In any well delivery operation, there are three drivers beyond safety—drilling efficiency, accurate well placement and high-quality wellbores.

The main objective in directional drilling is to accurately position the well within the target to optimize returns. Nevertheless, wellbore quality is just as important a factor that must be considered—a precisely placed well does not necessarily mean the wellbore itself is ideal for later completions. While placing high-integrity wells in the best locations, drillers must also strive for higher performance during operations, which entails getting to total depth faster with less flat time.

Extended-reach drilling services provide a solution to restricted reservoir production, enabling operators to more efficiently develop their assets by maximizing the exposure of the targeted intervals and eliminating the need for additional platforms.

Rotary steerable systems have evolved throughout the years to continuously improve upon key deliverables: accurate wellbore positioning, optimum borehole quality and maximum drilling efficiency. A wide offering of systems makes achieving all three possible—in multiple applications.

An article in E&P online “Rotary Steerable Systems Optimize Wells in Variety of Environments” describes the PowerDrive rotary steerable systems which are designed to take on every drilling application, from conventional to ultraHT and verticals to Ultra ERD. Rotation and torque are fully transmitted throughout the body of the tool to eliminate dragging components and enable maximum drilling performance to the target depth. These features also allow optimum efficiency when pulling out of hole and deliver maximum well integrity for post-drilling operations. The article includes case studies from the Middle East and the North Sea. Read the article here.

Learn more about other innovative technologies in the Schlumberger library of industry articles.