Everything Rotates

摘要

Directional drilling technology got a big boost with the introduction of mud motors. Indeed, the whole notion of "designer wells" emanated from the step-change in steering capability motors provided, and within a few short years, they were found in almost every oil and gas province worldwide. Coupled with measurement-while-drilling (MWD) sensors that provided tool orientation data along with key drilling parameters such as weight-on-bit and toolface, motors powered the bit into a new era. The introduction of logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools brought another step-change. For the first time, wells could be steered using geological data transmitted in real time to the surface, rather than the geometrical information MWD assemblies provided. Thus, "GeoSteering," meaning geological steering, came of age.