Advanced drilling and LWD technologies improve drilling performance

摘要

Barnett shale of North Texas is the most prolific and fastest growing natural gas field in North America. The field has a multi-trillion cubic feet equivalent of upside potential, but efficient extraction of natural gas from the Barnett shale poses several drilling and completion challenges. The drilling challenges included unacceptably low penetration rates, premature bit damage, high torque and drag. Drillstring buckling, bit whirl, and stick-slip were resulting in inefficient transfer of weight on bit, premature bit damage and reduced ROP. To overcome these challenges, the bottomhole assemblies (BHA) and drill strings were modelled to eliminate buckling and improve transfer of weight on the bit. Additionally, advanced directional drilling technologies were implemented that significantly improved drilling performance. This is the first part of a two -part series . The second part will appear in the next issue.