Petroleum Engineering 406

Lesson 21
Wellbore Trajectory Control
Lesson 18 - Wellbore Trajectory Control

4 Bent Motor and Bent Sub

4 Examples
4 Directional Drilling Measurements
4 Single Shot and Multishot
4 Magnetic and Gyro
4 Steering Tools
4 MWD tools
 Homework

READ: “Applied Drilling Engineering”,

Ch. 8 (to page 390)
 Nonmagnetic
Drill Collar

Orienting Sub
Hole
Bent Sub
Mud Motor

Bent Sub
Angle
Bit

Fig. 8.39: Bent sub unconstrained

and constrained in a wellbore.
b is not necessarily equal to the bent sub angle, but it may be close in (a) above
Problem 1
4 Determine the effective bent sub
response for a 1 1/2o bent sub in a
motor run where at 6,357’, a = 1o and
e is S85E and at 6,382, aN = 1o and eN
is S20E; the tool face is 160o right of
high side.
  160 

 1  N  1 
  65

  95 
  160 
N
L  25 ft
 Solution to Problem 1
4 Calculate b from Eq. 8.53:
  cos 1
 cos   sin  N sin   cos  N cos  
 cos 1
cos 65 
sin 1 sin 1  cos 1 cos 1
   

1
 cos 0 . 999824  1 . 07 

4 Dogleg severity:
i 100
    1 . 07   4 . 28 o
L 25 100 ft
Solution to Problem 1 - cont’d
4 If the mud motor length is 25 ft from the
bit face to the bent sub, the maximum
angle change that could be reached if
there are no restrictions is:
100
  1 .5   6 .0 o
25 100 ft
4 The lower rate of build implies that the
formation resisted the maximum rate of
build by a factor of: 4 . 3 
 0 . 72
6 .0 

An efficiency factor?
 b = Bent Sub Angle?

4 Since the value of b for any given run

may differ from the bent sub angle, it
should not surprise us if
De predicted = De measured

4 Let us look at some examples.

Fig. 8.40: Example of three jetting stops while trying to
kick off and set the wellbore lead.

th  77

th  14 
th  33 

ac  62 
ac  16  ac  30 
 Jetted 7’ 1745-52’
o
Surv 1722’: S32W 2.25

Nozzle Orientation
o
g = -122

Orient S90E
Final 1799’:
o
S30E 2.75

th  77 ac  62 
 o
g = -80

Jetted 12’ 1850-62’

o
Surv 1814’ S20E 3.0

Orient N80E
o
Final 1877’ S36E 3.25
th  14
ac  16 
 o
g = -74

Jetted 6’ 1925-31’
o
Surv 1877’ S36E 3.25

Orient N70E
o
Final 1940’ S66E 4.75
th  33
ac  30 
Directional Drilling
Measurements
4 The trajectory of a wellbore is determined
by the measurement of:

h inclination q, a, I
h direction f, e, A
h measured depth DMD, DL, L
Directional Drilling
Measurements - cont’d

4 A tool-face measurement is required to

orient:
h a whipstock
h the large nozzle on a jetting bit
h a bent sub or bent housing
Directional Drilling
Measurements - cont’d

4 Tools available
h single-shot magnetic or gyroscopic
h multi-shot magnetic or gyroscopic
h magnetometers, accelerometers,
MWD tools
Magnetic Single-Shot Instrument
4 Records
– inclination
– direction
– tool face position
on sensitized paper or photographic film
4 Inclination may be determined by
– a float on a liquid
– a pendulum
Magnetic Single-Shot Instrument

4 Unit may be triggered by:

– clock timer.
– inertial timer (after stop).

4 Unit may be dropped (pumped down)

and later retrieved by wireline or the
drillpipe.
Magnetic Single-Shot Instrument

4 Single-shot instruments are used:

– to monitor progress of directional-
control well.
– to monitor progress of deviation-control
well.
– to help orient tool face for trajectory
change.
Magnetic Single-Shot
Instrument - cont’d

4 Procedure:
– load film into instrument
– activate timer (activate stopwatch)
– make up the tool
– drop the tool
– retrieve tool (wireline or drillpipe)
 Light
Housing
Center Post
Float
Fluid
Reference Mark

Main Frame
Photographic
Disc
o
A. 0-20 B. 0-70o
Angle-Compass Unit Angle-Compass Unit
Fig. 8.41: Schematic diagrams of magnetic single-shot
angle-compass unit (courtesy Kuster Co.).
 1. Pendulum
Fig. 8.43: 2. Circular Glass
Pendulum
3. Compass
suspended
4. Pressure equalization
inclinometer
and 5. Cover glass
compass
unit for a 0 to
o
17 o singe- o
Indicated inclination 5 .
shot unit. Direction of inclination
N 45 degrees 0’ or
azimuth 45 degrees.
A/C Units Plumb-Bob Units Incl. Only Units

Fig. 8.42:
Single-shot
film disks
(courtesy of
Kuster Co.).

• Inclination
• Direction
• Tool Face Angle
 Fig. 8.12:
Pendulum assembly:
a) plumb-bob angle unit
b) drift arc inclinometer

Pendulum

Glass ring

Piston

(a) (b)
 Fig. 8.13: Hole direction with
Schematic reference to Magnetic North
drawing of
magnetic
single and
multi-shot
instruments.

o
N35 W
o
I = 5.5
Compass
Inclination Scale

Fig. 8.44:
Cardan suspended
compass and
inclinometer for a
single-shot
o o
5 to 90 unit.
 Wire Line Socket
Overshot Rope Socket
Swivel
Stabilizer
Stabilizer Fingers

Fig. 8.45:
Protective Case Typical
Orienting
magnetic
Anchor & Plug single-shot
tool with
Mule Shoe
Mandrel landing sub.
Bottom Hole
Orienting Sub
Bottom Landing Assembly

Takes time. Rig time is costly. Temperature limitation. May have to pump down.
 Ready to Free Falling Tool Retrieve
be Dropped to Bottom seated single shot

Fig. 8.46: Typical single-shot operation.

 Timer On
3 min.
Compass Unit Single Shot
Ready to be
*Single Shot Dropped
Instruments are
run on slickline if
there is a mule Single Shot
shoe sub in the Free Falling in
hole
Mud to Bottom

Fig. 8.46:
Non
Magnetic Typical
Drill Collar single-shot
Orienting Sub operation.
Sleeve
 3
Fig. 8.46: min. Wireline
Typical 10 min.
unit to
single-shot
Overshot retrieve
operation.
Used to single
Fish shot
Tool seated Single
in orienting Shot
sleeve or at
stop taking
picture
 Fishing Neck
Top View Non Magnetic Collar
Direction of Single Shot
Tool Face Via Mule Shoe Orienting Sub
Bent Sub
Orienting Sleeve Lined up with Bent Sub

Bent Sub
Mule Shoe Mud
Key Position Motor Fig. 8.47:
Arrangement of the
mule shoe for
Existing orienting a mud motor.
Centerline
New Centerline
Magnetic Multishot Instruments

4 Are capable of taking numerous survey

records in one run.
4 May be dropped down the drillpipe or run
on wireline in open hole.
4 The unit contains a watch that is spring
wound and uses the power of the spring
to operate a timer cam.
Non-Magnetic Drill Collar(s)

Compass Position
Fig. 8.48:
Multi-shot Instrument
Typical
arrangement
for landing a
multi-shot
Landing Plate
instrument.
 Bottom Landing
Fig. 8.49:
Rope Socket
Stabilizer with Rubber Pins Drop
multi-shot
Battery Case
Battery
survey
Connector
Connector instrument
Shock
Absorber Protective Instrument Barrel
Watch
Angle Unit
Assembly

Barrel Lower Ball Plug

Aluminum Spacer Bar

Bottom Shock Absorber

Assembly
 Light
Switch
Geneva
Watch Section Motor Lever
Gear

Knife Geneva Drive

Winding Switch Motor Wheel Assembly
Stem Lever
Watch Switch Terminal Film Sprocket
Switch

Time Cycle Cam Takeup Film Supply

Spool Film Spool

Fig. 8.50: Views of the watch and camera

unit of a typical multi-shot tool.
Magnetic Multishot - cont’d

4 The multishot tool is usually dropped down

the drillpipe and landed in the nonmagnetic
drill collar.
4 During the trip out, a survey is taken every
90 ft, i.e. every stand.
Magnetic Multishot - cont’d

4 More closely spaced stations could be

obtained by stopping the pipe more often,
and waiting for a picture.

4 A stopwatch at the surface is synchronized

with the instrument watch.
 Fig. 8.51:
Use of the
surface
watch while
running a
magnetic
multi-shot
operation.

Synchronize with instrument watch by

starting at the instant camera lights go on.
Time Intervals:

A. 10 seconds -
Lights are on, exposing film
B. 15 seconds - Delay before moving.
This is an allowance for instrument
watch lag during survey.
Time Intervals - cont’d
C. 20 seconds - Instrument is idle
allowing movement of drill string without
affecting picture. Most moves require
sufficient time for taking one or more
shots while moving
D. 15 seconds - Minimum time for plumb
bob and compass to settle for good
picture, plus allowance for instrument
gain during survey.
 Fig. 8.52b:
Projection of
one survey
frame for
determining
inclination and
direction.
Steering Tools
Standard
4 Used with mud Measuring
motors and bent sub Cable

4 Can either pull every

stand or use a side
entry sub for Monel DC
Probe
continuous drilling
Mule Shoe
Bent Sub

Mud Motor
MWD Tools
MWD Tools
 Gyroscopic Tools
4 Non-magnetic drill
collars used to prevent
magnetic interference
from drillstring
4 Gyros used if magnetic
interference is from
non drillstring source