Professional Documents
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An Introduction to
Directional Drilling
(Advanced Drilling Engineering course)
z Definition :
z The science of directing a well bore along a
predetermined trajectory to intersect a
designated subsurface target.
z Kick off point (KOP):
z The kick off point is defined as the point below
surface location where the well is deflected from
the vertical.
z Target:
Target
z A predetermined point in the reservoir that D.D
should reaches to it.
Intermediate 30 - 70 56 24
Radius
z Horizontal wells
z The Incl. reaches to 90 through reservoir section
: z
z Fracture Limestone & Low permeability zone
2 per ft z
Deep Kickoff and Build : z
z Depth references
z Measured Depth (MD)
z Pipe tally, wire line depth counter, or mud loggers depth
counter
z True Vertical Depth (TVD)
z calculated from the deviation survey data
z Inclination references
z is the angle (in degrees) between the vertical and the well bore
axis at a particular point.
z Azimuth references
z Magnetic North (measured by MWD)
z True (Geographic) North
z Grid North
Note:
z Features:
z Applications:
z Features: z Applications:
z Shallow KOP
z Build-up section z Multiple pay zones
z Tangent section z Reduces final angle in
reservoir
z Drop-off section z Lease or target limitations
z Well spacing requirements
z There are several z Deep wells with small
variations: horizontal displacements
z Build, hold &drop back to
vertical (illustrated above) z Disadvantages:
z Build, hold, drop & hold
(illustrated above) z Increased torque & drag
z Build, hold & continuous z Risk of key seating
drop through reservoir z Logging problems due to
inclination
z Features:
z Decrease in torque & drag KOP
z Lowest risk of key seating
z Continuous build rate
Build Section
z Applications:
z This type occurs when Target
using down-hole motors
with bent sub.
z Features:
z Deep KOP
z Build-up section
z Short tangent section (optional)
z Applications:
z Salt dome drilling
z Sidetracking
z Appraisal wells to assess the extent of a
newly discovered reservoir
z Disadvantages:
z Formations are harder so the initial
deflection may be more difficult to
achieve
z Harder to achieve desired tool face
orientation with down hole motor
deflection assemblies (more reactive
torque)
z Longer trip time for any BHA changes
required
z Build up rate is more difficult to control
D 2 = D 1 + r1 sin
z Measured depth at CP section:
CP
CP = CP = ( D D1 r1 sin )
cos
z Another way of expressing maximum
inclination angle, in term of r1, D1, D3
and X3 for X3<r1 is:
D D1
= arc tan( 3 )
r1 X 3
D D1
arc cos ( r1
D 3 D1
) sin arc tan 3
1
r X 3
D4 D1 D D
= arc tan( ) = 180 arc tan 4 1
r1 + r2 X 4 4
X ( r1 r2
)
D4 D1 r + r D4 D1
arc cos ( r1 + r2
D 4 D1
)
sin arc tan
+
arc cos 1 2 sin arc tan
D4 D1 X ( r + r )
1 2
r r X 4
4 1 2
Ans.
z r1=(180/)*(1/q)=(180/)*(100/1.5)= 3820 ft
Because r1<X3:
D D
= 180 arc tan 4 1
X 4 r1
z
arc cos
r1
D 4 D1
D D1
sin arc tan 4
X 4 r1
=26.29 deg
D M = D1 +
q + r1
tan DM=2500+1753+9264=13517 ft
z Tangential method:
method
z (Backward station method) or (Terminal angle method)
z the tangential method uses only the inclination and direction
angles at lower end of the course length.
n
n i
L = L
z It is inaccurate among other methods:
n
M i = DMi . sin( i ). sin( i ) M n = M i
Di = DMi . cos( i ) i =1
n
Li= latitude north/south
Mi= latitude east/west
Dn = Di
Di= TVD segment i= inclination angle i =1
DMi= course length i= direction angle
i + i 1 i + i 1 n
i + i 1 i + i 1 n
M i = DMi . sin( ). sin( ) M n = M i
2 2 i =1
i + i 1 n
Di = DMi . cos( ) Dn = Di
2 i =1
Note:
For the first point the direction should not be averaged, it means that at
MD= 7200 we use dir. = 248 instead of 124.
For the first point the inclination should be averaged, so for
MD=7200 the incl. = 5.05.
100
DL =
L[(sin I1 sin I 2 )(sin A1 sin A2 + cos A1 cos A2 ) + cosI1 cosI 2 ]
z Records
inclination
direction
tool face position
z on sensitized paper or photographic film
Inclination may be determined by
a float on a liquid
a pendulum
z Procedure:
load film into
instrument
activate timer
(activate
stopwatch)
make up the tool
drop the tool
retrieve tool (wire
line or drill pipe)
z May be dropped down the drill pipe or run on wire line in open hole.
z The unit contains a watch that is spring wound and uses the power of the
spring to operate a timer cam.
z The multishot tool is usually dropped down the drill pipe and
landed in the nonmagnetic drill collar.
z During the trip out, a survey is taken every 90 ft, i.e. every stand.
z More closely spaced stations could be obtained by stopping the
pipe more often, and waiting for a picture.
z A stopwatch at the surface is synchronized with the instrument
watch.
z Hole angles are usually kicked off by jetting, whip stocks or some type of bent
sub, down hole motor tools.
z Geology affects the decision as well as the desire to use a steering tool.
1. Jetting:
It was a widely used technique several years ago. It involved the use of a large bit jet
and two smaller jets. After washing 6-8 ft rotary was used to drill the rest of the
joint
2. Whip stock
is a very simple device used to kick off the well.
Separated into 2 categories:
i. Open hole whip stocks
ii. Casing whip stocks
3. Bent subs:
are used with down hole motors. The sub has 1/2 -5/2 degree of bend in it that will
deflect the motor in the desired direction.
z Jetting
z A standard soft formation tri-
cone bit, with one very large
nozzle and two smaller ones.
z Important parameter:
z Geology:
z S.S & oolitic limestone (best)
z Unconsolidated S.S & very
soft rock (good)
z Very soft rocks erode too
much (bad)
z As a rough rule of
thumb, ROP>24m/hr
using normal drilling
parameters
z Hydraulic energy
z A rule of thumb: mud
velocity through the
large jet should be at
least 500 ft/sec.
z Advantages z Disadvantages
z Same BHA to change z Only works in soft
trajectory & drilling ahead formation and therefore at
z Simple and cheap method shallow depths.
in soft formations. z high dogleg severities are
z Dogleg severity can be often produced. Deviation
partly controlled from is produced in a series of
surface by varying the sudden changes, rather
number of feet jetted than a smooth continuous
each time. change. For this reason, it
z The survey tool is not far
is normal practice to jet
behind the bit. an under gauge hole and
then open it out to full
z Orientation of tool face is gauge, which smoothes
fairly easy off the worst of the
doglegs.
z Whip stocks
z Standard removable Whip stock
z used to kick off wells
z Sidetracking
z Disadvantage
z If the whip stock is set on the fill, then whip stock rotate when
drilling starts
z Fill tend to wash away, causing the bit to slide down the side of
the well bore and entire whip stock assembly to rotate
z Critical: when bit leaves the end of W. wedge, if the rock too
soft & circulation too high, bit can lose curvature and continue
straight
z number of trips involved.
z whip stock produced a sudden, sharp deflection
z Advantages
z It is a fairly simple piece of equipment which requires relatively
little maintenance and has no temperature limitations.
z PDM:
z The directional driller can
use pump pressure as a
weight indicator
z longer bit life
z because of the slower
rotary speed.
z Use a small bend at the
U-joint housing instead of
bent sub
z Turbine:
z operate at higher
temperatures
z DO NOT have a dump
valve.
Drop angle