Enlarges Borehole, Saves 14+ Hours of Deepwater Rig Time Valued at $150,000

Enlarge a 17-in. pilot hole in a deepwater well in a single trip.
Avoid generating pressure pulses in a narrow-pressure envelope.
Prevent interference with measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools.

A Weatherford borehole enlargement team met with the operator to conduct a pre-job analysis. The operator was concerned that a narrow pressure envelope might constrain underreamer operations. The operator also wanted to avoid any interference between the underreamer and nearby MWD and LWD tools.
The Weatherford team recommended the RipTide RFID underreamer, which is actuated by radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. And with no ball drop required for activation, its fullbore inside diameter enables operators to place the reamer anywhere on the drillstring.
A Weatherford crew deployed to the rig and placed the RipTide RFID underreamer in the drillstring below the MWD and LWD tools and above the bit. After running in the hole to 6,903 ft (2,104 m), the crew pumped down RFID tags to activate the cutters on demand, and the drilling reamer enlarged the hole from 17 to 20 in.
The Weatherford crew provided constant drilling operation support, including RipTide activation, drilling monitoring and analysis, and close collaboration with the rig personnel and customer representatives. The operation was completed without incidents or disruptions in service quality.

The Weatherford RipTide underreamer enlarged the pilot hole in a single trip, which saved 14.3 hours of rig time valued at US $150,000.
RFID tags enabled underreamer activation and deactivation on command, thereby avoiding pressure pulses for actuation in a well constrained by a narrow pressure window.
The underreamer created no interreference with the MWD/LWD equipment, and its placement near the bit left minimal rathole while delivering a high-quality wellbore. This also gave the operator a successful approach for enlarging boreholes in subsequent wells drilled in the field.

Details

Location

Deepwater Malaysia

Well Type

Deepwater, exploration

Formation

Claystone

Initial hole size and angle

17 in., vertical

Final Hole Size

20 in.

Underreamer Depth

6,903 to 8,383 ft (2,104 to 2,555 m)

Products/Services

PetroVisor™ Unified Data Platform