Smith Bits, a Schlumberger company, has introduced the StrataBlade concave diamond element bit to accelerate the rate of penetration (ROP) in a wide range of rock types
“The StrataBlade bit is the latest addition to our three-dimensional cutting elements portfolio, which expands our holistic drilling solutions offering and enables operators to enhance overall drilling performance in challenging formations,” said Jesus Lamas, president, well construction, Schlumberger.
The StrataBlade bit incorporates new geometry Strata concave diamond elements across the bit face, which increases cutting efficiency and results in higher instantaneous ROP with the same operating parameters. In deep lateral wells where weight transfer to the bit is a challenge, the StrataBlade bit drills with higher ROP when compared with traditional PDC bits with flat cutters. Improved cutting efficiency also means a better torque response at the bit for conformance to directional plans.
The StrataBlade bit has undergone field testing in North America, specifically in the Haynesville Shale and the Appalachian Basin. In the East Texas Travis Peak and Cotton Valley formations, the StrataBlade bit enabled an operator to eliminate two bit runs while drilling to 10,000-ft measured depth with an average ROP increase of 28% compared to direct offset wells. In the Marcellus Formation in northeastern Pennsylvania, the StrataBlade bit drilled an 8 ¾-in section with a measured depth of 3,149 ft in under 12 drilling hours. The operator achieved an on-bottom ROP of 264 ft/h, resulting in a 15% improvement compared with average offset runs with other PDC bits.
New survey-while-drilling service
Additionally, Schlumberger has introduced the TruLink definitive dynamic survey-while-drilling service. The new service helps operators to enhance end-to-end well construction operations and reduce overall drilling costs by performing definitive dynamic surveys while drilling on bottom that are used to identify and mitigate potential drilling risks.
“TruLink service advances well construction operations and improves overall drilling performance through its unique, industry-first ability to perform measurement-while-drilling surveys on bottom without stopping drilling operations,” said Lamas. “In addition, the new service delivers borehole data in real time, through every point of the well, which enables operators to react to potential drilling risks before encountered, thus improving overall drilling efficiency.”
The new dynamic survey-while-drilling service eliminates the need to stop drilling when taking a survey to map wellbore paths. This dynamic survey capability provides real-time trajectory control, which improves the accuracy of wellbore placement, reduces dogleg severity and creates smoother curves and laterals in the most complex well profiles. TruLink service incorporates new telemetry innovations that refine survey accuracy using continuous six-axis directional and inclination sensors in combination with gamma ray. Conventional definitive survey technology takes nine to twelve minutes per stand, whereas this definitive dynamic survey innovation reduces all survey-related rig time to zero.
TruLink service has more than 70 deployments in the Middle East, North Sea, and South America. In the Middle East, for example, TruLink service enabled the operator to land an 8 ½-in curve section with directional control and near-pinpoint accuracy, comparable to static measurement while drilling. In another example, definitive dynamic surveys run in the vertical, curve, and lateral sections saved an operator an average of 41 pumping hours while acquiring 1,041 surveys.
