In the southern Delaware Basin, operators are faced with the challenge of drilling through transitional formations in the intermediate sections. While drilling the horizontals, laminated sections are often encountered, bringing unexpected challenges from well to well.
An operator in Egypt recently partnered with Ulterra to drill their longest interval in the Meleiha West Deep field. While encountering the lower Alam El Bueib (AEB) formation, the formation transitions into highly interbedded lithology containing high abrasive sandstone and siltstone. Typical performance in this field requires at least two bits to drill the interval, especially due to challenges faced in the AEB formation.
Recently, an operator targeting the Montney formation in Canada, an extensive resource play that reaches across northwest Alberta and into northeast British Columbia, was challenged with a particular pad in the Briar Ridge field. Specifically, this operator experienced several instances of bit balling while drilling the upper formations with 6-bladed bit designs. This resulted in a significant loss in ROP and instances where a trip was required as the bit was unable to be fully cleaned to the point where drilling could not continue.
A recent performance in the Austin Chalk formation helped set a higher standard for drilling in this formation. SM Energy, a leading oil and gas exploration company servicing Texas and the Rocky Mountains, recently teamed up with Crescent Directional and Ulterra while targeting this resource. Although durability was a major concern, SM Energy had a goal of reducing the number of trips in the lateral section while pushing the limits on ROP.
Recently, an operator in Lea County, New Mexico was targeting the Leonard formation, a sub-unit of the Bone Spring formation located within the Delaware Basin with a goal of drilling their longest 8.5” lateral while saving time downhole. Typically, drilling a well of this length in this formation could take over 4 weeks to drill, with challenges faced especially in the lateral section demanding multiple bits to be employed to reach total depth.
Ulterra has been afforded the opportunity to supply drill bits for the 12.25” section for a customer drilling in the Greater Permian Basin. The Ulterra team has commonly proposed their SplitBlade™ technology for this application, and it has proven to be an effective solution for this customer. Since running Ulterra, performance for this operator has been significantly boosted – saving time and money downhole.
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In Reeves County, operators are faced with the challenge of drilling through the Delaware Mountain Group, which includes drilling through the Bell, Cherry, and Brushy Canyon. The notoriously troublesome Brushy Canyon requires a bit that will be able to overcome interbedded lithological challenges while maintaining a steady ROP.
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For drill bit engineers, knowledge truly is power. By analyzing everything from why bits fail to how cutters interact with different formation types, they are responding to the trend toward longer laterals with solutions that drill faster and stay in hole longer to reach total depth in fewer runs. The newest generation bit designs help achieve simultaneous improvements in rates of penetration and footage drilled through more effective hydraulics, fine-tuned cutting structures and novel cutter elements. These innovations could not have come at a better time. As average lateral lengths continue to rise, so has the demand for efficient drill bits. Longer laterals and increased drilling in North America helped the worldwide bit market grow 20 percent in 2018 to reach $3.3 billion, according to Spears & Associates.
Drilling with Bapetco, a joint venture between Shell and the Egyptian General Petroleum Cooperation, in Western Egypt involves drilling through multiple formations in the 12.25” and 8.5’’ sections. Starting off with chalky limestone in the Apolonia and Khoman formations in the 12.25” section, then interbedded formation in Abu Rawash Members (shale, limestone, and sandstone), and finishing the hole in the Bahareya in a sandstone formation in the 8.5’’ section. Typically, in this area, it takes at least one bit per section on a motor or RSS assembly to complete the well.
The Brushy Canyon is a well-known troublesome formation in Southeastern New Mexico that consists mainly of sandstone but contains some limestone lenses and thin beds of shale and chert. The inconsistency of drilling in this “ratty” formation leads to many drilling problems. The formation top is typically located at 7,000-8,000 ft. TVD and has a thickness of about 1,000 ft.
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