DRILLING ENGINEERING

CHAPTER # 8
Directional Drilling and
Deviation Control

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 Definition
Directional Drilling:
The process of directing the wellbore along some
trajectory to a predetermined target.

Deviation Control:
The process of keeping the wellbore contained within
some prescribed limits, relative to inclination angle,
horizontal excursion from the vertical or both.

X-Y Plane
X Plane = direction plane
Y Plane = inclination plane
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Angles
X-Y = Plane X angle = direction angle
Y-Z = Plane Y angle = inclination angle

Purpose of Directional Drilling

Res. Under lake (economics, environmental reasons)
Offshore drilling.
Res. beneath population centers.
Res. beneath natural obstruction (mountains) Or
severe topographical features.
Sidetracking out of an existing wellbore to bypass an
obstruction (fish) or explore additional producing
horizons in adjacent sectors.
Relief well to plug a blow out.
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Inclination and direction planes as a wellbore proceeds in
the depth plane.
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Plan view of a typical oil and gas structure under a lake

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Typical offshore development platform with directional
wells
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Developing a field under a city using directionally drilled
wells
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Drilling of directional wells where the reservoir is
beneath a major surface obstruction
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Sidetracking around a fish
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Using an old well to explore for new oil by sidetracking
out of the casing and drilling occasionally
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7.1 Planning The Directional Well
Trajectory
Trajectory
Well path that will intersect given target.

First design propose the various types of paths that

can be drilled economically.

Second includes effects of geology on the bottomhole

assemblies (BHA) and other factors that could
influence the final wellbore trajectory.

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Types of Trajectories
Build and hold trajectory penetrates target at max.
build-up angle.

Build-hole and drop (s-shape) penetrate angle vertically

Build-hold drop and/or hold (modified s-shape)

penetrates target at angle less than max. inclination
angle in the hold section.

Continuous build trajectory inclination angle is

increasing.
q1 < q3 < q2 < q4
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 X3 = horizontal departure
g1 = radius of curvature
D3 = TVD true vertical depth
D1 = kick off point TVD
q = rate of inclination angle build up

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Geometry of build-and-hold type well
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7.2 Build and Hold Trajectory

Circumference = 2pr
S=rq
q in radians max. inclination angle
1 radian = 180 o/p = 57.29578 o
1o = p/180 radians
q = degrees per unit length = q/L
= inclination angle build up rate
q = 1o/100ft
r = S /q
r = radius of curvature
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 S=gq
1 q deg rees
q
g S length

1 length
g
q deg rees

1 length 180
g
q deg rees p

180 1 180
g1 or q (8.1)
p q g 1p

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 q=W-T (8.2)

To find angle T look at triangle OBA

BA g 1 - X 3
tan T (8.3a)
AO D3 - D1
g1 - X3
T arctan (8.3b)
D3 - D1
To find angle W consider triangle OBC

CO
SinW (8.4)
BO
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 CO = g1

BO (OA)2 ( BA)2

BO ( D3 - D1 )2 (g 1 - X 3 )2
g1
SinW (8.5)
(g 1 - X 3 ) ( D3 - D1 )
2 2

g1
W arcsin
(g - X )2 ( D - D )2
1 3 3 1

q=W-T
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 g1
q arcsin - arctan g 1 - X 3
(g - X )2 ( D - D )2 D -D
1 3 3 1 3 1

(8.6)
Length of the arc section DC (buildup section)
p
DC r1q
180
p 1
r1
180 q
q
DC (8.7)
q
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Length of CB (Trajectory Path)
Straight at constant inclination angle can be
determined from BCO

CO r1
tan W
CB CB
r1
CB
tan W
Total measured depth DM for TVD of D3 is

q r1
Dm D1 (8.8)
q tan W

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Horizontal departure at end of build up

X 2 EC consider DOC
X 2 r1 - r1 cosq r1 (1 - cosq ) (8.9)

True Vertical depth at end of build up section

D2 D1 - r1 sin q (8.12)

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Geometry for the build section
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Measure depth and Horizontal departure before reaching
maximum angle along any part of build up.
Consider q intermediate inclination angle q

XN=Horizontal Departure at C
DN=Vertical depth
Consider DOC
DN D1 - r1 sin q (8.10)

X N r1 - r1 cosq
X N r1 (1 -1 cosq ) (8.11)
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New measured depth for any part of the build up

q (8.13)
DMN D1
q
New measured depth at TVD of (D*< D3)(D2<D*< D3)

q
D - D1 - r1 sin q


DMP D1 (8.16)
q cosq
Horizontal Departure X* (X2<X*< X3)

X r(1 - cosq ) ( D - D1 - r1 sin q ) tan q (8.18)

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For r1 < X3
D3 - D1 r1
q 180 - arcTan ( ) - arcCos( )
X 3 - r1 D3 - D1
D3 - D1
sin arcTan ( ) (8.20)
X 3 - r1

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Build-hold-and-drop and hold (modified-S)
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Directional quadrants and compass measurements
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Vertical calculation
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Horizontal calculation
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Three-dimensional view of a wellbore showing components that
comprise the X, Y and Z parts of the trajectory
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Techniques for making a positive direction change
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7.3 Directional Drilling Tools
Stabilizing Tools
The Stiff Hook-Up
The Pendulum Hook-Up
Angle Building Hook-Ups
The Lock-in Hook-Ups
Angle Losing Hook-Ups

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Directional drilling applications

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Stabilizing tool
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The use of stabilizers in directional drilling

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Other Application of Stabilizing Tools

Key seat Guide

Avoidance of Pressure Differential Sticking
Whip stock
Knuckle Joint

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Whip stocks
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Knuckle joint
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Using a section mill to prepare for a kick-off

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Jetting bit
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Jetting a trajectory change
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Fig 8.95: A typical positive-displacement mud motor
(PDM) 43