AliRodriguez, new electromagnetic (EM) antenna technique is increasing the

operating depth of EM telemetry and extending it to a new set

of well profiles, including long laterals where high resistivity
Weatherford, and attenuation has previously prevented its use, and pad drilling where
a single antenna installation can provide service for multiple wells.

USA, explains The antenna increases the EM signal by as much as 16 times

with Weatherfords EM CasingLink when compared to conventional

how long EMsystems by reducing signal attenuation and enhancing the

signaltonoise ratio. The system employs an insulated wire that is
attached to the outside of a standard casing string, a borehole receiver
laterals and typically located downhole and connected to the casing and a surface
transceiver. The borehole receiver picks up the EM signal at the casing

pad drilling connection terminal and transmits it via the external wire to the surface
transceiver, which decodes the EM signal. The wire exits the casing near

benefit from the surface and passes through a wellhead modified to accept the cable
passthrough.
The EM CasingLink system was installed in more than 34 wells by the
increased EM end of 2013, accounting for 121 000 ft and 10 000 operating hours. The
installations were carried out in many active unconventional areas in the

telemetry US, including the Mississippi Lime, Niobrara, Woodford, GraniteWash,

Bakken and Eagle Ford. Included in this article are two case studies

depth. of where the system was used in highly resistive formations that
precluded the use of conventional EM telemetry.

Figure 1. Extending EM telemetry to new depths is resulting in significant survey-time savings in
long laterals and pad drilling applications.
Figure 2. The EM CasingLink system employs a downhole antenna and
a simple set of non-moving components to extend telemetry depths.
Data transmission
M/LWD data transmission from downhole to surface is typically achieved
using either mud pulse telemetry or EM telemetry. The most common is
mud pulse, which uses a downhole valve to restrict fluid flow and create
a pressure pulse that conveys data to the surface via the mud column.
Mud pulse systems have been used for more than 30 years and provide a
simple mechanical operation and no formation-related depth restrictions.
However, the transmission environment is restricted to an incompressible
medium. Mud-pulse systems also have moving mechanical parts subject to
wear especially when lost circulation materials (LCM) are used. Advanced
processing is required to reduce effects of distortion, and the system does
not allow independent two-way downlink capability.
EM telemetry uses a downhole transmitter and surface receiver to
transmit data through the formation using electromagnetic waves. It is
often the preferred method when drilling on land or in underbalanced
operations. EM telemetry has no restrictions based on fluid characteristics
Reprinted from Oilfield Technology March 2014
and is able to operate in underbalanced wellbores.
Because it is not dependent on drilling fluid
characteristics, EM telemetry has a high tolerance to
LCM. It has no moving downhole parts, so reliability
is increased. Communication is independent of flow
rates and can be configured to exceed 6 bit/sec.
It also enables unlimited 2-way communications.
Survey time is negligible because it is independent
of the current drilling operation. In a study of
unconventional wells in the US, approximately
fiveminutes per survey were saved versus
mudpulse methods.
However, a key constraint in EM telemetry has
been its depth limitation due to high formation
resistivity and signal attenuation. CasingLink
technology addresses this restriction.
EM telemetry
EM telemetry incorporates an electrical insulator in the BHA. To transmit
data, the tool generates an altered voltage difference between the main
drill string above the EM insulator sub and other tools located below the
insulator.
The basic system consists of several components. On the surface, a wire
is attached to the wellhead and contacts the drill pipe. A second wire driven
into the ground at a distance from the wellbore acts as a surface antenna.
The wellhead and the surface antenna form the two electrodes of a dipole
antenna. The voltage difference between the two electrodes is the received
signal that is decoded by a surface computer.
Data rates of 6 bit/sec. or more are achieved depending upon formation
resistivities and transmission frequencies. Many EM tools offer two-way data
communications.
Conductivity and resistivity
The ability to introduce a signal into any formation is directly proportional
to the conductivity of the formation and drilling fluid in the annulus at the
injection point. To inject the maximum signal into the formation, it is best to
have a drilling fluid and formation with low resistivity, but not so low as to
result in an effective short.
At the same time, the EM signal propagation from a downhole antenna
to a reception antenna at the surface is inversely proportional to the
conductivity of the formation - a highly conductive formation allows for
much greater signal attenuation. If the resistivity of the formations between
these antennae is not great enough, the attenuation will be sufficient to
prevent the signal from being detected on the surface. An ideal environment
for EM telemetry is one where the drilling fluid and formation resistivity is not
high enough to impede signal injection, and where there is a highly resistive
formation above and to the surface to minimise the signal attenuation.
These considerations make geophysical data very important to planning
the deployment of a downhole antenna. Local resistivity logs are critically
important because they identify viable depths for installation.
Formation strata are typically heterogeneous and have unique
properties that greatly affect their transmission of electrical energy. A highly
resistive formation in the circuit may reduce voltage between the downhole
tool and the surface antenna enough to prevent reliable communication.
Similarly, an overly conductive formation may divert transmission power to
create an effective short in the transmission. While logs allow for anticipated
signal attenuation through each stratum and as a bulk unit, total attenuation
must remain under 60 dB for reliable signal communication.
Traditionally these challenging formation characteristics have been
overcome using enhancements such as longer downhole antennas, signal
relay systems and lower signal transmission frequencies. For example, an
electrical insulating coating has been applied to the outside of the casing

Figure 3. This plot illustrates the almost 16 times greater signal strength
of the EM antenna system compared to a conventional EM MWD system,
and a greater separation of the signal from the drilling noise.
string to increase resistance and reduce signal attenuation along the
casing. Drawbacks include the cost of coating an entire string of casing and
potential damage to the coating while running the string. Nevertheless,
the technology set a new offshore depth record in 2003 for successfully
transmitting data from downhole using EM technology.
Adoption of the EM casing antenna system has been limited. Offshore
the issue has been operational difficulties and the technical challenges of
increased water depth. On land, operational complexity and economics
seemed to rule it out. However, new solutions began to emerge with an
increased demand for underbalanced drilling and advances in downhole
production sensors.
First land application
The first land application involved installing the EM casing antenna system
along with production sensors and downhole actuation valves during
casing runs. That initial installation has evolved into a system that can be
routinely and economically installed during the casing run. The downhole
antennas effectiveness in increasing EM signal detection has significantly
extended the depth and variation of EM telemetry deployment.
One novel capability is enabling wells on a pad to use a common
antenna. In this use, a single antenna is deployed in an anchor well to
support drilling satellite wells.
Antenna deployment in the anchor well is typically associated with an
intermediate casing string. This allows for use on both the current well and
future wells. For applications in which the antenna is used solely on satellite
wells, it may be set on production casing as determined by position and
drag modelling.
The typical installation consists of a coaxial wireline cable that is
terminated onto a joint of intermediate casing at a predefined depth. The
cable termination site may include a special sub or an external clamping
device. The line is run along with the casing string and is attached using
clamps or centralisers to reduce drag and the chance of getting snagged
downhole. On surface, a conventional or mandrel hanger wellhead can be
used. The line penetrates through a companion flange in the cementing
head, which allows a sufficient pressure seal and direct access to the
downhole line.
Eagle Ford deployment
In highly resistive formations where the use of EM telemetry was not
previously an option, the new antenna technique has proved to be very
effective at extending EM application.
Complete circulation losses when drilling south Texas Eagle Ford
horizontal shale wells were a common occurrence. The typical lateral
was drilled underbalanced with a 6.9 ppg two-phase fluid to a total depth
of approximately 9300 ft. The intermediate section was drilled using
oilbased mud (OBM), but the operator switched to a two-phase drilling
fluid to minimise OBM loss expenses. To help deal with the lost circulation
problems, nitrogen was pumped to reduce the hydrostatic fluid column in
the well.
The operation had used a positive pulse MWD tool, which required
homogeneous drilling fluid to transmit data to surface. Introduction of
nitrogen required drilling without any real time MWD gamma or survey data.
Before each connection, nitrogen injection was stopped and replaced with
liquid so that the formation could be logged. The step increased the risk of
formation damage and initiating losses, and the process added significant
time and cost to the well.
The immediate option in the two-phase system was EM telemetry. But
formation resistivities from the surface to the Buda limestone formation
had resulted in cumulative signal attenuation that had precluded the use
of EM technology in the area. To overcome the issue, the EM casing antenna
system was used.
Approximately 5400 ft of coaxial wireline was run along with the
hydraulic lines required to activate a downhole control valve installed in
the casing string. The well was drilled without interruption, logging gamma
ray and acquiring deviation surveys to total depth over four bit runs. About
3360ft of lateral was successfully drilled with EM tools in a two-phase
drilling fluid (water and nitrogen). An estimated 48 hours were saved during
the drilling operations. Less formation damage while drilling resulted in a
production increase of almost 50% compared to offset wells.
Granite Wash success
A second example involves drilling in the Granite Wash play in the Texas
panhandle. In this instance, lost circulation was resulting in significant
M/LWD pulser reliability issues.
The wells were drilled using an 8.8 ppg water-based drilling fluid to a
total depth of around 12 600 ft. High concentrations of LCM fibrous material
(up to 45 lb/bbl), which led to additional trips due to MWD failures during
drilling operations.
Cumulative losses from surface to the Cleveland Sand formation had
prevented EM technology from being used in the area prior to availability
of the EM casing antenna system. Working from a two-well pad, both wells
were drilled in a northern direction with 1300 ft of separation between the
laterals.
An EM casing antenna was run on one anchor well to about 6700ft,
and then almost 4700 ft of lateral section was drilled in one bit run without
interruptions. A satellite well was then drilled on the pad from surface to
TD using the antenna installed in the prior anchor well. The estimated
timesaving for surveys in both wells was 15 hours. No additional trips were
incurred due to the use of LCM.
A new well set
Installation of the EM CasingLink system in more than 34 wells has proven
the new antenna techniques capability to extend EM telemetry to wells
that were previously precluded due to high signal loss and attenuation. The
system increases the depth range of conventional EM systems, enabling
their use in long laterals. It also enables new efficiencies in multi-well pad
drilling using anchor and satellite wells. As a result, a new set of candidate
wells can benefit from EM capabilities such as decreased survey time,
increased reliability and drilling fluid and LCM independence.
March 2014 Reprinted from Oilfield Technology
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Reprinted Evaluation
from Oilfield | WellMarch
Technology Construction
2014 | Completion | Production