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Wellbore Trajectory: Sperry-Sun Drilling Services Houston, Texas, U.S.A

1) Wellbore trajectory is controlled by the bottom hole assembly used and weight on the bit. The bottom hole assembly consists of drill pipe, drill collars, stabilizers, and subs to connect parts. 2) There are two types of wellbore trajectories: vertical or straight holes, and directional holes which include deviated and horizontal holes. Directional drilling is used for offshore field development and to avoid restrictions or problems in the wellbore. 3) A pendulum bottom hole assembly with stabilizers is most often used for drilling vertical holes, as the lowest stabilizer acts as a pendulum point to control deviation. Directional drilling requires controlling the inclination angle and azimuth angle to hit subsurface targets.

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53 views1 page

Wellbore Trajectory: Sperry-Sun Drilling Services Houston, Texas, U.S.A

1) Wellbore trajectory is controlled by the bottom hole assembly used and weight on the bit. The bottom hole assembly consists of drill pipe, drill collars, stabilizers, and subs to connect parts. 2) There are two types of wellbore trajectories: vertical or straight holes, and directional holes which include deviated and horizontal holes. Directional drilling is used for offshore field development and to avoid restrictions or problems in the wellbore. 3) A pendulum bottom hole assembly with stabilizers is most often used for drilling vertical holes, as the lowest stabilizer acts as a pendulum point to control deviation. Directional drilling requires controlling the inclination angle and azimuth angle to hit subsurface targets.

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saveland_
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Wellbore Trajectory Curtis Cheatham

Sperry-Sun Drilling Services


Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

INTRODUCTION DIRECTIONAL WELLBORE

Wellbore trajectory is controlled by the type of bottom Directional drilling refers to any method employed to hit a
hole assembly used and the weight on the bit. The bottom hole predetermined subsurface target. One application of
assembly, or BHA, is that portion of the drill string closest to directional drilling is the development of offshore fields.
the drill bit. It consists of several components: Field development costs are reduced by directionally drilling
many wells from one (or more) platforms. Other applications
• Heavy-weight drill pipe, which has the same outer for directional drilling include the following:
diameter as regular drill pipe but with thicker walls for
greater weight, used as a transition between drill • Building a surface location away from the bottom hole
collars and drill pipe. location to avoid cultural or topographic restrictions
• Drill collars, which are heavy, large diameter pipe • Sidetracking around a "fish" or lost open hole
located above the bit and below the heavy wall and • Sidetracking out of casing for recompletions or
collapsed casing
used to apply weight to the bit.
• Drilling a relief well to kill a blowout
• Stabilizers, which are short drill collars with larger
• Increasing contact between the reservoir and the
diameter blades that are used to control contact with
wellbore, (e.g., horizontal drilling)
the borehole wall.
• Subs, which are devices used to connect various parts
To hit a subsurface target, control must be exercised on
of the BHA. both the angle of hole inclination from vertical (the drift or
angle) and the azimuth angle (the direction). Wellbores have a
There are two basic types of wellbore trajectories: tendency to move from left to right as the hole is drilled. This
phenomenon, known as "walking to the right," is
• Vertical or straight presumably due to right-hand rotation of the bit and drill
• Directional, including both deviated and horizontal string and is affected by inclination angle, rotary speed,
wellbore trajectories weight on the bit, formation dip and strike, and bit design.
Most directional wells are oriented to the left of the direction

VERTICAL OR STRAIGHT WELLBORE

A vertical hole is called a "straight" hole. However, some


minor deviation from vertical often occurs naturally. This is
related to formation properties, such as dip angle and
hardness, and to other factors, such as the BHA, the bit
design, and the weight on the bit.
Two types of BHAs are commonly used to drill a vertical
hole: slick and pendulum. A slick BHA consists of a drill bit,
drill collars, heavy-weight drill pipe, and regular drill pipe.
The name slick is related to the absence of stabilizers. Slick
BHAs have limited application due to their high potential for
becoming differentially stuck. Square or spiral collars can be
used in conjunction with slick BHAs when differential
sticking is known to occur. In addition, slick BHAs can be
run when there is a risk of losing the BHA due to hole
problems.
A pendulum BHA is probably the most often used
assembly for drilling a vertical hole. A pendulum BHA is
similar to a slick BHA, but contains one or more stabilizers
(Figure 1). The closest stabilizer to the bit acts as a pendulum
point. Gravity tends to force the bit to the "low side" of the
hole, decreasing hole angle. Pendulum BHAs are run at a
high RPM rate and a low weight-on-bit (WOB) rate in areas Figure 1. Using a pendulum bottom hole assembly to drop
where deviation needs to be minimized. angle.

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