with that which the turbodrill will require, based on the selected bit and formation. With this information, if necessary, the turbodrill can be tuned to provide optimal power by adding or removing motor stages. Any undue strain on the mud system will be avoided, and a more efficient and productive drilling system will be provided for the most economical drilling of the well.

Fig. 3- Typical performance curve.

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The performance of turbodrills varies only slightly with mud weights and plastic viscosity; their limitations relate to overall system pressure capabilities.

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Fig. 3 depicts a typical perfonnance curve of a turbodrill designed for long-interval drilling. The curve is a result of perfonnance tests with water, and the data are considered baseline for use with the fonnulas in Fig. 2 when perfonnances for changing conditions are computed. Note that the horsepower curve is bell-shaped over the range of revolutions per minute (rpm) at this constant flow rate. The horsepower is maximized at the peak of this curve, and this occurs at the nominal speed. The horsepower curve is bounded by two rpm values: the lowest is the "stall" speed and the highest is the "runaway" speed. The output torque rises to a maximum value at the stall speed from zero at the runaway speed. Torque is one of the components of the velocity triangle whose magnitude depends on blade geometry. Therefore, we can alter this geometry to develop machines that will provide high-torque/low-speed or low-torque/high-speed characteristics. Most designs fall comfortably in a range between those extremes to cover the largest number of applications possible. The pressure drop is nearly constant at all speeds because the fluid passing through each motor stage is entirely turbulent. This turbulence also leaves the pressure drop and hence the output power unaffected by the plastic viscosity of the drilling fluid used for power development. The turbine motor section is attached to the bearing assembly, which can be of any proprietary design capable of withstanding thrust loads of the turbine motor that are caused by pressure forces acting on the rotor blades and by drilling loads imposed by the fonnations encountered. Fig. 4 shows such an arrangement. These thrust loads are of a bidirectional nature; the rotor section of the motor creates a downthrust, and the fonnation, with the application of bit weight, creates an upthrust. In the overall bearing design, careful consideration must be given to the type of drilling to be done. This bearing-loading arrangement is shown in Fig. 5. For optimal bearing life, the two forces can be balanced and theoretically can provide a zero bearing !oad. Balancing the tool in this manner not only provides extended bearing-assembly life but also ensures correct hydraulic spacing in the blade stages to provide increased efficiency and to preclude any loss of blade height from rubbing wear. This ideal can be approached through an accurate hydraulics program, and all efforts should be directed toward this end. Yet in actual practice it has been shown that there is either an excess offbottom or an excess on-bottom thrust load. In addition to what might be called static loads, the use of conventional three-cone bits can introduce dynamic loads with frequencies on the order of three times the rotative speed and amplitudes, approaching two to three times the weight on bit (WOB). Irrespective of these loads, in most cases the amount of weight required to maximize ROP places the tool outside the optimal load range. Very high radial loads are also quite common and constitute a critical factor in design considerations. It is therefore very important to have a bearing system capable of withstanding these loads during operations in a mud environment with high temperatures. The assembly in Fig. 4 is of the type required for these conditions. Another important consideration is the provision for maximum hydraulic horsepower to the bit. To cover all bit hydraulic requirements, the flow-restricting
OCTOBER 1982

Fig. 4-Mud-lubricated bearing assembly.

Fig. 5-Schematic of bearing loading. 2371

capabilities of the bearing assembly must fall within the range of 150 to 1,000 psi (1.03 to 6.89 MPa) but must not affect tool perfonnance or life adversely. This amount of restriction allows diversion of 95 % of the drilling fluid for circulation through the bit nozzles or the total flow area of the diamond bit. Restriction capacity is achieved with seals or proprietary orifice designs such as those used in mud-lubricated systems. The knowledge gained from second-generation positive-displacement motors used for long-interval drilling has provided a mud-lubricated bearing assembly design that meets or exceeds all the requirements mentioned previously. The function of seals in the bearing assembly must be designed to meet the same criteria. To date, no seal has been developed that will guarantee consistent performance and reliability of the magnitude necessary for high-speed mud-driven motors to compete economically with rotary in geothennal and hot-hole drilling. The successful application of turbodrills requires controlled rotational speed. If left alone (i.e., off-bottom, full circulation), turbodrills tend to reach the runaway speed. This is usually on the order of two times the optimal or nominal perfonnance speed. Speeds of this magnitude are highly detrimental to the motor and bearing assemblies. Maintaining speed at or near the optimal level for maximizing ROP and for deriving all the output power capabilities of the motor is essential for successful use of turbodrills. To control speeds it is necessary first to detennine the magnitude of speed at the surface and thereby to optimize penetration and bit perfonnance according to the prescribed drilling program. Tachometers of various designs are available and have been tested in field applications. It would not be appropriate to comment on advantages or disadvantages of one design over another, but we emphasize that their use in turbodrilling is very important. Succinct and easily managed surfacereadout equipment for the tachometer is of equal importance and ensures a high degree of control over the turbodrill. As with other motors, speed may be controlled with the application of additional WOB or by alterations in the volume flow of drilling fluid. In any case, knowing the speed of the motor pennits good control over the success of any turbodrill application.

Turbodrill Use
Turbodrills have been developed and made available both for directional and for long-interval applications. The run data presented here are from wells (1) where use of the tool was planned and (2) where the tool was considered a last resort after drilling difficllities were encountered. Depending on the need, taropdrills can be run with all the drilling tools needed for directional drilling

with positive-displacement motors (bent subs, steering tools, etc.). For flexibility in the drilling program, turbodrills lend themselves well to the use of clamp-on-type stabilizers to control direction and bit trajectory. All other drill string components can be used virtually unchanged from a standard rotary assembly. Turbodrills are designed for optimal use with natural or synthetic polycrystalline diamond (PCD) bits, since the higher rotational speeds associated with turbodrilling are highly detrimental to standard rock bits. As with all bits and drilling systems, these statements require qualification. Not all perfonnances can be generalized with regard to turbodrill/bit combinations, and much more infonnation, experience, and tool development must be realized to establish consistent perfonnance. In the North Sea, substantial progress has been made in petroleum drilling with PCD bit/turbodrill systems, especially in Cretaceous/Jurassic fonnations with use of oil-base muds. In these sections, high ROP's have been achieved with very light drilling weights coupled with high drilling speeds. Geothennal fonnations are typically much more difficult to penetrate, and oil-base muds are not used. The typical system used for these fonnations is water or light muds combined with heavy bit weights. These weights, however, usually are lessened during periods of directional drilling. However, it is well within the realm of possibility to encounter oil-base drilling fluids when other hot petroleum wells are drilled. The importance of proper tool maintenance should not be overlooked. Quite often this subject is not given ample discussion. Turbodrills are more complicated than positive-displacement-type drilling motors, and this must be a major consideration during the design phase. These tools require careful assembly and disassembly procedures to protect the expensive motor assembly components from unnecessary and premature damage; this protection is critical to the successful application of the tool in the field. Turbodrills should not be run in the hole without screens in the mudline. Even in the cleanest of systems, debris of one fonn or another can enter the mudline and can cause a tool failure. The rotors and stators making up the motor assembly cannot tolerate junk of any kind, even some types of lost circulation materials. Careful consideration must be given to this requirement, again to ensure that the turbodrill will perfonn as expected. Once the system has been prepared and the turbodrill is ready to go into the hole, the turbodrill should be tested on the rig floor. (One advantage of turbo drills with ball-bearing assemblies is that they can rotate freely with a small volume of fluid. Testing will not require undue effort or time from the operator.) By circulating the drilling fluid through the motor, the operator is assured that the motor has been serviced properly and that there are no problems to hinder operations.

TABLE 1-TURBODRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 1 Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud weight, Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, OF (0C) Depth in, It (m) Bent sub, degrees 2372 Geysers geothermal field, northern California 12% (31.11) graywacke, greenstone 9.0 (1078) 380 (193) 2,800 (853) 11f2

Applications-Directional
The turbodrills used in the following applications were 5-in. (l2.7-cm) and 7-in. (17.78-cm) OD, with 100 and 120 stages. The bearing assembly is a mud-lubricated ball-bearing type, with a flow restriction capability of 1,0OO-psi (6.89-MPa) bit-pressure drop.
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Example 1 Data for Example 1 are given in Table 1. Rotary penetration with three-cone rock bits had been 6 to 61f2 ft/hr (1.83 to 1.98 m/h) before the turbodrill was run in the hole. The turbodrill, with the same bits, increased penetration to an average of 22 ft/hr (6.7 m/h). Typical bit weights were on the order of 10,000 to 12,000 Ibm (4536 to 5443 kg), with a maximum of 17,000 Ibm (7711 kg). The directional drilling job was completed in 131 ft (40 m), and the only limitation on staying in the hole was rapid wear of the rock bits, which averaged 4 to 5 hours' life. A job of this type illustrates that using rock bits on the tool is not recommended, because the motor is too fast for typical three-cone bit designs. The results are early failures, especially to the gauge of the bit. Example 2 This run was similar to Example 1 (see Table 1), but the depth in was 2,300 ft (701 m). The same tool used for Example 1 was shipped directly to this location without any intervening shop maintenance. Penetration was increased to 20 ft/hr (6.09 m/h) from the 5 to 6 ft/hr (1.52 to 1.83 m/h) achieved with rotary. Example 3

Data for Example 3 are given in Table 2. Rotary drilling had deviated the hole very close to the property line, 2,000 ft (609 m) from the target depth of 11,000 ft (3353 m). Hole temperature was 520F (271C) at 9,000 ft (2743 m) and 575F (302C) at 10,200 ft (3109 m). The formation was medium-hard siltstone. Because of severe doglegs, keyseats, and other factors, the drill string was sticking. This happened twice with the turbodrill in the hole, so that 200,000- to 300,000-lbf (889 644- to 1 X 10 6 -N) jarring forces were sustained by the tool 12 times. Rock bits initially were run on this tool with a very high failure rate resulting from the 800- to 1,000-rpm turbodrill operating speed. Continual loss of gauge required reaming to bottom on each subsequent run. Normally this was done at light bit weights and full hydraulics, which placed the turbodrills in an unbalanced hydraulic thrust condition for extended periods. In most cases it was difficult to apply enough weight to balance the bearings because of the critical nature of controlling deviation. Because of this severe directional requirement, bit weights were on the order of 4,000 to 6,000 Ibm (1814 kg) on rock bits; 10,000 to 15,000 Ibm (4536 to 6804 kg) on diamond bits; and 14,000 to 16,000 Ibm (6350 to 7257 kg) on a PCD bit. A 2 bent sub above the tool created a tight fit for a 7-in. (17.78-cm) OD turbodrill in an 81f2-in. (21.6-cm) hole. As a result, very high side loads were placed on the

radial bearings, which the tool handled with no problems. ROP's with the rock bits were 8 to 14 ft/hr (2.4 to 4.3 m/h) when light weights were run. The rate of change in turning the hole was inadequate, so a PCD bit was run. (This run was preceded by that of a rock bit that, when pulled, showed a loss of 11,4 in. (3.17 cm) off the gauge, leaving the balls and roller bearings in the hole. After most of the junk in the hole was recovered, the PCD bit was run in with the turbodrill.) This combination was very aggressive and succeeded in turning the hole 6 in 37 ft (11.2 m). At this point the penetration ceased, and later inspection showed that the bit was completely worn. After the PCD bit was pulled, the follow-through drilling with a turbodrill/diamond sidetrack bit combination showed significant hole direction change. (When the sidetrack bit went into the hole, it became stuck on a gap in the casing. The PCD bit is believed to have hit this abutment, which could have knocked off a stud or two. This occurrence, coupled with the remaining roller and ball-bearing junk in the hole, may explain the bit's short life.) The hole then was turbodrilled for 262 ft (79.8 m) at 12 ft/hr (3.5 m/h); at that depth the program called for a return to conventional drilling. After being drilled conventionally for 407 ft (124 m), the hole again went off course, and two more turbodrill runs were necessary. The turbodrills were used to within 800 ft (244 m) of the target depth, on course, and the hole was completed conventionally. This particular well dramatically demonstrates the use of downhole motors to save a well that otherwise would have been abandoned. Standard positive-displacement motors and existing turbodrills with elastomeric components could not have survived in this environment. A tool with hot-hole capabilities proved very useful.
Example 4 Data for Example 4 are given in Table 3. Conventional drilling had deviated the well off course, and the objective was to directionally drill back to the planned course by using a turbodrill. Carbide-insert rock bits were being used, and we ran these with the turbodrill, starting at 7,845 ft (2391 m). The severity of doglegs in this hole rendered effective bit-weight control difficult at best. In addition, the hole was 1/32 in. (0.079 cm) undergauge and the bit was 1/32 in. (0.079 cm) overgauge. It was necessary to condition the hole to seat the bit adequately. Reaming in this manner places the tool in an unbalanced hydraulic condition during full-volume circulation. In this posture, the bearings must sustain the full hydraulic thrust of the motor assembly coupled with high speeds-the worst possible

TABLE 2-TURBODRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 3

Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud weight at "mill temperature," cooled, Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, OF (0C) Depth in, ft (m) Bent sub, degrees East Brawley, Imperial County, CA 8'/2 (21.6) sandy siltstone 9.2 (1102) 520 to 575 (271 to 301) 9,000 (2743) 2

OCTOBER 1982

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TABLE 3-TURBODRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 4 Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud weight (water), Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, of (0C) Depth in, ft (m) Bent sub, degrees Los Alamos, Fenton Hill, NM 12% (31.11) granite 8.34 (999) 280 to 300 (137 to 148) 7,845 (2391) 1112

TABLE 4- TURBO DRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 5 Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud weight, Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, of (0C) Depth in, It (m) Bent sub, degrees Niland, Imperial County, CA 12% (31 .11 ) sandstone, siltstone, claystone 9.9 (1186) 400 to 520 (204 to 271) 5,965 (1818) 2

TABLE 5-TURBODRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 6 Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud' weight, Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, OF (0C) Depth in, ft (m) Bent sub, degrees
'9 Black Magic (oil-base).

Brazos area, offshore Texas 8 1/2 (21.6) sand shale (medium hard) 18.1 (2169) 350 (176) 13,600 (4145)

TABLE 6-TURBODRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 7 Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud' weight, Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, OF (0C) Depth in, It (m) Bent sub, degrees
'Orilfaze (oil-base).

Sabine Pass, Block No. 16, offshore Texas 6 34 (17.1) shale/limestone 17.3 (2073) 250 (121) 12,795 (3900)

TABLE 7-TURBODRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 8 Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud' weight, Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, OF (0C) Depth in, It (m) Bent sub, degrees
'Orilfaze (oil-base).

Elk City, OK 12% (51 .11) middle marrow (gummy shale) 17.6 (2108) 260 (127) 21,117(6436)

TABLE 8-TURBODRILLING PARAMETERS, EXAMPLE 9 Location Hole size, in. (cm) Formation Mud' weight, Ibm/gal (kg/m 3 ) Hole temperature, OF (0C) Depth in, ft (m) Bent sub, degrees
'Orilfaze (oil-base).

Elk City, OK 8112 (21.6) middle marrow (gummy shale) 16.5 (978) 250 (121) 20,658 (6290)

o
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2374

opemting pammeters for the bearing assembly. With 10,000 Ibm (4536 kg) of WOB, the tool ultimately achieved an ROP of 12 ft/hr (3.65 m/h); but because of the severity of the deviation and steering tool and wireline problems, only 10 to 12 ft (3.04 to 3.66 m) were drilled. The problems, particularly with the steering tool, resulted from hot-hole conditions and prevented effective monitoring and use of any motor because the direction of the well was not discernible. Consequently, drilling personnel decided to call out another wireline company, to pull the turbodrill, and to use a positivedisplacement motor.
Example 5

Example 8 Data for Example 8 are given in Table 7. Conventional drilling had caused a 2 1/2 0 deviation from vertical when three-cone rock bits such as Yll's, Y12's and Y13's were used, with an ROPofO.96 to 1.3 ftlhr(0.29 to 0.40 m/h). The turbodrill was run in the hole because of the oil-base mud and the bit was changed to diamond to control the deviation and increase penetration. Running with 17,000 to 30,000 Ibm (7727 to 13 656 kg) of WOB resulted in an ROP of 1.68 ft/hr (0.51 m/h), and increasing WOB to 20,000 to 35,000 Ibm (9090 to 15 909 kg) produced an ROP of2.93 ft/hr (0.89 m/h). Hole sluffing problems caused the turbodrill to become stuck. It was jarred loose and then was pulled from the hole for inspection. Example 9

Data for Example 5 are given in Table 4. Conventional rotary drilling had deviated this well off course. Depth in was 5,965 ft (1818 m). The turbodrill, run with milledtooth rock bits, performed extremely well. It was necessary to hold back on the bit weight to control deviation, and the turbodrill was drilling at 25 ft/hr (7.62 m/h) continuously. The directional driller encountered orienting problems that necessitated long soak times for survey and circulation. (A steering tool was not used at the start of this job.) The turbodrill was used for 468 ft (142.6 m), with an avemge ROP of 12 ft/hr (3.65 m/h). This tool had been sent directly from the location in Example 4 without intervening maintenance since it had not been used to any great extent.
Example 6

Data for Example 9 are given in Table 8. Conventional drilling was deviating the well off course, and the ROP was unacceptable at I ft/hr (0.30 m/h). The turbodrill was requested because of the mud type and the change to diamond drilling. With a WOB of 11,000 to 20,000 Ibm (5000 to 9090 kg), ROP increased to 3.42 ft/hr (1.04 m/h), with a peak of 6 ft/hr (1.82 m/h). This performance peak of 6 ft/hr (1.83 m/h) was maintained for 90 continuous hours.

Discussion
As illustmted by some of the case histories, it is very clear that rock bits suffer an accelerated decrease in life when run on turbodrills of medium to high speeds. The most predominant failure is loss of gauge on the bit because of high peripheral speeds, but cone bearing failure can occur just as readily. This makes subsequent drilling very tedious and demanding because the undersized hole requires reaming and conditioning. While diamond bits typically do not provide the aggressiveness exhibited by rock bits, they are capable of withstanding the high opemting speeds without detrimental effects. Aggressiveness and high speed tolemnce are qualities resulting from the teaming of PCD bits and turbodrills, making this system very attractive for both geothermal and petroleum drilling in soft and medium-hard formations. It should not be understated that diamond bits with turbodrills is a formidable combination when used in appropriate applications-for example, hard formations with large WOB loading.

Data for Example 6 are given in Table 5. This example indicates the usefulness of turbodrills in hot-hole oilfield applications otherthan geothermal. The objective of this job was to kick off a cement plug with 90 to 120 ft (27.4 to 36.6 cm) of hole. The turbodrill was run with a diamond sidetracking bit. The kickoff required extensive drilling with zero bit weight and full hydmulics. The maximum weight used after the direction change was 15,000 Ibm (6804 kg). Avemge ROP was 8 ft/hr (2.43 m/h) for the kickoff, with a drilling rate of 30 ft/hr (9.14 m/h). A total of 106 ft (32.3 m) were drilled, at which point the hole was deviated back on course, and the bottomhole assembly was changed to rotary. The mud used was a very heavy oil-base fluid, and a motor with elastomeric components could not have survived in such a high-temperature environment-especially in one continuous run.
Example 7

Conclusions
There are obstacles, and much more information must be gathered, but the potential for cost-effective operation of these tools in hostile environments demands the effort. To date, turbodrills have been used after problems have been encountered, mther than being a planned part of the drilling project. Planned use will occur when the industry is provided with enough of these tools. More turbodrilling experience on the part of drilling contmctors then will increase the confidence level and knowledge of when and how to use these tools to their fullest potential. Another factor inhibiting full-scale implementation of turbodrills in the lack of rig mUd-pump capacity to handle the higher pressure requirements of these tools. Quite often, especially in wells below 10,000 ft (3048 m), the
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Data for Example 7 are given in Table 6. The intent of this run was to kick off the well in a new direction. A distance of 1195 ft (364 m) was drilled at an avemge ROP of26 ft/hr (7.9 m/h), with occasional mtes of 50 to 60 ft/hr (15.2 to 18.2 m/h) during the first phase. Approximately 1 month later it was necessary to re-enter the hole and to drill an extended stmight-hole interval. An additional 364 ft (l05 m) of hole were drilled at 6.3 ft/hr (1.92 m/h) with a PCD bit. Note the extremely heavy, oil-base mud (Table 6). Use of a positive-displacement motor or turbodrill with elastomeric bearings would not have been feasible in this application.
OCTOBER 1982

surface-pump capabilities are the limiting factor in running not only turbodrills but positive-displacement motors as well. It is imperative that mud pump companies develop high-pressure equipment. In addition, other drilling equipment manufacturers must follow suit in matching their products to the requirements of these new, higher-pressure systems. As we drill deeper and deeper and as costs escalate, the use of turbodrills and other downhole motors will become paramount in many drilling projects, even to the point of being the only alternative. Although these turbodrills have not been tested exhaustively, the successful

runs so far show that there is much to be gained through their expanded use in the industry.

SI Metric Conversion Factors

gal hp lbf-ft psi

x x x x

3.785 412 7.46* 1:355 818 6.894 757

E-03 E-Ol E+OO E-03

N'm MPa

*Conversion factor is exact.

JPT

Original manuscript received in Society of Petroleum Engineers office Jan. 20. 1981. Paper accepted for publication Feb. 10, 1982. Revised manuscript received July 30, 1982. Paper (SPE 9936) first presented at the 1981 SPE California Regional Meeting held in Bakersfield March 25-26.

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JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY