Gyro While Drilling, Electromagnetic Measurements While Drilling | SLB

GyroSphere

MEMS gyro-while-drilling service

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GyroSphere
MEMS gyro-while-drilling service

Improving drilling efficiency with a completely new technology for measuring gyro surveys

The GyroSphere service is unlike any other gyro-surveying offer in the oil field today. It delivers more transparent gyro-surveying data that increases drilling operation efficiency and tool reliability while improving access to small target reservoirs. Case studies show that the GyroSphere service can reduce the ellipse of uncertainty up to 45%.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology is at the heart of the new GyroSphere service. It’s adapted from the same systems used in robotics, spacecraft, smart phones, drones, and self-balancing personal transports. The technology works off the Coriolis effect, which means the sensor uses a vibrating structure to determine the rate of planetary rotation. And from that rate, the the sensor pinpoints its inclination, azimuth, and the toolface orientation.

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GyroSphere - CTA - interactive brochure

View the GyroSphere MEMS gyro-while-drilling service interactive brochure

Take an in-depth look at how the GyroSphere service works and read case studies from around the world.

Open Brochure
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Delivering big performance with microtechnology

Gyro surveys with the GyroSphere service are more transparent to drilling operations because the measurement is taken during connections and available immediately after the pumps are on, rather than having to wait up to 30 minutes for the data. This is because MEMS technology doesn't need to spin up and stabilize as mechanical gyros do, so up to two surveys can be performed in the time conventional gyros take to start up for just one. The sensor is smart—it knows when to survey and has the capabilities to report its own status.

MEMS technology doesn’t only make gyro surveying more efficient and smarter, it enables the GyroSphere service to withstand challenging downhole conditions, including severe shock and vibration. Unlike a conventional gyro apparatus that requires multiple tools, the GyroSphere service needs only its single sensor to survey at any inclination, at any depth, and at higher latitudes—all without the need for changing batteries or recalibrating between runs. This makes the GyroSphere service well suited for efficient batch-drilling operations.