Schlumberger to develop special application rotary steerable system
Posted: 4 September 2003
Shell, BP to support technology development of slimhole,
through-tubing rotary drilling tool
Schlumberger Oilfield Services announced today that it has signed
a contract with Shell UK Ltd and BP Exploration Operating Company
Ltd. to develop a rotary steerable system for slimhole drilling
and through-tubing rotary drilling (TTRD) applications.
“With the push to maximize production from mature reservoirs
where the drilling targets are becoming smaller and smaller, we
had to find a way of reducing drilling costs and sidetracking from
an existing but obsolete well. TTRD is a good way of doing that,”
said Todd Franks, well engineer, Technology Team, Shell U.K. Exploration
and Production. “Developing a rotary steerable system for
drilling slimholes will help us reach targets and achieve drilling
performance comparable to conventional hole sizes.”
The new system will offer a step-change in the cost of drilling
with rotary steerable technology when applied through tubing since
there is no need to pull the completion string for redrills. The
system is expected to reduce the cost of accessing infill-drilling
targets and enable the economic recovery of small pockets of trapped
hydrocarbons in tough environments, such as existing fields in the
North Sea.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Schlumberger, BP and
Shell to jointly develop a piece of leading-edge technology,”
said Ian Searle, senior drilling engineer, BP Exploration Operating
Company Ltd. “The system will play a significant role in unlocking
additional recoverable reserves and extending the life of the North
Sea oil industry.”
Schlumberger plans to develop and build the new system by 2005,
using its experience with the PowerDrive Xtra* 475 rotary steerable
system for 6-inch hole size. This technology is unique in that it
offers full rotation of the entire drillstring at uniform speed.
There are no stationary components to create friction that reduce
efficiency. Effectively there is no physical "anchor"
to hold up the bottomhole assembly (BHA) during drilling. Efficient
flow of drilled cuttings past the BHA ensures fewer cuttings are
reground, maximizing rate of penetration.
Adds Paal Kibsgaard, president, Drilling & Measurements, Schlumberger
Oilfield Services. “This collaboration with Shell and BP underscores
our focused, global approach in implementing drilling strategies
and ensures that development of a special application system will
progress rapidly from research to product development. The introduction
of such a new technology will enable drilling of previously unattainable
targets.”
Rotary steering with slimhole, through-tubing rotary steerable
technology has major implications in mature areas like the North
Sea, where the trend is toward field life extension. Cost discipline
is crucial on redrills of existing wellbores designed to drain small
pools of hydrocarbons. Drilling 6-in. and smaller hole as the primary
size for infill sidetracks removes the cost of preparing the well
by cutting and pulling the tubulars in place to accommodate a larger
hole tool.
The system will be developed and built at the Schlumberger Global
Drilling Technology Center located in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire,
U.K. For more information on rotary steerable systems, go to http://www.slb.com/oilfield/powerdrive.
About Schlumberger
Schlumberger is a global oilfield and information services company
with major activity in the energy industry. The company employs
78,000 people of more than 140 nationalities working in 100 countries
and comprises three primary business segments.
Schlumberger Oilfield Services is the world's premier oilfield
services company supplying a wide range of technology services and
solutions to the international oil and gas industry. WesternGeco,
jointly owned with Baker Hughes, is the world's largest and most
advanced surface seismic company.
SchlumbergerSema is a leading supplier of IT consulting, systems
integration, and network and infrastructure services to the energy
industry, as well as to the public sector, telecommunications and
finance markets.
In 2002, Schlumberger operating revenue was $13.2 billion.
For more information see www.slb.com.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
Information supplied by companies
or PR agencies who are responsible for content. Send press releases
to info@pipelinedubai.com |
