Maximising unconventional drilling efforts in Mideast

With growing interest in unconventional wells in the Middle East, eliminating downhole vibrations is crucial for achieving faster drilling speeds and lowering operating costs which benefits oilfield service companies and operators, Robert Borne tells OGN

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THE recent joint venture between Adnoc Drilling, SLB and Patterson-UTI not only adds 144 wells to Adnoc’s operational portfolio to unlock important energy resources but also marks an important shift in the Middle East’s oil and gas production.

This pivotal partnership will quickly expand unconventional drilling practices across the region that will echo the unconventional drilling, production and completion applications that are common in the West.

A focus on unconventional drilling brings new challenges to oilfield service companies and operators alike.

Speed is paramount, as drilling faster enables more unconventional wells to be completed in less time.

However, achieving greater speed requires oilfield service companies to push drilling equipment much harder, and that subjects expensive downhole tools and electronics to costly damage from vibrations.

In many cases, oilfield service companies must cover the costs of damaged downhole components and related nonproductive time (NPT) in the event of downhole failures.

It becomes an operational imperative to neutralise the vibrations that are encountered when drilling speeds increase, and mitigating drilling dysfunctions caused by near-bit vibrations allows weight on bit (WOB) and the rate of penetration (ROP) to increase without incurring drill bit or bottom hole assembly (BHA) damage, Robert Borne, CEO, Neo Oiltools, tells OGN energy magazine.

ELIMINATING VIBRATIONS FOR GREATER DRILLING SPEED & EFFICIENCY

In drilling, many dysfunctions can start at the drill bit. As a formation is drilled, the bit-rock interaction causes vibrations in the drill string.

There are four key types of vibrations that can be created from this interaction that cause drilling dysfunction: axial, lateral, and torsional or radial vibrations.