Tech Bulletin VertiTrak Bit Selection

Page 1

Technical Bulletin
PDC Bit Selection for VertiTrak
With the increasing popularity of the VertiTrak System, there has been an increased demand
for PDC bit selection guidelines for VertiTrak. This proprietary document fills that need. It
contains a brief overview of the tool, compares and contrasts the VertiTrak System to the
AutoTrak RCLS, and offers general PDC bit selection guidelines.

VertiTrak Tool Overview

The VertiTrak System is the industrys first
automated vertical drilling system.
It
delivers
deviation
control
without
compromising preferred drilling parameters
to maintain wellbore verticality.
The
VertiTrak System is powered by the Mach1
X-treme power section, delivering high
performance power and torque. It also
utilizes pad steering technology which is
similar to that used with AutoTrak RCLS.
This combination of technology delivers
improved wellbore stability, decreased
tortuosity, reduced torque and drag, and
minimized casing wear. The VertiTrak
System improves penetration rates while
maintaining directional control.
The
VertiTrak System has been deployed in a
variety of applications, including highlydipped formations and salt formations which
are susceptible to deviation tendencies. It
has also been applied in lean casing profile
wells which require more precise wellbore
placement.

VertiTrak Modes of Operation

The VertiTrak System is typically run in steering mode, where either one or two of the ribs on the
steering head are constantly engaged with the borehole walls. The bit rotation is powered
exclusively by the X-treme power section while near-bit sensors monitor the borehole inclination.
When the sensors detect the wellbore deviating from vertical, the control sub activates internal
hydraulic pumps which control the three steering pads. These steering pads will then counteract
any deviation tendencies, bringing the wellbore back to 0.0 inclination.
When the drilling operation has been completed, the steering ribs can be disengaged (ribs-off
mode) via downlink to permit tripping out of the hole. With the steering ribs retracted, the tool
Hughes Christensen - Company Confidential

2003 Baker Hughes Incorporated

Tech Bulletin VertiTrak Bit Selection

Page 2

can safely trip in and out of the hole while avoiding damage to the steering head. On occasion,
reaming and/or backreaming may be necessary. In these situations surface rotation is necessary
to get the system to bottom or back to surface. The assembly can be rotated at 40 rpm during the
reaming/backreaming process. Once the assembly has made it through the tight spots another
downlink can be sent to the tool to switch back to steer mode and drilling can continue.

VertiTrak Bit Selection

A common misconception is that the ideal bit for the VertiTrak system has the same features that
are ideal for the AutoTrak RCLS. This is not the case. The VertiTrak System and AutoTrak
RCLS operate very differently, so they require different bit features. The AutoTrak steering head
is mounted on a non-rotating sleeve to isolate it from the rotating drillstring. Because the steering
controls are not affected by erratic downhole RPM, it has no trouble maintaining direction, even
when stick-slip is fairly severe. Conversely, the VertiTrak steering head is fixed to the X-treme
motor immediately above the bit. Erratic downhole RPM can cause the tool to apply correction
forces in the wrong direction. In a sense, tool face control for VertiTrak is just as important as it
is when drilling with conventional steerable motor assemblies.
The HCC recommendation is that all new VertiTrak applications are reviewed by a Design
Application Review Team. This will help ensure that lessons learned are applied so the latest
technology is introduced when and where it is needed. For occasions when a formal review is not
possible, we offer the following guidelines based on experience to date:
The bit should be chosen as if it were to be run in a conventional motor assembly.
Toolface control is critical to the success of the VertiTrak System. EZ Steer
Technology has proven to be the most effective method of controlling toolface.
Bit aggressiveness, blade count and the size of cutters should be optimized to most
effectively drill the formations that will be encountered. Avoid artificially selecting
higher blade counts or smaller cutter sizes for the purpose of toolface control.
Bit stability is another critical component to the success of the system. EZ Steer also
significantly reduces whirl and stick-slip, which have been known to cause catastrophic
damage and steering problems.
Both high and low imbalance designs have been used successfully to reduce vibration.
The high imbalance approach has been particularly effective for big bits (12.25" and
above). Genesis secondary stability features like LMM and Chordal Drop
Management are recommended to help limit the damage caused by system vibration.
The gauge should be very robust. The VertiTrak System delivers 6600 lbs. of force per
steering pad to push the wellbore back to vertical. This can cause heavy wear on the
gauge pads. We recommend an unaggressive TSP gauge in most cases.
There is plenty of side-cutting ability in the standard Genesis gauge to deliver the 1.5
DLS theoretical drop rate of the VertiTrak System. At a minimum, use the standard
gauge length for a given bit diameter to aid in hole quality.
Visit the PDC Bit Selection for VertiTrak web page (http://172.25.1.77/prodlines/vertitrak) for
more information.

Hughes Christensen - Company Confidential

2003 Baker Hughes Incorporated