3

Discussion:
Note:

Notes:

With zero weight on bit, a negative side force (pendulum force) only applies.
The maximum pendulum force at the bit is given by:
H = (Wc.L.BC.sinI) ÷ 2
where:
L = Tangency length
BC = Buoyancy Factor
Wc = Weight of collars in air (lbs/ft)
I = Inclination
The greater the hole inclination, the higher the pendulum force.
If we apply an axial load (weight on bit), a positive (bending) force is introduced.
The tangency point moves closer to the bit. The pendulum force is thus reduced. A
condition of zero net side force is achieved at some point.
If we use stiffer drill collars,
collars a larger pendulum force results.
results A higher weight on bit
must be used to achieve a balanced condition. It may not even be possible.
It is obvious that the uncertainty (lack of control) when using a slick assembly leads
to unpredictable results. Thus, this type of BHA is not used in deviated wells.
Discussion:
Discussion:
The simplest multi-stabilizer BHA has a near-bit stabilizer (3'-6' from the bit to the
leading edge of the stabilizer blade) and a second stabilizer at some distance above
this.

For a given weight on bit, the distance from bit to first stabilizer (L1) and between
the stabilizers (L2) determines the tangency point.
If tangency occurs between the bit and the bottom stabilizer
stabilizer, negative side force
results
Notes:

The BHA affects the well bore trajectory. The design of BHA can vary from very
simple (bit, drill collars, drill pipe) to a complicated hookup (bit, shock sub, roller
reamers, stabilizers, non-magnetic drill collars, steel drill collars, crossover subs,
extension subs, jars, heavy weight drill pipe and drill pipe).
All BHA’s cause a side force at the bit that leads to an increase in hole inclination
(positive side force - Fulcrum effect), no change in inclination (zero net side
force - Lockup BHA) or a drop in inclination (negative side force - Pendulum
effect). In addition, changes in hole direction (bit walk) may be either minimized or
increased by specific rotary BHA’s and drilling parameters.
11
Most drilling components used in a BHA (e.g. drill collars) can be treated as hollow
cylinders. Their stiffness can be easily calculated.

Stiffness Coefficient = E × I
where
E = Young's Modulus (lb/in2)
I = Moment of Inertia (in4)
Moment of Inertia I = π ( OD4 - ID4) ÷ 64
where
OD = outside diameter
ID = inside diameter.
Stiffness coefficient is a measure of component rigidity.

It is important to take drill collar stiffness into account when designing BHA's.
Where an MWD tool is to be used close to the bit, it is absolutely essential to know
the stiffness of the MWD collar. Otherwise, dogleg severity achieved may differ
greatly from what was expected.

Modulus of elasticity
Material
Used In
lb/in2
Discussion:
Discussion:
16
18
Plot of inclination versus side force at the bit for three 2-stabilizer BHA's.
21
If the near-bit stabilizer is under gauge a loss of bit side force results. With a
buildup BHA, rate of buildup is thus reduced. With a lockup BHA, a drop in
inclination results.
The more under gauge, the greater the effect. In drop-off BHA's, use of an under
gauge near-bit stabilizer is recommended (where economics permit) in "S" wells at
the start of the drop-off.
If the second stabilizer is under gauge it becomes easier to get a tangency point
below it. It becomes easier to build angle. The more under gauge, the greater the
effect. In holding (locked) BHA's, an under gauge second stabilizer is usually
deliberately included in the BHA. The objective is to reach a condition of zero net
side force at the bit.
24
In soft formations, hole erosion occurs due to high annular velocities. Attempts at
holding or building inclination are more difficult (impossible to keep sufficient
weight on bit).

In very soft formation, it may be necessary to use a lower flow rate while drilling
but wash through each stand/single at full flow rate before making the connection.
If this does not solve the problem, a round trip for a more limber bottom collar
("gilligan" BHA) may be necessary. If this is not acceptable, a motor run may be
required.

Sometimes it may be necessary to drill a pilot hole first and follow up with a hole
opener.
Examples of commonly used BHA's for building inclination. Rates of build of the
order of 5°/100' and higher are possible with BHA No. 9, depending on the geology,
inclination, hole diameter, collar diameter and drilling parameters.

BHA No. 3 is used as a slight-to-medium building assembly, depending on how

much under gauge the middle stabilizer is and how responsive to weight the BHA
is. For any buildup BHA, the near-bit stabilizer has to be close to full gauge. The
smaller the hole size, the more critical this becomes.

The rate of increase in inclination (buildup rate, in °/100') is very important. The
safe maximum is about (5°/100'). If the rate of curvature of the well bore is high and
it occurs at a shallow depth, key seats may form in the curve as we drill ahead. If
the curve is cased, the casingg mayy become worn through g as the lower p part of the
hole is drilled. This wear is caused by the pipe rotating in tension past the area of
high curvature (Chapter 13). Several clients will set a dogleg severity maximum of
3°/100' (or even less).

It's important to be aware of the client's acceptable limit for buildup rate. The
effective stiffness of a drill collar increases as RPM is increased. This leads to a
reduced buildup rate.

As hole inclination increases, it becomes easier to build angle. Thus, where MWD
is available, it is advisable to survey every single during the buildup phase. This
allows the DD to avoid unnecessary and unwanted doglegs. Weight on bit may need
to be reduced and/or reaming initiated where such an acceleration in buildup rate
In order to keep the hole inclination within a small "window" (a so-called lockup
situation), a condition of zero net side force on the bit has to be aimed for. This type
of BHA must be stiff. The stiffness of the BHA also helps to control bit "walk".
In practice, slight changes in hole inclination often occur even with a good choice
of locked BHA. However, the objective is to get a complete bit run without needing
to POOH for a BHA change. Experience in a location should give the DD the data
for fine-tuning the BHA.

BHA No. 1 can have either a building or a dropping tendency. This BHA using 8"
collars in 17-1/2" hole in soft formation may barely hold inclination. However,
using the same BHA and collars in 12-1/4" hole may lead to a significant buildup
rate (0.5°-1.0°/100').

Reducing the gauge of the second stabilizer gives the same result as leaving the
stabilizer alone but increasing the distance between it and the near-bit by a certain
amount. However, for directional control purposes, the former approach is better.

Lockup BHA's account for the biggest percentage of hole drilled in deviated wells.
Thus the DD
Thus, DD'ss judgment and expertise in BHA selection is vital in saving trips.
trips
A typical lockup BHA for 12-1/4" hole at 30° inclination is shown in Figure 10-18.
If a slight build is called for (semi-build BHA), the second stabilizer should be
reduced in gauge - typically down to 12“ – 12 1/8”

The DD would be well advised to have at his disposal a range of under gauge
stabilizers from 11-1/2" up to 12-1/8" in increments of 1/8". .
BHA No. 5 (60' pendulum) is the most common where a high drop-off rate
(1.5°-4°/100') is needed, i.e., in "S"-type directional wells. However, “S"-type wells
are normally planned to have a drop-off rate of 1°- 2°/100'. This is in order to avoid
key seats and excessive wear on the drilling tubular. Thus, a common approach is to
start the drop-off earlier than the program with a less-aggressive BHA incorporating
an under gauge near-bit stabilizer (a modification of BHA No. 1). A drop-off rate of
about 1°-1.5°/100' is often achievable with such a BHA. When the inclination has
fallen to about 15
15° (at which point the gravity force is much less),
less) a round trip is
made. BHA No. 5 is then used to drill to TD. This plan should, however, be
discussed with the client before the job starts. An "extra" trip is involved.

Rate of drop-off usually slows significantly below 8°-10° inclination. When the
inclination falls to 2°, the well is considered vertical. However, the inclination
should continue to be monitored,
monitored to ensure it does not start to increase again.
again It
It'ss
advisable to ream each connection.

There is very little control over hole direction when using a pendulum BHA.
Sometimes the well walks excessively when using a tri-cone bit during the drop-off.
The DD should thus have some tolerance available in hole direction when he starts
the drop-off.
drop off RPM should be kept high (this also helps the drop-off
drop off rate).
rate)
A lock-up BHA incorporating an under gauge near-bit is known as a semi-drop
BHA. This type of BHA is often used in slant wells where the DD is "above the
line" and wants to drop into the target with a nice slow drop-off rate (typically
0.1°-0.5°/100'). The drop-off rate achieved is determined by how much under gauge
the near-bit is. Part of the art of the DD is to choose the correct stabilizer gauge in a
given situation. Experience from offset wells is indispensable.
31
Before a BHA is designed, an estimate is made of the maximum weight on bit
(WOB) which will be required. This will depend on the bit specification and on the
formation. On reaching bottom, the WOB actually applied will also depend on the
BHA's directional response.
A BHA must be picked up which has an available WOB appropriate to the given
situation. The number of drill collars should be kept to the minimum. HWDP is
used to give the remainder of the required WOB.
The Neutral Point (N) of a drill string is where the changeover from tension to
compression occurs. Everything below N is in compression. Everything above N is
in tension. Figure 11-1 shows a situation where N is in the DC's.
The weight per foot of each size of DC and HWDP is known. Thus, the weight in
air of any BHA is easily calculated. However, we must then correct this weight to
actual down-hole conditions in a deviated well.
In any well, the buoyancy effect of the mud on the drill string must be accounted
for.

Buoyancy factor = (density of steel – density of mud) / density of steel

F example
For l with
ith a 16 ppg mudd f = (65.5
(65 5 – 16) / 65.5
65 5 = 0.75
0 75
In deviated wells, the inclination must be allowed for in the calculation of available
WOB.
Available WOB = (Buoyed BHA Weight) × (cos Inclination)

Thus, in a well having an inclination of 45º, the BHA weight available as WOB is
only 71% of that available if the well were vertical.
Drill pipe must not be run in compression in a non-horizontal well. To ensure that
the drill pipe is always in tension, the neutral point must be either in the HWDP or
in the DC's. Obviously, the lower the WOB, the closer to the bit N is. Therefore, the
BHA must be designed to account for the worst case i.e. when maximum WOB is
applied.

A Safety Factor (SF) is used, if practical, in the calculation of the BHA weight
required. This is usually 10%.

A tapered drill string may be used. This normally involves use of two (or more)
sizes of DC's below the HWDP. The WOB calculation is done as above, allowing
for the different DC weights.
Drill pipe must not be run in compression in a non-horizontal well. To ensure that
the drill pipe is always in tension, the neutral point must be either in the HWDP or
in the DC's. Obviously, the lower the WOB, the closer to the bit N is. Therefore, the
BHA must be designed to account for the worst case i.e. when maximum WOB is
applied.

A Safety Factor (SF) is used, if practical, in the calculation of the BHA weight
required. This is usually 10%.

A tapered drill string may be used. This normally involves use of two (or more)
sizes of DC's below the HWDP. The WOB calculation is done as above, allowing
for the different DC weights.
37
It's fairly common to run a string stabilizer directly above the near-bit. This is
normally for directional control purposes. An alternative is to run a near-bit with a
longer gauge area (greater wall contact).

High rotary torque may result in either case. It is dangerous to run tandem
stabilizers directly after a more limber BHA. It's advisable to ream to bottom at the
first indication of the bit "taking weight".

Because of the increased stiffness of a tandem stabilizer, it's normally necessary to

increase the spacing between it and the next stabilizer, compared to when a standard
near-bit stabilizer is used.
40
In medium/hard formation where rotary torque is excessive, it may be necessary to
dispense with some or all of the stabilizers in the BHA. Roller reamers are a good
alternative. However, while they are relatively easy to rotate, they behave
differently to stabilizers from a directional viewpoint. As a rule, they have a
tendency to drop angle. Thus, the spacing between the near-bit roller reamer and the
lower string roller reamer/stabilizer has to be greater than in the conventional
lock-up using stabilizers only. The exact spacing should come from experience in
the area.
area
A tandem near-bit roller reamer/string stabilizer combination is another alternative.
It's important to check the condition of the roller reamers after each run and replace
the cutters/pins/blocks as required.

As a rule of thumb, to keep the same build or hold tendency the size of the RR
should
h ld be
b 1/8 under
d the
h size
i off the
h replaced
l d IBS stab. b
Adjustable Gauge Stabilizers could be called the first rotary steerable tools. They
allowed a BHA to be designed that was easily controlled in the vertical plane –
increase or decrease of inclination. There are many sizes and types available on the
market – Schlumberger D&M (3-position), Andergauge(2 position), Sperry Sun
Adjustable Stabilizer(2 Position), Halliburton Tracs (6 position).

The stabilizer can be run as a near bit (except for TRACS) or first string stabilizer.

Aim of the stabilizer is to design a BHA that slowly builds with the stabilizer in the
closed position and slowly drops with the stabilizer open.
BHA In very soft formation, jetting is an easy and cost-effective way to kick off a
well. Jetting is perfectly compatible with MWD. Although some "spudding" of the
drill string is normally required, the shock loading on the MWD tool is not
excessive (formation is soft).

Jetting has the advantage that the well can be kicked off along the required direction
and the inclination built up all the way to maximum angle in one run.

Another application of jetting is "nudging" a well on a multi-well platform. Where

insufficient/imprecise survey information is available for surrounding wells, jetting
is a safer anti-collision approach than using a mud motor.

As mentioned
A ti d previously,
i l a jetting
j tti BHA is
i a modified
difi d buildup
b ild BHA.
BHA Aligning
Ali i theth
key of the mule shoe sleeve directly above the center of the large open nozzle
(where two blanks are used) or above the center of the two large nozzles (where one
blank is used) is the basic difference.

Precautions to be taken when running a jetting BHA:

1. Plan the job! Pick up enough drill collars in the BHA (kickoff point is
shallow) to allow sufficient BHA weight for spudding/slacking off as required.
Ensure that the driller does not spud with more weight than you have available.
Otherwise, a bent kelly/string will result (not a good situation!). It's advisable to
have 12x8" drill collars and 30x5" HWDP in the string when doing a jetting job.
A "Gilligan" BHA is a flexible buildup BHA designed for certain specific
applications where high buildup rates are required, e.g. in a conventional DD job
when we're far “below the line" on the directional plot - probably also with
significantly less inclination than needed at that point; in horizontal drilling - use of
rotary buildup is faster and easier in the buildup phase (less hole friction) for the
DD than using a mud motor - provided hole direction can be corrected later using a
steerable motor.
Buildup
B ild rates off the
h order
d off 6°-11°/100'
6° 11°/100' are possible,
ibl depending
d di on the h flexibility
fl ibili
of the tubular component (flexible collar, heavyweight or even drill pipe) directly
above the near-bit stabilizer. It's vital to take surveys at close intervals to “track" the
buildup rate achieved. Again, as hole inclination increases, buildup rate increases.
It was quite common before the advent of mud motors to use a type of gilligan BHA
to perform a “blind” sidetrack (vertical well) by “bouncing off” the cement plug.
This would
Thi ld iinclude
l d a fl
flexible
ibl joint
j i (e.g.
( heavyweight)
h i h ) directly
di l above
b the
h bit.
bi
Because of its crude nature and high dog-leg severity induced, this latter application
for a gilligan BHA is seldom, if ever, seen
A hole opener is usually designed as a fixed-diameter tool (Figure 5-18). Hole
openers are used to open pilot holes. Various formation-type cutters are available.
The cutters and nozzles can be changed on the rig-site. The use of a bull nose
(rather than a bit) below the hole opener when opening directional pilot holes is
strongly recommended. Hole openers are usually manufactured PIN UP.

In directional wells the BHA needs to be stabilized but flexible – you do not want to
design a packed BHA to fit into a curved borehole.

Is there a necessity to run MWD tools? Probably not, but most clients run them out
of habit. What are you going to use it for? Do you need it to see if you have side
tracked? You hopefully have a bull nose below the hole-opener – you are not going
to drill far with this – yyou have a weight
g indicator which will tell you
y if the bull
nose is hanging up. You there fore have no need for an MWD tool, but as we’ve
said, try telling this to some clients.

BULLNOSE – this will be around 7 – 9 feet long depending on hole size – bigger
the hole, longer the bull nose. It needs to be strap welded to the bull nose to ensure
it is not g
goingg to back off. Ported or non-ported?
p If it is going
g g to be ported
p have the
ports pointing upwards – you do not want ports pointing down that could possibly
enable some washing of the whole and hence un-intentional side-tracking.
When running a hole opener or reamer above the PowerDrive Xtra tool, the
opener/reamer may require that mud flow be diverted through it to energize
or clean the tool. This diverted mud flow must be considered when selecting
the impeller configuration of the PowerDrive Xtra tool and the bit/flow
restrictor
nozzles. The flow rate to be bypassed must be estimated, and the expected
flow
rate through the PowerDrive Xtra tool calculated. This flow rate is then
calculated
as the total flow rate less the bypassed flow rate.
Impeller and nozzle selection for the PowerDrive Xtra tool must be made
using
the calculated flow rate. For the flow rates of the PowerDrive Xtra impeller
sets,
refer to the specification section for the PowerDrive Xtra tool size being
used.
Example
As an example
example, consider the following scenario
scenario. A client wants to drill a well
pumping a 13 ppg mud at 650 gpm with a reamer that has jets set to bypass
230
gpm. If the diverted flow is not taken into account, the flow rate through the
PowerDrive Xtra PD675 tool would be considered to be 650 gpm, and the bit
jetted with 5 x 15/32, for a planned 680 psi bit pressure drop. Taking the flow
47
48
49
 Type of Stabilizer •
Select a straight blade sleeve for most steerable assemblies. Straight blade sleeves
allow for easier sliding. Additional advantages are larger junk slots, which allow for
hole cleaning in soft formations.
•
Select a slick sleeve or housing when running a Rotating Near Bit Stabilizer
((RNBS)) of anyy kind or where local experience
p indicates it would provide
p better
directional performance.
•
Select a spiral blade sleeve where local experience shows it provides better
directional control due to the 360° coverage in rotary mode.
•
Select a heavy-duty sleeve when drilling hard and abrasive formations.
Rotating Near Bit Stabilizers (RNBS) are available both as sleeves for installation
on an extended motor drive shaft, or as a separate sub for installation between a
conventional drive shaft and the bit. In both case they rotate continuously with the
drive shaft.
51
Strategy for BHA Design by order of importance to client:
-POOH 1: If shocks exceed Level 2 (and not able to reduce shock levels).
-POOH 2: If DLS not achieved.
-POOH 3: If no ROP.
Key factors:
Bit design feature for shocks and vibrations (speak about bit aggressivity, bit
stability).
Gauge length importance as explained by the three points concept sketch.

Point 2 to point 3 distance that is pad to Stab distance is then brought up then stab
size and flex
flex.
Lessons learned in a high shock environment (Content
ID:3926053)
Schlumberger was contracted to finish drilling the 9 1/2" hole. A
PowerDrive was run to drill the last 730 meters of the producing
sandstone, initially drilled by one of our competitors in Brazil. The
competitor was replaced after 3 failures (2 Geo-pilot and one
MWD), and drilling just 228 meters in 3 runs. That was high shock
due to wrong Bit selection.
selection
Lessons learned in a high shock environment (Content
ID:3926053)
Schlumberger was contracted to finish drilling the 9 1/2" hole. A
PowerDrive was run to drill the last 730 meters of the producing
sandstone, initially drilled by one of our competitors in Brazil. The
competitor was replaced after 3 failures (2 Geo-pilot and one
MWD), and drilling just 228 meters in 3 runs. That was high shock
due to wrong Bit selection.
selection
56
57
Underguage Stabilizers with PowerDrive tools
05/30/04 Content ID:2020344
We have used UG stabs for a while in Norway with great success.
We are using 8 3/8" melon shaped stabs in 8 1/2" holes. The main
reason for this is to avoid stick/slip and vibration.
The UG stab has made it possible to drill much longer runs, and
also the maintenance cost of the stabs has been greatly reduced.
If the tool fails, it still drops angle, but slightly less than with 8
1/2'' stab.
I think you have to reduce this stab to a 7 3/4" if you want this to
be a holding BHA.
This again will take away a lot of the steerability
PowerDrive 900 Lessons Learned on Zulf-320(Content
ID:3321074)
Some stabilizers with a 360 deg blade coverage may increase
torque and stick slip, as well as some PDC bits.
When this occurs if the rig limits your options for RPM, etc. you
may not be able to cure the problem.
IBS or non IBS? Content ID:3896212 (That mean’s CU
stabilizer)
Wellbore quality for a client was worse with an IBS tool than with a
non IBS tool. IBS tools tend to have natural build tendency which
is not good for tangents.
For long runs with PowerDrive we aim to get the BHA balanced so
that the tool has to do a minimal amount of work. The IBS tool in
PowerDrive Xtra - Standard flex joints (Non RT link) Content
ID:3856318

THE FLEX DECOUPLES POWERDRIVE FROM THE REST OF THE

BHA.
PowerDrive Xtra - Investigation into loss of directional
control (ING – DEC) Content ID:3931600
The evidence supports the theory that the flexible BHA in a low inclination
wellbore under high
axial loading (WOB) behaved unpredictably, and ultimately overcame the
PowerDrive steering
force to effect a “kick-off”
kick off from the planned well path strongly to the right.
right At
the application of
very high WOB, the PowerDrive assembly behaved much the same as a
“Gilligan” kick-off BHA
that are deliberately designed to force a kick-off with a standard Rotary
assembly.
Better
B tt evaluation
l ti off th
the BHA sensitivity
iti it to
t inclination
i li ti andd WOB.
WOB
Avoid the use of flex-joints if possible and careful use of
parameters and / or well-path design to minimise risk.
Directional response from the PD900 although consistent and
predictable and delivering the required DLS over the majority of
the run, suddenly responded in a bizarre manner that gave a 5
deg/100
g/ turn to the right
g while drillingg at a 0/100%
/ setting.
g
Mud weight change During run.
Displacing well to heavier fluid caused Bias Unit seals to
fail:Content ID:3912459
When running PowerDrive Xtra, please be aware that increasing
the mud weight(including pumping a pill) can result in the
differential pressure across the Bias Unit to exceed the specified
800 psi pressure limit for the seals.
You must recalculate the hydraulics and take into account the u-
tubing affect of the denser fluid displacing the lighter fluid in the
annulus.
PowerDrive with Stabilized control collar was not able to deliver enough DLS
needed to turn and drop as required 3983588
Reduction in dogleg of up to 30%, when running a Vortex. In Norway they have run
a flex between the motor and the PD to reduce this drop in DLS.

The vortex motor has the new angular bearings. It contains a filter to pick up any
rubber from the motor. It does not have the bearing housing and it has a new design
/ stronger universal joint.
The tool must be run with a float sub fitted above the Control Unit to prevent
damage to the Bias Unit seals. There is provision for fitting a float valve
between the E-Mag Link Transmitter and Receiver. The loss of the float valve
provision with the addition of the lower LTB (e.g. RAB tool) is therefore not
a problem.
• If running a RSS tool below a motor (PowerDrive vorteX) a straight housing
should be used. Having an adjustable bent housing, even if set to zero
degrees, puts a kink in the motor which can cause vibrations in the BHA.
66
Formation effects – change in hardness, dip or strike, faults etc. all lead to changes
in how the BHA reacts.

Worn bits – drop in ROP could lead to a decrease in net side force if the near bit
stabilizer is able to under cut the hole

Accidental
A id t l sidetrack
id t k – care needs d to
t be
b taken
t k whenh runningi a rotary
t assembly
bl into
i t
the hole after drilling thru soft formation with a steerable motor assembly. Try
washing thru tights spots with-out rotation. If rotation required keep it low and to a
minimum.

Pinched bit – do not try to cram a full gauge bit into under gauge – bit life will be
very short
h t

Differential Sticking – may need to run more stabilizers to lift collars of the
borehole wall

Drilling Parameters
High rotary/top drive RPM acts to stiffen the string. Thus, for directional control, if
possible, high RPM should be used during the rotary buildup phase, when the BHA
is most limber. Typical values in 17-1/2" hole during rotary build/lock phases with a
milled- tooth bit would be 160-170. In 12-1/4" hole, RPM is normally less (e.g.
100-140), due to bit life and other factors.
70