DIRECTIONAL WELL DRILLING

PART 2
By: Titus N. Ofei
Petroleum Engineering Department

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia

2015

DEFLECTION TOOLS FOR KICK-OFF

LEARNING OBJECTIVES (CO1)

At the end of the lecture, students should be able to:
List the main deflection tools for kick-off.

Describe how controlled deflection is achieved for each deflection tool.

State the advantages and limitations of each deflection tool.

WELL KICK-OFF
In kicking off a well, or making a controlled trajectory change, a
deflection tool or method must be used to force the bit in the desired
direction.
All deflection methods depend on manipulating the drillpipe (rotation

and downward motion) to cause a departure of the bit in either the

direction plane (azimuth), or the inclination plane, or both.

1. WHIPSTOCK (DOWNHOLE WEDGE)

A whipstock is a wedge-shaped casting,
generally of steel with a slightly tapered

Open Hole
Whipstock

Packer Style
Whipstock
Starter
Mill

concave groove on one side that holds and

guides the whipstock drilling assembly.

A whipstock is used to drill past an

obstruction or deflect the bit out of the main

Watermelon
Mill

hole where the casing has been milled.

Window
Mill

KICK-OFF PROCEDURE: WHIPSTOCK

1. Run liner hanger packer.

2. Determine the orientation using a gyro

or MWD run.

3. Run retrievable whipstock and mill

window (1 trip system)
4. Drill lateral and retrieve whipstock

ADVANTAGES/LIMITATIONS OF WHIPSTOCK
Advantages

1. Angle and orientation is built-in

Limitations

1. Possible slipping of the

for correct kick-off where there

whipstock when getting rough

is no angle

with the pipe

2. Start a deviated hole to

sidetrack in conditions unsuitable
for running a downhole drive
(mud motor or turbine)

2. Requires multi trips to set and

retrieve

3. More hardwares in the hole

2. JETTING
A jetting tool consists of two or three cone
bit with three jet nozzles, two small and
one large.

The large nozzle is oriented to the desired

direction where mud is pumped to wash
the formation without drillstring rotation.
They are used to deviate a wellbore in
soft, highly drillable and homogeneous
formations.

KICK-OFF PROCEDURE: JETTING

1. Orient the large bit nozzle to the

desired formation.
2. Jet to wash a pocket of the formation.

3. Reciprocate the drillstring up and down

to wash out a large jet eye.
4. Continue building the angle with rotary
BHA

ADVANTAGES/LIMITATIONS OF JETTING
Advantages

1. Simple and cheap

2. Sometimes, its the only way to
build angle in soft formations

3. Orientation is fairly easy

4. Same assembly can be used to

build and rotate

Limitations

1. Severe doglegs can occur over

short sections of the hole
2. Below 2000-ft TVD, the formation
normally becomes too firm for
efficient jetting

3. Can only be used at shallow depths

3. PDM WITH BENT SUB - PROCEDURE

A PDM with bent sub is driven by drilling fluid
pumped down the drillstring to produce rotary
power in the downhole motor.
The drilling fluid is transmitted to the drillbit,
thus eliminating the need to rotate the drillstring.
The bent sub is used to impart a constant
deflection to the tool.

ADVANTAGES/LIMITATIONS OF PDM WITH BENT SUB

Advantages

Limitations

1. They drill smooth curves

1. Motors are expensive

2. They can be used in most formations

2. Cannot rotate the drillpipe

3. Dogleg severity is more predictable

3. Hole cleaning problem above 45o

4. Compatible with steering tools and

mud pulse guidance system

4. Must be tripped to adjust

4. STEERABLE PDM
The most common type of steerable
motor is the single bent-housing design.
It permits drilling of a full gauge hole at
the kick-off point, thus eliminating costly
follow-up trips to ream the hole to full
gauge.

Orientation is also more accurate since

the motor penetrates along a smooth
gradual curve in build-up and drop-off
portions.

Advantages/limitations of steerable PDM

Advantages

1. They drill smooth curves

2. They can be used in most formations

3. Dogleg severity is more predictable

4. Drills faster and compatible with
steering tools and mud pulse
guidance system
5. Same configuration can build curves
and rotate the drillstring in tangents
and laterals

Limitations

1. Motors are expensive

2. Temperature limited
3. Chemicals and gases have

adverse effects on rubber sleeve

stator

5. ROTARY STEERABLE SYSTEM (RSS)

This allows for continuous steering while
rotating the drillstring.
Two main types exist:
a) Push-the-bit: applies side force to increase
side cutting action of the bit.

b) Point-the-bit: offsets the drilling trajectory

similar to bent sub housing but allowing
continuous rotation.

ADVANTAGES/LIMITATIONS OF RSS
Advantages

1. Steadier deviation control

2. Smoother in-gauge hole

3. Better hole cleaning, minimizing

wiper trips
4. Long reach drilling
5. Higher overall ROP
6. Continuous acquisition of
azimuthal formation data

Limitations

1. Expensive

SUMMARY
Now, you should be able to:

List the main deflection tools for kick-off.

Describe how controlled deflection is achieved for each deflection tool.
State the advantages and limitations of each deflection tool.

END OF PRESENTATION