Baram Field is located offshore just northwest of Borneo Island. PETRONAS Carigali often drills among a cluster of 17½-in, 12¼-in, and 8½-in sections, which causes magnetic interference. Consequently, drilling programs require conventional MWD surveys for every stand, taking approximately 10–15 min per stand and include working the pipe before and postsurvey and keeping the pipe stationary during the survey transmission period. In total, the process adds 8–10 h of rig time per well and increases stuck pipe risks, bogging down drilling efficiency.
The PETRONAS Carigali borehole surveying subject matter expert and SLB recommended replacing the conventional MWD with TruLink definitive dynamic survey-while-drilling service for three wells, from the 16-in tophole sections to intermediate 12¼-in sections of the drilling campaign. TruLink service incorporates new telemetry innovations that enable up to 20 bps. And the advanced drilling dynamics design includes three-axis shock and vibration and turbine power. Additionally, geological accuracy is refined using gamma ray and electromagnetic resistivity in combination with continuous six-axis directional and inclination sensors. The ultimate yield is definitive dynamic surveys, delivering real-time borehole conditions that reduce time to TD.
TruLink service enabled Petronas to acquire precise BHA location data at a higher frequency during drilling for improved decision making, eliminating up to 15 min of survey-related rig time per survey. This also eliminated the need for additional pump cycles, along with their associated washouts, stuck pipe risks, and other directional drilling difficulties.
