OTC 7331

Rigless Slimhole Drilling

P.W. Courville,

Copyright

1993, Offshore

This psper was presented

Halliburton

Technology

Services,

and S.D. Maddox,

Otis Engineering

Corp.

Conference

at the 25th Annual

OTC in Houston,

TexZs, U. S.A., 3-6 May 1993.

This paper was selected for presentation by the OTC Program Committee following review of information contained In an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper,
as presented, have not been reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and are subJect to correction by the author(s), The ma ferial, as presented, does not necessarily rEfleCt
anv rmsition of the Offshore Technoloav Conference or its officers, Permission to coDv is restricted to an abatract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract
sh~uld contain conspicuous acknowledgment
of where and by whom the paper ii presented,

ABSTRACT

derrick-based drilling include:

The evolution of coiled tubing (CT) and hydraulic

.
.
.

workover (HWO) equipment has changed various

concepts concerning drilling operations.
A new
system that combines these two proven technologies
can now perform slimhole drilling operations without
the use of a conventional derrick-based drilling rig;
hydraulic
workover
equipment
provides
the
capabilities to handle and set the casing program, and
by using a continuous drill string, the coiled tubing
equipment does the drilling.

Increased system portability

Decreased system size
Enhanced pressure handling options.

This paper desc~bes the components of the system,

including the required hydraulic workover equipment,
the coiled tubing components, and other necessary
elements such as fluid handling equipment.
Procedures are presented for drilling and completing
a well without the use of a conventional, derrickbased drilling rig. The components that make up the
bottomhole assembly are also discussed for both
normal and horizontal drilling scenarios.

This combination provides a viable alternative to

normal drilling-rig operations, and in addition,
increases the number of options available to the
operator for solution of drilling and completion
problems. Use of the system can enhance cost
efficiency, alleviate equipment availability delays, and
reduce environmental impact.

rrent need, arxiicat ion, and advantages of

C(J
the svst em

The system is designed to work under pressure,

which facilitates drilling while underbalanced and
subsequently provides formation protection. Additional advantages of rigless drilling over conventional

The availability of alternative methods for performing

an operation is invaluable to an operator in providing
job-planning flexibility. In drilling, for example,
particular concerns involve equipment availability,

References and illustrations at end of paper.

667

INTRODUCTION

RIGLESS SLIMHOLE DRILLING

environmental impact of moving and operating the

rig, and cost consideration in general. In addition, in
normal drilling operations, there must be a sound
surface or structure upon which to erect the derrick
that is capable of supporting the cumbersome size of
the derrick as well as the pipe weight. These concerns
are successfully managed with this new method for
drilling since use of a large derrick is not required.

OTC 7331

CT Development

Coiled tubing technology has been improving since

1963, and continual technological enhancement has
resulted in the reliable well-servicing units available
today. The primary objective of the initial design was
for the deployment of 3/4-inch and l-inch OD
continuous tubing strings for use in sand removal
operations and nitrogen jetting. As the use of coiled
tubing increased, improvement in surface equipment
also occurred, allowing it to support the increased
coiled tubing depth capacities. Encouraged by market
demand, manufacturers of coiled tubing increased
available coiled tubing diameter sizes, which also
impacted the competency and scope of CT services.
By the mid 80s, coiled tubing had been developed
with
l-1/4-inch
and l-3/4-inch
ODS. To
accommodate the increases in the pipe size and
support the increased depth and weight capability of
the tubing, surface equipment also had to undergo
change. As CT technology advanced, the scope of
coiled-tubing service capabilities continued to
broaden.

k!WQ!3Y
HW(3 Develo~men~

Because of their small size, the first hydraulic

workover units were used primarily for moving pipe
within the production string or for moving small
production strings. 1Todays hydraulic workover units
have grown in capability far beyond the units
introduced into service in the 1960s. Maximum
downward forces (snubbing) that this equipment
can exert have increased from 30,000 pounds to
300,000 pounds.
Maximum pulling forces have
increased from 60,000 pounds to the current 600,000
pounds, and bore sizes have increased from 4-1/16
inches to the current 11 inches.
Pipe handling
capability of the larger units now includes 9-5/8-inch
casing.2 These capabilities (Table 1) along with a
newly-developed series of related surface equipment,
such as 1l-inch slip bowls that have been pull tested
to 900,000 pounds, allow for the running and setting
of many casing programs as well as production
strings.

Coiled tubing service applications expanded from

sand removal and nitrogen jetting to operations that
required higher pumping rates and pressures. Acid
stimulations, sand consolidation treatments, and
cementing processes also continued to improve in
procedure and reliability over the years.
The
introduction of the larger O.D. coiled tubing sizes,
particularly l-1/2-inch and l-3/4-inch, have aided in
the development of the procedures for placement of
material into the wellbore. In addition, the increased
pumping rates and the ability to reverse circulate have
decreased the actual pumping times required to
perform an operation. A better understanding of the
fluid flow frictional properties associated with the
smaller-OD tubing sizes of 1 inch and 1-l/4-inch has
increased the reliability for procedures using the
smaller tubing. Now, services such as coiled tubing
logging and perforating, fishing, siphon or velocity
string installations, thru tubing milling, underreaming,
deployment of downhole video systems, jet-blast
cleaning, and completions can be efficiently provided

Using downhole motors, hydraulic workover units can

be used for the drilling phase with a procedure
similar to the coiled tubing procedure described
below. However, trip speeds would be limited to
approximately 600- to 900-feet per hour since tubing
connections must be handled. As an alternative to the
downhole motors, the pipe-rotating capability of
current hydraulic workover units can perform a
limited amount of drilling. Heavy duty, long-term
rotating capability is currently being developed for
these units.

668

OTC 7331

STEVE MADDOX

and PERRY COURVILLE

with coiled tubing.34

and the related workbasket and controls. The

forces resulting from the pipe weight plus the
weight of the hydraulic workover unit are
transferred directly-to the wellhead, and therefore,
an additional load bearing structure does not have
to be provided. The environmental impact of
having a permanent, high load-bearing platform is
eliminated.
The physical size of each of the
components in the hydraulic unit is small when
compared to the parts in the rig. For example,
even the larger jacks only weigh 15,000 lbs and
are 5 ft x 5 ft x 19 ft. The transportation and
assembling of these components is easily
accomplished, even in remote locations.

Coiled tubing sizes have been expanded to include

2-inch, 2-3/8-inch,
2-7/8-inch and 3-1/2-inch
diameters. In 1992, coiled tubing drilling capability
expanded from thru tubing milling and underreaming
to the actual drilling of new holes. This advance
stimulated increased interest in coiled tubing.
Drilling with continuous tubing, as noted in U.S.
patent activity, dates back to 1948; however,
appropriate low risk alternatives could not be offered
until reliability of coiled tubing services increased.s
The use of coiled tubing to run the tubing in and out
of the well to perform remedial operations is very
common as is the use of slimhole tools for drilling;
however, it was not until these two technologies
merged into a seamless operation that the initial risk
concerns could be addressed.

co MPONENTS

O F THE SYSTEM

The surface components of a hydraulic workover rig

used to run the jointed pipe into the well can be
grouped by function into two main groups. The first
group comprises the components of the pipe handing
system, and the second group contains the components
that make up the pressure containing system.

P@ehandling systems
The winches, blocks, elevators, and slips are used
as the pipe handling system on common, derrickbased drilling rigs that normally run the jointed
pipe into the well. These components, along with
the massive derrick, must rest on a surface
capable of supporting the load of these
components plus the weight of the pipe.
The pipe handling system on
workover unit consists of a set
stationary slips, a hydraulic jack, a
bowl, a small winch and gin pole

Pressure ContainirwSvstem
Derrick-based drilling rigs normally use the
drilling fluid as the primary component of the
pressure containing system and blow out
preventers as secondary pressure containing
components. The hydraulic workover unit can
use these elements as its pressure containing
system also (Figure 2). b In this case, the normal
drilling mud and normal BOP stack would be
used. However, additional blow out preventers
(BOPs) can be added to allow the system to
move pipe into the wellbore under pressure
(Figure 3). These extra blowout preventers can
also be used as additional environmental and
personnel safety measures when moving pipe in
the normal mode of zero surface pressure.

HWO Surface Co moonents

CT Su rface Com~onents
The components of a coiled tubing unit:
1. the operators control console/house
the power pack,
coiled tubing reel with levelwind
tubing guide
injector
blowout preventer configuration.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

a hydraulic
of opposing
traveling slip
combination,

The injector is the device that provides the downward

669

RIGLESS SLIMHOLE DRILLING

OTC 7331

thrust and upward pull forces for movement of the

tubing in the well. The reel is the pipe storage
devi&. Depending on reel dimensions, up to 21,000

4,000 psi depending on coiled tubing size length and

feet of 2-inch, 14,500 feet of 2-3/8-inch, 9,500 feet

of 2-7/8-inch and 6,000 feet of 3 l/2-inch coiled
tubing can be accommodated. The injector speeds are
continuously variable from inches per minute up to
200 feet per minute. The plumbing on the reels is
rated at 10,000 psi working pressure, but the limiting
rating that needs consideration is the coiled tubing
rating. The pressure requirement for an operation
should be determined in the pre-job planning stage.
Because of the limited operational history with the 2inch and larger OD coiled-tubing, a conservative
approach to pressure limits of these tubing sizes
should be taken. With empirical and analytical
information, the pressure rating of the reel assembly
(pipe and plumbing) can be determined.

Hydraulic calculations are an important part of prejob planning for a coiled tubing operation.b Lowcycle stress fatigue of coiled tubing presents a major
in
concern during service operations. The increase
internal pressure on the coiled tubing will result in a
decrease in the number of cycles that a section of
coiled tubing can withstand before fatigue failure
occurs. With job design criteria including limiting
pumping pressure for optimization of coiled tubing
life, calculating expected pressure drops through
various coiled tubing sizes and the drilling assemblies
of collars and motors provides critical information.
When using mud motors or positive displacement
motors (PDMs) on conventional jointed tubing, a
filtering system and fluid storage are required. Solids
in the drilling fluid maybe harmful to the motors and
can increase the fluid weight and circulating
pressures.

The coiled tubing unit is designed to operate with

pressure on the well and with the BOP configuration
providing the containment of pressure. The standard
pressure-sealing mechanism is the stuffing box;
however, this can be replaced with an annular sealing
unit that allows tubing connectors to be readily passed
through the pressure differential (Figure 4). Thus,
the BOP configuration can be adjusted for dead- or
live-well work-over operations. During a live-well
operation, the irregular OD components can be
lubricated into the well with the pre-job design of the
BOP components (Figure 6). The BOP configuration
can be designed such that the same BOPs can be
used by both the hydraulic workover and coiled
tubing units.

motor selection.

Figure 6 presents a general arrangement of equipment

during drilling operations.
Downhole Com~onents
1. Normal Drilling

Either the coiled tubing unit or the hydraulic

work-over unit can be used to run the bottomhole
assembly (BHA) used for drilling. The hydraulic
workover unit runs the BHA, which consists of
drill collar(s), drilling motor and bit. Since the
coiled tubing unit does not have the capability to
rotate its workstring, a subsurface motor assembly
rotates the bit downhole. It may be necessary to
add weight and stiffening members in addition to
the motor assembly when drilling with coiled
tubing. Smart coiled tubing wireline operations
have expanded the art of using electric wireline
cable inside coiled tubing to provide a
Slightly
measurement-while-drilling
option.
altered drilling operations can be used for drilling
with coiled tubing for a straight hole. The

The fluid system for coiled tubing drilling is similar

to the system required for conventional drilling, but
there may be a difference in the pump requirements
for coiled tubing. Because of the requirement to
circulate through the entire work string of a coiled
tubing unit, additional frictional losses are
encountered when circulating through the pipe stored
on the reel. To circulate at the required volumes for
optimizing the output of the positive displacement
motor, pump pressures can range from 3,000 to
670

OTC 7331

STEVE MADDOX

and PERRY COURVILLE

building of inclination can be accomplished with

bent subs on motors and controlling of weight on
bit with coiled tubing in the same manner as it is
performed with conventional rigs. Directional
control for drilling with coiled tubing requires an
orienting device that allows precise angular
adjustment of the BHA. The orienting device can
be controlled by manipulation of the coiled
tubing, by hydraulics, or by use of a wireline
cable installed inside the coiled tubing.
Directional survey information can be provided by
a steering tool with the wireline cable inside the
coiled tubing. A mud pulse system eliminates the
requirement to have a wireline cable inside the
coiled tubing for signal transmission, but the
measurement-while-drilling
(MWD)
tool
dimensions have to be carefully considered for
size comparability for any slimhole drilling
operation.

2, Horizontal Drilling
The drilling of a directional well may require
additional trips into the well to make changes to
the bottomhole assembly.
The build angle
changes that cannot be made with downhole force
manipulations may require changes in the bent sub
assembly or motor assembly.
The steerable
systems available for jointed pipe are hindered by
coiled tubings inability to be rotated at surface.
The inclination changes may require lessening the
offset of the bent sub assemblies. For example,
once the build angle has been achieved and
inclination needs to be maintained, the build
assembly can be pulled out of the well and
changed to an assembly designed for maintaining
hole inclination.

then rigged up and drilling begins, using the

downhole motor. When necessary, the motor is
quickly pulled for maintenance, replacement of the
bit, and adjustment of the downhole assembly
configuration and rerun into the wellbore. Trip times
are much shorter using coiled tubing because there
are no stops made for connecting or disconnecting
tubing joints. After the section is drilled to the
desired depth with the downhole motor on the coiled
tubing, the motor is pulled out of the hole and the
coiled tubing injector is removed from the wellhead.
The hydraulic workover unit is then rigged up, and
the casing for that section of hole is run and
The hydraulic workover unit has the
cemented.
capability of turning the casing while simultaneously
reciprocating the casing vertically during the casing
cement job in order to achieve a good cement bond.
The hydraulic workover unit is then rigged down and
the coiled tubing unit is again rigged up and used for
drilling the next section of the hole. After completion
of the drilling stage, the hydraulic workover unit is
used to run the casing or liner. If the production
tubing consists of jointed pipe, it is run with this unit,
and the well is completed.
As an alternate method, the coiled tubing unit can be
used to run and set a coiled tubing production string.

co NCLUSIONS
A new method exists for drilling a well without a
derrick-based drilling rig. This rigless drilling system
consists of a combination of coiled tubing and
hydraulic workover equipment.
The advantages of this approach
include:
. .

PROCEDURE - OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM

.
The surface pipe is first driven into the ground using
the normal impact-type pipe-driving equipment
common around the world.

Small system size, which has less impact on the

environment at the drilling site.

Small size that permits access to remote locations.

The coiled tubing unit and fluid pumping system are

Less risk to the environment because of inherent

671

RIGLESS SLIMHOLE DRILLING

capability to handle and move pipe

unexpected pressures are encountered.

when

Underbalanced drilling is facilitated, which can

increase drilling rates and reduce formation
damage.
Elimination of high load bearing structures such
as concrete pads or offshore structures.

OTC 7331

5. Philip C. Crouse: Coiled Tubing Makes Mark in

Modem Oil Patch, l%e American Oil & Gas
Reporter (January, 1993) 25-29.
6. Recommended Practices for Blowout Prevention
Equipment Systems for Drilling Wells,
RP53, 2nd Edition, May 25, 1984.

API

7. Ramos, A.B.Jr., Fahel, R. A., Chaffin, Michael,

and Pulis, K.H.: Horizontal Slim-Hole Drilling
With Coiled Tubing: An Operators Experience,
paper IADC/SPE 23875 presented at the 1992
IADC/SPE Drilling Conference held in New
Orleans, Louisiana, February 18-21, 1992.

Quicker trip times associated with change or

adjustment of the BHA can be obtained with a
coiled-tubing-deployed drilling system.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
authors wish to thank Otis Engineering
Corporation and Halliburton Services for their
encouragement and permission to present this paper.

The

REFERENCES

1. Maddox, Steve: Hydraulic Rig-Assisted Well

Servicing Techniques Can Reduce Formation
Damage, Paper SPE 23807 presented at the SPE
Intl. Symposium on Formation Damage Control
held in Lafayette, Louisiana, February 26-27,
1992.

2. Otis Engineering Corporation: Special Services

OperationsManual - Hydraulic Workover Internal
Document #74HWl, Section 2.4

3. Fowler, S.H.: A Coiled Tubing Downhole Jet

Cleaning System, SPE paper 21676 presented at
the 1991 Production Operation Symposium,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, April 7-9, 1991.

4. Rademaker, R. A., Olszewski, W. K., Goiffon,

J.J. and Maddox, S.D.: A Coiled Tubing
Deployed Downhole Video System, paper SPE
24794 presented at the 1992 Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition held in Washington,
D. C., October 4-7, 1992.
672

TABLE 1

II

Specifications of Typical Hydraulic Workover Jacks

Bore

siZt7

Maximum
Pull@ Force

I Maximum
Snub Force

4 1/16

120,000

Ibs

60,000

7 1/16-

200,000

Ibs

100.000

11

600,000

Ibs

300,000

I Maximum
Pipe Size

I Jack We@ht

2 7/8

1
I 7,000

Ibs

Ibs

5 1/2

9,000

Ibs

Ibs

9 5/8

16,000

Ibs

Ibs

WORK BASKET

TRAVELING

SLIP

-JACK

hTAT~ARy
-

Figure 1
Pipe Handling System on Hydraulic Workover Unit

673

I
I

I
I

II

II

674

TUBING GUIDE

TUBING GUIDE

INJECTOR

INJECTOR

ACCESS WINDOW
TUBING GUIDE

WITH

B.O.P. WINDOW

DIF----

ACCESS WINDOW WITH

TUBING GUIDE

ANNULAR

BOP

B.O.P. WINDOW

ANNULAR

EQUALIZING

BOP

LOOP

RAM TYPE BOP (TYP)

RAM TYPE BOP (TYP)

OUTRIGGERS

OUTRIGGERS

Figure 4
CoWd Tubing Injector and Related Wellhead Equipment
BOPs Configured for Dead Wells

Cokd

Figure 5
Tubing Injector and Related Wellhead Equipment
BOPs Configured for Drilling Under Pressure

TUBING GUIDE

General Arrangement

Figure 6
of Equipment During Drilling Operations