IADC/SPE-178869-MS

Improved Wellbore Quality Using a Novel Real-Time Tortuosity Index

Yang Zhou, Dandan Zheng, Pradeepkumar Ashok, and Eric van Oort, The University of Texas at Austin

Copyright 2016, IADC/SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition

This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition held in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, 13 March 2016.

This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s).
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Abstract
Tortuosity is an important metric in evaluating wellbore quality. A tortuous well path can lead to such well
problems as stuck pipe, poor cementation, and early production equipment failure. The industry currently
lacks a readily usable real-time tortuosity (density) index to enable the driller to make corrections during
the drilling process. This paper presents a new algorithm to calculate the tortuosity index and validates the
index using field data.
Until the last decade, average and maximum dogleg severity were the main indicators of wellbore
tortuosity and quality. Recently, approaches which measure/model indirect quantities such as wellbore
friction, bending moment, elastic energy etc. and then translate these to a measure of tortuosity, have
gained popularity. However, such an indirect process introduces errors when the model used is not
accurate. Another approach produces high precision 3D wellbore profiles to assist in ascertaining the
tortuosity of the well. This method, however, requires additional downhole sensors at additional cost and
a need for additional data-communicating and processing. To overcome these shortcomings, this paper
proposes a methodology that is leveraging techniques used in medical field, more specifically in
ophthalmology, to determine the tortuosity of the narrow veins in human eyes.
The methodology described in this paper produces a tortuosity density that has the ability to capture
tortuosity at different length scales (from 1 foot to 10,000 feet). It works with conventional directional
survey data and/or high-resolution survey as input and calculates a normalized number, the tortuosity
(density) index, in real-time. The methodology was applied on the horizontal sections of 18 wells drilled
in 2013 and 2014, and the tortuosity indices derived for these wells were compared against reports of
drilling dysfunction and non-productive time. The tortuosity index correctly identified problematic wells
that had multiple downhole equipment failures during drilling, and showed a strong correlation with other
drilling dysfunctions.
The new real-time index provides a holistic view of wellbore tortuosity and may help to mitigate and
correct problems before they occur. No new sensors or special practices are needed for the adoption of
the method. This index is also robust to changes in survey distance, and provides an indication of
micro-tortuosity when continuous/high-frequency gyro data is available.
2 IADC/SPE-178869-MS

Introduction
In the past decades, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have become essential enablers in
developing unconventional shale resources across North America. Having a long horizontal section in the
well path presents new challenges for wellbore quality, one of them being the need to minimize the
tortuosity of the well, particularly in the horizontal lateral. Traditionally, dogleg severity was used to
characterize the tortuosity of the wellbore, but it has been shown to have limited usefulness in horizontal
sections. The combination of azimuth and inclination deviations complicates the wellbore path and 3D
tortuosity becomes relevant in the horizontal section. Dogleg severity cannot effectively quantify such
complexity (Matthews 1993), and such indicators are often times not adequate or correct (Bang 2015).
Excessive wellbore tortuosity has negative consequences throughout the life cycle of the well, ranging
from increased well cost to decreased productivity. During drilling, it has been shown that excess
tortuosity has been linked to excessive casing wear (Samuel 2013), stuck pipe occurrences (Stuart 2003),
and premature failure of down hole equipment (Bang 2015). During completion and cementing, wellbore
tortuosity can lead to poor cementing/zonal isolation, problematic proppant displacement, and limited
fracture growth (Chen 2002; Van Ketterij 1999). This then leads to reduced productivity, especially in low
permeability shale reservoirs. The remediation effort for high tortuosity is expensive and often limited.
Therefore, early detection and prevention of high tortuosity is of crucial importance. This paper proposes
a real time, 3D tortuosity index that specifically addresses this need for proactive action.
Current Methodologies

Currently, the two leading approaches to quantifying tortuosity are: 1) indirect estimation using a
torque / drag / bending moment model, and 2) direct measurement with continuous gyro/3D profiler. The
former method is by far the more popular one in drilling. In this method, the torque, drag, and bending
moment of the wellbore is either measured or modeled, and then converted into a tortuosity index. In the
most recent edition of this approach, the scaled tortuosity index (Brands 2012; Lowdon 2015) also takes
into account hole clearance, drill pipe undulation, and wellbore geometry. The second method (Bang
2015) makes use of continuous gyro data and calculates a new quantity, namely an effective diameter, to
quantify a straight line clearance of the wellbore over a fixed length. Considering the fact that the diameter
of the horizontal wellbore is usually smaller than 10 inches, high survey precision (i.e., high cost) is
required for this method. Furthermore, this method does not produced a holistic assessment for the entire
section, and thus is more useful for localized decision making, such as pump placement for production.
Both approaches require additional sensors, specialized software, and numerous steps from measure-
ment to obtain a final index, which may lead to an accumulation of errors. But even more importantly,
the methods noted above are limited to post-drilling analysis. The industry currently lacks a good real time
tortuosity index that can detect and prevent excess tortuosity as it happens.
Real-Time 3-D Tortuosity Index
The new tortuosity index has been specifically developed to address the shortcomings of the approaches
mentioned above. First of all, it is a 3D tortuosity index. It tracks azimuth and inclination tortuosity
independently in an attempt to delineate the effect of each. Secondly, it provides a holistic assessment in
real-time for the well path drilled, helping early detection and prevention of excess tortuosity. Finally, the
method requires no additional sensors to be installed. Historical data can also be processed and studied
to validate the approach. In addition, the method can be readily applied for different survey intervals, from
the 30 to 90 feet interval regular surveys to high resolution continuous surveys.
Theory
The proposed method draws its inspiration from the medical field, where retinal vascular tortuosity is
often measured and qualified in diagnosing hypertensive patients. The tortuosity First developed by
IADC/SPE-178869-MS 3

Grisan and Foracchia (2008), this particular tortuosity index is designed to capture micro-tortuosity in the
retina, and produce a holistic tortuosity density number for varying length of its blood vessels.
When computing the tortuosity index, we track the change in convexity (inflection points, or curvature
signs) along a curve. Every second inflection point is marked as the end point for an individual curve turn.
The entire curve is thereby transformed into a series of consecutive curve turns, see Fig. 1. The top half
of the figure shows the tortuous path and the bottom half of the figure shows the tortuous path broken
down into a series of consecutive curve turns. Those individual curve turns are then captured in the
calculation of the tortuosity index

Figure 1The tortuosity path and the breaking down of the entire curve into a series of consecutive curve turns. (adopted from Grisan 2008)

The tortuosity index is calculated using Eq. 1 shown below. For each individual turn, a special ratio
is first calculated, which is the curve length (LC ) divided by chord length (LX ) of each individual curve
si si

turn minus one. This ratio is designed to account for the amplitude of each curve turn. In the equation,
is the number of observed curve turns in the section so far, and is the normalization constant, which is
often the length of the section being drilled.
(1)

This tortuosity index is designed to noticeably differentiate curves with larger amplitude, and higher
frequency with various survey intervals. To test these design features, a series of 2D curves are tested using the
tortuosity index, as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. In Fig. 2, the three curves have the same measured depth lengths
from the start to the end; however, the yellow curve has two big turns in its course and the blue curve has fifteen
smaller turns in its course. The tortuosity index (UT TI) calculated shows a much larger value for the blue curve
when compared to the yellow and red curves. It is worth noting that Lc/Lx, (curve length divided by chord
length the conventional tortuosity index used in petrophysics, (Peters 2012, 114)), gives very similar values for
all three curves in this test, i.e. the conventional index cannot discriminate between the three curves on
tortuosity. The proposed tortuosity index (UT TI) is able to differentiate between the blue and yellow / red
curves more effectively. This feature is especially desirable for capturing the micro-tortuosity when high-
resolution survey data is available. In Fig. 3, the three curves all have six turns with various amplitudes. The
tortuosity index produces higher values for curves with higher amplitudes. In Fig. 4, the three curves have the
same amplitude but different frequencies. The tortuosity index assigns higher values for curves with more turns.
This basic test confirms and makes apparent the desired features of this tortuosity index: to noticeably
differentiate curves with larger amplitude, and higher frequency.
4 IADC/SPE-178869-MS

Figure 2Blue curve with a higher frequency has a higher index number compared to the red and yellow curves. Note that the quantity
Lc/Lx represents a conventional tortuosity index, while UT TI shows the new index.

Figure 3Yellow curve with a larger amplitude has a higher index number than the red and yellow curves. Note that the quantity Lc/Lx
represents a conventional tortuosity index, while UT TI shows the new index.
IADC/SPE-178869-MS 5

Figure 4 Yellow curve with fewer turns has a lower index number than the red and blue curves. Note that the quantity Lc/Lx represents
a conventional tortuosity index, while UT TI shows the new index.

Wellbore Tortuosity Index

Here, we detail how Eq. 1 is applied for horizontal wellbores, and is further developed to yield a 3D
real-time index. For the purpose of this analysis, the beginning of the horizontal section is located as point
where the inclination angle first reaches 90 degrees. This can, of course, be varied depending on the end
use scenario. For simplicity, the increment of inclination and azimuth, both in degrees, are used to track
the turning of the horizontal well path. Every second inflection point of both inclination and azimuth are
marked independently as the starting point and the ending point of a turn curve in that dimension
respectively. A curve example illustrating above method is shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 5Curve segment illustration: the green chord and respective red curve is one turn in the curve.

The arc length of each turn, Lcsi, is calculated as a measured depth difference between two ends of a
turn curve, as shown in Eq. 2. The chord length, Lxsi, is calculated as a straight line distance between the
6 IADC/SPE-178869-MS

starting point and the ending point of the each curve in the 3D space, as shown in Eq. 3. In most directional
surveys, measured depth (MD) based inclination (INC) and azimuth (AZM) measurements are provided.
With MD, INC, and AZM, the relative locations TVD, EW, NS in each survey station are calculated using
the minimal curvature method.
(2)

(3)

To calculate the 3D tortuosity index, the inclination tortuosity and the azimuth tortuosity are first
independently and simultaneously calculated according to Eq. 1. A 3D tortuosity index is then calculated
according Eq. 4, combining tortuosity in inclination (INC) and azimuth (AZM) direction.
(4)

Now, a real-time tortuosity index can be calculated every time a new set of MD, INC, and AZM values
received forms a new turn in either the horizontal or azimuth direction. Fig. 6 illustrates the work flow
of how this real-time 3D tortuosity index is calculated.

Figure 6 Flow chart for calculation of the real time 3D tortuosity index.

Case Studies
A group of 18 randomly selected horizontal wells drilled in North America was used for validation of the
new tortuosity index. Using their directional survey files (90 ft. interval), azimuth and inclination
tortuosity indexes as well as the 3D index were calculated using the proposed approach. Both overall and
IADC/SPE-178869-MS 7

real-time instantaneous tortuosity indexes were calculated. Among these wells, we observed a correlation
between calculated excessive tortuosity and premature failures of MWD/LWD tools and mud motors.
Two sample wells are chosen and illustrated in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 for comparison purposes. The 3D
horizontal well path is plotted in the upper graph, and color coded to represent real-time 3D tortuosity
index. Three risk levels are indicated in these upper graphs (black, blue and red). The color indicates how
well the tortuosity is managed as the horizontal lateral progresses. In the lower graphs (in Fig. 7 and Fig.
8), real-time azimuth, inclination and 3D tortuosity indexes are plotted against measured depth. Note that
all tortuosity indexes start from zero at the beginning of the horizontal section. Well 1 had low tortuosity
and no reported incidents during the drilling of the horizontal section, as shown in Fig. 7. Well 2, in
comparison, had noticeably higher tortuosity indexes in both the azimuth and inclination direction, as
shown in Fig. 8. Well 2 experienced premature mud motor failures at 18,611 ft. and 16,003 ft. These
incidents required BHA trips, costing two days in rig time.

Figure 7Azimuth, inclination and 3D tortuosity index (Well 1). Although the top graph shows several large turns in azimuth direction,
the tortuosity index is low as plotted in the lower graph. No tool failure incidents were reported while drilling.
8 IADC/SPE-178869-MS

Figure 8 Azimuth, inclination and 3D tortuosity index (Well 2). This well has considerable higher tortuosity index than Well 1 (Fig. 7).
Two incidents of mud motor failures were reported for this well.

Overall, we noticed that wells with a higher tortuosity index are more likely to suffer a downhole
equipment failure that would lead to significant non-productive time. In Table 1, we list the overall results
from this preliminary study; wells with higher tortuosity index had a 60% tool / mud motor failure rate,
while those with lower tortuosity indexes had considerably lower failure rates.

Table 1Summary of Drilling Incidents

Well Feature No. of Wells No. Of Wells with MWD/Motor Failure Failure Rate

TI 20 5 3 60%
TI between 10~20 3 1 33%
TI 10 10 2 20%

Discussion and Further Development

Current investigation suggests that higher calculated tortuosity index is associated with a higher likelihood
of downhole equipment failure. However, the limited number of well data studied cannot conclusively
establish statistical significance. Moreover, it is difficult to establish causation: did high tortuosity cause
drilling dysfunction, or did drilling dysfunction cause high tortuosity a typical chicken and egg
situation. Further validation of the proposed tortuosity index by this criterion and other criteria is therefore
desired. Below are the areas of interests for further investigation.
Analyze additional historical well data; further validate the proposed tortuosity index model using
reported drilling dysfunctions.
IADC/SPE-178869-MS 9

Use torque and drag measurement as an alternative criterion to qualify the proposed tortuosity
index. The drilling community traditionally associates wellbore tortuosity with high drillstring
torque and drag.
Investigate the behavior of proposed tortuosity index with high resolution survey data and survey
data of various survey intervals. The tortuosity index applied to artificially constructed curves
suggests that the proposed index will increase substantially when capturing micro-tortuosity.
Proper adjustment of the normalization constant will be needed for different survey intervals.
Test the hypothesis that higher tortuosity index often leads to well problems throughout the
lifecycle of a well. Poor zonal isolation, inadequate fracturing, and early production equipment
failures have been linked to excess wellbore tortuosity.
Field implementation of the proposed tortuosity index system for real time use. The proposed
tortuosity index has real time capability. A real time monitoring and warning system is under
development to be used in the field.

Conclusions
Excess tortuosity is a leading cause for well problems throughout the lifetime of a well, causing elevated
well cost for remediation and reduced productivity. The real-time tortuosity index provides a promising
new perspective that enables tortuosity to be continuously monitored, while excess tortuosity can be
corrected and prevented as the hole is being drilled. The novel tortuosity index that has the following
features:
It is a real-time index that provides directional drillers with a metric that could help them make
pro-active course corrections to improve wellbore quality.
The index uses traditional survey readings (measured depth, azimuth and inclination) as inputs. No
new sensors are needed, and therefore this methodology is applicable to be cost-effectively applied
on virtually every drilling operation.
There are separate tortuosity indexes for azimuth deviations and inclinations deviations. The 3D
tortuosity index is a combination of the azimuth tortuosity index and inclination tortuosity index.
This allows for both a holistic 3D study, as well as an independent assessment of deviation and
azimuthal tortuosity.
This index can be used for surveys of varying survey intervals.

The preliminary study results reported here indicate that higher tortuosity index values have a
correlation with higher likelihood of downhole equipment failure during drilling. Further validation with
additional data is currently underway to establish statistical significance.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Rig Automation and Performance Improvement in Drilling (RAPID)
Program at the University of Texas at Austin and its sponsors for providing the data, as well as the
financial support for the development and validation of this index.

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