CASE STUDY

PDC Bit and Rotary Steerable System

Increase ROP 39%, Setting Field Record
Application-specific BHA drills 12¼-in section in one 3,361-ft run
in northern Kuwait field
CHALLENGE
Drill a 12¼-in directional interval in
a single run at high ROP with good
directional control.
SOLUTION
Use the IDEAS* integrated drillbit design
platform to design an application-specific
PDC drill bit fitted with ONYX* PDC cutters
and run on PowerDrive vorteX* powered
rotary steerable system (RSS) with steering
section from PowerDrive Xceed* RSS.
Improve directional control and ROP
An operator in northern Kuwait was using PDC drill bits run on positive displacement motors
(PDMs) to drill 12¼-in directional intervals through medium to hard carbonate formations and an
abrasive sandstone formation at the bottom of the section. The operator wanted to achieve better
directional control and higher ROP with a BHA that could drill the 12¼-in intervals shoe to shoe in
a single run.
Optimize steerability, reduce stick/slip
Using the IDEAS platform, Smith Bits designed an application-specific BHA that combined
a 12¼-in MDi616 PDC directional drill bit fitted with PDC cutters to run with a Schlumberger
PowerDrive vorteX RSS and PowerDrive Xceed RSS.

RESULTS
■■ Drilled 3,361-ft interval in one run. 4,000 50
46 Interval drilled, ft ROP, ft/h
■■ Increased ROP 39%.
■■ Set new field ROP record.
40
3,000
33
29.9
Interval drilled, ft

30

ROP, ft/h
2,000 21.9
20

1,000
10

3,361 2,445 3,368 3,465

0 0
Interval drilled Offset Offset Offset
with MDi616 bit well interval well interval well interval
The BHA with a 12¼-in MDi616 directional bit, ONYX cutters, PowerDrive vorteX RSS, and PowerDrive Xceed RSS
drilled the interval in one run at an average ROP of 46 ft/h—39% faster than the best ROP previously achieved in
the field.

Drill Bits
CASE STUDY: BHA increased ROP by 39% in northern Kuwait

The 12¼-in MDi616 drill bit fitted with ONYX cutters delivered increased durability, as indicated by the bit’s condition at
the end of the run.

The bit’s depth of cut was optimized for steerablity and reduced stick/slip. Extensive hydraulic
analysis was performed to optimize nozzle placement for keeping the blades clear of cuttings.
In addition, the bit was fitted with ONYX PDC cutters to reduce cutting structure wear in the
abrasive formation.

The PowerDrive vorteX RSS’s steering section—from a PowerDrive Xceed RSS for harsh, rugged
environments—provided accurate point-the-bit directional control. A fully integrated power
section delivered the high torque needed to increase bit rotation speed and ROP.

Increase ROP, setting field record

The application-specific BHA drilled the 12¼-in interval shoe to shoe in one run. Average ROP
for the 3,361-ft run was a record-setting 46 ft/h, which was 39% faster than the best ROP of To achieve maximum durability and steerability, the
33 ft/h achieved with other BHAs in offset wells. 12¼-in MDi616 directional drill bit was fitted with ONYX
cutters and had optimized depth-of-cut management
features and a shortened makeup length.

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