Directional Drilling Technology

OVERVIEW
Directional drilling has long been accepted
as a means of controlling well bore
deviation. In earlier times, it was
primarily used as a remedial operation,
either to deviate around stuck tools, bring
a well bore back to vertical, or for relief
well drilling.

OVERVIEW
The first step in any directional drilling project is to
develop a proper well plan.
Most directional well plans contain a build interval
to a required inclination. This average inclination is
then maintained into the target or expected
production zone. Some well plans also incorporated
a drop section near the bottom such that the
production zone is penetrated at, or near, vertical.

OVERVIEW
Once the inclination in the well bore
has reached the planned average angle,
rotary drilling will resume with well
stabilized, or packed, assemblies. This
type of assembly is designed to resist
making any changes in inclination or
direction.

Definition
Directional well is the science of
deviating a well bore along a planned
course to a subsurface target whose
location is a given distance and direction
from the vertical.
normally Inc>5 degree, with the planned
direction & target

The reason for drilling

the directional well
For engineering requirement

for more production & lower

cost

1.The reason :
for
engineering
requirement

Multiple target
zones

Relief
well
drilling

Straight
hole
control

Salt dome
drilling

Side tracking

Inaccessible locations

Extended reach drilling

Offshore production well drilling

The all the applications

2.The reason - more production & lower cost

Conventional directional wells

3--15% more cost than vertical wells
10--150% more production than vertical wells

Conventional horizontal wells

10--40% more cost than vertical wells
300--500% more production than vertical wells

Example: Thick 10m reservoir

exposure in vertical hole: 10m

dir.well (400 ): 13.1m ,600: 20m, 800: 57.6m
horizontal well (300--500m lateral): 300--500m
or more

800

600

400

Vertical hole

Advantages of directional wells

save rig site area:

Example: Onshore cluster wells (4--10 wells)
--increase only 10--40% area compare with 1
well.
Reduce oil-pipeline length(branch line)
greatly reduce operation & maintenance cost

Types of directional wells

Conventional directional well

Cluster well
High angle well
Horizontal well
ERD (Extend reach drilling)
Multilaterial well
Slim-hole

Conventional directional well

Normal type
J

Vertical section

Building section
Tangent section

target

Conventional directional well

Vertical section

Type
S

Building section

Continuous

Tangent section
target

target
dropping section
holding section

CLUSTER WELLS

Horizontal well and ERD tech.

Multi lateral well

How to drill directional well

Well design
Equipment &tools
Trajectory control

Well design

2 Dimension Design
For Slant Well

L1 Measured Depth of
Kick Off point
B1 Build Rate at Start
I1 Maximum Angle
L2 Length of Hold Section

2 Dimension Design For S Well

L1
Kick-off

B1
L2
I1

L1 Measure Depth of Kick Off

B1 Build section
I1 Maximum Angle
L2 tangent(hold) section
B2 drop section
I2 Final Inclination
L3 Final Hold section

B2
L3
I2

Directional well trajectory design

Directional well trajectory design

PROFILE --Multi-target of directional well

Best result

T & Q analysis

--12-1/4 hole
1--RIH weight (simulate)
2-- POOH weight (simulate)
3--off bot. Rot.torq (simulate)
4--actual RIH weight
5--actual POOH weight
6--actual off bot. Rot.torq

Equipment &tools

Equipment

Single shot (high temperature)

Electronic multi shot
SST -Survey Steering tool
MWD (measure while drilling)
Gyro orientation and survey
LWD (Logging while drilling)
Geo steering

Single shot
One run only get one
survey
usually for vertical
hole /shallow section of
dir.well
very low cost
easy to use

Single
shot
reading

Electronic multi shot

One run get plenty of survey data
use it just before tripping out
use it with no pump on
low cost & easy to operate
ESS electronics

Computer

Battery

Printer

Survey instruments--SST

MWD
Measure while drilling
(orient /rotary /sliding)
Survey in bore-hole
save drilling time
run in with drill-string,
continuous take survey
while drilling and
transmit data to
surface in real-time
through mud pulse

MWD RIG-UP
MWD
RIGUP

3 TYPES OF MWD PULSE

Positive pulse

negtive pulse

continuius pulse

Gyro

Gyro
orientation
and survey

LWD
Logging while drilling
Directional Drilling
Evaluation (GR, Res, Neu, Den)
- Wireline Replacement
Geosteering
Horizontal and Extended
Reach Well Logging

LWD Tool Combinations

Pulser

X/O

CN
service
sensor

SFD
service
sensor

EWR-PHASE 4 sensor

EWR
sensor

DGR
sensor

Geosteering Tool (GST)

GST Features and Benefits

Planned Well Trajectory

GeoSteering

Steering 30 ft behind

Directional tools
Down Hole Motors
Nonmagnetic Drilling Collars
Bent Subs
Stabilizers
Casing Section Mill & Side Tracking
Tools

Conventional down-hole tools

Mud motor

Adjustable stab.

Adjustable gauge stabilizers allow changes in

the build or drop tendencies of directional
drilling assemblies in rotary mode without
tripping to reposition stabilizers or change the
gauge.
The inclination tendency of the BHA can be
manipulated while in rotary mode.

More time rotating means more efficient weight

transfer, better hole cleaning
higher quality wellbores with greater reach
capacity all with fewer trips for BHA changes.
Suited for extended-reach and horizontal well
applications.

How AGS Works

The AGS tool operates by extending pistons
located in the full-wrap stabilizer blades. A
simple indexing system cycles alternately
between full and undergauge positions and
holes the tools in position as long as the
pumps are on. With pumps off, the pistons
retract below the blade diameter. Turning the
pumps on again extends the pistons to the
next position.

Trajectory control

building section
Conventional rotary techniques and equipment
are first used to drill down to the kick-off point.
special mechanical deflection tools are tripped
into the well and oriented in the proper direction.
These tools are used to initiate correct deflection
and direction of the well bore. Depending on the
situation, deflection tools may continue to be
used throughout the entire build interval.
modified rotary building assemblies may be
utilized to continue drilling the build section

building section

Choose proper KOP

choose proper B.rate
Formation is not too hard
To control bit drilling along designed hole
profile have to use
-- proper BHA /drilling parameter
-- Special down hole tools & survey system
Trajectory predicate and software

Old way for orientation

bent sub + dyna drill

bit jetting

building section
5"DP

Using PDM +
Bent sub /steering
motor
BHA

5"HWDP 196
8"FJ&JAR
8"DC 47
8"MWD
8"NMDC 9.5
16-3/4"STAB
9-1/2"PDM
17-1/2"BIT

Steerable drilling System & trajectory control

MWD/survey tools

PDC/ bit
Downhole motor

steerable drilling BHA

Building with PDM

motor (sliding)

building section

good hole condition

Keep toolface steady (smooth drilling)
true Az=surveyed Azmag.decl.
Keep Az steady before finish building.

Drill tangent section

Once the inclination in the well bore has
reached the planned average angle, rotary
drilling will resume with well stabilized, or
packed, assemblies. This type of assembly is
designed to resist making any changes in
inclination or direction.

dropping section
If the well plan calls for the inclination to
be decreased near the bottom of the
well, rotary dropping assemblies may
be used to drill the well to its planned
depth.
Choose proper BHA depends on drop
rate
Choose proper drop point
choose proper drilling parameters

dropping section
We can use pendulum
or steering motor BHA
Decide length from bit
to1st Stab according to
drop rate required.
(.5--10 /30m drop rate
choose S.DC with3.5-5m length)

5"HWDP

180

8"FJ&JAR
8"DC 63
8-1/4"STAB
6-1/2"MWD
6-1/2"NMDC 9
8-1/4"STAB
6-1/2"S. DC +SUB
8-1/2"BIT

BUILD
ANGLE

Conventional BHA
HWDP

jar

DC

NMDC Bent/s motor

bit
BUILD
ANGLE
HOLD/
BUILD
HOLD/
DROP
HOLD
ANGLE
DROP
ANGLE

DROP
ANGLE

DP

Changes in Directional Drilling Practices

Late
1970s
Single Shot/
wire-line
Steering Tool

Late
1980s
MWD

Newest in
world
MWD

Bent Sub

Straight Motor

Steerable
Bent
Housing
Motor

Motor with
At-Bit
Inclination/
Gamma

Cluster well technology

--Bohai fast drilling project

Cluster well technology

Cluster wells is a group of directional wells (1
vertical well) at a rig-site
distance between well slots is about 1.5 -- 5 m
save time & cost

Cluster well technology

350m difference at
pay-zone
1850m disp for
longest hole
Control 10.75 km2 of
produced area in
JZ9-3W oil field

3D PROFILE OF CLUSTER WELLS

Applications of cluster well

Increase oil field integrated benefit

increase recovery speed
increase drilling speed
optimize rig position

Batch drilling of cluster wells

1.SLOT: 4 X 4
2.DIST BETWEEN
SLOTS:1.5 X 1.7

Batch drilling of cluster wells

1

10

1.batch drilling for

surface casing:
jump for slots

11

12

13

14

15

16

2.cementing with no
rig time
3. 4.9 hrs complete
surface casing jobs
(SZ36-1-J in 1994)

Horizontal well and ERD tech.

Horizontal Well Type Classification

Short Radius: 1-9/M
special downhole tools
Medium Radius:6-22/30M
some special downhole tools
Long Radius: 1.5-5/30M
Steerable Assemblies

Short Radius
45'

200'

Medium Radius
300'

2,000'

Long Radius
1,400'

4,000'

Radius Classifications
Hole Size
12.25"

2-5
deg/100 ft
Long Radius

9.875"

Long Radius

8.5"

Long Radius

6 - 6.75"

Long Radius

4.75"
3.75" - 4.5"

6 - 20
deg/100 ft
Medium
Radius
Medium
Radius
Medium
Radius
Medium
Radius
Medium
Radius

21 - 60
deg/100 ft

61 - 180 Tool Size

deg/100 ft
7.75" - 8"
6.75" - 7.75"

Intermediate
6.5" - 6.75"
Radius
Intermediate Short Radius
4.75"
Radius
Intermediate Short Radius 3.5" - 3.75"
Radius
Intermediate Short Radius
2.875"
Radius

Horizontal Applications
Increase Formation
Exposure

Minimize Water and Gas

Coning

Horizontal Applications
Vertically Fractured Reservoir Formations

Basic Horizontal Well Profiles

(a) Single Build

Long and Medium Radius
(b) Double Build
Long Radius:Where Shallow
Hole Does Not Support High
Build Rates
(c & d) Build-Hold-Build
Long Radius, Multi-well
Structures
Medium Radius

Short Radius-- Advantages

Shorter curve section
Minimum departure allows accurate structure
definition
KOP is closer to the reservoir
Multiple laterals possible from a single well
Minimum measured depth
Easy reentry of existing wells

Short Radius-- Disadvantages

Specialized drilling equipment

Unconventional drilling techniques
Restricted hole sizes (4-1/2 - 6-1/2)
Poor azimuth control in horizontal section (rotary)
Presently cannot be logged
Completion options are limited
Time consuming (multiple BHA changes/low ROP)

Medium Radius- Advantages

Less down-hole exposed compared to long radius

May result in less torque and drag
Long reach may be achieved compared to short radius
Wider range of completion options compared to short
radius
Less restriction on hole sizes compared to short radius
Multiple laterals possible from a single well

Medium Radius-- Disadvantages

Some specialized tools may be required
such as double-bend BHA
Difficult hole cleaning in building section
Bending stresses cause more rapid
fatigue of BHA
Non-API connections and more expensive
casing and tubing may be needed
Large dogleg severity restricts logging
and completions options

Long Radius-- Advantages

Lower dogleg severity

Long lateral section
Higher departure possible from surface location
Adaptation of conventional techniques and equipment
Improved performance due to more rotary drilling
Fewer restrictions on hole/equipment sizes
Can be drilled with steerable motor assemblies

Long Radius
Disadvantages:
Well path must be controlled over a greater
length
Potential for more problems due to length of
openhole section exposed
Greater overall measured depth
Possible cost increase
More casing required

ERD in Bohai China

QK17-2 East
ERD wells
QK17-2 West
cluster wells