SPE-ICOTA Coil Tubing and Well Intervention Conference 2017

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SPE-184773-MS
Innovative Conveyance System Saves $9.4M on a Deep Water, High Angle
Well in the Nam Con Son Basin
Michael Folger, Talisman Vietnam Ltd. (part of the REPSOL Group)
Stephen McCormick, Petromac Ltd
Serko Sarian, Schlumberger

Copyright 2017, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s).
Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not
necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this
paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than
300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
Due to adverse hole conditions, Operators in the Nam Con Son Basin have had difficulties carrying out
their wireline logging programs. Unplanned wiper trips and pipe conveyed logging have often been
necessary to acquire log data. These remedies are expensive and time consuming and lead to substantial
inefficiencies during execution. In search for operational efficiency, a revolutionary conveyance
technology was used with the wireline logging tools.
The conveyance system consists of wheeled carriages which are secured to the exterior of the logging
tool housings and aligned at regularly spaced intervals. The carriages have large diameter wheels with
an active bearing lubrication system and carry the tool-string over and above wellbore cuttings. The
wheels significantly reduce tool drag, facilitating conventional logging in very high angle wells. The
carriages orientate the logging tool sensors to enhance sample recovery and data quality. The holefinder
consists of an upturned nose cone, analogous to a ski tip, which effortlessly slides over ledges without
stopping.
The intermediate logging operation continued over 5 days, during which 5 runs were made with up to
nine carriages and a hole-finder on each tool string. All tool-strings ran seamlessly to TD and logged out
smoothly without issues, facilitating excellent data acquisition. Following success in the intermediate
hole section, the conveyance system was deployed on all wireline runs in both the main wellbore and
sidetrack with similar results. The conveyance devices allowed the drilling and exploration team to
achieve all of the pre-drill objectives while eliminating the unplanned costs experienced with previous
logging programs. The conveyance system provides a cost effective method for managing high deviation
wellbores while enhancing the operator’s data acquisition needs for exploration evaluation. By avoiding
pipe conveyed logging and wiper trips, 11 days of rig time was saved on a floating rig, with associated
cost savings of USD 9.4M.
Together, these complimentary devices form a complete conveyance system that uniquely resolve all the
challenges that have plagued wireline logging for over 50 years while enhancing data quality. The
technology also has applications in well intervention operations.
2 SPE-184773-MS

Introduction
Wireline logging is well recognised as delivering the most accurate and detailed subsurface information
necessary for determination of hydrocarbon producibility. In the wireline logging operation complex
sensors, logging tools, are combined and lowered by wireline cable into the wellbore. These logging
tools descend through the newly drilled open wellbore by gravity alone. The sensors measure and
record (data log) the properties of the subsurface rocks and the fluids contained within the pores spaces
of these rocks. Typically, log data is acquired while pulling out of hole, the wireline cable providing
both the mechanical link to surface and the conduit through which power is conveyed to the instruments
and data is received back. All going well, wireline logging is very efficient, with a comprehensive data
set being acquired in a relatively short time period. However, the mechanics of the wireline logging
operation lends itself to a range of hazards which often result in non-productive time loss and more
importantly, loss of critical data.

Comparison of Logging Technologies

All Logging technologies have different strengths and weaknesses. The appropriate technology depends
on local drilling challenges, the information required and cost. For example, a high angle development
well in an uncomplicated oilfield may be adequately characterised with Logging While Drilling
technology. Exploration and appraisal wells or reservoirs that are difficult to evaluate will almost
certainly require wireline logging. Table 1 summarises the strengths and weaknesses of each technology.
The new conveyance system, as described in this paper, provides a comprehensive solution to mitigate
the risks associated with wireline logging while enhancing data quality, particularly for sampling and
imaging tools.

Table 1 Pro & Cons of Logging Technologies

Ledges Deviation Sticking Quality Sampling $ rig time

Pipe Conveyed Logging (PCL)
Tractor Conveyed Logging
Logging While Drilling (LWD)
Through Drillpipe Logging
Wireline Logging
Wireline Conveyance System
Conveyance System & Tractor

Key Good
Degraded
Bad
Ledges Ability to get past ledges and wellbore obstructions
Deviation Ability to log high angle wells
Sticking Low risk of differential Sticking
Quality Resolution, accuracy, depth control, calibration
Sampling Sampling and range of sophisticated measurements
$ rig time Time and hence cost of logging
SPE-184773-MS 3

Regional Wireline Logging History

Due to the prevailing hole conditions, Operators in the Nam Con Son Basin (NCSB) in Vietnam have
experienced challenges running open hole wireline logs. Ledges, washouts, cuttings beds, high
deviations have prevented the descent of logging tools. This has resulted in unanticipated wiper trips and
required pipe conveyed logging to acquire the minimum data required for proper evaluation. Both of
these remedies are time consuming on floating drilling rigs and lead to substantial inefficiencies during
execution. Further, differential sticking of logging tools has resulted in fishing operations in the
majority of logging operations. In the three previous exploration wells there was one tool-string lost in
hole, three fishing operations, three unplanned wiper trips and 10 days of non-productive time. In most
wells the full logging objectives were not met with degraded data sets due to tension over-pulls and
stop-start tool movement. Table 2 summarises the wireline logging operations on these wells.

Table 2 Summary of Logging Operations on previous wells.

Logging operations on three previous wells were plagued with difficulties
 one tool-string struck and lost in hole
 three fishing operations
 three unplanned wiper trips
 242.7hrs of non-productive time
 Incomplete data set (sticking and tool holdup)
Offset Well #1, 12 ¼ in hole, 3800m, Max Dev 40deg
Wellbore
Run Tool-string Comments Total hrs.
related NPT
1 Nuclear-Resistivity-Dipole Sonic Multiple hold-up. Poor data due to stick-slip 14.3 4.3
2 Seismic Imaging Good log 11.0 0
3 Formation Fluid Sampler Tool Stuck and LIH. 2 unsuccessful fishing attempts. 69.5 56.5
Unplanned Wiper trip 33.5 33.5
4 Resistivity Imaging Unable to pass 3400m. Log upper section only. 7.8 0.8
75 pre-tests. Probe plugged. PCL: 14.5hrs RIH and 7.25hrs
5 PCL: Formation Fluid Sampler 70.0 18.6
POOH.
Unable to pass 3430m. TLC: 20.8 hrs. RIH and 8.5hrs
6 PCL: Formation Fluid Sampler 35.7 22.3
POOH. Tool fail 11.5hrs. Job abandoned.
Unplanned Wiper trip 28.2 28.2
Core plugging, POOH to clear, rerun plugged. Job
7 Rotary Coring 9.2 3.0
abandoned.
8 Rotary Coring Tool failure 4.0 3.5

Offset Well #2, 8 ½ in hole, 3800m, Max Dev 15deg

Nuclear-Resistivity-Nuclear
1 Held up at multiple levels. Over-pulls - Poor data 12.5 0
Magnetic Resonance
Resistivity Imaging -Sonic-
2 Tension over-pulls -poor data 33.3 0
Pressure tester
Held up at 3440m. Second RIH attempt also held up at
3 Formation Fluid Sampler 14.0 14.0
3440m.
Unplanned Wiper trip 22.5 22.5
4 Formation Fluid Sampler Good log 34.5 0
5 Rotary Coring Core plugging, Re-run, job abandoned 18.0 4.3

Offset Well #3, 8 ½ in hole, 3630m, Max Dev 47deg

1 LWF: Sonic – Pressure tester XPT stuck. Logging While Fishing (LWF) to complete job. 78.7 31.3

Total hrs (3 wells) operations and non-productive time 496.6 242.7

Total per logging job (11 jobs) 45.1 22.06

4 SPE-184773-MS

Description of Technology
The new conveyance system consists of two complimentary innovations, a holefinder and a wheeled
carriage device. The holefinder guides the bottom of the tool-string past obstructions such as ledges and
cuttings beds as it descends down the wellbore. The wheeled carriage is secured to the exterior housings
of the wireline logging tools. The carriage reduces logging tool drag against the wellbore wall and
orientates the tool-string and Guide. Figure 1 shows the conveyance system devices attached to the tool-
string in the wellbore environment.

Figure 1 Innovative Conveyance System for Wireline Logging

Two complimentary devices – the Carriage and Guide

Holefinder
Current Technology
Current holefinder devices can be categorised as roller or flexible. Ledges are the primary cause of
logging tool holdup. The roller type of holefinder will roll over an obstruction provided the height of the
step ledge is lower than the wheel radius. The flexible holefinder bends on contact with the ledge. If the
flexible holefinder bends in the desired direction it will help the logging tool to navigate past the
obstruction. Flexible holefinders are just as likely to droop into a washout as they are to climb over a
ledge. Flexible holefinders are prone to breakage which can result in an unplanned trip to clear the
blockage. The performance of each of these holefinder types is considered against a step ledge in Figure
2. Both of these systems slow or stop the logging tool descent when they encounter a ledge. No
downward progress can be made until either the holefinder rolls or bends to navigate over the ledge.
SPE-184773-MS 5

Figure 2 Holefinder types (other systems)

Both of these types of holefinder slow logging tool descent when they encounter a ledge. No downward progress can be made
until either the holefinder rolls or bends to navigate over the ledge. The step ledge capability of the roller type holefinder is
limited by the nose wheel radius. The flexible holefinder has limited ledge capability and is prone to damage.

New Technology
The new holefinder device, hereinafter referred to as the “Guide”, performs much like a ski to guide the
logging tool past obstructions. The principals of operation and design of the Guide is fundamentally
different from all other holefinder devices. This fresh approach brings many benefits which are
explained in the following paragraphs.
Step Ledge Capability
The Guide is attached to the lower end of the wireline logging tool-string. The Guide consists of a
tapered nose that is angled upwards to allow the tool-string to ski seamlessly over ledges and
obstructions - without hold-up. Unlike other holefinders, the Guide ensures the logging tool does not
stop during descent as it avoids the ledge altogether. See Figure 3
The unique design allows the Guide to navigate over higher ledges than any other holefinder. In the
most aggressive setting the Guide will pass a 5.8 in high step ledge in a nominal 8 ½ in hole e.g. from
20in to 8 ½ in hole. Figure 4 shows the step ledge capability of the Guide.

Figure 3 innovative Holefinder

The holefinder Guides the logging tool over wellbore obstruction much like a ski tip. The logging tool descends seamlessly
down the wellbore without holdup.
6 SPE-184773-MS

Figure 4 The Guide has a very large step ledge capability

Adjustable Nose Angle

The Guide nose angle is adjustable permitting the same device suitable for all logging operations
regardless of hole size or tool standoff. The guide nose angle is pre-set before the job. The nose standoff
and bit size determine the appropriate setting before each logging suite. There are 4 settings available to
cover all hole sizes greater than 6 in. Figure 5 shows the range of settings available for the Guide.

Figure 5 The nose angle of the Guide is adjustable

The Guide nose angle is pre-set to suit any combination of hole size and logging tool standoff.

Solutions for all logging tools

Some wireline logging tools are not through-wired and may only be attached to the terminal end of the
tool-string. Bespoke, lightweight, fixed angle Guides provide a solution for these “bottom only” tools.
Figure 6 and Figure 7 shows bespoke Guides for the Micro-Formation Imager and Array Induction tools.
The nose section on these models is constructed from drillable materials – in this instance carbon fibre
composite and reinforced Teflon.

Figure 6 Guide for Formation Micro-Imager Figure 7 Guide for Array Induction Tool

Orientation of Guide nose

Every wireline logging tool has a connection system for common alignment. The common alignment
ensures that the directional sensors from each individual tool will have the same orientation. For
SPE-184773-MS 7

example, once connected, detectors on the Density and Neutron tools are aligned to measure the
formation from the same side of the wellbore. In a vertical hole, bow-springs and single arm calipers
ensure the sensor side of the tool is against the wellbore wall. In a deviated wellbore, of necessity, the
sensors are aligned to track the low side of the wellbore.
The Guide uses this connection system to orientate the guide nose upwards, in the opposite azimuth to
the directional sensors. Thus, in a deviated well, the tool sensors are orientated against the wellbore wall
on the low side and the Guide protrudes away from the wellbore wall to the high side. Figure 8 shows
how various tool orientation devices ensure good pad contact from directional devices and “nose up”
attitude from GUIDE.

Figure 8 Guide Orientation Devices

Bow-spring eccentralisers and rubber fin centralisers with fins cut to different lengths may be used to orientate the Guide nose
upwards. The Carriage, described in this paper, is the preferred orientation device.

The Guide works differently from all other systems and as such requires a different approach to tool-
string setup. Apart from the importance of tool orientation, the lower part of the tool-string must be kept
long and stiff. The stiff tool-string allows the logging tool to bridge over large breakouts to enter the in-
gauge wellbore on the lower side, such as those typically encountered with thick coal seams. The long
section also ensures minimum angle change as the Guide skis over a ledge, eliminating the risk of the
Guide tip contacting the upper wellbore wall.

Wheels
Existing Roller technologies
Incumbent open-hole roller devices are free to swivel about the axis of the logging tool. Hence the
rollers orientate independently to each other and are not aligned. These roller devices typically use the
same physical principal to ensure they run on wheels. They have an elliptical cross-section where the
width of the roller device is greater than the height in the operating position. Figure 9 shows two such
devices in common use.
New Wheel Technology
Wheeled “Carriage” aptly describes the new roller devices. The principals of operation and design of the
Carriages is fundamentally different from all other devices. This fresh approach brings many benefits
which are explained in the following paragraphs.
The Carriages fit over the exterior of the logging tool housings with no interference to logging tool
electrical and hydraulic integrity. All logging tools have recess holes located near the bottom of the tool
housings to assist during vertical make-up. The Carriages are secured to these recess holes which
eliminates the risk of slippage inherent with devices that are simply clamped on. See Figure 10. Thus
attached, these carriages are all perfectly aligned and attached at regular intervals along the tool-string,
typically every 3-4m. All carriages act in unison to impart minimum drag between the tool and the
wellbore wall.
8 SPE-184773-MS

Figure 9 Logging Tool roller devices (other systems)

Existing rollers are free to rotate about the logging tool axis and operate independently from each other. In common they are
elliptical in shape where Dimension A > Dimension B. These devices are not able to orientate the tool-string and have a fixed
offset from the wellbore wall - different devices being required for each hole size.

Figure 10 New Wheel Technology – Carriage

The Carriage slips over the logging tool housing and is positively secured to the C-spanner recess holes.

Cuttings
In deviated wells hole cleaning is more difficult and cuttings often accumulate on the low side of the
wellbore, particularly in over-gauge hole where mud circulation velocity is reduced. Conventional
wireline tool-strings must plough through these cuttings beds and this often results in tool holdup as the
SPE-184773-MS 9

ploughed cuttings build up to form a dam ahead of the tool-string. With the Carriages attached, the
under-side of the tool-string is smooth and well clear of the wellbore wall. The standoff (clearance under
tool) allows the tool-string to pass over cuttings beds. Further, the widely spaced wheels straddle the
cuttings beds rather than run through them. See Figure 11. There are no confined spaces in the
Carriages where cuttings could accumulate and hence the wheels do not jam. The open design presents a
relatively small cross-section permitting good fluid bypass and rapid descent even in high viscosity
muds. Figure 12 shows how all the wheels act in unison to bridge over cuttings and obstructions.

Figure 11 Tool holdup with cuttings

The Carriage devices carry the logging tool clear of the wellbore wall and cuttings. Holdup due to cuttings dam is eliminated.

Figure 12 Underside View of Tool-string and Carriages

The Carriages carry the logging tool-string clear of the wellbore wall. With carriages attached, the underside of the tool-string
remains clear of any protrusions that may cause cuttings plough or tool holdup. The Carriages have a relatively small cross-
section allowing the tool to descend quickly through viscous muds.

Orientation Feature
Apart from the obvious reduction in tool drag afforded by the wheels, the carriages are also an
orientation device. Once correctly attached, the carriage orientates the logging tool sensors to the low
side and consequently the Guide nose is angled upwards.
In normal operation the logging tool is underslung between the carriage wheels and the logging tool is
conveyed off-centre. The weight of the logging tool far exceeds the Carriage. Much like a loaded dice
the Carriage-logging tool combination is effectively biased toward one orientation. In this stable
10 SPE-184773-MS

orientation, where the centre of gravity is lowest, the carriage sits squarely on it’s wheels with tool
sensors orientated to the low side of the wellbore and the Guide nose angled upwards. Fig 13 is a section
view of the Assembled Carriage and logging tool.

Figure 13 The Carriage is Self-Orientating

The Carriage attaches to the wireline logging tool off-centre. This causes the whole assembly to rotate until it reaches the lowest
Centre of Gravity (COG). In this stable orientation the carriage sits squarely on its wheels and the complete tool-string is aligned
and central in the wellbore.

Two models– centred and eccentered

The Carriages come in two models to optimise the measurements from logging tool sensors. Some
measurements, Density, Neutron, Micro-resistivity etc. require the logging tool to be close to the
wellbore wall and others, Deep resistivity, Sonic etc. are optimised with the tool centred in the wellbore.
The Carriages are sympathetic to the requirements of all logging tool sensors with models that provide
two offsets, ½ in and 1 ½ in. Note that the body of the ½ in standoff model does not fully enclose the
logging tool housing leaving the lower side of the tool body slick and free from protrusions that may
cause tool holdup. Figure 14 and Figure 15 show the two models respectively.
Lubricated bearing system
The Carriages incorporate an active lubrication system that constantly feeds grease to the bearings. The
lubrication system is energised by a stretched elastomer diaphragm which maintains grease pressure a
few psi higher than the ambient wellbore pressure. The lubricator involves no sliding parts that could
cause stiction enabling the system to reliably maintain this small differential pressure. The lubrication
system prevents the ingress of contaminants into the wheel bearing to increase bearing life and lubricity.
Figure 16 shows the workings of the simple lubrication system.
Differential sticking
The Carriage has relatively narrow, large diameter wheels that roll over the mud-cake without disturbing
it. In the event of differential sticking, the sticking force is relatively low, due to the small contact
patch, and the tool-string can easily roll out of a sticking situation. Reduced drag means reduced cable
tension, which in turn reduces the risk of cable key-seat.
SPE-184773-MS 11

Figure 14 ½ in standoff Carriage device

Figure 15 1 ½ in standoff Carriage device

Figure 16 Active Lubrication System

The stretched rubber diaphragm maintains lubricant pressure a few psi higher than the ambient wellbore mud pressure. Grease
is constantly fed to the wheel bearings to both lubricate and prevent ingress of wellbore cuttings.
12 SPE-184773-MS

Results
Well Planning
The operator recognised the need to mitigate the risks inherent in wireline logging during the planning
of a deep water exploration well. The well trajectory included a challenging high angle, 2100m tangent
section. As detailed in the introduction, logging operations on previous wells in the region had a history
of tool holdup on ledges and differential sticking. The trajectory for the 12 ¼ in hole section is shown in
Figure 17.

Figure 17 Trajectory of Deepwater Exploration Well

Well trajectory. 12 ¼ in hole section.

The normal provisions were put in place to reduce data acquisition risks. LWD was utilised during
drilling to acquire Resistivity and Nuclear logs. A pressure test LWD tool was also run on the drill
string.
Pipe conveyed logging equipment and open hole wireline tractors were mobilised to cover
contingencies. The wireline company provided high strength cables and all tools were run with wireline
jars. All tool-strings were run with compression sensors to allow Logging While Fishing (LWF, allows
the operator to continue logging on drill-pipe when a wireline tool becomes stuck and must be fished).
All these risk mitigation provisions and contingencies are “fallback” strategies that deliver a reduced
quality dataset in the event that wireline logging is compromised or not successful. The Operator sought
to utilise an innovative conveyance system that resolved the mechanical challenges inherent with
wireline logging. The new system improved wireline logging reliability, data quality and sample
recovery. Developed in New Zealand, the system boasted an impressive track record since introduction.

Operations
The conveyance system was successfully deployed on all runs in a deep water logging operation. This
paper focuses on the initial logging operation in the intermediate 12 ¼ in section. The 12 ¼ in hole was
drilled to a depth of 4700m with 13 3/8 in casing set at 2600m (at 30deg). The tangent section was
2100m long with an average deviation of 56deg.
SPE-184773-MS 13

The conveyance system was used to reduce drag, guide the tool-string to TD and orientate the logging
tool sensors for optimal data quality. The logging operation continued over 5 days, during which 4 runs
were made with up to 9 Carriages and a Guide on each tool string. All tool-strings ran seamlessly to
TD and logged out smoothly without issues. A high quality data set was acquired. Logging operations
in the 12 ¼ in hole section are summarised in Table 1 below.
Table 2 Logging Operations in 12 ¼ in hole
Run Tool-string Comments
1 Induction-Nuclear-Dipole Sonic Logged down at 60fpm - without any hold-up. Deviation 57deg.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance –
2 Pressure tester centered and oriented packer down by Carriages. 114sets, only 4 lost seal.
Pressure Tester
Large multifunction tool-string – 51m long and 4800lbs. Sampling packer oriented to high-
3 Formation Fluid Sampler side of wellbore. 12 samples recovered, 7 flow analysis and over 25 pressure tests all in one
run.
49/50 successful cores cut. Coring bit centred and orientated to low side of wellbore by
4 Rotary Coring
Carriages - “perfect recovery”.

The following paragraphs detail the highlights from each run.

Run 1 Array Induction-Dipole Sonic-Density-Neutron-Gamma Ray

 Tool-string supported on 9 Carriages with tool Guide (Figure 19, Figure 19)
 Run in hole logging down slowly (3000fph). The tool did not hold-up at any depth despite a
large washout under the casing shoe (Figure 18).
 Log out smoothly with no stick-slip or over-pulls* (*cable key-seat at 2922m)
 JARS not activated

Figure 19 Pre-job Check

Figure 18 Run 1 Ledge under casing shoe
Operational check of run 1 tool-string with Carriages in
Tension curves show logging tool runs seamlessly over place.
ledge with no hold-up. Shaded area between Head
Tension and along-hole Tool Weight shows low drag.
Tool-string ran to TD, at logging speed, without stopping.
14 SPE-184773-MS

Figure 20 Run 1 Tool-string

9 Carriage devices, no holdup, no sick slip

Run 2 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance- Formation Pressure Tester

 Tool-string supported on 7 Carriages with adjustable Guide. See Figure 21 below.

 Carriages used to orientate and centre sampling tool packer*
 Centralisation and Orientation successful, 114 sets with only 4 seal failures
 Smooth log up - high quality Nuclear Magnetic Resonance log
 No tool sticking
 Jars not activated

Figure 21 Run2 Formation Pressure Tester-Nuclear Magnetic resonance

The Carriages reduced drag and eliminated sticking. The Carriages were also used to orientate and centre the packer of the
pressure thereby ensuring good contact and preventing seal loss. Note that Bow-spring Eccentralisers are redundant when
running Carriages.

Run 3 Formation Tester Sampling String (2x Probe-2x pumpout-2x Fluid analyser-2x multi-
sampler)

 Tool-string supported on 9 Carriages and 5 rollers with adjustable Guide. See Figure 22.
 Carriages used to invert* entire sampling string to sample high side of wellbore.
SPE-184773-MS 15

 All sampling objectives met (12 valid fluid samples recovered and a further 5 zones profiled.
 Clean-up and sample within 1 hour in low perm (circa 10mD) rock from “high-side”
 Formation fluids proven. Obtained valid pressures from “high-side” testing in zone that tested
tight on previous run (previous run sampled “low-side”).
 “High-side Permeability 20x greater than “low-side” permeability.
 No hold-up on descent, no tool sticking (Jars not activated)

Figure 22 Run 3 Formation Sampling

The Carriage devices rotate the sampling tool onto its “back”. This permits sampling from the undamaged high side of the
wellbore. Better Permeability and less invasion results in high quality samples in minimal time.

* Packer centering and orientation

Orientation of the tool-string is achieved by the Carriages which carry the logging tool off-center (see
Fig 23). To optimize orientation performance the tool-string should include the ½ in standoff Car-
riages which are preferably attached near the bottom. Correct orientation is verified during run in hole
by monitoring the relative bearing of the logging tool. Figure 23 shows the relative bearing (RB) log
from run 3. With the “packer-up” orientation the RB will measure 0deg (360deg). The log shows
that stable orientation is achieved at very low deviations (>3deg).

Figure 23 Orientation of Sampling Tool-string during RIH

The log shows that the carriage devices will orientate a tool-string even at the relatively low deviation of only 3deg.

Probe orientation affects packer life, seal efficiency and sample recovery. Gravity dictates that logging
tools always lay on the low side of the wellbore, even in “vertical” wellbores. Protrusions on the
16 SPE-184773-MS

sampling tool body, such as big hole kits and packer protection bumpers cause the logging tool to
orientate sideways in the wellbore. This results in the packer setting obliquely to the wellbore wall
causing premature packer failure and lost seal. To ensure the packer sets squarely against the wellbore
wall, the packer must be oriented to either the “high-side” or “low-side” of the wellbore.

In deviated wells the weight of the drill pipe is borne on the low side of the wellbore. Suspended
cuttings are ground into the pore spaces by the rotating drill-string. Further damage is done as the drill
pipe scours the sealing mudcake from the wellbore wall, thereby allowing repeated invasion of drilling
fluids. Formation fluid sampling from the high-side of the wellbore results in faster clean-up due to less
formation damage and mudfiltrate invasion.
The new Carriage devices both centre and orientate sampling tools to optimise performance. As
described in the previous section the Carriage carries the logging tool “under-slung”. The weight of the
tool-string causes the whole assembly to rotate in the wellbore until the system achieves the lowest
centre of gravity. In this stable orientation, the Carriage is sitting squarely on its wheels and the
sampling probe is aligned to the high side, perpendicular to the wellbore wall. See Figure 22 . The
advantages of “high-side” sampling are:
 Less formation damage (from drill pipe rotation and reciprocation)
 No cuttings to compromise pad seal
 Less invasion results in faster clean-up
 Less chance of differential sticking (tool lifted clear of wellbore wall)
 Frees cleanly after retracting (weight of tool “unsticks” packer from wellbore wall)
Due to tool and hole size constraints, formation pressure tests from Run 2 were taken from the low side
of the wellbore. Tight zones were re-tested on Run 3 on the high side of the wellbore. Figure 24 shows
the extent of formation damage that occurs to the low side in deviated wells. The new Carriage device is
the only conveyance system that orientates wireline logging tools.

Figure 24 “High-side” vs “Low-side” Permeability

Due to tool and hole size constraints, Run2 formation pressure tests were taken from the low side of the wellbore. Tight zones
were retested on Run 3 from the high side of the wellbore. This figure shows the extent of formation damage that occurs to the
low side in deviated wells.
SPE-184773-MS 17

Run 4 Rotary Sidewall Coring Tool

 Tool-string supported on 3 Carriages with Guide (see Figure 25)

 Carriages used to orientate and centre the core drill bit for efficient recovery.
 Tool-string RIH smoothly without holdup
 All sampling objectives met – near “perfect” recovery 49/50
 No tool sticking

Figure 25 Enhanced recovery with oriented Coring Tool

The Carriage centres the sampling tool-string and orientates the core drill perpendicular to the wellbore wall. This ensures
optimal core recovery. Using the Carriage to achieve precise centering and orientation gave a recovery of 49/50 cores.

Subsequent Logging Operations on 8 ½ in hole and side-track well

Following on from the success in the 12 ¼ in hole, the conveyance system was used in both the TD
section and side-track well. No wiper trips were necessary during logging and all logging objectives
were met
Three logging runs were made in the TD section with no sticking or hole related problems. The logging
operation took 64hrs. Five logging runs, similar to the 12 ¼ in section, were made in the side-track hole
with no sticking or hole related problems. The logging operation took 87 hrs.

Cost Savings
Quantifiable cost savings can be estimated from the rig time savings achieved by avoiding Pipe
Conveyed Logging, tool hold-up and unplanned wiper trips. Table 3 details logging runs, times and cost
savings on the deep water well and side-track. The new conveyance system was utilised on all logging
runs.
On previous wells the average time for a logging run was 45.1 hrs which included 22.06 hrs of non-
productive time (Table 2) and average time per run excluding NPT was 23hrs. Logging times on the
Deepwater well using the new conveyance system had an average operating time of 21.6hrs per run with
no time lost attributable to wireline conveyance and wellbore conditions. See computation in Table 4.
18 SPE-184773-MS

Total Savings on logging operations USD 9.4M

Much greater savings can be attributed to the high quality well information which is a critical input to
the much larger financial commitment of oil field commercialisation.

Table 5 Summary of Logging Operations on Deepwater Well and Sidetrack.

All Logging runs used the new conveyance system
 No tool holdup on ledges
 No tool sticking or stick-slip (jars not activated)
 No unplanned wiper trips
 All logging objectives met with a high quality data set.
Deepwater Well, Suite 1, 12 1/4in hole, 4700m, Dev 57deg

Run Tool-string Comments Total hrs NPT hrs

Nuclear-Induction-Dipole
1 Logged down without any hold-up. 14.3 0
Sonic
Pressure Tester-Nuclear
2 114sets with only 4 lost seal 46.2 0
Magnetic Resonance
Large multifunction tool-string – 51m long and 4800lbs. 12
3 Formation Fluid Sampler 35.1 0
samples recovered, 7 flow analysis, 25 pressure tests
49/50 successful cores cut. *includes 16.5hrs LT equipment
4 Rotary Coring 40.1 0
failure
Deepwater Well, Suite 2, 8 1/2in hole, 5800m, Max Dev 57deg

Run Tool-string Comments Total hrs NPT hrs

Nuclear-Induction-Dipole
1 Smooth logging operation 13.3 0
Sonic
Pressure Tester-Nuclear
2 13 pressure tests 12.1 0
Magnetic Resonance
3 Seismic Imaging 60 stations 38.6 0

Deepwater Well Sidetrack, Suite 1, 8 1/2in hole, 4100m, Dev 57deg

Run Tool-string Comments Total hrs NPT hrs

1 Nuclear-Induction Smooth logging operation 9.3 0

Dipole Sonic- Resistivity
2 Smooth logging operation 13.4 0
Imaging
Pressure Tester-Nuclear
3 Smooth logging operation. 35 pressure tests. 20.1 0
Magnetic Resonance
4 Formation Fluid Sampler 12 successful samples 25.1 0
5 Rotary Coring 44/50 successful cores. 14.0 0

Total (3 logging operations, 12 logging runs) 281.5 0

per logging run 23.5 0
per logging run for previous wells (table 2) 45.1 22.1

Time Savings (hrs for 12 runs) 264.7

Rig rate USD 850,000/day. Savings = (850K/day * 264.7 hrs / 24 hrs/day)

Total Savings on Logging Operations USD 9.4M

Conclusions
The trend in the wireline industry over recent years has been toward wireline jars, powerful winching
apparatus, electronic weak points, stronger and smoother cables and contingencies such as Logging
While Fishing. These developments, while helpful, address the symptoms rather than the root cause of
SPE-184773-MS 19

many of the wireline logging challenges. The “logging” analogy displayed in Figure 26 illustrates the
different approach taken with the new conveyance system.

Figure 26 Logging and Drag – Current logging technology can be enhanced by wheels
Current logging technology is focused on more power. The new conveyance system reduces drag and thus requires less
horsepower.

Cable tension
The Carriage device lowers logging tool drag by up to 90% which results in significant reduction in
cable tension, particularly in ‘S’ shaped wells where the knees amplify cable tension at surface.
Reduced cable tension, in turn, leads to less risk of cable sticking and keyseat.
Differential Sticking
The large diameter wheels and low friction bearings of the Carriages improve data quality by preventing
jerky tool movement. The Carriages have narrow wheels which present a small contact patch and the
ability to roll out of a differential sticking situation. Wireline jars only come into use if a tool is stuck.
Jars are activated with high over-pulls which in turn can introduce other problems such as cable sticking
and tool damage. Clearly, it is better to prevent the logging tool becoming stuck in the first instance
rather than stationing an “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff”.
Ledges
Ledges are the most common cause of logging tools not reaching TD. The Guide of the conveyance
system is able to seamlessly ski over ledges that would stop any other holefinder. Pipe Conveyed
Logging, the common go-to “solution”, will not help a logging tool negotiate past a step ledge. The
problem is at the bottom of the tool and no progress can be made until the ledge or logging tool breaks –
unlikely with the low compression ratings of logging tools.
High Deviation and Cuttings
The Carriages are aligned and act in unison to transport the logging tool on wheels. Conventional
wireline logging is now viable in very high angle wells. The conveyance system carries the logging tool
over and above the wellbore wall to avoid cuttings “plough”. Often used “solutions” are Pipe Conveyed
Logging and Tractors which are helpful in high drag situations. Both of these methods are more
expensive, particularly PCL. Tractors and this new conveyance system are a complimentary solution for
high angle and sub-horizontal wells.

Summary
The innovative conveyance system described in this paper brings fresh thinking to resolve the
mechanical challenges that have plagued wireline logging for over 50 years. The system focuses on the
fundamental problems and comprehensively addresses all these challenges while enhancing data quality.
20 SPE-184773-MS

This unique wireline conveyance system is a comprehensive solution that delivers reliable, high quality
data at low cost.
 Conventional logging viable in high angle wells (to 80deg)
 No deviation limit in combination with Tractors.
 Eliminates jerky tool movement and differential sticking
 Best in class step ledge capability
 Enhanced data and sample quality with orientation

The paper presents an open-hole case history of the conveyance technology. There are many cased hole
applications including cement bond logging in extended reach wells where modelling shows that
deviations to 86deg can be safely logged. In combination with tractors the surveying range for
interventions is greatly extended. Conveyance and orientation of perforating guns is another application
and the Guide can also be used in open hole perforations etc.

The Drilling Engineer achieved significant cost savings from a trouble free logging operation and the
Geoscientist was delivered a comprehensive, high quality dataset. The Operator benefited from
estimated cost savings of USD 9.4M and all the information necessary to make sound commercial
decisions on field development.
SPE-184773-MS 21

Nomenclature

Item Units Description

CS fph Cable speed in feet per hour
DEPTH m Depth along hole from drill floor
DEV deg Wellbore deviation from vertical
LIH Equipment Lost in hole – not fished.
LWF Logging While Fishing
PCL Pipe Conveyed Logging
NCSB Nam Con Son Basin (Vietnam)
NPT hrs Non Productive Time due to wellbore conditions
POOH Pull out of hole
RB deg Relative bearing of logging tool
RIH Run in hole
Standoff in Minimum distance between logging tool body and wellbore wall.
TD m Well section depth along hole

Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Talisman Vietnam Ltd and Schlumberger Vietnam for their support and
commitment to improve the efficiency and data quality of wireline logging.

Bibliography
Mike Folger is Lead Operations Geologist with Talisman Vietnam. Folger has over 30 years experience
in oil and gas exploration globally and has a keen interest in new technologies as a means of improving
well efficiency. Folger holds both a BS and Geology degree from Texas A&M University.

Stephen McCormick is the Managing Director of Petromac Ltd in New Zealand. Petromac manufactures
and leases conveyance solutions for use on wireline logging tools. McCormick launched Petromac in
2011 after a long career in Petrophysics and holds a BE Mechanical (hons) degree from Auckland
University.

Serko Sarian is the Wireline Telemetry and Conveyance Manager at Schlumberger in Houston. Sarian
has over 30 years experience in the wireline logging industry, principally in technical and operations
support roles. Sarian holds a BE degree from American University of Beirut.

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