New Technology Enables Rigs with Limited Pump Pressure Capacity to Utilize the Latest Friction Reduction Technology

摘要

This paper presents a case study of the successful use of existing friction reduction technology coupled with advanced tool designs to allow optimization of the friction reduction system for the application. Friction reduction in vertical, directional and horizontal wells can be critical to enable the transfer of weight to the drill bit. Excessive friction can limit the driller’s ability to maintain tool face and to get weight to the bit, thus limiting the depth and accuracy of the well. There are various tools currently on the market that help mitigate friction in different ways; the most commonly used tool is the Drilling Agitator System (DAS). A limitation for these tools in some cases is the amount of pressure drop these tools create, which increases the stand pipe pressure while drilling. This can be a limitation for contractors and operators who are already reaching the limits of their pump pressure capacity with their current drilling BHAs. This limitation prevents a segment of the drilling market from the ability to use these friction reduction tools. Additionally, as the need to drill farther horizontally to retrieve natural resources increases, the need for a low pressure friction reduction tool that can effectively break friction while adding a smaller amount of pressure to the drilling system is more desireable. This paper focuses on the development of an advanced tool design capable of reducing the amount of pressure added to the stand pipe by the Drilling Agitator System (DAS). A discussion of the design of the tools, case histories and field trial results will be presented.