World's first successful offshore deployment of an automated directional drilling service
Apr 25, 2023
Overview
Challenges
- Increase performance and consistency in drilling process
- Interbedded formations and partial stringers that cause unwanted deflection of well path
- Avoid excessive doglegs
Results
- Precisely drilled two sections with computerized steering
- Landed 8½-in. section within 1.15 m and 12¼-in. section within 2 m of planned well path
- Delivered smooth well paths with low dogleg severity
Case study details
Baker Hughes drilled two sections of an offshore development well for Equinor using an automated, closed-loop, directional drilling service.
The i-Trak™ drilling automation system, in a first-of-a-kind operation in the complex offshore environment, used distributed downhole and surface controllers to drill smooth 3D sections and land the well on target without human intervention, according to plan.
Baker Hughes drilled the 8 ½-in. pilot hole section and the 12 ¼-in. section of the well while maintaining an extremely low wellbore tortuosity. This was measured by the inclination and bending moment sensors of the AutoTrak™ rotary steerable system and CoPilot™ real-time drilling optimization service.
In the pilot section, the i-Trak service sent the first automated downlink at 2458 m (8,064 ft), then drilled the entire 432 m (1,417 ft) of the section with a total of nine downlinks in automated mode. The automated trajectory drilling application kept the well path close to plan over the entire 8 ½-in. section and completed the section 1.14 m (3.7 ft) below, and 1.4 m (4.6 ft) to the right of plan.
