Application of rotary geosteering drilling in deep and thin reservoirs of the Tarim

Basin, NW China

1. İntroduction

The implementation of bent housing PDM 1 is ineffective for guiding the wellbore
trajectory to the pay zone in deep reservoirs with complicated geology structures.
Thanks to its technical benefits in such complicated reservoirs, rotary geosteering
drilling is becoming a progressively more ubiquitous technique. Globally, the
number of wells equipped with both rotary-steerable drilling and geosteering has
increased dramatically in the last couple of decades. For instance, Schlumberger
Company's geosteering-enabled well count soared from approximately 300 in 2006
to 700 in 2009, and its rotary steerable drilling footage boosted from 5 898 km in
2006 to 19 740 km in 2011. Statistics imply that approximately 345 horizontal
wells have been drilled in complex reservoirs thanks to this technique.

The Tarim oilfield block features thin sandstone reservoirs with deep burial depth,
modest thickness, and instability at the structural border. Rotary geosteering
drilling became available to develop this kind of reservoir deeper and more
effectively, and ongoing attempts have been made to customize the methodology
to the block's particular formation conditions and ensure the wellbore trajectory is
in the most optimal position of the pay zone.

2. Technical challenges in the Tarim Oilfield

2.1 Strict guidelines for trajectory control.

Maintaining a consistent build-up rate of tools in mudstone in deviated sections

requires real-time monitoring and calculation of the slope degree. When the actual
trajectory does not match the intended one, a timely modification is necessary. The
scope of a target window in a thin pay zone is limited, with a half-target height of
only 0.5 m. Precise landing angles are necessary to allow for adjustments to the
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Positive Displacement Motor
borehole trajectory. LWD2/MWD3 is depended on to collect details such as the
angle between the actual trajectory and formation throughout horizontal drilling to
assure reservoir hit ratios.

2.2 Thin and deep layers

Overall depth is between 5,500 and 6,000 meters, with most targets being more
than 5,000 meters deep vertically. While employing standard slide drilling, friction
and torque increase with depth, as do the needs for MWD signal transmission. The
objectives are two groups of sandstones with narrow pay regions (1-2 m thick). To
improve development, double-step horizontal drilling must be used. The rotary
drilling mode utilized in rotary geosteering drilling, which is favorable to chopping
removal and hole cleaning, may greatly reduce drag while increasing horizontal
section extension capabilities.

2.3 Long open-hole segment with diverse lithology.

Approximately 5,000 meters of the second drilling segment include a thieving zone
and sloughing zone located in the same borehole, making weight transfer to the bit
and differential sticking hard. Various sandstone-mudstone interbeds and intense
abrasion cause inconsistent drilling duration. As a result, drilling fluid viscosity
and shear strength should be carefully managed, bit types should be chosen based
on steering gear operating characteristics, and short-range tripping should be
utilized often to aid cutting removal in rotary drilling.

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Logging While Drilling
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Measurement While Drilling