Fully Mechanical Vertical Drilling System Delivers RSS Performance in Vertical Drilling Applications While Providing an Economical Alternative to Conventional Rotary Steerable Systems Set-Up for Vertical Hold Mode

Abstract

Abstract Deviation control in a vertical well (or the vertical portion of a directional well) can be challenging, especially when pushing the limits for maximum penetration rate. Over the years rotary steerable systems (RSS) have been adapted to fit the vertical drilling market. These electro-mechanical directional control systems are set-up to seek low-side but they come at a relatively high cost of RSS. This paper describes a purpose-built 100% mechanical vertical drilling system. The vertical drilling system has been developed to drill vertical wells economically with the accuracy and borehole quality of a rotary steerable system. The intelligent mechanical control system has been instrumented to analyze response in different drilling environments throughout North America land. Compact measurement sensors embedded into key components of the tool record system behavior and response. Through case studies, the effectiveness of the mechanical control system to eliminate deviation on vertical wells will be demonstrated. Onboard memory data from the sensors will be used to examine the stability of the system and prove that simple mechanical control is an efficient and effective method for vertical drilling.