American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2019 - 103

SpecialReport: Permian Basin Activity

One BHA, One Run to TD
Service companies are using their extensive experience in the Permian Basin
to help operators reduce flat time by
drilling the build and lateral sections in a
single run. Specifically, they are conducting
BHA analysis and optimization with engineering software to determine BHA
tendencies, combined with knowledge
and experience on drilling bits based on
the specific formation being targeted.
Service companies also help operators
maximize slide intervals in the build sections and minimize them in the lateral
sections, which is paramount to reaching
TD on extended-reach laterals. The directional driller who is in charge of the
drilling operation plays a critical role in
achieving the goal of reducing flat time
by predicting formation behavior based
on his experience in the area. Having an
accurate understanding of the characteristics of the wellbore as well as the formation rock strength (i.e., "drillability")
allows the directional driller to increase
drilling performance and reduce overall
operational costs.
Of course, another critical enabler
to successfully drilling with one BHA
from the kickoff point to TD is technology, namely performance motors, advanced MWD systems and rotary steerable systems (RSS). In general, these
directional tools are becoming more reliable, which allows operators to run
them for longer periods without having
to trip out of the hole to replace them
on extended laterals.
Drilling motors can now be rotated in
the laterals with bend housings up to
2.12 degrees for more than 200 hours. In

the past, this was not an option. Previously,
the maximum allowable bend housing
that was rotated was 1.5 degrees, and life
expectancy ranged between 100 and 120
hours. These advancements in drilling
motors have helped directional service
providers drill longer laterals in less time.
A case in point is a well in the Midland
Basin that was drilled in the first quarter
of this year. A performance motor achieved
a 14,201-foot curve-to-lateral section in
one run in 226 drilling hours (Figure 1),
setting a new record for the operator for
the longest horizontal well it had drilled
in the basin. Moreover, the operator was
able to drill the entire 14,201-foot section
with one BHA utilizing the performance
motor in combination with a MWD mudpulse telemetry system.
MWD And RSS Tools
MWD tools have come a long way.
They can be configured with batteries
that last for 300 or more hours to reliably
transmit information on pressure, tem-

perature, inclination and azimuth. Additionally, some MWD tools allow electromagnetic telemetry, which enables information to be transmitted to the surface at
a faster pace. Using advanced MWD
tools significantly improves the accuracy
of the data that drillers' collect to make
the appropriate decisions, and reduces
their dependency on less accurate surface-based measurements. Improvements
in the downhole data collection process
have caused an overall decrease in the
time it takes to drill a well to TD.
For example, earlier this year in the
Midland Basin, an MWD system was
utilized in combination with performance
motors to drill a 10,811-foot curve-tolateral section in one run and one BHA
in only 80 hours. This was a record run
for the operator and the fastest horizontal
well the company had ever drilled in
the region.
Aside from MWD systems and performance motors, RSS tools also are
becoming more reliable by allowing

FIGURE 2
Midland Basin Lateral Drilled at 205 feet/hour ROP
Using Performance Motor, Point-The-Bit RSS and MWD
0
2,000
4,000

Measured Depth (ft)

time drilling. That means that for every
10 wells drilled, the operator would essentially get one well for no cost. Over
the course of a field development program, that would add up to millions of
dollars saved.
In addition, with fewer BHAs, oil field
service providers and operators would
utilize less equipment, so the logistics
and cost for additional bits, drilling motors
and other equipment would be reduced
substantially. Also, eliminating trips in
and out of the well can prevent common
issues such as well instability since the
open hole is exposed for a shorter period
of time before casing it, providing improved well integrity and reducing risk.

Actual Days
Planned Days

6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
Lateral Record
3,005 ft/day
43.8 hours

14,000
16,000

Lateral
9,015 ft

-2

22 24

Days
JUNE 2019 103

American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2019