Cutter with rotary steerable system increases ROP by 25%

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United States, North America, Offshore

A major operator in south Texas used an advanced BHA made up with the AccuStrike™ short-makeup drill bit and the PowerDrive™ rotary steerable systems (RSS), to drill the vertical, curve, and lateral sections in an 8.75-in hole in one run and increase ROP by 25%.

SLB engineers worked with the operator to design and implement an RSS and BHA system on a digital platform. The new system needed durability to hold the tangent, build the curve, and smoothly navigate the lateral section. Their objective was to deliver an accurate trajectory directly following the drill plan—minimizing the time spent on the well, lowering rig time, costs, and the carbon footprint.

The operator and SLB team conducted an in-depth analysis of drilling data using the digital IDEAS™ integrated dynamic design and analysis platform. After reviewing simulation models, the team chose the combination of the AccuStrike short-makeup drill bit, with polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters, and the PowerDrive RSS. Every piece of the BHA—the cutting structure, bit body, and dogleg severity capabilities—were engineered for optimal drilling performance and stability. As a result, the system drilled the vertical and tangent section in a single run with tight hold inclination and azimuth performance while increasing ROP by 25%.

Bar graph shows higher ROP from SLB technology than competitor and baseline.
AccuStrike drill bit and PowerDrive RSS deliver increased ROP as compared with conventional motor BHA and baseline.
Products Used