AutoTrak System Triples ROP and Cuts Drilling Cost Per Meter by

Case History
AutoTrak System Triples ROP and
Cuts Drilling Cost Per Meter by 50%
Offshore Tunisia
Baker Hughes helps operator maximize reservoir
contact in difficult drilling environment
Benefits
„„Reduced
the drilling cost per
meter from USD 2,000 to 1,000,
a 50% savings
„„Tripled
ROP from 13 ft (4m) to 39 ft
(12m) per hr
„„Optimized
reservoir contact by precise
steering to challenging targets
Background and challenges
„„Offshore Tunisia,
Didon field
„„Complex
3D well required to access
stacked targets
„„Highly
interbedded formations,
making a difficult environment for
directional drilling
Baker Hughes solution and results
An operator drilling in the Didon field
offshore Tunisia encountered difficulties
with directional drilling control due to
highly interbedded formations. This is
a challenging environment to perform
directional drilling using steerable motors
because the bottomhole assembly (BHA)
can hang up on ledges during steering,
resulting in low gross rates of penetration
(ROP), reduced wellbore positioning
control, and poorer hole quality.
To resolve these challenges, Baker Hughes
AutoTrak™ system, integrated with
Baker Hughes advanced logging-whiledrilling (LWD) technology and other
systems, was deployed to drill the last
six wells. Together, Baker Hughes and the
operator closely monitored the operational
performance of these systems.
The AutoTrak system allowed more
complex well trajectories to be drilled with
successful reservoir navigation through
very thin pay zones. ROP increased from
13 ft/hr (4 m/hr) to 39 ft/hr (12 m/hr) and
reduced the drilling cost per meter from
USD 2,000 to 1,000.
Using the Baker Hughes aXcelerate™
higher-speed measurement-while-drilling
(MWD) telemetry system allowed the
acquisition of required LWD data in real
time without limiting instantaneous ROP.
Baker Hughes Reservoir Navigation
Services enabled development of a
pre-well model that could make
intelligent and accurate real-time wellbore
trajectory decisions based on acquired
LWD data. Reservoir navigation in the
„„AutoTrak
system allowed drilling
complex well trajectories through
thin pay zones and accurate
intersection of stacked targets in
8½-in. hole
„„aXcelerate
MWD telemetry system
enabled acquisition of required
LWD data in real time without
limiting instantaneous ROP
„„Reservoir
Navigation Services
allowed pre-well modeling for
accurate real-time wellbore
trajectory decisions
At 4,012 ft (1,223 m), this well in the Didon campaign is the longest horizontal well drilled to date in Tunisia.
horizontal drain sections allowed
a significant increase in reservoir
contact and positioned these wells
in the highest quality reservoir
zones. This increased the production
performance of the wells, positively
affecting total field recovery.
For example, in well A, the horizontal
drain section length exceeded
the planned reservoir contact by
approximately 60%. In well B, the
horizontal drain in the top of the
reservoir was optimized by drilling
656 ft (200 m) in the highestporosity upper zone. Reservoir
navigation, coupled with precise
automated steering control, helped
avoid water contact.
Baker Hughes bottomhole assemblies
and custom drill bit designs were
optimized to minimize stick-slip, lateral
RSS drilling / Conventional
16
14
12
Conventional
RSS Drilling
10
8
6
4
2
0
ROP m/hr
Cost K$/m
12¼ Section
ROP m/hr
Cost K$/m
8½ Section
The AutoTrak system tripled ROP and cut costs per meter by 50%. Coupled with Reservoir Navigation
Services, it increased optimum reservoir exposure, improving production and recovery.
vibration, and whirl events to
improve drilling performance, borehole
quality, and overall operational
performance. Drill bit durability and
gauge improvement were important
factors in extending the use of
PDC bits into challenging interbedded
formation environments without
compromising the bit’s efficient
cutting mechanism.
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© 2012 Baker Hughes Incorporated. All rights reserved. 29854 11/2012