Tortuosity Assurance for Safe Well Delivery Via High-Definition Dynamic Surveys

Abstract

Abstract The completion operation is the most important step in the well construction life cycle after drilling is completed. The success of completion operations highly depends on how the well is drilled. Having a high tortuosity well can have a significant impact on casing and completion string running to the bottom of the hole. Thus, understanding the well path tortuosity precisely is critical and one of the main objectives during a drilling operation. Dynamic definitive surveys offer precise micro-dogleg severity (DLS) mapping and enable drilling engineers to identify potential issues such as high doglegs or key seats, which can lead to equipment failure or wellbore collapse. This allows for real-time corrective action, resulting in improved drilling performance. Additionally, better recognition of the well path trajectory through dynamic surveys helps with geosteering for maximum reservoir exposure. Dynamic surveys provide improved torque and drag modeling, aiding in predicting drilling behavior and identifying abnormal behavior for timely corrective actions during drilling operations. Dynamic definitive surveys have become an essential component in the drilling process. This paper will present a comparison between dynamic surveys and static surveys during drilling operations. The analysis demonstrates significant benefits in micro-DLS mapping, well-path trajectory recognition, and torque and drags modeling. The dynamic definitive surveys were able to recognize micro-DLS leading to a ~15% increase in well path accuracy per stand, and also providing better TVD accuracy of ~1 ft-TVD for every 2,000 ft drilled. This is crucial for identifying formation tops and landing/geosteering the well for maximum reservoir exposure. In conclusion, dynamic definitive surveys offer numerous advantages for drilling operations by improving overall drilling efficiency, reducing the risk of stuck piping, optimizing drilling performance, and, most importantly, ensuring the completion string reaches safely to the bottom. These surveys enable engineers to have a better understanding of the drilled well path tortuosity, resulting in cost savings and improved well delivery.