The Best of Both WorldsA Hybrid Rotary

Steerable System

Edwin Felczak
Ariel Torre
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Neil D. Godwin
Kate Mantle
Sivaraman Naganathan
Stonehouse, England

The transition from vertical to horizontal drilling has been spurred by evolving

Richard Hawkins
Ke Li
Sugar Land, Texas, USA

technology that led the industry away from a dependency on conventional bottomhole
assemblies and whipstocks and toward mud motors and rotary steerable systems.
The latest innovation is a hybrid design that combines the performance capabilities of

Stephen Jones
Katy, Texas

a rotary steerable system with the high build rates of a positive displacement motor.

Fred Slayden
Houston, Texas
Oilfield Review Winter 2011/2012: 23, no. 4.
Copyright 2012 Schlumberger.
For help in preparation of this article, thanks to Elizabeth
Hutton and Emmanuelle Regrain, Houston; and Edward
Parkin, Stonehouse, England.
DOX, Drilling Office, IDEAS, PERFORM Toolkit, PowerDrive
Archer, PowerDrive X5 and PowerPak are marks of
Schlumberger.

The shortest distance between two points is a

straight line. However, it may not be the fastest,
or most economical, when it comes to directional
drilling. E&P companies increasingly turn to
complex well trajectories to hit distant targets,

Kickoff p

oint

Kickoff

intersect fractures, penetrate multiple fault

blocks or reach deep into a reservoir. Although
more difficult to drill than other profiles, these
well paths often improve drainage efficiency by
increasing wellbore exposure to the pay zone.

PowerDrive
A
Positive di rcher rotary steerabl
splacemen
e system
t motor
Conventio
nal rotary
steerable
system

point

Landing

point

TD
Landing

36

point

TD

Oilfield Review

Complex horizontal and extended-reach trajectories are just the current apex in the evolution of directional drilling. The first nonvertical
wells were not intentionally drilled that way, but
by the late 1920s, drillers began to figure out how
to point a wellbore in a particular direction.
Since then, directional drilling technology has
progressed beyond a reliance on basic bottomhole assemblies for influencing the course a bit
might take, to using surface-controlled rotary
steerable systems that precisely guide the bit to
its ultimate destination. During the past decade,
the development of new drilling technologies has
continued to gain momentum.
This article describes advances that led to the
development of rotary steerable systems and
focuses on one of the latest steps in their evolution:
the PowerDrive Archer rotary steerable system.
This hybrid system produces the high build rate of a
positive displacement motor with the rapid rate of
penetration of a rotary steerable system.
A Brief History
The intentional deviation of wellbores came into
practice during the late 1920s as operators sought
to sidetrack around obstructions, drill relief wells
and avoid surface cultural features; directional
drilling techniques were even employed to keep
vertical holes from turning crooked.

In part, the ability to drill deviated wells

arose from the development of rotary drilling and
roller cone bits. The design of these bits causes
them to drift laterally, or walk, in response to
various formation and drilling parameters such
as formation dip and hardness, rotary speed,
weight on bit and cone design. In some regions,
experienced drillers recognized the natural tendency of a bit to walk in a somewhat predictable
manner. They would frequently try to build a certain amount of lead angle to compensate for
anticipated drift between the surface location
and bottomhole target (below left).
Drillers also found that modifications to the
rotary bottomhole assembly (BHA) could change
a drillstrings angle of inclination. By varying
stabilizer placement, drillers could affect the

balance of the BHA, prompting it to increase,

maintain or decrease wellbore inclination from
vertical, commonly referred to as building, holding or dropping angle, respectively. The rate at
which a rotary BHA builds or drops angle is
affected by variables such as distance between
stabilizers, drill collar diameter and stiffness, formation dip, rotary speed, weight on bit, formation
hardness and bit type. The ability to balance the
BHA against these factors can be crucial for
reaching a planned target.
A BHA configured with a near-bit stabilizer
beneath several drill collars will tend to build
angle when weight is applied to the bit (below).
In this configuration, the collars above the stabilizer will bend, while the near-bit stabilizer acts
as a fulcrum, pushing the bit toward the high side

Fulcrum (Angle-Building) Assembly

Bit
First string stabilizer

Drill collar

Near-bit stabilizer

Pendulum (Angle-Dropping) Assembly

Second string stabilizer

First string stabilizer

Packed (Angle-Holding) Assembly

Second string stabilizer

Surface location
N
Lead angle

First string stabilizer

Fulcrum assembly

Pendulum assembly
Stabilizer

E
S 20

Lead line

Target azimuth

Near-bit stabilizer

Target

> Lead angle, plan view. Rotary cone bits tend to

walk to the right. Knowing this, drillers sometimes
used a lead angle to orient the wellbore to the left
of the target azimuth.

Winter 2011/2012

Near-bit stabilizers

ing
ild e
Bu angl

g
pin
op gle
r
D an

> Using a BHA to change inclination. By strategic placement of drill collars

and stabilizers in the BHA, directional drillers can increase or decrease
flexibility, or bowing, of the BHA. They use this flexibility to their advantage as
they seek to build, drop or hold angle. A fulcrum assembly (upper frame, top)
uses a full gauge near-bit stabilizer and sometimes a string stabilizer. Bowing
of the drill collars above the near-bit stabilizer tilts the bit upward to build
angle (lower frame, left). A pendulum assembly (upper frame, middle) has
one or more string stabilizers. The first string stabilizer acts as a pivot point
that lets the BHA bow beneath it, thus dropping angle (lower frame, right). A
packed assembly uses one or two near-bit stabilizers and string stabilizers to
stiffen the BHA (upper frame, bottom). By reducing the tendency to bow, the
packed assembly is used to hold angle.

37

Casing
Cement

New borehole

Whipstock
Watermelon
mill

Window mill

Cement plug

> Cased hole whipstock. This cylindrical steel

ramp (green) is run in the hole to a predetermined
kickoff depth and oriented azimuthally. A window
mill opens a hole in the casing, which is dressed
by the watermelon mill. This assembly is then
pulled and replaced by a drilling BHA.

of the borehole. Another type of BHA is used to

drop angle. This variation uses one or more stabilizers; the collars below the lowest stabilizer in
the BHA act as a pendulum, which allows gravity
to pull the bit toward the low side of the borehole. Upon reaching the desired angle, the driller
may use a different BHA to hold angle. The
packed BHA utilizes multiple stabilizers, spaced
along its length, to increase stiffness.
Drillers employ other mechanical means to
help divert a well from its vertical path, most
notably the whipstock. Simple in principle, this
long steel ramp is concave on one side to hold
and guide the drilling assembly. Used in either
open or cased holes, the whipstock is positioned
at the desired depth, oriented to the desired azimuth, then anchored in place to provide a guide
to initiate, or kick off, a new well path (above).
While early techniques allowed some degree of
control over wellbore inclination, they provided little
azimuthal control. They were also inefficient, requiring multiple trips in and out of the hole to install a
whipstock or to change BHA configurations.
The early 1960s witnessed a significant change
in directional drilling when a BHA with a fixed
bend of approximately 0.5 was paired with a
downhole motor to power the drill bit.1 Drilling
mud supplied hydraulic power to a motor that

38

turned the bit.2 The motor and bent sub offered

much greater directional control than was possible with earlier BHAs, while significantly increasing the angle of curvature that a driller was able
to build. Early assemblies had fixed tilt angles
and required a trip out of the hole to adjust the
angle of inclination.
These steerable motors operate on the tiltangle principle. The bent sub provides the bit
offset needed to initiate and maintain changes in
course direction. Three geometric contact
pointsthe bit, a near-bit stabilizer on the motor
and a stabilizer above the motorapproximate
an arc that the well path will follow.3
Some motors use a downhole turbine; others
use a helical rotor and stator combination to
form a positive displacement motor (PDM). The
basic PDM with bent sub has evolved, leading to
the development of a steerable motor. Modern
steerable motor assemblies still use PDMs, but
include surface-adjustable bent housings (below
right). A typical steerable motor has a powergenerating section, through which drilling fluid is
pumped to turn a rotor that turns a drive shaft
and bit. The surface-adjustable bend can be set
between 0 and 4 to point the bit at an angle
that differs only slightly from the axis of the wellbore; this seemingly minor deflection is critical
to the rate at which the driller can build angle.
The amount of wellbore curvature imparted by
the bent section depends, in part, on its angle,
the OD and length of the motor, stabilizer placement and the size of drill collars relative to the
diameter of the hole.
Steerable motors drill in either of two modes:
rotary mode and oriented, or sliding, mode. In
rotary mode, the drilling rigs rotary table or its
topdrive rotates the entire drillstring to transmit
power to the bit. During sliding mode, the drillstring does not rotate; instead, mud flow is
diverted to the downhole motor to power the bit.
Only the bit rotates in sliding modethe nonrotating portion of the drillstring simply follows
along behind the steering assembly.
Different motors may be selected on the basis
of their ability to build, hold or drop angle during
rotary mode drilling. Conventional practice is to
drill in rotary mode at a low number of revolutions per minute (RPM), rotating the drillstring
from the surface and causing the bend to point
equally in all directions, thereby drilling a
straight path. Inclination and azimuth measurements can be obtained in real time by measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tools to alert the
driller to any deviations from the intended
course. To correct for those deviations, the driller
must switch from rotary to sliding mode to
change wellbore trajectory.

The sliding mode is initiated by halting rotation of the drillstring so the directional driller can
orient the bend in the downhole motor to point in
the direction, or toolface angle, of the desired trajectory. This is no small task, given the torsional
forces that can cause the drillstring to behave like
a coiled spring.4 After accounting for bit torque,
drillstring windup and contact friction, the driller
must rotate the drillstring in small increments
from the surface while using MWD measurements
as a reference for toolface direction. Because a
drillstring can absorb torque over long intervals,
this process may require several rotations at the
surface to turn the tool just once downhole. When
the proper toolface orientation is confirmed, the
driller activates the downhole motor to commence drilling in the prescribed direction. This
process may need to be repeated several times
during the course of drilling because reactive
torque that is generated as the bit cuts into the
rock may force reorientation of the toolface.

Power section

Surface-adjustable
bent housing

Stabilizer

Bit

> Positive displacement motor. Downhole

motors, such as this PowerPak steerable motor,
provide much more directional control than
conventional BHAs.

Oilfield Review

Each mode brings distinct challenges. In

rotating mode, the bend in the drilling assembly
causes the bit to rotate off-center from the BHA
axis, resulting in a slightly enlarged and spiralshaped borehole. This gives the wellbore rough
sides that increase torque and drag and may
cause problems while running in the hole with
completion equipmentespecially through long
lateral sections. Spiral boreholes may also affect
logging tool response.
In sliding mode, the lack of rotation introduces other difficulties. Where the drillstring
lies on the low side of the borehole, drilling fluid
flows unevenly around the pipe and impairs the
muds capacity to remove cuttings. This, in turn,
may result in the formation of a cuttings bed, or
a buildup of cuttings on the low side of the hole,
which increases the risk of stuck pipe. Sliding
also decreases the horsepower available to turn
the bit, which, combined with sliding friction,
decreases the rate of penetration (ROP) and
increases the likelihood of differential sticking.
In extended-reach trajectories, frictional
forces may build until there is insufficient axial
weight to overcome the drag imposed by drillpipe against the wellbore. This makes further
drilling impossible and leaves some targets out of
reach. Additionally, switching between sliding
and rotating modes can create undulations or
doglegs that increase wellbore tortuosity, thus
increasing friction while drilling and running
casing or completion equipment.5 These undulations may also create low spots, or sumps, where
fluid and debris collect, impeding flow after the
well is completed.
A number of these problems were addressed
in the late 1990s with the development of a rotary
steerable system (RSS). The single most important aspect of the RSS is that it allows for
continuous rotation of the drillstring, thereby
1. McMillin K: Rotary Steerable Systems Creating Niche in
Extended Reach Drilling, Offshore 59, no. 2 (February
1999): 52, 124.
2. Unlike conventional rotary drilling techniques, in which
rotation of the entire drillstring is required to drive the bit,
the drillstring does not rotate when a mud motor is
employed. Instead, the mud motor relies on hydraulic
power supplied through the circulation of drilling mud to
turn a shaft that drives the bit.
3. Allen F, Tooms P, Conran G, Lesso B and Van de Slijke P:
Extended-Reach Drilling: Breaking the 10-km Barrier,
Oilfield Review 9, no. 4 (Winter 1997): 3247.
4. Downton G, Hendricks A, Klausen TS and Pafitis D:
New Directions in Rotary Steerable Drilling,
Oilfield Review 12, no. 1 (Spring 2000): 1829.
5. A dogleg is an abrupt turn, bend or change of direction
in a wellbore.
6. Schaaf S, Pafitis D and Guichemerre E: Application of
a Point the Bit Rotary Steerable System in Directional
Drilling Prototype Wellbore Profiles, paper SPE 62519,
presented at the SPE/AAPG Western Regional Meeting,
Long Beach, California, USA, June 1923, 2000.

Winter 2011/2012

> Comparison of borehole quality. Caliper displays show how a positive

displacement motor created a spiralled borehole (top), while the rotary
steerable system drilled a much smoother bore (bottom).

eliminating the need to slide while drilling directionally. RSS tools provide a nearly instantaneous
response to commands from the surface when
the driller needs to change downhole trajectory.
Early on, these systems were utilized primarily to
drill extended-reach trajectories, in which the
ability to slide steerable motors had been limited
by hole drag. These jobs often resulted in
improved ROPs and hole quality over previous
systems (above). Today, the RSS is widely used for
its performance drilling, hole cleaning and accurate geosteering capabilities.
Revolutionary Steerables
Rotary steerable systems have evolved considerably since their introduction. Early versions utilized mud-actuated pads or stabilizers to cause
changes in directiona design concept that continues to enjoy success to this day. With a dependence on contact with the borehole wall for

directional control, the performance of these

tools can sometimes be affected by borehole
washouts and rugosity. Later versions included
designs that relied once again on a bend to produce changes in toolface angle, thereby reducing
borehole environmental influences on tool performance.6 Thus, two steering concepts were
born: push-the-bit and point-the-bit.
The push-the-bit system pushes against the
borehole wall to steer the drillstring in the
desired direction. One version of this RSS uses a
bias unit with three actuator pads placed near
the bit to apply lateral force against the formation (below). To build angle, each mud-actuated
pad pushes against the low side of the hole as it

Extended pad

When pads push against

the high side, the bit
cuts toward the low side.
Control unit

Bias unit
Extended pad
Bit

Stabilizer

> Push-the-bit RSS. Pads extend dynamically from a rotating housing to create a side force directed
against the formation, which in turn, causes a change in the drilling direction.

39

rotary valve that opens and closes the mud supply to the pads in concert with the drillstring
rotation. The system synchronously modulates
the extension and contact pressure of the actuator pads as each pad passes a certain orientation
point. By applying hydraulic pressure each time
a pad passes a specific point, the pad forces the
drillstring away from that direction, thus moving
it in the desired direction.
A point-the-bit system uses an internal bend
to offset the alignment between tool axis and
borehole axis to produce a directional response.7
In a point-the-bit system, the bend is contained
within the collar of the tool, immediately above
the bit (left). Point-the-bit systems change well
trajectory by changing the toolface angle. The
trajectory changes in the direction of the bend.
This bend orientation is controlled by a servomotor that rotates at the same rate as the drillstring,
but counter to the drillstring rotation. This allows
the toolface orientation to remain geostationary,
or nonrotating, while the collar rotates.8
The latest development in the evolution of
these rotary steerablesthe PowerDrive Archer
high-build-rate RSSis a hybrid that combines
performance features of both push-the-bit and
point-the-bit systems (below).

Power-generating
turbine

Mud flow
Sensor package
and control system

Motor

Bit shaft

Bit

> Point-the-bit RSS. A bit shaft is oriented at an

offset angle to the axis of the tool. This offset
is held geostationary by a counter-rotating
servomotor.

rotates into position; to drop angle, each pad

pushes against the high side. Driller commands
sent downhole by mud pulse telemetry direct the
timing and magnitude of pad actuation. A control
unit positioned above the bias unit drives a

Internal universal joint

The Hybrid RSS

Until recently, RSS assemblies were unable
to deliver well profiles as complex as those
drilled by steerable motor systems. However, the
PowerDrive Archer rotary steerable system demonstrated its capability to attain high dogleg
severities (DLSs) while achieving ROPs typical of
rotary steerable systems.9 Just as important, it is
a fully rotating systemall external tool components rotate with the drillstring, enabling better
hole cleaning while reducing the risk of sticking.

Internal actuator pistons

Stabilizer
blades

Unlike some rotary steerables, the PowerDrive

Archer RSS does not rely on external moving
pads to push against the formation. Instead, four
actuator pistons within the drill collar push
against the inside of an articulated cylindrical
steering sleeve, which pivots on a universal joint
to point the bit in the desired direction. In addition, four stabilizer blades on the outer sleeve
above the universal joint provide side force to the
drill bit when they contact the borehole wall,
enabling this RSS to perform like a push-the-bit
system. Because its moving components are
internalthus protected from interaction with
harsh drilling environmentsthis RSS has a
lower risk of tool malfunction or damage. This
design also helps extend RSS run life.
An internal valve, held geostationary with
respect to toolface, diverts a small percentage of
mud to the pistons. The mud actuates the pistons
that push against the steering sleeve. In neutral
mode, the mud valve rotates continuously, so bit
force is uniformly distributed along the borehole
wall, enabling the RSS to hold its course.10
Near-bit measurements, such as gamma ray,
inclination and azimuth, allow the operator to
closely monitor drilling progress. Current orientation and other operating parameters are
relayed to the operator through a control unit,
which sends this information uphole via continuous mud pulse telemetry. From the surface, the
directional driller sends commands downhole to
the control unit located above the steering unit.
These commands are translated into fluctuations
in mud flow rates. Each command has a unique
pattern of fluctuations that relate to discrete
points on a preset steering map, which has been
programmed into the tool prior to drilling.
Operators have been quick to capitalize on
the capabilities of the PowerDrive Archer steer-

Internal geostationary
rotary valve

Stabilizer blades

Control unit
Bias unit
Steering unit

> PowerDrive Archer rotary steerable system. This hybrid system combines actuator pads with an offset steering shaftall located inside the drill collar for
protection from the downhole environment.

40

Oilfield Review

ing system. Because it can drill the vertical,

curved and horizontal sections, it can attain complex 3D trajectories and drill from one casing
shoe to the next in just one run.
Putting It to the Test
Until recently, steerable PDMs tended to dominate the realm of high-dogleg drilling projects.
Despite their directional capabilities, drilling
with PDMs may consume a lot of rig time. With
this approach, a conventional rotary BHA is typically used to drill the vertical section of the well.
Upon reaching the kickoff point (KOP), the
driller trips out of the hole to change the BHA. A
PDM is then installed, with a bent housing set to
the angle needed to drill the curve. After landing
the bit in the target formation, the driller again
trips out to dial down the angle of the adjustable
bent housing to a less aggressive build rate, then
trips back into the hole to drill the lateral section. This process results in a good deal of flat
time, in which the bit is not on bottom and not
actively drilling.
Using the PowerDrive Archer RSS, an operator can drill the vertical, curved and lateral sections with a single BHA, thereby increasing
drilling efficiency, ROP and borehole quality.
And by circumventing the practice of alternating
between sliding and rotating modes, drilling
with the RSS achieves lower borehole tortuosity,
drag and friction caused by poor hole quality.
This permits drilling of longer lateral sections
that reach farther into the reservoir.
The PowerDrive Archer RSS has been used in
a wide range of environments, onshore and off,
from the US to the Middle East and Australia. The
high-build-rate capabilities first demonstrated in
shale plays are now used to help drillers maintain
trajectories through problematic unconsolidated
formations. Throughout a variety of plays, operators are beginning to appreciate the flexibility in
designing and revising well trajectories that this
hybrid RSS affords.
One such play, the Marcellus Shale in the
Appalachian basin of North America, spans an
area estimated to be approximately 3.5times
larger than that of the Barnett Shale, which has
proved to be one of the most prolific sources of
unconventional gas in the US. The Devonian-age
Marcellus Shale contains an estimated 363Tcf
[10.3trillionm3] of recoverable gas. Ultra
Petroleum Corporation is engaged in exploration
and development of this play.11
In the past, operators completed Marcellus
wells using vertical boreholes, which provided
comparatively little exposure of the source
rock to the wellbore. However, horizontal drilling

Winter 2011/2012

Kickoff po

int

Tan
gen
t se
ctio
n

Landing
point

in azimuth
nge
Cha

Reservoir

section

TD

> Three-dimensional trajectory. In this Marcellus Shale well, the operator used the PowerDrive Archer
RSS to kick off from vertical, drill a 3D curve with more than 100 change in azimuth, then hold the
tangent section. Uncertainty in the geologic model forced the operator to change the landing point by
more than 70 ft [21 m]. Once the geologic marker was identified, the RSS quickly built angle to 16/100 ft
[16/30 m] to reach the target, then the operator switched to a 2 build rate to a create a soft landing
within the reservoir section.

technology has significantly changed the economics of gas production in the Marcellus play,
with horizontal wells drilled from multiwell pads
and completed with multistage fracture stimulation of the lateral section. Operators frequently
used air to drill the vertical section, then
switched to mud drilling upon reaching the KOP.
After setting 9 5/8-in. casing, they kicked off an
8 3/4-in. hole, building angle with a PDM before
landing the well within the Marcellus interval. To
drill the curved and lateral sections, a PDM
might drill for 90% or more of the interval in sliding mode. This approach has several drawbacks,
including lower ROP, poor hole cleaning and tortuous well pathsand often required trips out of
the hole to adjust the bent housing when geologic
uncertainties forced well path corrections.
Drilling in this play can involve complex 3D
well profiles, high curvature rates and directionally challenging formation dips that affect DLS.
Ultra Petroleum recognized the potential for
such problems in a recent project and selected
the PowerDrive Archer RSS to meet these challenges, drill the wells quickly and place them in
the productive zones of the formation. In 2010,
Ultra began an aggressive drilling campaign,

having identified numerous targets within this

play. The company drilled the first Marcellus
well using a steerable PDM to establish a benchmark. The next 10 wells were drilled using the
PowerDrive Archer RSS. Some of these wells
were kicked off from vertical with a long turn in
azimuth of 90 or more to line up with the target
while simultaneously building angle at rates up
to 8/100ft [8/30m]. Geologic uncertainties
near the landing point sometimes called for corrective action, often requiring higher build
rates (above).
7. Bryan S, Cox J, Blackwell D, Slayden F and
NaganathanS: High Dogleg Rotary Steerable System:
A Step Change in Drilling Process, paper SPE 124498,
presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition, New Orleans, October 47, 2009.
8. Al-Yami HE, Kubaisi AA, Nawaz K, Awan A, Verma J and
Ganda S: Powered Rotary Steerable Systems Offer
a Step Change in Drilling Performance, paper
SPE 115491, presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and
Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth, Western
Australia, Australia, October 2022, 2008.
9. A dogleg is typically quantified in terms of dogleg
severity, which is measured in degrees per unit of
distance.
10. Bryan et al, reference 7.
11. Auflick R, Slayden F and Naganathan S: New
Technology Delivers Results in Unconventional Shale
Play, presented at the Mediterranean Offshore
Conference and Exhibition, Alexandria, Egypt,
May 1820, 2010.

41

Depth, ft

5,000

10,000
Plan
As drilled
15,000

20,000

20

40

60

Time, days

> Time versus depth curve. To drill the Kappus 1-22H well in the Woodford
Shale, Cimarex used the PowerDrive Archer system. The operator was able
to drill to TD in 49 days instead of 59, saving 10 days of drilling time against the
projected time frame.

into the target section, resulting in more than a

twofold increase in production rates.
A different resource play has been receiving
attention in central Oklahoma, USA, where
Cimarex Energy Company has been drilling the

With one exception, the wells drilled subsequent to the benchmark PDM well realized significant savings in rig time. In addition, all
completion strings were run without incident.
The hybrid RSS was also able to reach farther

ff point

Conventional kicko

jectory

Conventional tra

Archer
PowerDrive
kickoff point
PowerDrive
trajectory

Archer

> Shortened curve. The PowerDrive Archer RSS achieved an 11/100 ft build rate that allowed the
operator to extend the vertical section of the trajectory while shortening the curve to reduce drilling
time and the amount of liner required.

42

Woodford Shale. Cimarex selected PathFinder, a

Schlumberger company, to utilize the PowerDrive
Archer RSS in drilling the curve section of the
companys Kappus 1-22H well. Using this RSS to
drill the 8 3/4-in. hole with an 8/100ft build rate,
the operator achieved an 80% increase in ROP
over that of previous wells drilled with PDMs.
Having attained a smooth wellbore through the
curve, the operator was able to switch to a
PowerDrive X5 RSS, which drilled a 4,545-ft
[1,385-m] lateral section to TD in just one run. A
fast ROP through the curve, combined with high
build rate and smooth drilling operations in the
lateral section resulted in a savings of 10 drilling
days (left).
The high-build-rate capability of this hybrid
RSS makes for a shorter curved section, enabling
operators to design trajectories with deeper
KOPs. A deep KOP lets the operator expand the
length of the vertical section, which typically
drills faster than the curved section. An operator
in the Middle East used the PowerDrive Archer
RSS to drill an 8 1/2-in. curve section for 846ft
[258m] at a build rate of 7.6/100ft [7.6/30m].
After meeting the objectives for this well, the
operator selected the same system to drill a second well.
The second well required a more aggressive
build rate, but in carrying out this plan, the operator was able to boost overall ROP by drilling
through a longer vertical section before kicking
off, which enabled a rapid ROP through the vertical section. After drilling the 12 1/4-in. section, the
operator set casing and kicked off the 8 1/2-in. section. The hybrid RSS consistently maintained an
11/100-ft [11/30-m] DLS and drilled the 742-ft
[226-m] interval in a single run of 15hours (left).
The well was landed within 1ft [0.3m] vertically
and 3.8ft [1.2m] laterally of its intended target.
Because the 8 1/2-in. section was shortened, the
operator also saved nearly 700ft [210m] of liner.
Pushing the kickoff point deeper sharpened the
curve, which reduced the amount of drilled footage needed to reach the reservoir and allowed
drilling engineers to consider downsizing the casing strings to achieve further savings.12
In northwest Arkansas, USA, SEECO, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Southwestern
Energy Company, tested the performance of the
PowerDrive Archer system as it drilled the vertical, curved and lateral sections of an Atoka
Formation well. The vertical section was drilled,
12. Eltayeb M, Heydari MR, Nasrumminallah M, Bugni M,
Edwards JE, Frigui M, Nadjeh I and Al Habsy H: Drilling
Optimization Using New Directional Drilling Technology,
paper SPE/IADC 148462, presented at the SPE/IADC
Middle East Drilling Technology Conference and
Exhibition, Muscat, Oman, October 2426, 2011.

Oilfield Review

Planning for Success

The success of PowerDrive Archer steering technology can be attributed largely to extensive
planning, modeling and testing. BHA design and
modeling of bit and BHA response go into each
PowerDrive Archer job.
As a first step, Schlumberger drilling engineers obtain offset well information from the
operator and focus on drilling issues and bit performance data. Engineers use DOX Drilling Office
integrated software to design a trajectory to land
within the designated target zone while optimizing drilling efficiency. This software package
integrates trajectory design with drillstring specifications and BHA design, hydraulics, torque and
drag. The DOX software lets drilling engineers
quickly run multiple scenarios to optimize the
well path. A well plan and equipment plan are
then formulated to reach the given target, taking
into account known drilling issues. Anticollision
modeling ensures that the proposed trajectory
will avoid nearby wells.
Hole quality is a critical issue in high DLS or
extended-reach wells; poor hole quality may
impact the success of a well by hampering
efforts to deploy drilling and completion equipment through tight curves and may limit the
footage that can be drilled through the lateral
section. Extensive testing has played an important role in developing capabilities to deliver
high-quality boreholes. One such test involved a
series of blocks, each with a different compressive strength. These test blocks were arranged
side by side to form a rectangle nearly 45 m
[150ft] long. The PowerDrive Archer RSS
drilled through the blocks using various combinations of bits and power settings to simulate
downhole drilling conditions. Once the holes
were drilled, a laser caliper measured the borehole gauge in each block and consistently found
no borehole rugosity (right).

2,000

True vertical depth, ft

then the well was kicked off along the planned

azimuth. The driller built angle at 10/100ft
[10/30m] DLS before making a soft landing at
the desired target point with an 88.2 inclination. Using an automated inclination hold feature, the RSS drilled ahead, with inclination
maintained within 0.5 of the planned trajectory. After drilling for about 1,000ft [305m], the
directional driller nudged the well path upward
to follow the general dip of the reservoir, with
the RSS building inclination up to 92 before an
unexpected fault created an abrupt lateral termination of the reservoir (right).

2,500

Original plan
As drilled
Revised plan

3,000
Pilot hole

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Lateral section, ft

> Two-dimensional curve and lateral section. SEECO developed two drilling scenarios to accommodate
uncertainties in Atoka Formation dip. The actual well path (red) differs from the two planned
trajectories. Geosteering LWD sensors proved the dip to lie between those assumed in the two plans.
Faulting terminated the reservoir and shortened the lateral section considerably. (Adapted from Bryan
et al, reference 7.)

> Smooth drilling through test blocks. Laser calipers revealed no borehole rugosity in the borehole drilled
by the PowerDrive Archer RSS (bottom). (Photographs courtesy of Edward Parkin, Stonehouse, England.)

Winter 2011/2012

43

von Mises stress,

psi
1.184 105
1.036 105
8.880 104
7.400 104
5.920 104
4.440 104
2.960 104
1.480 104
1.257 104

Pin

Box

Pin

Box

> Tool joint stress contours. Drillstring tool joint

connections are subjected to a variety of loads
that affect the fatigue life of a tool. In particular,
tool joints are subjected to torque as they are
made up on the drill floor, when the pin is screwed
into the box (inset). This is followed later by
bending moments as the curve section is drilled.
Finite element analysis can be used to predict
stress along a threaded connection by accounting
for the torque and bending moments expected on
each job. This plot indicates higher von Mises
stress in the pin than in the box when the
threaded connection is made up and subjected to
a bending moment. This information is useful in
predicting the fatigue life of the connection.

Although modeling of BHA and bit response

has been notoriously difficult, recent advances
make it possible to analyze dynamic downhole
drilling conditions and compute drillstring
stresses. The forces generated by the bit and
their effects on BHA steering performance can
also be predicted. This is followed by laboratory
testing and, finally, field testing to deliver optimized BHA and bit designs.
13. The IDEAS program was developed in the 1990s by
Smith Bits, which was later acquired by Schlumberger.
For more on bit design using the IDEAS system:
CentalaP, Challa V, Durairajan B, Meehan R, Paez L,
Partin U, Segal S, Wu S, Garrett I, Teggart B and
TetleyN: Bit DesignTop to Bottom,
Oilfield Review 23, no. 2 (Summer 2011): 417.

44

Schlumberger performed finite element analysis and bending moment modeling and analysis
on components of the PowerDrive Archer BHA
(left). Field testing validated BHA behavior to
ensure steerability at high build rates. After the
BHA design was finalized, engineers conducted
shock and vibration analysis to identify critical
resonance frequencies and RPMs to be avoided
while drilling. Torque and drag simulations for
drilling and tripping operations were run to
ensure BHA integrity. Hydraulics modeling was
also conducted across various mud weight and
flow ranges.
Drillbit technology is another factor that is
vital to the success of any well. The bit affects
drilling efficiency, or the ability to achieve and
maintain a high average ROP. Bit design also
impacts steerability, or the ability to place the
well in the right part of the reservoir. Push-thebit systems generally require an aggressive sidecutting bit for delivering doglegs, while
point-the-bit systems tend to rely on stabilization from a less aggressive bit with a longer side
gauge. With a hybrid system, using the right bit is
especially critical. For this RSS, engineers conducted extensive testing to characterize interactions between the bit, tools and formation to
best match the bit profile to the tools and maximize performance.
Bits for the PowerDrive Archer system can be
tailored to enhance steerability and deliver
improved ROP for a particular field. The IDEAS
integrated drillbit design platform lets drilling
engineers optimize bit selection based on modeling the drilling system overall.13 The IDEAS software accounts for a wide range of variables in its
bit design and BHA optimization packages:
rock type and formation characteristics
interaction between bit cutter surface and
rock face
contact between drillstring and wellbore
detailed bottomhole assembly design
casing program
well trajectory
drilling parameters.
Modeling data were also used as input to a
fatigue management system that predicts fatigue
life for each component of the BHA. When subjected to rotation through high doglegs, BHAs
will experience large bending moments. Fatigue
life decreases exponentially with increasing
build rate and can reduce the life of standard
BHA components to a matter of hours. Fatigue
modeling and tracking is helping drillers avoid
twist offs and other catastrophic failures.

Schlumberger tracks fatigue life automatically to ensure integrity of BHA components.

With the aid of PERFORM Toolkit data optimization and analysis software, the wellsite engineer
can record RPM, ROP, DLS and other contributors to fatigue, providing real-time fatigue management information and predictions of fatigue
life. Monitoring fatigue life is not a trivial task:
The position of each component along the well
path must be tracked and the bending moment
caused by DLSalong with RPM and time
needs to be quantified. Tracking fatigue in real
time, including time off-bottom rotating, can significantly improve the accuracy of the fatigue life
estimates. These fatigue data may be monitored
remotely at operations support centers, where
the data can be reviewed by drilling experts who
can advise operators when critical components
need to be replaced.
Advances in directional drilling technology
are helping operators access hydrocarbons that
could not otherwise be produced. The latest generation of rotary steerables is achieving well trajectories and step-outs that were previously
unimaginable, while delivering lower cost and
lower risk wells and improving production. These
increasingly complex well trajectories are spurring the industry to reach further in the search
MV
for new reserves.

Oilfield Review