Drilling A Straight Hole

Schlumberger Private
Drilling A Straight Hole

Introduction
⇒ Crooked Hole
Well bore that derivate from vertical. It usually
occurs when there is a section of hard and soft
formations steeply inclined from the vertical.

Introduction
Crooked Hole:
Introduction (cont’d)
Crooked hole causes following:

Drilling more footage
Extra cost for extra footage
Some times drilled into existing wells or
producing wells on offset lease, creating serious
legal problems.

Development of Well Bore Survey Tool:

The 1st bore hole surveying tool was developed in
1929. The glass bottle was filled with diluted acid,
toppled with a layer of oil, lowered to the bit with
wire line and allowed to stand until the acid
etched a line inside the bottle.

Development of Well Bore

Survey Tool
Surface
location
selected
permits
faster
penetrati
on to
total
depth.

Straight Hole Considerations
⇒Contract Clause
Earlier 10 to 15 degree deviation was accepted
but in 1935 drilling contractor included
deviation clauses allowing 2 to 3 degree.
However quick change in angle was causing dog
legs.
In 1950 it was allowed for more liberal
deviation, especially near the btm of hole. 6
degree in 500 ft has less impact as compare to
3 deg. in 100 ft.

Straight Hole Considerations (cont’d)
⇒ It is virtually impossible to drill a perfectly

straight hole.
Drilling industry accepts a straight hole as one
that meets two qualification
1. The hole stays with in the boundary of cone as
designated by the operator.
2. Dogleg severity does not exceed 3 degree per
100 ft of hole.

Reason to restrict hole angle (fig. 11):

Ensure that hole will bottom out without a
reasonable distance from the surface location.
Keeping costs down by not having to drill extra
footage
Keeping the well bore with in the lease
boundary to avoid legal problems
Keeping the well bore within he distances from
lease or unit lease established.

⇒Fig. 11
Dog leg: A dogleg is a sudden change in hole angle. Doglegs

create problems for several reasons.
Key Seat: A key seat is formed when the drill string rotates
through dog leg while in tension. The drill string tries to
straighten itself as it rotates through the curve. If the
lateral forces are greater enough and formation is soft, the
DP cuts into formation and makes a groove the size of DP
tool joint. The groove is key seat.

⇒Problem caused by Key Seats

As the pipe rotates, it cuts into formation
making a smaller groove which has to be
reamed for tool joint during each connection
⇒ slows down drilling.
While pulling out, the 1st DC usually larger in
dia than key seat, causes pipe sticking.

⇒Shallow doglegs are more troublesome than those

near bottom of hole. The greater the suspended
weight, the grater the tendency to cut a key seat.
Problems due to Dogleg and key Seats

1) Drill pipe fatigue
2) Stuck pipe, logging tools, wireless
3) Stuck, damaged, or worn production casing
4) Insufficient cementing circulation
5) Production problems

Problems due to
Dogleg and key Seats
1) Drill pipe fatigue

Each fiber of DP tool joint is stressed
alternately in tension and in compression. Higher
tension can accelerate pipe failure.

Factors affecting the degrees of fatigue to DP

Tensile load on the pipe at the dog leg
Severity of curvature of the dog leg
Mechanical dimension and physical properties
of the pipe
R PM
Corrosive drilling fluid

Problems due to
Dogleg and key
Seats
2) Stuck pipe, logging tools, wireless

The hole may slough when DP are rotating through
dogleg which may cause sticking of DP, Logging tools
and wire line
3) Stuck, Damaged or Worn production casing
The casing may get stuck and had to be set at higher
depth.
During drilling, the lateral forces exerted by DP on
Casing at dog leg can wear a hole through casing which
can cause drilling problem, possible blow out.

4) Insufficient Cement Circulation

Casing run through dogleg is forced tightly against the
walls of the hole which causes no cement circulation
between the casing and wall of hole.
5) Production Problems
Dog leg can cause sucker rod wear and tubing leaks
that leads to expensive repair job. Distorted or
collapsed casing can also cause packers and tolls to
become stuck while running in and out through dog leg.

Factors Affecting Hole Deviation
⇒ A hole may deviate due to

1. Formation being drilled
2. Equipment used to drill
Factors Affecting Hole Deviation (con’d)
1. Formation being drilled

a) Formations with the dip 40 deg. and less tend to drill
uphill. Up dip drilling to be more prevalent in laminar
formations such as shale and sand than in thick and
uniform formations like lime stone.
b) Formation with dip 40 deg. and above tends to drill
along the formation bedding plan because formation
fractures easily along the bedding plan (follows the line
of least resistance and slide down hill.

Formation being drilled
Laminar formation with

dip above 40 degree.
The bit follows the line
of less resistance and
tend to drill down dip
in the direction of
bedding plan.

c) Variation in Drillability of
formations
The soft formations wash
out and since the DC is
smaller in dia. the bit
moves in lateral
direction.

2) Mechanical Effects
More weight on bit, grater the tendency of drill
string to bend and buckle.
a) Limber BHA (without stabilizers)
b) Under size DC, more clearance b/w DC and wall
of the hole
c) Dull or Balled up bits, require more WOB to
meet the desired ROP which tends to bend the
DC string.

d) A bit with no off set tends to drill straight as

compare to bit with off set.
e) Diamond and PDC bits drill straight as compare
to roller cone bits.
f) Air percussion tools, hammer drilling tends to
drill straight hole.

⇒.
Mechanical
Effects
Methods of Controlling Hole Deviation
⇒ Crooked holes are corrected

Plug back > very expensive
Skid the rig and restart
⇒ Preventive measures in crooked hole country
Shallow and vertical surface hole, pilot holes
Standard rotary, air rotary or air percussion
Down hole motors,
Appropriate BHA, reduce WOB, bit records, deviation
survey, geological prognosis, offset well data etc.

Methods of Controlling Hole Deviation
⇒ Start Straight: A vertical start in upper portion of hole

averts many problems. Holes become crooked when hard
rocks are near surface and are specially inclined.
1. MWD, down hole motor & PDC bit
Modern technology helps drilling straight hole >
MWD, down hole motor & PDC bit.
With down hole motors, no viberations in string >
bit stability enhanced and tendency to deviate is
reduced. (fig. 29)

Start Straight
Start Straight
2. Air drilling > cools the bit faster which enable

the bit to drill faster by taking more WOB
without causing deflection.
3. Air percussion tools in shallow surface
formations > hammering effect and rotation,
gives more ROP with less WOB, causing no
deflection.
4. Drill pilot hole and enlarge with hole opener.
Pilot hole requires less WOB.

BHA
5. Pendulum BHA, Packed Hole BHA

Pendulum BHA
Pendulum force depends on wt. of DC
string between bit and 1st point of
contact of DC with the wall of hole.
Higher the point of tangency, stronger
the tendency to return to its vertical
position.

Pendulum BHA
Pendulum BHA (CONT’D)
Greater load or lighter DC causes DC to buckle

closer the bit which reduces the pendulum force.
Formation opposes axial load and pendulum forces.
When pendulum forces equals formation reaction in
an inclined hole, a state of equilibrium exists and
the hole continues straight but inclined.
If pendulum forces is greater, the hole angle
decreases but if formation reaction is greater, hole
angle increases.

⇒ Types of Pendulum BHA

1. Slick BHA > BHA with DCs of large OD but
without stabilizers and reamers
2. One or more stabilizers installed in the DC
string at a pre -determined position.

⇒ Although a single stabilizer properly placed in the

string helps control deviation, operators some
times place 2nd and 3 rd stabilizers 30 ft and 60 ft
above fulcrum stabilizer. Additional stab. reduces
lateral forces on fulcrum stab. which prevents it
from digging into formation.

⇒Pendulum assy. are usually used

for unconsolidated formations where fast ROP is
maintained with light WOB.
For corrective measures to reduce angle when
deviation exceeds the maximum allowed.

⇒ Pendulum assy. will only reduce dog leg when

pendulum forces are higher than formation
reaction. If same, the bit will maintain the angle
and drill straight in the same direction.

Packed Hole ASSY. (PHA)
In crooked hole country, PHA permits maximum

WOB for faster ROP. PHA never drill a vertical hole
100% but keeps the rate of hole angle change to
minimum.
In PHA, stabilizers no more than 1 /8” smaller in
dia. Than the hole.
PHA is sometimes called gun barrel BHA.

Packed Hole ASSY. (PHA) (cont’d)
⇒ A properly designed PHA–

1. Reduces the rate of hole angle change
2. Improves the performance and life of bit. Bit
rotates on its axis loading all cones equally.
3. Improves hole condition for running logging,
drilling and running casing.
4. Allows more WOB for formations that cause
abnormal drift

⇒ Design Factor of PHA

The length of contact of assy.
An assembly with three stabilization points ensures
alignment with the previously drilled hole. Fig. 35
The stiffness of the DC string
Larger size of DC provide more stiffness. But cert.
factors limit max. size of DC like handling, annular
clearance for fishing, high annular velocity etc >
hole wash out.

Design Factor of PHA
The clearance between hole and stabilizers.

1 /16” just above the bit and 1 /8” above 60 ft
of bit
The availability of wall support to stabilizers.
the surface area of stab. Should be large
enough. Softer the formation, larger the stab.
Contact area.

Design of Packed Hole ASSY. (cont’d)
⇒ Formations with mild, medium or severe crooked hole

tendencies require different PHAs. Fig. 37
⇒ A PHA normally consists, a bit, a short DC, a normal length
DC and several stabilizers placed at different positions.
⇒ A PHA is often divided into three zones.
Zone 1 is near the bit.
Zone 2 is above short DC
Zone 3 is above a DC of normal length

Design of Packed Hole ASSY. (cont’d)
The number of stabilizers used depends on severity of

crooked hole tendencies.
Additional stabilization is achieved by increasing the
contact area with the hole wall.
Contact area is increased either by increasing the
number of stabilizers or by increasing the length of
stabilizers.
Stabilizers used above zone 3 are to protect string from
getting stuck or prevent from buckling but has no
effect on directing the bit.

Down Hole Mud Motor
Down hole assy includes adjustable kick off tool

(AKO) which is placed between the bit and motor.
The correct angle and direction are set based upon
information of previous survey. Fig. 43

Down Hole Mud Motor
⇒Fig. 43
Reduced Bit Weight (Reduced WOB)
Old technique to straighten a hole is to reduce

WOB and increase RPM.
Sudden reduction in WOB reduces ROP and
create dogleg.
Reduction in WOB is required when changing
from PHA to pendulum BHA.

Drill Stem Tools
Tools used to control deviation and drill a straight

hole as follows.
1. Drill Collars
2. HWDP
3. Square DC
4. Spiral DC
5. Stabilizers
6. Vibration dampener
7. MWD
Drill Stem Tools
1. Drill Collars:
To drill a straight hole, a DC string ideally would have the
same OD as the bit. However is not practice because it’d
not allow drilling fluid to circulate up the hole.
a) Large DC provide more stiffness than small DCs. Stiff DC
provide efficient bit performance and fatigue damage to
connection is less with collars that closely fit the hole.

b) Large DC concentrate weight near the bit where it
is needed where as long string of small DC loose
most of its weight in friction and buckling. 14 DC
10” provide weight as 25 DC 7- 3 /4”.
c) The DC week part is its connection. S0 few large
DC should be used.
d) DP gets serious damage when run in compression.
So enough DCs are run to have 10 -25% of DC
buoyed weight in suspension.

Drill Stem Tools (cont’d)
⇒Fig. 44
Drill Stem Tools
Limitations for using large size DCs.

a) Special tools to pick up and lay down large DCs.
b) Time and expense in handling large DCs might not
justify.
c) Less annular clearance which may cause increase
hole erosion.
d) Less annular clearance for fishing with overshot or
running wash over pipe.
e) Less annular clearance can cause hole packing off.

Drill Stem Tools (con’d)
Transition from large size DC to smaller DC or DP can

cause accelerated fatigue or damage to drill stem
connection.
a) DC size should never be reduced more than 2” in
dia. at crossover point. (8- 1 /2” to 6- 1 /2” etc.)
b) It should not be more than one connection size
be reduced at a time. (7- 5 /8”Reg. to 6 - 5 /8”
Reg.)
c) HWDP are used to have a smooth transition

⇒Fig. 46
2. HWDP
A gradual transition is required to avoid
accelerated connection failure and fatigue to drill
stem. Two types of HW DP are used for transition.
• Conventional HWDP with center pad
• Spiral HWDP
Extra tool joint reduces wear of DP by keeping it
away from the wall of hole.
Fig. 47
⇒Fig. 47
3. Square DC
Square DC is an excellent tool for controlling hole
angle. The corners of the square DC contact with
wall of the hole and if the formation is hard
enough, the hole will support the collar from
flexing.
However square DC wears out quickly and is
protected by using a reamer above the bit

Fig 48 n fig 49
4. Stabilizers
Stabilizers stabilize the bit and the BHA.
A properly stabilized BHA enables following.
a. Enables to apply optimum weight on bit.
b. The bit rotates on its own axis, loads all cones
equally which allows the bit to drill straight ahead.
c. Fewer bits are used and ROP increases.

⇒Fig. 56
⇒FIG. 57
The wall contact area of stabilizers is increased

either by using stabilizers with longer blade length
or by increasing the no. of stabilizers which
controls the crooked hole tendencies. However
increasing the blade area decrease the flow
passage area around stabilizers which can causes
following.
a. Cuttings can pack off and cause pipe sticking.

b. Pack off leads to build up of back pressure which

can cause lost circulation.
c. Too much restriction can also cause hole erosion
in certain formations.

5. Reamers
Reamer body rotates while the rolling cutters open the
hole to full gauge thereby extending the bit life and
preventing problems with pipe sticking. It is primarily used
for maintaining full gauge hole in hard formations though
its wall contact area is very little. It is used for additional
stabilization in hard formation. In soft formation, its
cutters penetrates the wall of the hole causing reduced
stabilization and bit deviation.

⇒Fig. 58 and 59
6. Vibration Dampener
The vibration dampener or shock sub protects the bit
and string from getting damaged by vibrations and
bouncing.
a. The shock absorber maintains a constant bit pressure
on the rock which eliminates the bit bouncing and bit
tendency to walk.
b. Penetration rate is improved.
c. Bit life is lengthened.

d. Hole is straight
e. Less stress on drill string.
Shock absorber is directly placed above the bit
but in case of PHA, it should be placed above
zone- 3 with an additional DC 30 ft above it to
prevent excessive lateral loading.

7. Measurement While Drilling (MWD)

MWD provides information in real time while drilling in
progress. Data is transmitted through pulses from
down hole to surface. Immediately angle and
directions are corrected when bit starts to deviate
from the predetermined path.

Deviation Recording Instruments
Go Devil Survey Device

Works on the principle of pendulum. Pendulum is
on the pivot point and indicates the hole angle on
a recording disc.
A.Double recorder
Double recorder is the most commonly used
survey too. Double refers to the process in which
disc is punctured, picked up, turned 180 deg. and
punctured again.

Deviation Recording Instruments (con’d)
This process verifies that go devil was at rest and

landed properly. Time between shots is 25 seconds.
Fig. 64, fig 65 and fig. 66
⇒Fig. 64
⇒Fig. 65
⇒Fig. 66
Three principal methods are used for running go

devil.
1. Run in and pulled out of DP on wire line
2. Dropped into the DP and retrieved with an
overshot on a wireline
3. Dropped in to the DP and retrieved when POOH.

When the go devil is dropped freely in a mud filled

DP, a descent rate of 1000 ft per minute is used
for calculation of clock setting time.

When run on wire line, a rate of 500 ft per minute
is considered.

B. Multiple Recorder
It measures both deviation and direction by means
of a compass or gyroscope built into the tool.
When the go devil lands on the baffle plate, the
main piston carries the pendulum upward to
contact the disc. When the go devil is picked up,
the instrument re- cocks itself and another
reading can be taken. Fig. 67

⇒Fig. 67
If the directional tool uses magnetic compass, it

must be run in non magnetic DCS. Gyroscope
models can be run in regular steel DCs.
The End

Drilling A Straight Hole

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