JAMES A.

CRAIG

Table of Contents
Definitions
Applications of Directional Drilling
Deflection Tools
Mud Motors
Types of Well Profile

Definitions
Directional drilling is the process of directing

the wellbore along some trajectory to a

predetermined target.
Deviation control is the process of keeping the
wellbore contained within some prescribed
limits relative to inclination, horizontal
excursion from the vertical, or both.

Applications
History
Interests in controlled directional drilling began

about 1929 after new and later accurate means

of measuring hole angle was introduced during
the development of Seminole, Oklahoma field.
In the early 1930s the first controlled
directional well was drilled in Huntington Beach,
California.
Controlled directional drilling was initially used
in California for unethical purposes, that is, to
intentionally cross property lines.

In 1933, during the development of the Signal

Hill field in Long Beach, California, several wells

were drilled under the Sunnyside Cemetery
from locations across the streets surrounding
the cemetery.
In 1934, it was used to kill a wild well, Madeley
No.1, near Conroe, Texas.

Typical offshore
development
platform with
directional wells

Developing a field under a

city using directionally

Drilling of directional
wells where the
reservoir is beneath a
major surface

Sidetracking
around a fish

Using an old well to explore

for new oil by sidetracking
out of the casing and drilling

A relief well drilled to

intersect the uncontrolled
well near the bottom

Salt dome drilling (direct the

well away from the salt dome
to avoid casing collapse

Fault drilling through a

steeply dipping, inclined fault

Other applications include:

To reach multiple targets
Horizontal drilling
To reach thin reservoirs (using horizontal and
multilateral drilling)
To avoid gas or water coning problems

Deflection Tools
The wellbore can be deflected from its current

position using any of the following:

Whipstocks
Jetting bit
Bent subs with downhole motors

Whipstocks
Advantages
It provides a controlled hole
curvature
at the onset
Can be run at any depth in any
kind of
rock and very useful in hard
rock
Disadvantage
where
others fail
It
is necessary
to drill the pilot
hole and then trip out to change
the smaller bit to one of the
wellbore diameter.

Jetting bit
Advantages

Several attempts can be made to initiate

deflection without
pulling out of hole
A full gauge hole can be drilled from the beginning
Disadvantage

The technique is limited to soft-medium formations

Severe dog-legs can occur if the jetting is not
carefully
controlled
On smaller rigs there may not be enough pump
capacity to
wash away the formation

Bent subs with downhole

motors
The bent sub is run directly above the motor and its
pin is offset at an angle of 1 3 degrees.
Deflection of the wellbore occurs when drilling is
carried out with no surface rotation to the drillstring.
The drill bit is forced to follow the curve of the bent
sub.
The degree of curvature depends largely on the
bent sub offset angle and the OD of the motor.
When the required angles (inclination and/or
azimuth) are obtained, this BHA is tripped out to be
replaced with a rotary assembly.

Steerable motors
The motor is designed with an in-built bent housing

below the motor section; usually the connecting rod

housing.
The bent housing angle is usually 0.25 1.5 degrees.
The use of steerable motors with the correct drill bit
and BHA reduces the number of round trips required
to produce the desired inclination/azimuth.
It can be used in either :
Oriented mode (sliding)
Rotary mode

Oriented (Sliding) mode

The drillstring remains

stationary (rotary table
or top-drive is locked)
while the drill bit is
rotated by the motor.
The course of the well is
only changed when
drilling in sliding mode as
the drill bit will now
follow the curvature of
the motor bent housing.
Rotary mode

Steerable motor
becomes locked with
respect to trajectory and
the hole direction and
inclination are

Bit offset:
Steerable motor
vs. PDM with
bent sub

Mud Motors
There are two types of mud motors:
Turbines
Positive displacement motors (PDM)

Turbine motor
The turbine motor consists of:
A multistage blade-type rotor and stator sections.
The number of rotor/stator sections can vary from
25 to 50.
A thrust bearing section and a drive shaft.
The rotor blades are connected to the drive shaft

and are rotated by mud pumped under high

pressure.
The stator deflects the mud onto the rotor blades.
Rotation of the rotor is transmitted to the drive
shaft and drill bit.

Positive displacement motors

(PDM)
A PDM consists of:
Power section (rotor and stator)
By-pass valve
Universal joint
Bearing assembly

Power section
The PDM consists of a helical steel rotor fitted
inside a spirally-shaped elastomer moulded
stator.
Mud flowing under pressure fills the cavities
between the dissimilar shapes of the rotor and
stator and under the pressure of mud, the rotor
is displaced and begins to rotate.
The rotor actually moves in an elliptical shape.
This eccentric movement is converted to true
circular motion by a universal joint assembly.

By-pass valve
This valve allows the drilling fluid to by-pass

the mud motor allowing the drillstring to fill

during tripping in and drain when making a
connection or pulling out of hole.
The valve operates by a spring which holds a
piston in the upper position.
In this position, ports in the by-pass valve are

open allowing mud to flow in or out of the

drillstring.
At 30% of recommended flow rate, the piston is
forced down, closing the ports and directing
flow through the mud motor.

Universal Joint:
A Connecting Rod assembly is attached to the

lower end of the rotor.

It transmits the torque and rotational speed
from the rotor to the drive shaft and bit.
Universal joints convert the eccentric motion of
the rotor into concentric motion at the drive
shaft.
Bearing and Drive Shaft Assembly
The drive shaft is a rigidly-constructed hollow

steel component.
It is supported within the bearing housing by
radial and axial thrust bearings

Types of Well Profile

Type I
Build and Hold
Type 2
Build, Hold and Drop.
Returns to vertical after dropping S-shape.
Does not return to vertical after dropping

Modified S-shape.

Type 3
Continuous Build

TYPE I

TYPE II

TYPE III

KOP

BUILD & HOLD

BUILD HOLD & DROP

CONTINUOUS BUILD

Type I build and hold

Information needed:
Surface co-

ordinates
Target coordinates
TVD of target
TVD to KOP
Build-up rate

Type II build, hold and

drop
Because Type II have 2
Information needed:

Surface co-

ordinates
Target co-ordinates
TVD of target
TVD to KOP
TVD at end of dropoff (usually end of
well)
Build-up rate
Drop-off rate
Final angle of
inclination through
target.

curves, 2 radii need to be

calculated and compared
with the total departure,
D3.
These quantities are then

used to calculate the

maximum possible
inclination angle at end of
build-up curve.

D3 > (R1 +
R 2)

D3 < (R1 +
R 2)

Type III continuous build

Used for salt dome

drilling.
For planning appraisal
wells.
Information needed:
Surface co-ordinates
Target co-ordinates
One parameter
from:
Maximum
inclination angle
TVD to KOP
Build-up rate

Design a directional well with the following

restrictions:
Total horizontal departure
True vertical depth (TVD)

= 4,500 ft
= 12,500 ft

Depth to kickoff point (KOP) = 2,500 ft

Rate of build of hole angle

= 1.5

deg/100 ft
Profile type: Type I well (build and hold)

(i) What is the maximum hole

angle
required.
(ii)What is the total measured

depth (MD)?

Maximum
Inclination
Angle
18,000
r1
3,820 ft
1.5

r2 0

D 4 D1
12,500 2,500
10,000 ft

x 4 4,500 ft

max

D D x 2 (D D )2 2(r r )x
1
4
4
1
1
2
4
2 tan1 4
2(r1 r2 ) x 4

2
2

10
,
000

4
,
500

10
,
000
2(3,820)4,500
-1
2 tan

2(3,820) 4,500

max 26.3
46

Measured Depth
of Well

x Build r1(1 cos )

3,820(1 - cos 26.3 )
395 ft

x Hold 4,500 395

4,105 ft
LHold sin 4,105
47

LHold 9,265 ft

MD D1 r1rad LHold
26.3
2,500 3,820
9,265
180

MD 13,518 ft
48