CASE STUDY
Direct XCD Casing Bit Drills Five Wells to Access
Permian Basin Reservoir Below CO2 Injection Zone
Casing-while-drilling eliminates one string from operator’s well design
CHALLENGE
Drill five well intervals to TD below a high-
pressure CO2 injection zone, enabling the
subsequent cementing of 51⁄2-in production
casing while reducing NPT.
SOLUTION
Use 7 7⁄8-in Direct XCD* drillable alloy casing
bit, multilobe torque (MLT) rings, and hydro-
formed centralizers.
RESULTS
Cased while drilling five intervals to TD
and eliminated an additional string and
extensive NPT while providing a record-
best cementing job.
Inefficient wellbore construction
As part of an effort to access a reservoir in the Permian basin, an operator was using a three-string
well design in which the casing point was above the field’s high pressure CO2 zone. This approach
was effective, and it countered problems the operator had experienced using a two-string design.
These problems included CO2 kicks, stuck pipe, wellbore collapse, poor cementing, and NPT.
However, the high cost of a three-string well design made it an unsustainable option.
Casing-while-drilling two-string well design
To maintain the economic viability of the project, Schlumberger recommended constructing
a two-string well using a Smith Bits 7 7⁄8-in Direct XCD drillable alloy casing bit and TDDirect*
casing-drilling and liner-drilling technology tools. They included MLT rings, which were added to
the operator’s 51⁄2-in buttress threaded coupled casing to provide positive makeup and increase
torque. Hydro-formed centralizers were also used to stabilize the casing string during drilling and
help position it for cementing.
High-quality wellbore construction
The casing-while-drilling two-string design used in five wells enabled the operator to come out of
the conventionally set 85⁄8-in casing and drill below the high-pressure CO2 zone to TD with 51⁄2-in
production casing. The 51⁄2-in production casing was cemented, and the Direct XCD casing bit
was drilled out with a standard PDC bit. The operator experienced no kicks, stuck pipe, borehole
collapse, or extended NPT during the operation. In addition, the TDDirect technology signature
plastering effect strengthened wellbores in which production casing was successfully cemented,
despite running through a high-pressure CO2 injection zone. As a result of the operation, the
expense of an additional string was eliminated in five wells, and cement bond logs confirmed the
cementing job was a record best for the operator below a high-pressure zone.
Conventional Drilling Casing-While-Drilling
3-string
3-string
Three-String Well Design CASING
CASING
Two-String DRILLING
DRILLING
Well Design
113⁄4 in 85⁄8 in
Plastering effect
85⁄8 in 51⁄2 in
CO2 zone
The two-string well design
spared the expense of an
5 ⁄2 in
1
additional string while producing
a high-quality wellbore.
Drill Bits
CASE STUDY: Opting for two-string design saves well construction costs

Wells Cased While Drilling

1 2 3 4 5
Flow rate, galUS/min 285 265 261 350 320
ROP, ft/h 39 30 67 37 64
Standpipe pressure, psi 665.5 675 420 600 900
Weight on bit, lbf 24,500 28,000 24,000 27,000 25,000
Torque, lbf.ft 9,000 8,000 850 8,000 7,700
Casing connection TXP BTC BTC BTC BTC
Multilobe torque rings No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Steel grade L-80 L-80 L-80 L-80 L-80
Mud type Brine Brine Brine Brine Brine
Mud weight, lbm 10.1 10.7 10.5 10.1 10.3

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