In a "systems solutions" approach that integrates Halliburton technologies and product service lines, new reamer technology from Security DBS Drill Bits has been combined with Sperry Drilling Services' FullDrift system in a drilling package that successfully challenges the technical limits of conventional hole enlargement operations. Planned Hole Enlargement covers a range of operations that result in an "oversized" hole below a conventional-size borehole or restriction. Driven in part by continuing advances in well design and casing technology, hole enlargement is an expanding market, expected to comprise an estimated 16 percent of total worldwide footage drilled by 2007. Whether dictated by formation, use of expandable tubulars and/or mono-diameter technology, hole enlargement operations optimize hole size in the completion zone and allow the largest possible casing string to be set while maintaining a quality cement job. The process is accomplished with specifically- designed tools which can pass through a restriction, usually a cased hole, in order to enlarge the area below, either in one pass while drilling (simultaneously), or after a pilot hole has been drilled. In a growing number of hole enlargement applications, including extended-reach, high-angle wells and hard formation drilling, simultaneous hole opening technology is required that can withstand downhole vibration to reliably perform when extreme wellbore geometry requires BHA steerability. New Concentric Ultra-reaming Drilling Apparatus (CUDA Reamer) technology from Security DBS was designed to meet these growing technical demands, providing simultaneous hole enlargement drilling in both rotary and rotary steerable applications. With "on demand" activation and deactivation, CUDA and CUDA- XR reamer tools can be positioned in the string or in a near-bit configuration, and are capable of enlarging a hole 10 - 50% over pilot hole or "drift" diameter. Advanced Drilling Package Incorporates New Reamer Technology to Redefine Technical Limits for Hole Enlargement Applications
Stein Erik Moi
Product manager DHT
Once the desired hole interval is enlarged, the tool is deactivated and locked in the closed position to allow effective drilling ahead with the original pilot hole size and/or full flow circulation with no risk of cutter arm deployment.
Tool reliability already is proven in successful field applications that include a world record for the longest 12-1/4" x 13-1/2" hole opening run, in which a CUDA-XR 1200 drilled 4645 meters in a Norwegian offshore well while simultaneously opening the 12- 1/4" hole to 13-1/2". The Drilling Package When run on a FullDrift system combining the Geo-Pilot system and extended gauge bit, the CUDA-XR Reamer provides a versatile new option in hole enlargement operations, redefining the technical limits for these applications. The system allows a wellbore to be steered in any desired direction while rotating the drillstring. Delivering maximum wellbore drift, the system uses point-the-bit technology to achieve directional control by deflecting a one-piece rotating driveshaft off-center between two bearings. This deflection "points" the FullDrift bit, which has an extended gauge design that acts as a stabilizer or centralizer to keep the bit on true center, eliminating hole spiraling and improving directional control. Using real-time data from the Geo-Span downlink communication system, the system is pointed and controlled by the directional driller while in manual steering mode, and is self-guiding along a pre- programmed trajectory in automated mode. With the Geo-Span downlink providing "on-the-fly" two-way communication between the directional driller at surface and the drilling system downhole, wellbore trajectory can be controlled with extreme precision. In one North Sea application, a CUDA 800 Reamer was matched with a Geo-Pilot 7600 rotary steerable system to simultaneously drill and open horizontal wellbores that were steered precisely
within reservoir targets just 3 to 15 feet thick. Clearly, this advanced drilling package combines technologies that are redefining the technical limits of hole enlargement applications. Case History: Norsk Hydro, Well 30/9 F29 In this offshore Norwegian application through hard chalk in the Shetland formation, extreme vibration plagued previous reamer runs to open the 12-1/4" hole to 13-1/2". In this well, plans called for rotary steerable drilling through 700 meters of the Shetland's Cretaceous chalk while opening the hole from 12-1/4" to 17-1/2". Combining hole enlargement drilling with steering capability, a CUDA-XR1200 reamer was matched with a Geo-Pilot 9600 rotary steerable system using an FMF3643ZSC bit. Incorporating highly abrasion- resistant Z3 PDC cutters, the extended gauge FullDrift bit design from Security DBS is based on advanced FM3000 Series technology proven to improve directional drilling performance and deliver higher rates of penetration without compromising the life of the bit. With this BHA run in hole to 2987m depth, the CUDA- XR reamer was activated by drop ball after drilling 43 meters of 12-1/4" hole, with a clear indication of cutter release at surface. The Geo-Span downlink enabled the driller to change tool settings "on-the-fly" to steer the GeoPilot system without interrupting drilling or compromising logging-while-drilling (LWD) data. With the Geo-Span downlink monitoring Geo-Pilot progress, the CUDA-XR then drilled 615 meters while simultaneously opening the hole to 17-1/2", with a drilling vibration log confirming no excessive vibration was experienced. The drilling package was pulled out of hole at 3634m depth after 63.5 hours, having delivered 655 meters of enlarged hole in the Cretaceous chalk at an average penetration rate of 10.3m/hr. Case History: BP Norway, Well 2/11-S-03T4 This Valhall Flank well required drilling 900 meters of open hole sidetrack in a single run from an existing 8- 1/2" wellbore, enlarging the hole while reaming and backreaming to deliver 1125 meters of 9.20" hole for running a 7-5/8" liner. In addition, a full LWD suite would be run, and full rotation and flow inside the casing was required during the trip out.
Using the Geo-Span downlink for uninterrupted steerability without loss of LWD data, a Geo-Pilot 7600 rotary steerable system was matched with a FullDrift FMF3731 PDC bit design based on the proven FM3000 Series technology from Security DBS, and run with a CUDA 800 reamer. The BHA also incorporated at-bit inclination and gamma sensors as well as a full suite of LWD sensors for vibration, gamma, resistivity, azimuthal lithodensity, and compensated thermal neutron, with the CUDA positioned above these sensors in the drillstring. In a single run, this advanced drilling package drilled 900 meters of new formation in an open hole sidetrack, with the CUDA opening the 8-1/2" hole to 9.20" before TD at 4805m, then backreaming to the shoe to deliver a total of 1166 meters of 9.2" hole suitable for running a 7-5/8" liner. The successful run achieved all objectives, with the CUDA drilling and opening the sidetrack in 44.5 hours at an average ROP of 25.8, then backreaming 264 meters in 22 hours for an overall ROP of 12 m/hr. Real-time data from the ALD azimuthal lithodensity tool, ABI at-bit inclination and ABG at-bit gamma sensors assisted in efficient geosteering during drilling operations, while the InSite system allowed real-time remote monitoring by the client. These outstanding performances reflect a "systems solution" approach to increasingly complex hole enlargement applications. Integrating rotary steerable drilling and LWD technology from Sperry Drilling Services with advanced bit and reamer technology from Security DBS, the resulting drilling package combines Halliburton technologies and product service lines to successfully challenge the technical limits of planned hole enlargement.
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