In deepwater Guyana, ExxonMobil needed a safer and more reliable directional drilling solution to increase ROP, reduce drilling times, and decrease the fluid required for pump and dump operations.
Using PowerDrive vorteX RSS with DynaPower XE elastomer and TruLink™ definitive dynamic survey-while-drilling service, ExxonMobil drilled an offshore section three times faster than with motor BHAs while increasing the ROP by 75%. The PowerDrive vorteX RSS was chosen to transform the conventional mud motor to an RSS. This eliminated slide drilling and increased the on-bottom ROP compared with conventional techniques involving jetting with mud motors and drilling with rotary and slide mode. It also reduced the amount of fluid needed in the pump and dump operation.
ExxonMobil replaced the conventional cutting structure of roller cones with polycrystalline diamond cutters to improve rock cutting efficiency. Additionally, having a fully rotary BHA, instead of a static mud motor BHA, reduced friction between the BHA and the borehole. This enabled the BHA to achieve a 65% higher inclination more quickly, reducing costs and directional complexity in subsequent sections.
TruLink dynamic service eliminated the flat time of waiting for surveys on connections as well as the need for checkshots to verify directional position at ROPs up to 137 m/h [450 ft/h] at low angle. By implementing the GyroLink™ definitive gyro-while-drilling service, 85% less time was needed to complete surveys. Surveying efficiency within the magnetic zone was improved and the sensor demonstrated its ability to withstand the challenging conditions in the high-heave environment on the drillship.
