Remote Directional Drilling

and Logging in the Arctic

Drilling Technology and Rigs

January,16th 2019
 Table of Contents
Arctic Weather and Polar Environment

Challenges to Face

Remote Directional Drilling and Logging

in the Arctic as a Drilling Technology

Advantages and Disadvantages

 Arctic Weather and the Polar
Environment

Summer Temperatures
range from about −10
to +10 °C (14 to 50 °F),
with some land areas
occasionally exceeding
30 °C (86 °F)
Image 1: Arctic Environment
Source: google Images
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Image 2: The Arctic
Source: google Images
MAPA

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 Challenges to Face
Challenges of Remote Operations
Key Elements:
• People: Select the right profiles and competency levels

• Infrastructure: should be equipped with a standard kit that provides a

reliable fit-for-purpose communication channel, ensuring continuous
remote control.

• Processes: hazard analysis and risk-control documents, responsible,

accountable, consulted, and informed charts; escalation matrices;
emergency response plans; remote operation standards and remote
operation implementacion guidelines. 5
 Challenges to Face
Challenges of the Arctic
• Work in such an extreme environment, temperature is only one of the
reasons these enviroments are seen as harsh.

• These environments also experience cyclic opportunities for operations

• The environment is isolated from proper infrastructure, and it can take

twice as many employees to perform a given task.

• The Cost of special equipment, the cost of transport, and the cost of
infrastructure
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 Remote Directional Drilling
and Logging in the Arctic
• Remote- Operations History In Russia
2009 : Two Remote Operations Centers which supports Russia’s land
Operations were set up in Tyumen and Irkutsk.

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3 5
Images 3 and 4: Tyumen and Irkutsk, respectively.
Image 5: Russian Land ROC
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 Remote Directional Drilling
and Logging in the Arctic
The Tasks performed by the engineers at the
rigsite were divided in two types:

1. Physical: are necesary only when donwhole

tools are above the rotatory table.

2. Mechanical : the main tasks for engineers are

in the logging unit, monitoring Drilling
parameters, making logs, generating reports,
and controlling trajectory.
Image 6: Arctic Rig

Source: Google Image 8

 Remote Directional Drilling
and Logging in the Arctic
To manage the risk, operations were moved to the office from the rigsite
in distinc steps :
• Moving MWD operations: the roles of wellsite engineer and remote-operations engineer were
split.
• The MWD engineer at the rigsite was now responsible for physical equipment preparations,
1 surface equipment instalation and the weekly inventory check.
• When all is ready Remote- operations engineer begins working from the office.

• The Bottomhole assembly is made up and run below the rotatory table
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• The engineer monitors data quality and tool performace, reviews and accepts surveys from
downhole telemetry tools, and generates real-time logs to be sent to the client.
• The rigsite engineer can monitor surface equipment and help troubleshoot issues when
3 necessary.

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 Advantages
The Crew size at the rig could be
reduced to two engineers
The remote engineers no longer
needs to spend time on the rig floor
The relocation reduce health, safety,
and environment risks exposure and
also the cost of personnel
transportation
Remote Operations are being
pursued as a reliable alternative when
the field has huge potential to bring
value
Disadvantages
The processes needs engineers with
the ability to monitor operations
remotely and control the operations
for more than one rig at the same
time . It means that hiring this staff
generates a high additional cost.
The relocation increase the risk of
miscommunication because parts of
the field team are now thousands of
kilometers apart.
Most Operators requiere oversight of
the directional – drilling engineer to
avoid legal problems
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 Bibliographic Reference
• Alexey Stepnov, Anton Madyashov and Juan Raul Elizondo
Gonzalez (2016) paper SPE178873. Special Publications Editor
Adam Wilson in JPT February 2017. A Close Look at Shales´s
Comeback. Page 50.

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