Liner Drilling

a Presentation for

BP
March 8, 2006

July 26, 2005

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Liner Definitions

• A Liner is a string of pipe that is

installed from the TD of the well to a
predetermined point in the wellbore.
(i.e. it is hung off in a previous casing
or liner string.)

• In order to run the liner in the wellbore

on drill pipe, you must have a way to
connect the drill pipe to the liner. You
must also have a way to disconnect the
drill pipe from the liner and pull the drill
pipe out. This is done with two items:
– Setting Tool
– Setting Sleeve
• Remember, drill pipe comes out of the
hole, and the liner stays in the hole.

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Liner Drilling Applications

Applications for Liner and Casing Drilling

• Depleted Formations
• Unstable Formations
• Loss Zones (Thief Zones)
• Low Pressure Zones
• Salt Dome Drilling
• Moving/Swelling Formations
• Excessive Hole Caving
• Flat Time Reduction (Eliminates a Trip)

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Liner/Casing Drilling History

• Baker Hughes patented a casing drilling shoe in 1907

• The Russians enjoyed marginal success using a

retractable bit screwed to the bottom of casing strings
in the 1920’s

• Brown Oil Tools drilled 7” and 9 5/8” casing in the

1970’s

• In the 1980’s Hughes Christensen and Amaco drilled

with 2 7/8” tubing and a 4 ¾” bit using a workover rig
to drill.

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Benefits of Liner Drilling

• No tripping pipe therefore no Trip Margin

– Small amount of additional mud weight needed to balance
formation pressure to overcome the pressure-reduction
effects caused by swabbing when a trip out of the hole is
made.
• Casing already on bottom therefore less exposure to
hole loss
– Having casing on bottom as the hole is drilled can void out
the piston effect that results from running casing in the hole.
– Running casing can create a surge against the formation
which can cause the formation to fracture.
• Fewer wellbore problems therefore reduced costs
– Fewer “flat spots” on the Depth vs. Costs graph
– The flat spots are the result of money being spent but no
drilling progress being made (lost circulation, stuck pipe)

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Benefits of Liner Drilling – cont.

• Able to drill for additional reserves below depleted

sands, below salt domes and in reservoirs with weak
matrix strength
– Liner drilling has been quite successful at
minimizing trouble time related to geological
conditions such as lost circulation.
• Fewer lost circulation incidents
– There is a theory that Casing /Liner drilling can be used to
drill thru weak depleted zones without massive lost
circulation. This due to the “Smear Effect”.
– The Smear Effect is believed to be the result of mechanically
working drilled solids into the face of the borehole.
– The mechanical force when rotating casing/liner “smears”
drilled cuttings and mud solids into the borehole creating an
impermeable filter cake.

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Conventional Drilling in Depleted Pay

Regular Drilling
• Adjacent formations with highly
different pore pressure due to:
– Faults
– Sub Pressured Reservoir
Stuck String
– Depleted Reservoir
Kick
17 ppg
Hole Collapse • Solution: Run Liner while Drilling
3 ppg – Kick / Loss Control
Severe Losses – Hole Protected
– Liner at Desired Position

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Liner Drilling Depleted Pay

Drill to Drill into / Cement Continue

Vicinity through Liner Drilling
of Trouble Trouble
Zone Zone with
Drilling
Liner
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Why did Liner Drilling not catch on?

• Drilling with liner requires every component of the

liner system to be capable of handling the torque
created during normal drilling operations.
• Tubulars and connections were not what they are
today. They could not take punishment reserved for
stouter drill pipe.

What is different today?

• The industry is technologically ready for Liner Drilling.
• Specialty threads, more reliable motors, better
service tools and PDC bits that are available to us
now were not available then.

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Liner Drilling Parameters Required

• Rotation required
– Setting tool, drill pipe connections, liner connections,
etc. have to achieve high torques

• Hydraulics are a factor

– Hydraulic running tools and hangers

• Cuttings removal has to be considered

– Large annular area, liner profile

• Other considerations:
– Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD’s), circulation
rates, Loss Circulation Material (LCM)

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Two Approaches to Drilling Liners into Place

• Slide Drilling
– Drilling done by a downhole motor
• Retrievable
• Disposable
• Rotary Drilling
– Uses non-standard bit on bottom of liner
• Must drill desired footage and ROP
• Must be “drillable” to allow further drilling of next hole
section
– Requires full liner rotation from surface to turn bit
• Must rotate entire liner and hanger system
• All bit torque and liner/hole torque reacts across liner
connections

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Slide Drilling - Motor

PDC or Rollercone Pilot

• Under reamer- optional
• Core Shoe
• Mud Motor
• Drill Collars
• Thruster / Bumper Sub
• Liner Hanger Running Tool
• Drillpipe to surface
Drill Pipe Liner Hanger Rotating Core Shoe / Pilot Bit
Thruster Motor
to Surface Packer
Running Tool

Drill Pipe (inner string) Landing Sub Standard Lower BHA

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Slide Drilling - Disposable Motor

• PDC or Rollercone Bit

• Mud Motor
• Crossover
• Burst Disk
• Liner Hanger Running Tool
• Drillpipe to surface
Drill Pipe Liner Hanger Liner
Motor
to Surface Packer
Running Tool

Crossover Mill Tooth Bit

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Rotary Drilling (Preferred)

• Simpler Design
– Fewer components
– Fewer moving parts
– Fewer potential points of failure

• Cost effective
• Could drill in liner and cement in one trip
• Technology in high torque threads made rotary drilling
more attractive
• Allowed for a quicker response time

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Rotary Method
Lift Nipple w/ Junk Cover

PBR Pack Off

ZXP Isolation Packer
Assembly

HRD Liner Setting Tool

HRD Liner
Setting Sleeve

Extrudable Ball Seat Sub ZXP Liner Top Packer

Spacer Nipple

Solo Liner Wiper Plug

Tieback Seal
Liner Assemlby w/ Three
Sets of Bullet Seals
Type 1
Landing Collar

Double Valve
Float Collar

Shoe Track

EZCase Casing Bit

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Phase One – Two Trip System

• Smaller OD than conventional liner hangers which

increases by-pass areas and decreases chances of
packing off around liner top

• Most hydraulics removed from the system which results

in no pressure limitations while circulating and/or drilling

• High torque capabilities

• Reduces high surge pressures caused by conventional

ball seats
• Simple, proven design

• EZCase bit is made from a mild steel which increases

performance as well as bit life
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Phase Two – One Trip System

• Run Liner Top packers with Drill Down System

– Pro’s:
• Liner top packer can be run and set on initial liner
run
• Simple proven design
• No limitations of hydraulics

– Con’s:
• Larger OD than setting sleeve decreasing annular
area for cuttings removal and allows more places for
packing off

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Phase Three – One Trip System

• Run Liner Hangers with Drill Down System

– Pro’s:
• Liner top packer can be run and set on initial liner
run
• Liner can be hung off bottom keeping the liner in
tensile versus compression
• Hydraulics are removed from the liner hanger
system (system is balanced until you drop a ball)
– Con’s:
• Larger OD than setting sleeve decreasing annular
area for cuttings removal and allows more places
for packing off

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Phase Three - One Trip System
Hydraulically Balanced Liner Hanger

– Applications
• Liner Drilling
• Liner Reaming Applications
• Washing liners to bottom
– Features and Benefits
• Mirrored cylinder gives equal and opposite forces until setting ball is
dropped
• Lower shear forces to decrease formation surge
• Simple, proven system
• Works with field proven Yieldable Seat in Running tool System

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EZCase™ Casing Bit

Secondary bypass port for cementing

Casing bit crown welded to custom pups for

consistent weight, grade and connection
throughout casing/liner string

Nozzle placement optimized using

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
for efficient cleaning and cooling

Engineered internal profile for efficient

drill-out using HCC Tricone™ or PDC
bits

PDC cutting structure for durability

and efficient drilling, even in hard
formations

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EZCase™ Drill Out

Benefits
• Steel alloy PDC design for robust reaming /
drilling
• PDC drillable with Genesis PDC bits
• EZSteer™ technology for depth of cut /
stick-slip control
• Secondary flow path for cement reliability

Product Evolution Fine Debris

July 26, 2005
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HCC Genesis PDC Bit – EZCase Drillout

July 26, 2005

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Case Histories

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Notable South Texas / GOM Run History
18 Runs to Date
• Total – 3 Runs South Texas
• BP – 1 Run GOM
• Shell – 6 runs South Texas
• Unit Petroleum – 1 Run East Texas
• Dominion – 1 Run South Texas
• Noble Energy – 1 Run South Texas
• Hilcorp – 3 Runs South Texas

Sizes Drilled Down

• 5” x 7”
• 5” x 7 5/8”
• 5-1/2” x 7-5/8”
• 7-5/8” x 9-5/8”
• 9-5/8” x 11-¾”
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Hidalgo Co Texas
Case Study – Drilling with EZCase

• Background
– Test the ROP capability and
durability of EZCase Bit while
drilling virgin formation. Formations
to be drilled were mainly shale with
interbedded sandstone.
– Run 6 ½” EZCase on 3 ½” drill pipe
– Drill 700-1,000ft of hole @ 20 ft/hr
(Standard PDC drills @ Av 28-30
ft/hr)
• Job Description
– 7 5/8” Casing was set at 8,979ft
– Conventional PDC used to drill out
shoe
– 6 ½” EZCase bit RIH and
commenced drilling at 8,998 ft

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Results – ROP Test

•Results
•EZCase bit drilled 923 ft to 9,921 ft in 37 drilling
hours
•ROP Range 4-68 ft/hr
•Lithology Sandstone & Shale
•Average ROP – 24.9 ft/hr
•Bit Graded 0-0-ER-A-X-I-NO-BHA
6 ½” bit after 923ft
Shale Sand

Flow 211 gpm 211 gpm

Rotation 100-120 rpm 30-40 rpm

WOB 2-4 kips 4-6 kips

•Customer Benefits
•ROP exceeded target average by 24.5%
•Deviation was comparable to that seen with a
conventional PDC bit
•Increases the commercial viability of liner
drilling in this application
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 EZCase Hildago County – South Texas
Weak matrix strength – Drill in liner
Background
•Primary objective – Perform a safe and
successful drill in liner operation.

Job Description
•7 5/8” Casing was set at 9,058 ft
•6 ½” EZCase bit RIH on drill in liner and
commenced drilling at 10,683 ft
•Flow rate – 130 gpm (reduced due to
weak formation)
•Rotary speed – 35-50 rpm

•Results
•EZCase bit drilled 667 ft to 11,350 ft in
55 drilling hours
•Lithology Sandstone & Shale
•No losses encountered
•Average ROP – 12.1 ft/hr

DRILL IN LINER SET SUCCESSFULLY

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South Texas / GOM Notable Job Runs
• Total – T.B Slick 148 - Drilled 339 ft of cement plugs
– 5-1/2” x 7-5/8” w/ 6.500” OD PDC Bit
• Total – McAllen FWU #18 - Drilled 7 ft of virgin formation before sticking liner
– 7-5/8” x 9-7/8” w/ 8.500 OD HCC Casing Shoe Bit
– Never saw bit during drillout
• Shell – Beaurline #28 – Drilled 3,350 ft of cement plugs / collapsed formation
– 5-1/2” x 7-5/8” w/ 6.500” OD Weatherford Drill Shoe
• *BP – Shelf – West Delta 68 – Drilled 4,027 ft of collapsed and virgin formation
– 5-1/2” x 7-5/8” w/ 6.500” OD HCC Casing Shoe Bit
• Total – McAllen FWU #82 – Drilled 662 ft of cement plugs / collapsed formation
– 7-5/8” x 9-7/8” w/ 8.500” OD HCC Casing Shoe Bit
– Never saw bit during drillout
• Shell – McAllen B #49 – Drilled 923 ft of virgin formation
– 6.500” OD HCC Casing Shoe Bit run in on Drill Pipe
• Shell – McAllen 123 – Drilled 677 ft of virgin formation
– 5-1/2” x 7-5/8” w/ 6.500” OD HCC Casing Shoe Bit
• Shell – McAllen 125 – Drilled 2396 of cement plugs / collapsed
formation / and virgin formation
– 7-5/8” x 9-7/8” w/ 8.500” OD HCC Casing Shoe Bit

July 26, 2005

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Liner Drilling Evolution

July 26, 2005

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Liner Drilling Evolution

• 2-7/8” x 4-1/2”
– J-Joint / L-10 Hybrid (J-Lo)
– 4,000 ft-lbs torsional rating
– 3 runs to date
• 11-3/4” x 13-3/8” InLine Ream Down System
– 40,000 ft-lb rating while in tension
– Tensile Rating is 625 kips
– First delivery date is May 1st 2006
• Shoe to Shoe Drilling (No Conventional Drilling)
– Will participate on a well in June 2006
• Incorporating liner drilling w/ expandable technology
– Use FormLock Torx in drill in situation

July 26, 2005

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Liner Drilling Evolution - 11-3/4” X 13-3/8” InLine
Ream Down Liner Hanger System
Now has Torsional Capabilities
– 40,000 ft-lb rating while in tension
– Utilizes modified 2RH setting tool
– Two piece mandrel locked together with lock blocks
– Tensile Rating is 625 kips.
(Run in only)
– Hanger can be disabled to remove all hydraulics from the
system
– Hydril 511 Connections

• 13-3/8” 68.0 -72.0 lb/ft & 13-5/8” 88.2 lb/ft

• Maximum OD – 12.130”
• Minimum ID – 10.686” (10.625” Drift)
• Burst – 6,739 PSI
• Collapse – 5,000 PSI
• Differential – 5,500 PSI Above / 5,000 PSI Below
• Hanging Capacity – 1,000 Kips (in all weights and grades)
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LESSONS LEARNED

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Lessons Learned
• ECD’s are a major obstacle while liner drilling
– Circulation rates are less than optimal
– Annular areas need to be maximized when possible

• Wellbore geometry is an issue

– Potential to sidetracking
– Steering not yet available for rotary drilling method

• Open hole still a concern

– More open hole / liner length gives more potential to packing off,
sticking, and drilling limitations

• Liner design is important

– Thread choice, Weights, Grades, etc.

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Drilling Parameters

Drilling:
• Pump rate ~ 500 gpm (or as high as possible)
• RPM – 120-180 (reduces DOC/rev, reduces balling tendencies)
180-250 if a non-abrasive application
• WOB – 400lb/face cutter i.e around 10KLB-15KLB

Reaming:
• Pump rate ~ 500 gpm (or as high as possible)
• RPM – 90-100 (reduces vibration levels)
• WOB – 400lb/face cutter i.e around 10KLB-15KLB

Cement Plugs:
• Pump rate ~ 500 gpm (or as high as possible)
• RPM – tag w/ 30 RPM’s – don’t exceed 60 RPM’s
• WOB – 400lb/face cutter i.e around 10KLB-15KLB

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 Liner Drilling

Questions or Comments

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