Rotary Steerable

Directional Drilling Systems:

The Way of the Future
by

Tommy Warren
AMOCO Expl. & Prod. Technology Group

Why Drill Directionally?

Offshore Development

Environmental Sensitivity

Production Enhancement

Directional Drilling
Technology Evolution
Wireline
Steering Tool
Mud Motor &
Bent Sub

1960

Steerable
Motor
MWD

1970

1980

1990

Rotary
Steerable
Systems

2000

C u m. D ir. W ells

Gulf of Mexico Directional Wells

4 00 0 0
3 00 0 0
2 00 0 0

1200 wells / year

1 00 0 0
After Stolle

1945

1955

1965

1975

Y ea r

1985

1995

Amoco Incentive for More Efficient

Directional System
Amoco spends $600 - 700MM per year drilling new wells
12- 15% of the wells directional but they use 35-40% of
drilling budget
500,000 ft drilled with steerable motors, cost $60MM
(excluding Canada and recompletions)

Drilling With Steerable Motor

Mud Motor
Bent
Housing
Stabilizer
Bit

Sliding

Steerable Motors
Changing Trajectory (Sliding)
Drill-string Rotation Stopped
Bit pointed in desired direction
Interval drilled without drill-string rotation

Straight Sections (Rotating)

Drill-string rotated continuously
Stabilization may provide inclination
control

Rotating

Steerable Motor Directional System

Accepted Practices
Compromised well plan
Non-optimal bit selection
Reaming doglegs
Circulating and short tripping
Adding lubricants to mud

65% time
Rotating

35% time
Sliding

Steerable Motor Directional System

Common Problems

65% time
Rotating
Rotating

35% time
Sliding

Sliding Difficulty
Maintaining orientation
Poor hole cleaning
Limited bit selection
Low effective ROP
High tortuosity
Build rate formation
sensitive
ECD fluctuations
Differential Sticking
Buckling and lock up

Steerable Motor Directional System

Common Problems
Vibrations
Motor failures
MWD Failures

Accelerated Bit Wear

Poor hole quality for logs
Poor performance in air

65% time
Rotating

35% time
Sliding

Sliding ROP < Rotating ROP

4100

Depth, ft

4300

4500

4700

Rotating
Sliding

4900

5100
0

20

40

60

80

100

P en etratio n R ate, ft/h r

120

140

Sliding May Become Impractical

In Some Wells
Penetration Rate, m/hr

20

Rotating
Sliding

16
12
8
4
0
6000

7000

Depth, mBRT

8000

9000
after Cocking, et al

Excerpt from Morning Report

7.00 hr - Drill, rotating and sliding to 12350
Attempted to slide 20 ft @ 12,316, Experienced wt.
stacking problems. Got only 3 ft slide.
8.50 hr - Contd drill to 12,626. Experiencing much difficulty
sliding. Unable to counteract assembly build rate of
approximately 1o/100. Cannot tolerate further build.
1.50 hr - Circ and prepare for trip. (18.5 hrs on bit.)
7.50 hr - POOH to change bit. PDC to roller cone. At report time
pulling assembly.

On Bottom: Pick-up 400 klbs, Slack-off 260 klbs

Torque 20 - 24 kft-lb
(Average Daily cost $62,500)

Excerpt from Morning Report

6-1/2 hole PDC bit

456 M into horizontal hole

4769 - 4770m Rotate. 4770 - 4774 Orient 0. String sticking. 47744775 Rotate. 4775-4776 Orient 0. String sticking. Work string
constantly while orienting. Pipe sticking off bottom. Unable to apply
WOB. Unable to stay on bottom long enough to generate tool face.
Progress made by rotating and spudding bit without tool face.
Impossible to steer any more in this hole section.
Spotted Cement plug and re-drilled horizontal section.

System Interactions Cause

Sliding Difficulty
Drill-string friction
Motor torque output
Bit Torque/WOB relationship

Drag Force

Minimum Sliding WOB Increment

25%
Static
Friction

Time
Dra
g

Example
Peak Drag = 67,000 lb
Drag after breakback = 50,000 lb
Minimum WOB Increment = 17,000 lb

Dr
ill S
trin
g

Dynamic
Friction

Entire String Does Not

Move Uniformly

Friction
Normal Force

Dr
ill S
trin
g

Speed

e
u
rq
o
T

5000

PD
C

Full Load
Rated Pressure

Torque, ft-lb

RPM & Torque

Larger WOB Operating Window

for Roller Cone Bits than PDC Bits

4000
3000

e
oll

2000

n
o
C

R
1000
0

Differential Pressure

10

20

30

Weight-on-Bit, 1000 lb

40

ue
q
r
To

PD
C

Speed

5000

T o rq u e , ft-lb

RPM & Torque

Full Load
Rated Pressure

4000
3000
2000

le
Rol

1000

e
n
o
C

Differential Pressure

10

20

30

40

10

20

30

40

Penetration Rate for

PDC bit would be
much higher than for
roller cone bit

R O P , ft/h r

200
150
100
50
0

W e ig h t-o n -B it, 1 0 0 0 lb

Bit Constraints Limit Performance

for Both Rotating and Sliding
Directional Driller always picks bit for steerable motor

that allows him to slide, otherwise there would be

no need to run the steerable motor.
The overall result is that the best bit for the motor

is selected rather than the best bit for the formation.

Problem with drilling straight

with bent motor
Bit and Hole Axis Aligned

Bit Axis Tilted relative

to Hole Axis
Sliding

Rotating

Not all
cutters touch
the rock.

Ledges

Rotating/Sliding Produces Tortuous Hole

Survey Station
o /100

f
0
o /10
=4

ft

ft
0
o /10
16

LS

S
DL

S
L
D

16 o
/1
00

DLS

= 16

ft

Aggressive Build Rate

Reduces amount of sliding
But increases tortuosity

Slides

Survey Station

Sliding Inhibits Hole Cleaning

Rotating

Dr
ill

Sliding

Dr
ill

St
r in
g

St
ri

ng

Poor Hole Cleaning While Steering

13.99

SOBM 12-1/4 Section

PWD EMW, ppg

13.83

Pres. While
Drilling

Drill
Steer

13.49

Steer

Cuttings
String
Rotation

13.33

13.16
12:00

Drill

Steer

13.66

14:00

16:00

18:00

Time, hrs

20:00

22:00

24:00

Curtsey Sperry-Sun

Bottom Line
We routinely accept inefficient practices as a

necessary cost of drilling directional wells!

We design wells to accommodate steerable
motor limitations.
Understanding the fundamental cause of
directional drilling inefficiencies points to
developing a new directional drilling
method.

Rotary Steerable
Directional Drilling Systems
Provides continuous pipe rotation while drilling
Does not require a mud motor
Bit steered by mechanism immediately
above bit
May use automated orientation or
may be manually oriented like a motor

Types of Rotary Steerable Systems

Direct Side Force

Bit Tilt without Side Force

Bit Side Force Trajectory

Static Bit Force

Dynamic Bit Force

(BHI Autotrak)

(Camco SRD)

High Side

Non-rotating
Sleeve

Static
Control
Valve
Actuator
Deviation
Direction

Deviation
Direction
Rotatin
g
Shaft

Rotating Housing

Automated Bit Tilt Systems

Angulation Joint
Non-Rotating Housing

Shaft Deflector

Deflected Drive Shaft (CDA)

Rotating Housing

Top End Shaft Orienter

Contra-Nutating System (3D)

Mechanical RS Tool
Signal Port

Eccentric
Sleeve
Blades

Flexible
Joint

R = L2 / 2e

Rotary Steerable System Benefits

Reduces axial stick/slip problems
Better hole cleaning and lower ECD when
pipe is rotated
Smoother holes, less reaming required
More controllable build rates
May use better bit for formation
Better bit life
Can place sensors closer to the bit

Wytch Farm Extended Reach Wells

10 km
8 km

Poole Harbor

6 km

M11

M05
M02
TD Locators
Well Sites

M03
M09

TVD, m

Lateral Displacement, KM
0
1000
2000

1
2
13-3/8

M11 Trajectory

10

Camco RS
7
9-5/8

AutoTrak Case History - Norway

25

4 last offsets
AutoTrak

20
15

22

10
5

1 0 .9
7 .5

12

10
6

0
E ffe ctiv e
ROP

N o. of
T r ip s

N o. of
d a ys

Deutag Rotary Steerable System

900

E ast, m

0
40 m rad.
132 ft rad.

950

South, m

True Vertical Depth, m

925

975

0
-100
-200
-300

100 200 300

Target
Az. 110o

1000

18 ft Target
0.8o dip

1025

Argentina Well

100
200
Displacement, m

300

Total elapsed time : 4-1/2 days

Why Rotary Steerable Directional

Systems Will Take Over
They can reduce the cost of wells we
currently drill by improving the efficiency of
the directional drilling process.
They enable things we could not otherwise
do, ie longer reach wells and more complex
well paths with reduced risk.

System Selection
System
B

System
A

Reliability
Capability
Availability
Cost
Anadrill
Baker Hughes INTEQ
Camco
Camb. Drl. Automation

Deutag / IDR
Dir. Drilling Dynamics (3D)
3D Stabilizers

Maersk
Sperry Sun
Tucker Energy
Others

Rotary Steerable Market

Expansion

3
0
0
2

Conventional Steerable Motor

Directional and Horizontal
Drilling Market
2002
2001
2000
1999

New Market

RS

th
w
o
r
tG
e
k
ar
M

Current Rotary
Steerable Market

Summary
Steerable motor systems introduce many
inefficiencies into a drilling operation which
are accepted as cost of doing business.

Summary
Steerable motor systems introduce many
inefficiencies into a drilling operation which
are accepted as cost of doing business.
Rotary Steerable systems potentially are much
more efficient, and may take over most of the
directional market within the next few years.

Summary
Steerable motor systems introduce many
inefficiencies into a drilling operation which
are accepted as cost of doing business.
Rotary Steerable systems potentially are much
more efficient, and may take over most of the
directional market within the next few years.
Systems under development are aimed at both
the high tech and low tech ends of the market.