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SPE7835

DeepDirectionalDrilling

by J.C. Thompson, DirectionalInvestment Guidance, Inc.

SPE-of@c@sun EIWM9PWAIME

opyrlght1979,Ann=ricanInstituteofMining,Metallurgical,andPet:cletrnEngineers,tic.hispaperwaspresentedal the1979%xiem OfPwrokunEht@2ersofAm MOP ~illiw ~d ~~uction SYITKXimhpld jn &IImiIlo,Mm, AprilI-.3,979. lhematerialissuhjccttocorrectionby theauthor.Permissiontocopyisrestrictedto an ahswacrof not mre than 300 wmki.

AwIlwcT successandexpanseintheDelawaxeBasin,WsternOklalmmandthePanhandleof Iexas.Thispaper

Thecontinuationof deepdrillinghas@qmnded willdiscussseveralof thesewells.theapplicationfordirectionaldrillingto nearccxmxplaceproportions.Sirice1968, tkre has keen PLANNINGKICKOFFPOINTh stiy progressionof inprovemnts in deep direc-tional drillingtcolsandtechniques. Alldirectionalwellshaveor shouldhave

Ms paperwillhighlightstidiffermttyESampleplmmbg to reacha bottm holeobjectiveata specifiedverticaldepth.

Of directionalCIXilkhgprOjSCtS6@3iMiZhg theP-t =@w=I~ LW% =~wf=t ilIS~~- Sareof themre femiliarapplicationsfortion,problemencouxkere3ardcostfiguxesasscc- deepdirectionaldrillingin theDslawambasin,iatedwitheachtypeof job. A listof m other Anadarkobsin andWesternPanhsndlearetG side-cieepdirectionaldr~lirqprojectswithobjectives trackor straightena crcokedholedue to leaseandresultsarelistedat theconcussionof the lineproblems,side-trackan obstructio~~,or re-Kw=r= entry to gain geologicaladvmtageby cutting

acrossfaultsor by Sa.iningmre structure.IMRXXCITON

Oncetheobjectivetargethasbeendefined,theManysignificanthnprovenentsin.equipnentand nextitemfoxconsiderationis theKick-off@nt

techniquesusedindirectionaldrillinghavebeanmde since1934whenMr.H. JohnEasbnanms sun-

or thedepthat whichthedirectionaldrilledsectionof thelrdeis b be started.It isvery

mned franCaliforniaby TheHtile Petmlem Cm- iqnrtantthatall factorsbe carefullyconsideredpanyconcerningtheixAlexanderNo.1 Wellat in selwt.ingthebst kick-offwint, vhetherit beC3mroe,9?axas.Mr.Eastmn proposeda planto offkottcanor off 2 cementplug. Theprimarystartanewwell nearthecraterandbythe useof considerationsaretheamunt of anglenecessarytomchanicaldeflactirswuld throwitwithina 100 attainthedesireddeviation,thetypsof forn-ationcircledrawna-ourkithekottm of * runawayw1l.TIE!subsequentplanms follti andthewildwell

andtheformationstrwstureat thispoint,

waskilled. %+rience hasshcwnthatdirectionalholeswith18degreesminimnnanglehavea greatersta-

Sincetk birthof controlikixectionaldrilling, bilityforholdingdesireddirectiononcetheangle&Wancea,inequipnentandmtbds haveConthlaed anddirectionhaskeenestablished.Themxhumat an qccelaratedrate;nevertkless,greaterthan anglescheduleplanshouldbe greaterthananymnnal cdstsarestillassociatedwithdirectional formtionbeddingplaneanglethatisto kediilled.projects.(lxtof qeratinglargerrigsardpro- As a resultfewerdeflectingtml runsarerequiredv.idin~sqpxting services-areincreastiqand to correctthedriftdirection.exhibitno temWcy to decline.AS mre deepstructuresareMng explored,theapplications Them3wnkal characteristicsof deepcontrolhave* increasedfm deepctixectionalcmtrol. holesgenerallyaremre difficultto controldueIncreaseddirectionaldrillingefficiemyappars ti thetiler holesize;therefore,a certatito ke theonemans availableforreducingoverall amountof leewayshouldbe consideredinpickingcost. thekick-offpointifapplicationspmnit.

m the~st threeySarS$-d deepdirec- DEFIECITM!RXXStbnal projectshavekeendonewithreasomble

Thelasktenyearshaverovedthedeep*.IMmsnces andillustrationsat @ of pa~r

.