Reference Guide: Directional Drilling

Reference Guide
Directional Drilling
Basic DD Equations & Practices
This section is intended to show, in a distilled form, the basic equations and practices
you will need to know, or at least be familiar with, to work in directional drilling. In
today’s business, hand calculating your position, well plans, etc., has almost become a
thing of the past, but it is important to know how the computer is calculating the numbers
it gives you, if for nothing else as a “double-check”.
Below is a breakdown of the hated “Trig Functions” that everyone talks about. The
basis of directional drilling is the triangle and the circle, primarily. All well plans, no
matter how complicated, can be broken down into triangles and circles (or parts of
circles).
Triangles (TVD – VIEW)

Side-View Of Well Plan
INC
TVD MD
Displacement
COS Inc = TVD/MD TVD = MD * COS Inc

SIN Inc = Displ./MD MD = TVD/COS Inc
TAN Inc = Displ./TVD Displ. = MD * SIN Inc
MD = Displ./SIN Inc Displ. = TVD * TAN Inc
TVD = Displ./TAN Inc
Basic Examples:
Example #1: You are at 30° Inc and have finished your build section. Your current
TVD is 5200’ . The tangent section is 3000’ long. How much TVD will you drop?
What will your TVD be at the end of the tangent section?
Change in TVD
TVD = MD * COS Inc
TVD = 3000 * COS 30
TVD = 3000 * .866
TVD = 2598.07’
TVD at End of Tangent Section

5200’ + 2598.07’ = 7798.07’ TVD
Example #2: Your Target on a well in Rifle, CO (an area known for huge target
Radius’s) is at 9885’ TVD. You are at 1800’ TVD, having just finished building angle to
22°. Coman tells you not to slide unless you absolutely have to. How much further do
you need to drill, holding that angle, to reach the TD target TVD of 9885’? It took you
750’ of displacement to build to 22°, how much further will you travel? How much total?
MD To Reach Target
MD = TVD/COS Inc
MD = (9885 – 1800)/COS 22
MD = 8085/.927
MD = 8721’ Needed To Drill To Reach 9885’ TVD @ 22° Inc.
Displacement Needed To Reach Target TVD @ 22 deg

Displ. = MD * SIN Inc
Displ. = 8721 * .375
Displ. = 3266.94’ Needed To Reach Target
Total Displacement
Total Displacement = 3266.94 + 750’ = 4016.94’ Out From Under The Rig. Nice…
Triangles (PLAN – VIEW)
Top-View Of Well Plan
AZI
North Displacement
East
COS Azi = North/Displ. SIN Azi = East/Displ.

TAN Azi = East/North North = Displ. * COS Azi
Displ. = North/COS Azi East = Displ * SIN Azi
MD = Displ./SIN Azi East = North * TAN Azi
North = East/TAN Azi North^2 + East^2 = Displ.^2
Example:
You have been plotting your wall map, updating your position, and you are a little off
the line. The target is 1500’ N and 1100’ W from your CURRENT position. What is the
Direction and Displ. To target?
Displacement ^2 = N^2 + E^2

Displacement^2 = 1500^2 + 1100^2 = 3460000000
Displacement = 1860.11’
Note: ASIN, ATAN, ACOS is the Opposite of SIN, TAN, COS. So, in this case, SIN Azi
= Eastings/Displ, so the ASIN = Azi by itself. Clear enough?
SIN Direction = East/Displ.

SIN Direction = 1100/1860.11
SIN Direction = .591
Direction = ASIN .591
Direction = 36.25 Azi
IS THAT CORRECT? THINK ABOUT IT…

No. Why? Because your Eastings are WEST! So, no worries, though (you already knew
that if you have northings that are (+) and eastings that are (–) that you are headed
NW…). Just subtract 36.25 Azi from 360 and you get 323.76 Azi. You may find that it
will help to draw out the triangles with the information given, and you may also find that
there are several ways to find your answer.
CIRCLES
Displ.
TVD
CIRCUMFERENCE= 2*PI*RADIUS
RADIUS OF CURVATURE (RC)= 360 * 100 = 5729.58

2*PI
BUILD RATE= ARC ANGLE * 100
ARC LENGTH
ARC LENGTH= ARC ANGLE * 100
BUILD RATE
RADIUS= RC _
BUILD RATE
BUILD RATE= RC _
RADIUS
Where:
BUILD RATE= BUR PER 100’ OF MEASURED DEPTH
ARC LENGTH= MD TO REACH ARC ANGLE
ARC ANGLE= TARGET ANGLE
RADIUS= SIZE OF CIRCLE BASED ON GIVEN BUILD RATE
BUILD RATE = REQUIRED RATE OF BUILD TO REACH
GIVEN ANGLE WITH A GIVEN RADIUS
Basic Examples:
Example #1: Well Plan calls for a build rate of 12°/100’ to land @ 91.5°. How many
Stands of DP below your HWDP do you need?
Arc Length = Arc Angle * 100/Build Rate

Arc Length = 91.5 * 100/12
Arc Length = 762’ MD
Stds. DP = 762’/95’ = 8 Stands
Example #2: Well plan calls for 12°/100’ Build Rate to land @ 90°. Landing Point TVD
is 9900’. What depth is your KOP in TVD? How many feet out in displacement will you
be?
Radius = 5729.58/12
Radius = 477.46’ Above the Landing Point.
KOP = 9900’ – 477.46’ = 9422.54’ TVD
How many feet out will you be? Well, we are talking about radii, or sections of a circle.
Look at the above labeled circle and think about it. If a point on the circle is 477.46’
“above” you on the radius, which is a smooth curve, doesn’t it stand to reason that, if you
turn the circle, that same point is now 477.46’ away from you?
Example #3: Your night hand has decided that he doesn’t feel comfortable kicking off
where you are supposed to (TRUE STORY…). You have 400’ of TVD to land your well.
Your motor gives 13.5’s sliding everything, and I mean pushing on it. Client doesn’t
want to try to push casing and then run production equipment in anything over 14’s. Can
you do it, or do you have to cement back?
Build Rate = RC/Radius

Build Rate = 5729.58/400
Build Rate = 14.32°/100’
Better get the cementers on the road…

Note: In a later section, when we delve a little bit deeper into horizontal drilling, we will
look at ways to calculate our Build Up Rate Required from a bit-projected TVD when
you are already in the build section drilling ahead, but for now, this is how you would
basically “plan” the well from KOP. It is very helpful when you have a pilot hole, and the
formation tops are way off from your well plan – you can either subtract/add to the
original planned KOP TVD, provided to you by the well planning engineers, or you can
just quickly plan it again, using the above equations.
Example Well Plans (S, J, and Horizontal Wells)
In the pages to follow you will find some examples of the common types of wells
drilled in the Rockies. You will not be asked to design these wells by hand, you are
provided with software to do that, but using these examples, you should be able to “plug
and play” the numbers from your particular well plan into the equations below, and do
the hand calculations, in affect double checking the computer. You can also use these
examples to help you make changes to your current well plans, for example, the geologist
wants to extend the target out another 250’, things like that.
As you go through these examples, and start to think about how you would get to the
targets, you’ll start to realize that the easiest way to think about well planning is to start
with what you are given as absolutes, and go from there. For example, you know that
generally the wells in a certain area are around 20 degrees Inclination, let’s say. Okay, so
go ahead and calculate how much displacement the two build and drop sections will give
you, then see how much of a tangent you need to get over the target. Now, are you within
your TVD limits? If so, good, now try to tweak it down to 15 degrees or 12; Remember,
it is mainly an iterative process. The next question is “Is there a way to start at the
beginning and back-calculate what you will need?”. There is, and some of the newer
software that is out there does it that way.
Of the three types, the horizontals are the easiest to plan, and the S-wells the most
difficult. There are variations of all three types (Coplanar Horizontals, Multi-Tangent
Extended-Reach), but commonly, the three types shown below are what you will drill.
Example J-Well
179.5’ Out
TVD @ EOB: 1807.03’

MD @ EOB: 1833.33’
25° INC (angle) TVD @ EOT: 11000’

3/100 BUR MD @ EOT: 11976.65
Displ. @ EOT: 4466.25’
Information Needed To Be Given FOR EVERY PLAN:

Note: Above Example Data in Parenthesis
Target Information: (11000’ TVD; 180° Azi; 4466.25N/0.0 E;4466.25’ VS)
TVD of KOP: (1000’)
Build Rate: (3°/100’)
Surface Hole Down To KOP:
(Assume Vertical Down Through Surface)
Assume MD = TVD. Any inclination at all will, over depth, cause a slight change in
TVD, but is pretty minimal in our case here, where we were told to kick-off below the
boulders and shallow water flows at 1000’ MD. KOP = 1000’ MD/TVD
Build Section:
(3°/100’ Build Rate In Our Example)
Build Radius = 360*100/2*pi*BUR = 18000/pi*3 = 1909.61’ – this is needed for TVD
End of Build MD = KOP MD + 100*INC/BUR = 1000 + 100*25/3 = 1833.33’
TVD @ End of Build Depth = KOP TVD + Build Radius*SIN INC

= 1000 + 1909.61*SIN25 = 1807.03’
Displacement @ End Of Build = KOP Displ. + Build Radius*1-COS INC)

= 0 + 1909.61*1-COS 25
= 0 + 1909.61*.094 = 179.5’ Away From Rig
Tangent Section:
(25° In Our Example)
Well, what do we know here? We know that we have to get down to 11000’ TVD to
reach target coordinates of -4466.25N/0.0 E. Let’s give it a shot. Keep in mind, this is an
iterative process, we are NOT back-calculating from the landing point. This example is
meant mainly to show you how well plans are made – believe me, let the software make
it for you, and double-check with this.
TVD @ End Of Tangent = EOB TVD + Length Of Tangent*COS INC

= 1807.03’ + 10143.32*COS 25 = 11000’
How did I get 10143.32?

Think about what we are doing. We need to be at 11000’ @ 25 degrees Inclination. We
are already at 1807.03’ TVD, leaving us 9192.73’ of TVD to drop. So:
9192.73/COS 25 = 10143.32’ MD.
End of Tangent MD = Length Of Tangent + EOB MD

= 10143.32’ + 1833.33’ = 11976.65’
Displacement @ End Of Tangent = Displ. @ EOB + Length Of Tangent*SIN INC

= 179.5 + 10143.32*SIN 25 = 4466.25’
Now what do you do if, you plugged in 25 degrees, and it puts you too far out? Try a
lower angle and plug the number in again, still going for the 11000’ TVD target.
Remember, while you can use these methods to design a well, that is quite time
consuming and iterative in nature. I have made up some charts to make it a bit easier later
on this guide. Use these methods to check what planning software is giving you!
Example S-Well
167.82’ Out
TVD @ EOB: 1405.14’

MD @ EOB: 1450’ EOT MD: 2450’
EOT TVD: 2112.25’
EOT Displ.: 874.92’
EOD MD: 2675’

EOD TVD: 2314.82’
EOD Displ.: 958.83’
45° INC (angle)
10/100 BUR
45° INC (angle)

20/100 DDR TD @ 3675’ MD
3314.82’ TVD /
958.83’ Displ.

Target Information: (3314.83’ TVD; 90° Azi; 0.0N/958.83E; 958.83’ VS)
Drop Rate: (20°/100’)
TVD at End of Drop: (In some area, this is you target): (2314.82’)
Final Inclination Through Target: (0°)
Assume MD = TVD. Any inclination at all will, over depth, cause a slight change in
TVD, but is pretty minimal in our case here, where we were told to kick-off below the
boulders and shallow water flows at 1000’ MD. KOP = 1000’ MD/TVD
Build Section:
As you probably realize, and what tends to confuse people sometimes, myself included,
is that these wells can be drilled a lot of different ways, using a lot of different build rates,
to hit the target, and it is an interative process. In an S-Well, the great equalizer is the
length and angle of the tangent section. You enter in the target info, the build/drop rates
you want, and the TVD you want to be done doing directional work at, and depending on
your inputs, the well profile will change. Try it sometime – take your current well plan,
and try adding 1 to the build and drop rate, and see where it will put you. Then try
adjusting the length of your tangent (keeping in mind how much more you are dropping
TVD and how much further you are moving out in displacement), and see if you can re-
plan YOUR well. You get a feel for what Inclinations, Build and Drop rates are expected,
and how far out you can get with them – like I said, it is an iterative process; you may
hove to do it a few times to nail the target; I bet you can get pretty close first-time out,
though… Remember, use ALL the TVD given if possible – it will make for lower hold
angles in the tangent, lower build/drop rates, and this means easier drilling.
Build Radius = 360*100/2*pi*BUR = 18000/pi*10 = 572.96’ – this is needed for TVD
End of Build MD = KOP MD + 100*INC/BUR = 1000 + 100*45/10 = 1450’
TVD @ End of Build Depth = KOP TVD + Build Radius*SIN INC

= 1000 + 572.96*SIN45 = 1405.14’ TVD At EOB
Displacement @ End Of Build = KOP Displ. + Radius #1*1-COS INC)

= 0 + 572.96*1-COS 45
= 0 + 572.96*.293 = 167.82’ Away From Rig
Tangent Section:
(45° In Our Example)
So, we have built our angle, and we are in the Tangent section. This is where you can
do a little fine-tuning to the well plan, to get right over the target, and will also give you
some idea if your build rates or inclinations are too great, etc.
End of Tangent Depth = Length Of Tangent + EOB MD = 1000’ + 1450’ = 2450’ MD
TVD @ End Of Tangent = EOB TVD + Length Of Tangent*COS INC

= 1405.14 + 1000*COS 45 = 2112.25’
Displacement @ End Of Tangent = Displ. @ EOB + Length Of Tangent*SIN INC

= 167.82 + 1000*SIN 45 = 874.92’
Drop Section:
(20°/100’ Drop Rate In Our Example)
We’re almost done with our well. In some areas around the Rockies, like Pinedale
Mesa, the drop section is the most difficult. Commonly, the assemblies run will drop on
their own down to 4 or 5 degrees, and sliding to help it along is not so bad. Below that,
though, the sliding becomes tough, and it is difficult to get the angle slid out of the well.
We are now using advanced tools to help with this, like the TruTrak tool, which
automatically holds it’s own “TF” and keeps constant side-wall pressure on the hole,
allowing the tool to drop angle easier than a conventional bent-motor assembly.
Note: BUR = Build Up Rate; DDR = Drop Down Rate
Drop Radius = 360*100/2*Pi*DDR = 18000/Pi*20 = 286.48’
End Of Drop MD = EOT MD + 100*INC/DDR = 2450 + 100*45/20 = 2675’ MD
End Of Drop TVD = EOT TVD + Drop Radius*Sin INC = 2112.25 + 286.48*SIN 45
= 2112.25 + 286.48*.707 = 2314.82’ TVD
Displacement @ EOD = EOT Displ. + Drop Radius*1-COS INC

= 874.92’ + 286.48*1-COS 45 = 874.92 + 286.48*.293
= 958.83’
Note: Since the well drops back to Vertical, this is total displacement. BE ON TARGET!
Vertical Tangent Through Payzone
(Assume Vertical Down Through Pay)
Honesty, many of our clients lay us down after we finish the drop section, but there are
some who will keep us down through the pay, to make sure we stay close to vertical, and
hit their targets. For those who don’t, it is common for us to land to one side, let’s say
150’ north, of the target center, because they have enough field data to know that in the
area, the well will “naturally drift” to the south. Anyway, let’s finish it off.
TD MD = End Of Drop MD + Vertical Tangent MD = 2675 + 1000 = 3675’
TVD @ TD = EOD TVD + Vertical Tangent TVD = 2314.82’ + 1000’ = 3314.82’
Displacement @ TD = Displacement @ EOD + Vertical Displacement =

958.83’ + 0 = 958.83’
S-Well Planning Charts
Below you will find charts that have common build/drop rates to and from common S-
well tangent inclinations. From these, you should be able to plan an S-well to within your
target displacement and TVD parameters. Note: Build and Drop Rates DO NOT Have
To Be The Same.
EXAMPLE: The client wants to build/drop @ 1.5/100, go out 400’, and be back vertical
by 6500’ TVD. KOP is at 1000’. So, using the charts, design a well plan that will hit their
target.
Equations Used For Chart:
Build/Drop
Radius = 18000/Pi*BUR
MD = 100*Inc/BUR
TVD = Radius*SIN Inc
Displacement = Radius*1-COS INC
Tangent
MD = MD TVD Change = COS INC*MD Drilled Displ. = SIN INC*MD Drilled
Build to 15 degrees w/1.5’s

MD: 1000’ TVD: 988.62’ Displacement: 130.15’
Drop From 15 degrees w/1.5’s

MD: 1000’ TVD: 988.62’ Displacement: 130.15’
Added Displacement to Hit Target:

400’ – 130.15 – 130.15 = 139.7’ Displacement Needed
From Charts - 15 Degree Tangent Gives 25.882’ / 100’ Of MD Drilled
139.87/25.882*100 = 540.41’ MD Of Tangent Needed
TVD @ End Of Tangent: 521.61’
Final MD @ End Of Drop: 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 540.01 = 3540.01’ MD
Final TVD @ End Of Drop:

1000 + 988.62’ + 988.62’ + 521.61’ = 3498.85’ TVD
Final Displacement @ End Of Drop:

0 + 130.15 + 130.15 + 139.7’ = 400’
Common S-Well Design Planning Chart #1
1.5°/100’ Build/Drop Rate Table (To 40 degrees)
Build To/Drop From Inc MD TVD Displacement
10° 666.67 663.29 58.03

11° 733.33 728.83 70.18
12° 800 794.16 83.47
13° 866.67 859.25 97.9
14° 933.33 924.07 113.46
15° 1000 988.62 130.15
16° 1066.67 1052.86 147.97
17° 1133.33 1116.77 166.9
18° 1200 1180.36 186.95
19° 1266.67 1243.58 208.1
20° 1333.33 1306.42 230.36
21° 1400 1368.86 253.7
22° 1466.67 1430.9 278.14
23° 1533.33 1492.48 303.65
24° 1600 1553.62 330.23
25° 1666.67 1614.29 357.88
26° 1733.33 1674.45 386.58
27° 1800 1734.12 416.32
28° 1866.67 1793.25 447.11
29° 1933.33 1851.83 478.92
30° 2000 1937.14 429.45
35° 2333.33 2190.9 690.79
40° 2666.67 2455.27 893.65
2.0°/100’ Build/Drop Rate Table (To 40 degrees)
10° 500 497.47 43.52

11° 550 546.63 52.63
12° 600 595.62 62.6
13° 650 644.44 73.42
14° 700 693.06 85.1
15° 750 741.46 97.62
16° 800 789.64 110.98
17° 850 837.58 125.18
18° 900 885.27 140.21
19° 950 932.68 156.08
20° 1000 979.82 172.77
21° 1050 1026.65 190.28
22° 1100 1073.17 208.6
23° 1150 1119.36 227.74
24° 1200 1165.21 247.67
25° 1250 1210.71 268.41
26° 1300 1255.84 289.93
27° 1350 1300.59 312.24
28° 1400 1344.94 335.33
29° 1450 1388.88 359.19
30° 1500 1432.39 383.81
35° 1750 1643.18 518.09
40° 2000 1841.45 670.23
3°/100’ Build/Drop Rate Table (To 40 degrees)
10° 333.33 331.64 29.01

11° 366.67 364.42 35.09
12° 400 397.08 41.74
13° 433.33 429.62 48.95
14° 466.67 462.04 56.73
15° 500 494.31 65.08
16° 533.33 526.43 73.98
17° 566.67 558.39 83.45
18° 600 590.18 93.48
19° 633.33 621.79 104.05
20° 666.67 653.21 115.18
21° 700 684.43 126.85
22° 733.33 715.44 139.07
23° 766.67 746.24 151.83
24° 800 776.81 165.12
25° 833.33 807.14 178.94
26° 866.67 837.23 193.29
27° 900 867.06 208.16
28° 933.33 896.62 223.55
29° 966.67 925.92 239.46
30° 1000 954.93 255.87
35° 1166.67 1095.45 345.4
40° 1333.33 1227.63 446.82
Tangent Section Chart (By Hold Inclination To 40°)
Used For All Charts Above – Choose Inc From List
Inclination MD TVD Displacement (p/100’ MD)
10° 100 98.481 17.365

11° 100 98.163 19.081
12° 100 97.815 20.791
13° 100 97.437 22.495
14° 100 97.03 24.192
15° 100 96.593 25.882
16° 100 96.126 27.564
17° 100 95.63 29.237
18° 100 95.106 30.902
19° 100 94.552 32.557
20° 100 93.969 34.202
21° 100 93.358 35.837
22° 100 92.718 37.461
23° 100 92.05 39.073
24° 100 91.355 40.674
25° 100 90.631 42.262
26° 100 89.879 43.837
27° 100 89.101 45.399
28° 100 88.295 46.947
29° 100 87.462 48.481
30° 100 86.603 50.0
35° 100 81.915 57.358
40° 100 76.604 64.279
Example Horizontal Well
EOB MD: 10900’

EOB TVD: 10572.96
EOB Displ.: 572.96’
DISPL
TVD
LP: 90°
10°/100’ BUR

TD-Target Information: (10572.96’ TVD; 90° Azi; 0.0N/10000E; 10000’ VS)
TVD-Landing Point (10572.96)
TD-TVD: (10572.96’)
Extra Information Given:

Final Inclination @ TD
Intermediate Target TVD’s, Co-Plane Turns, etc.
Inclination Guidance Throughout Lateral(s)
Hardlines
Assume MD = TVD. Any inclination at all will, over depth, cause a change in TVD,
but is pretty minimal in the greater scheme of things (+/- 5’) KOP = 10000’ MD/TVD
Build Section:
Build Radius = 5729.58/BUR = 5729.58/10 = 572.96’
MD @ EOB = MD @ KOP + INC*100/BUR = 10000 + 90*100/10

= 10000 + 900 = 10900’ MD @ Landing Point
Displacement @ EOB = Displacement @ KOP + Build Radius

= 0 + 572.96 ***Note: Look At pg. 4 Notes Above
TVD @ EOB = KOP TVD + Build Radius = 10000 + 572.96

= 10572.96’ TVD
Lateral Section:
(10000’ Over Two Sections In Our Example)
Simple enough – depending on where you landed, drill until you have all of the section
the client requires, or you hit a hardline.
***Note: Obviously, this is pretty simple. We will discuss horizontal drilling further – it
has it’s own section, believe me, and in that section we will calculate what angle we need
to drop X amount of TVD/100’ of MD, etc. You realize, of course, that the above
example doesn’t have to be flat, layed-out at 90° - it could dip up or down, and we will
go over that later on. For right now, you need to get out of this a couple of things. First,
depending on the well constraints, you can tailor your build section to land inside/outside
hard lines by adjusting your BUR, since the difference in TVD from KOP to Landing
Point is the same footage amount as the difference in displacement between KOP and the
Landing Point. You can also put in multiple-BUR curves, let’s say 10’s to 70°, then 8’s to
90, to enact the time-honored “soft landing”. In fact, here’s an example…
Multiple-BUR Plan Example (“Soft-Landing”)
Example:
Given: Casing Point @ 70°; LP @ 90°
Build Radius w/10’s = 360*100/2*pi*BUR = 18000/pi*10 = 572.96’
TVD Change @ 70° Casing Point = Build Radius*SIN INC

= 572.96*SIN70 = 538.40’
MD Change @ 70° Casing Point = 100*INC/BUR = 100*70/10 = 700’
Displacement Change @ 70° Casing Point = Build Radius*1-COS INC)

= 572.96*1-COS 70
= 572.96*.658 = 377.0’
Build Radius w/8’s = 360*100/2*Pi*BUR = 18000/Pi*8 = 716.2’
TVD Change From 70° to 90° LP = Build Radius*SIN LP INC – Build

Radius*SIN Casing Point
= 716.2*SIN70 – 716.2*SIN90
= 673 – 716.2 = 43.2’
MD Change From 70 to 90° LP = 100*INC/BUR = 100*20/8 = 250’
Displacement Change From 70° - 90° = (Build Radius*1-COS LP) – (Build Radius
*1-COS Csg. Pt.)
= 716.2*1-COS 90 - 716.2*1-COS 70
= 244.96’
Combined Change in TVD @ EOB = 538.4’ + 43.2’ = 581.6’

Combined Change in MD @ EOB = 700’ + 250’ = 950’
Combined Change in Displacement = 377 + 244.96 = 621.96’
Horizontal Drilling
Build-Up Rate Tables (To 90°) Quick-Reference Guide
Build Rate MD Needed TVD & Displacement Needed
1° 9000 5729.58
2° 4500 2864.79
3° 3000 1909.86
4° 2250 1432.39
5° 1800 1145.92
6° 1500 954.93
7° 1285.714 818.51
8° 1125 716.2
9° 1000 636.62
10° 900 572.96
10.1° 891.089 567.28
10.15° 886.7 564.49
10.2° 882.353 561.72
10.25° 878.049 558.98
10.3° 873.786 556.27
10.35° 869.565 553.58
10.4° 865.385 550.92
10.45° 861.244 548.28
10.5° 857.143 545.67
10.55° 853.081 543.09
10.6° 849.057 540.53
10.65° 845.07 537.99
10.7° 841.121 535.47
10.75° 837.209 532.98
10.8° 833.333 530.52
10.85° 829.493 528.07
10.9° 825.688 525.65
10.95° 821.918 523.25
11° 818.182 520.87
11.1° 810.811 516.18
11.2° 803.571 511.57
11.3° 796.46 507.04
11.4° 789.474 502.59
11.5° 782.609 498.22
11.6° 775.862 493.93
11.7° 769.231 489.71
11.8° 762.712 485.56
11.9° 756.303 481.48
12° 750 477.46
13° 692.308 440.74
14° 642.857 409.26
15° 600 381.97
16° 562.5 358.1
17° 529.412 337.03
18° 500 318.31
TF Equations
Required TF For Build & Turn

TF = ATAN Desired Inc*Sin Desired Change In Direction
(Desired Inc*COS Desired Change In Direction) – Last Survey Inc
Note: SIN0 = 0; If you want just HS, then just slide HS!
Example:
Last Survey: Inc 40°; Azi 35
Desired Survey @ Kelly Down: 46°, 32 Azi
Change In Direction = 35 – 32 = 3° LEFT
TF = ATAN Desired INC*Sin Desired Change in Direction

(Desired Inc*COS Desired Change In Direction) – Last Survey Inc
= ATAN 46*SIN 3 Degrees Change/(46 *COS 3 Degrees) – 40
= ATAN 46*.052/(46*.999) – 40 = ATAN 2.407/5.937
TF = 22 L
(Keep in mind which direction you are changing, left or right. This equation tells you
how much either side of HS/LS, but does not adjust for left or right.)
Note: This tells you what TF you need. In later equations, we will look at how much to
slide @ that TF to achieve the desired new trajectory. Remember that there are many
ways, (including Ragland Triangles), to calculate a TF. If I get 22 and you, using another
method, get 28, in the greater scheme of things, does it really matter? You’re close.
Required TF For Drop & Turn
TF = 180 - ATAN Desired Inc*Sin Desired Change In Direction
Last Survey Inc - (Desired Inc*COS Desired Change In Direction)
Note: SIN0 = 0; If you want just LS, then just slide LS!
Example:
Last Survey: Inc 46°, 35 Azi
Desired Survey @ Kelly Down: 40°, 32 Azi
Change In Direction = 35 – 32 = 3° LEFT
TF = 180 - ATAN Desired INC*Sin Desired Change in Direction

Last Survey Inc - (Desired Inc*COS Desired Change In Direction)
= 180 - ATAN 40*SIN 3 Degrees Change/46 - (40 *COS 3 Degrees)
= 180 - ATAN 46*.052/46 - (40*.999) = 180 - ATAN 2.093/6.055 = 160.932°
= 360 – 160.932 = 199° Compass Direction

---Convert To Gravity TF---
TF = 161 L (+/- 19° Left of Low Side)
(Keep in mind which direction you are changing, left or right. This equation tells you
how much either side of HS/LS, but does not adjust for left or right – use common sense)
Note: This tells you what TF you need. In later equations, we will look at how much to
slide @ that TF to achieve the desired new trajectory.
Example:
Last Survey: Inc 25°; 25 AZI
Desired Survey @ Kelly Down: Inc 24°; 27 Azi
Change In Direction = 27 – 25 = 2° RIGHT
TF = 180 – ATAN 24*SIN2 = 180 – ATAN 24*.035

25 – (24*COS2) 25 – (24*.9994)
= 180 – ATAN .838/1.015 = 180 – ATAN .826 = 180 – 39.54
TF = 140 R
Distance Needed To Be Slid:
Footage To Slide = Inclination Change Required
(Motor DL/100)*COS TF
Example:
Inclination Change Required: 6° (From above build example: 40° - 46° INC)
Motor Dogleg: 6 deg/100’
TF: 22 L
Footage To Slid = 6 = 6/.06*.927

(6/100)*COS22
Footage To Slide = 107.85’ @ 22 L will give 46° – 40° INC and 35 – 32 AZI.
So, we now know how to calculate a TF that points towards the direction/inclination we
want to be at, and we also know how much to slide.
Proof It Below…
-----“Proof” Of ToolFace Calculations-----
Expected Change In Azimuth
Example:
Last Survey: Inc 40; 35 Azi
TF: 22 L
Motor DLS: 6 deg/100’ (Dogleg = (Motor DLS/100)*Footage Slid)
Dogleg (DL) Needed = (DLS/100)*Footage To Slide

= (6/100)*107.85’
= 6.47
Change Azi = ATAN DL Needed*SIN TF
Last Survey Inc + (DLS*COS TF)
= ATAN 6.47*SIN22 = ATAN 6.47*.375

40+(6*COS22) 40 + (6*.927)
Change Azi = 3.048° Of Turn @ 22 L Sliding 107.85’ with a Motor that throws 6’s.
Expected Change In Inclination

Example:
Last Survey: Inc 40; 35 Azi
TF: 22 L
Dogleg: 6.47
Change Azi: 3.048°
Change Inc = DL*COS TF/COS Change Azi = 6.47*COS22/COS 3.048
Change Inc = 5.999/.999 = 6.007° Build Inc @ 22L Sliding 107.85’ Motor Giving 6’s.
So, what have we learned? We have learned that if, for example, we have a motor that
gives 6’s, and we slide 107.85’, we will turn 3°, and build 6° holding a 22 L TF, which is
good, considering that is what we want to do in the example… Plug-and-Play your
situation into these equations, then use the check, and see if it makes sense. As noted
above, different methods can yield slightly different results.
Build-Up Rate Required (BURR)
Example:
What is the BURR given the situation below?

Bit TVD: 9750
Target TVD: 9850
Bit Angle: 15°
Landing Angle: 90°
BURR = 5729.58 * SIN Target INC – SIN INC @ Bit

Target TVD – TVD @ Bit
= 5729.58 * SIN 90 – SIN 15 = 1 - .259

9850 – 9750 100
= 5729.58 * .741/100
BURR = 42.46°/100’
So, an Intermediate-Radius Well. Okay, so the equation on the next page will be
useful…
Short-Radius “Swagging” Calculations
On average, with our tools, you can’t rotate over a 2.1° fixed-bend motor (although
there are larger-bend motors in the works that can be rotated). A 2.1 gives +/- 16’s or so;
no way are you going to use one to get 42’s like the above example. So, since you can’t
rotate the motor you are running, and the chances of you getting EXACTLY 42.46’s is
pretty slim, you need to be able to kill some of the build that you are getting. This is
called “swagging”, drilling a little left/right of HS to drop your build rates when you can
not rotate the assembly.
Example:
BURR: 42.46
Motor DLS: 50
COS TF = BURR/DLS Motor
COS TF = 42.46/50 = .849
TF = ACOS .849
TF = 31.87 R/L
Projecting To the Bit
Time after time, when a well is landed at the wrong TVD, or a target is missed, it
invariably is not the tools themselves that cause the problem. It is the tool operators, the
DD’s, who didn’t know where they were, and so didn’t know where they were going. If
you remember nothing else about good directional drilling practices, the one you need to
remember is PROJECTING TO THE BIT.
It is actually quite easy to do. Here is a graphic example:
Project 88.3°
9922 9954 Using a 10/100
MP w/12’ Slide
90.5° Ahead 9994
9900 180.5 89.5°
180.5
9931 9962
9931 9941 9962 9974
Imagine the three boxes denoted above as individual joints of DP. The red numbers are
the MD you were at as you passed each tool joint. So, 9900 is where you have the whole
triple hanging – you have just made the connection. 9994 is the stand down, you are just
about to survey. Clear so far? Now, imagine that your sensor – to – bit distance is 40’.
The right-angle lines with the numbers are you survey points. So, for example, you
drilled to 9931’, slid DOWN 10’ to 9941, then rotated to 9962’. At 9962’, you picked up
to survey. Survey depth is 9922’, and the survey came out at 90.5 Inc and 180.5 Azi..
Does the survey you just took show your slide? The answer is NO – your survey depth
is 9922’, you slid from 9931’ – 9941’. You need to drill to 9994’ to see your slide.
Now here you are at 9962’ MD, you have 10’ of slide yet to be seen, but the GR is still
hot, the geologist is screaming to come down in TVD, and you are afraid that your slides
aren’t giving you much. You don’t have any hard numbers yet, just a feeling from past
slides. So, since you feel the well may need another bump, and as much as the geologist
wants to come down, it probably won’t hurt, so you go ahead and slide down again, 12’,
from 9962 – 9974’. Then you rotate to stand down at 9994’, survey at 9954’, and you get
89.5° and 180.5 Azi again.
What Is Your “Motor Performance”?

MP = Survey Inc. Before Slide – Survey Inc. After Slide / Footage Slid *100
MP = 90.5 – 89.5/10
MP = 1/10 * 100
MP = 10°/100’
The motor will drop the well 10 degrees in inclination p/100’ of slide.
What Angle Are You Projecting At The Bit?

Bit Angle Change = Last MP/100 * Footage Slid
Bit Angle Change = 10/100 * 12’
Bit Angle Change = 1.2° of change.
Projected Angle At Bit = Last angle +/- Bit Angle Change

You Slid Down, So---
Projected Angle At Bit = 89.5 – 1.2 = 88.3° At The Bit.

Vertical Section
Vertical section is defined as the projection of the closure distance and direction onto
the proposed plane of the well.
VS = COS Directional Difference Between Closure And Proposed*Closure Distance
Example:
What Anadrill Managed To Do

Before Being Run Off… Last Survey: 4000E;
1100N
Closure Distance
& Direction
20.376°
VS Distance Measured
Along Proposed Line
Proposed Well Path: 95° AZI
From the examples on pg. 3, we can calculate our closure to the last survey. Think of the
last survey as a target.
Closure Distance^2 = N^2 + E^2

= 1100^2 + 4000^2
= 1210000 + 16000000
Closure Distance = Square Root 17210000 = 4148.49’
SIN Direction = East/Displacement

= 4000/4148.49
= .964
Direction = ASIN .964 = 74.624°
VS = COS Directional Difference Between Closure And Proposed*Closure Distance

= COS 95-74.624*4148.49
VS = COS 20.376*4148.49 = 3888.91’
Drilling Notes: Medium-Radius Horizontals
Williston Basin
Bakken Formation
The Bakken Formation is an oil & gas producing unit

found exclusively in the Williston Basin of MT/ND and
Saskatchewan. It is made up of three separate units: an
upper black shale, a middle dolomite/limestone, and a
lower (variable-thickness) black shale. Within the middle
dolomite/shale member can usually be found a clean
dolomite to quartzite sand. Conventional thinking has been
that the “sand” is the best pay, but another line of thought
that is being developed is that much of the production from
this interval is fracture-induced, so more and more
companies are beginning to drill BELOW the sand zone,
which is itself intermittent at best, in more homogenous,
better-drilling pay.
Bakken GR Log Characteristics:
Referenced are two example well logs from the Capa

Deep Field near Tioga, ND. They are representative of the
Bakken throughout the Williston Basin.
Upper Bakken Shale
Middle Bakken Pay
As you can see from the GR log, the pay zone can easily
be distinguished from formations above by the presence of
the Upper Bakken Shale, which will read off-scale on the
log (450u API+). At the base of the pay on the example
logs you will notice a clean-up on the GR, less than 50u API. This is usually called
the “sand” or, quite frequently, the “Anomaly”, and is considered a target pay in
the Middle Bakken. Sometimes the sand is not present, but this does not seem to
affect well performance, production-wise, and in fact, in some areas the sand drills
slower and more erratically than the dolomites below, so it is used simply as a
marker to tell us and the geologists where we are in the structurally in the zone. In
most areas, both the Upper Bakken Shale and the Lower Bakken Shale (not on GR
logs) cause serious drilling problems, specifically stuck pipe, and so are to be
avoided drilling into. The sand, when present, can be used as a marker, since as a
rule it is found only in the top 7’-14’ of the zone, in an interval right below the
Upper Bakken Shale. The total thickness of the Middle Bakken is somewhere in
the range of 35’ – 45’.
Drilling The Curve:
To begin with, let’s refresh the most important equations you will need in
horizontal drilling:
Delta TVD = (Survey – Bit MD) x [(Cos Survey Inc.) + (Cos PTB Inc)/2]
BURR = Sin(Landing Inc.) – Sin(PTB Inc.) / (Landing TVD – PTB TVD) x

5729.58
Example:
Last Survey: 9300 25°/180 azi 9250 TVD
Survey Distance: 50’
Projection To Bit: 32°
Landing TVD (From Markers): 9750
Landing Angle: 90°
Delta TVD = 50’ x [(Cos 25) + (Cos 32) /2]

= 43.85’ TVD
PTB TVD = 9250 + 43.85 = 9293.85’ TVD @ Bit
BURR = Sin(90) – Sin(32) / (9750 – 9293.85) x 5729.58

= 1 - .53 / 456.15 x 5729.58
= 5.9°/100’ BURR To Land at 9750’ TVD at 90°.
So, now that we can hand-calculate our BURR to land the well, projected from
the bit, let’s go ahead and try to make our lives more difficult by looking at how to
correlate markers so that we can update our landing TVD while drilling.
Below is an expanded view of the same log as above. It shows the entire well
from KOP to landing. As you can see, there are several GR markers in the
formation above the Upper Bakken Shale, called the Lodgepole, which stand out
quite clearly, along with the pay at the bottom of the log. On the rig, you will have
mudloggers, whose job it is to work with you and the geologist to steer the well to
landing point, and to give advice as to where you are structurally in the zone as you
go forward drilling the lateral. In most cases, it is very important to check the
numbers they give you when they update the landing TVD while drilling the curve.
Many times they are wrong, and have “moved” the TVD so drastically, up or
down, that you must either rotate ahead to try to drop TVD, or you have to trip out
of the hole and set up the bend on the motor to try to hit their new and improved
target, which is, as stated before, commonly wrong, and no/little adjustment is
needed. It is quite easy to check where you need to be; just a little
addition/subtraction, an offset GR log, the MWD log, and a firm answer as to
where the landing point is, referenced to the offset log. Then, as looked at above,
we can RE-CALCULATE our landing point, and see what kind of builds we need
to hit it dead-on, first-time go.
Marker #1
Marker #2
Marker #3
Marker #4
Landing Correlation
1. Lay side by side the client-provided Offset TVD Log and our MWD TVD Log.
Find one of the markers (there are others, but these are quite clearly represented
on the GR logs), let’s say Marker #1, on both the Offset TVD Log as well as the
MWD TVD Log. Note the TVD from both logs.
2. Subtract the TVD of this marker from the Landing Point TVD that you were
given by the client. This is how far “above” the Landing Point you are now,
structurally.
3. Add this number to the TVD of the marker from the MWD TVD Log. This is
your new Landing Point TVD – adjust slides/well plan accordingly.
For example, let’s say Marker #1, On the Offset TVD Log, is 450’ above the
clients landing point. You are drilling along, and you see Marker #1 come up on
the screen in the shack. Drill ahead to the next survey point, and then print out the
MWD TVD Log.
On the Offset TVD Log, let’s say Marker #1 is at 9250’ TVD, with the clients
landing point, on the Offset TVD Log, at 9700’ TVD. On your well, however,
since it is in a different section than the offset, your Marker #1 comes in at 9322’.
What is your Landing Point TVD?
Well, it is 9322’ TVD + 450’ = 9772’. That is where you should land. Keep in
mind that formations dip, so as you go out in vertical section, away from the rig,
the formations will “move” up/down in TVD, but also keep in mind that as you
drill down, across the markers, they will be moving as well, so you will, with every
new marker passed, be correcting the TVD of your landing point until ultimately
you will find yourself in zone. In other words, it is an iterative process – you
correlate one marker, and drill to land at the TVD calculated from that until you
get another marker, then you do it all over again. Can you try to project ahead
taking the dip into account (which, by the way, will come off of a structural map in
the Geologist’s office – may not be accurate)? Sure you can. But what if the dip
reverses? You are better off correlating as many markers as possible, “averaging”
your way into the formation, with a final adjustment at the end.
Use the markers in the Lodgepole to correlate as you drill down. Depending on
your BUR, you will probably find that the last “useable” marker before landing is
the TOP of the Upper Bakken Shale or, at the very least, the False Bakken (Marker
#4 on above graph). What I mean is, as you are landing, you are going from
limestone’s to dolomites to shale’s to more dolomites, with some chert thrown in-
your projections to the bit are getting a little crazy. Use the thickness from Marker
#4 to the client’s Landing Point, and add that TVD to where Marker #4 came in on
your MWD log – THEN LAND IT! If you need to adjust in the formation once
you’re landed, or after casing is set and you’re in with the lateral tools, then do so
then.
Example of Correlating Logs & Projecting Landing Point TVD
Consider the two wells below. Lets say that the one on the left is the OFFSET
TVD Well, and the one on the right is the MWD TVD Log. On the OFFSET TVD
LOG, Marker #1 is at 9234’ TVD. Landing Point is at 9724’ TVD On The Offset
TVD Log. The difference in TVD is 9724 – 9234 = 490’ of TVD.
Now, on the MWD TVD Log, the one you are producing as you are drilling, you
see Marker #1 come across the screen. Marker #1 TVD on the MWD Log is at
9402’ TVD.
At What TVD Should You Land The Well?
9402’ TVD + 490’ TVD = 9892’ TVD
This is 168’ Deeper than on the offset log. Most common reasons for this would
be formation dip between the two well bores, or a fault. As stated above, this is an
iterative process – you keep adjusting your landing TVD as the markers come
across, and by the time you are near landing, you will be very close in TVD,
usually within a foot or so, depending on if the formation has thickened or thinned
below your last marker.
Drilling The Lateral
The majority of directional drilling decisions made in the lateral come out of the
client’s geology office, with some input by the mudloggers. However, it is very
important for the DD’s to have a good idea of where they are in the formation, so
they can follow the steering instructions given to them. For example, the geologist
calls, says he doesn’t really like what the GR is reading, and wants you to come up
to find the sand. If you are 20’ below the top, then you know that you can come up
pretty aggressively for another 6’ or 7’, before you need to tamp the angle down
and start looking for the sand which, as stated before, will show up somewhere in
the upper 14’ of the zone, If present at all. However, if you are told to come up,
and you know that you are somewhere in that 14’ interval, then a high, aggressive
angle is not needed, since you will, in all likelihood, drill through the sand and out
the top before you even see it on the GR log (sensors are 45 – 55’ behind the bit on
average).
A helpful equation to memorize is:
Present angle(cos)(100’) = Feet TVD gained or dropped per/ 100’ of drilled MD
For example, if you are at 89°, and you want to come down 6’, then:
89(cos)(100) = 1.745’/100’
6’/1.745’ (100) = 343.84’ MD needed to drill to drop 6’.
Keep in mind, this is just to drop that TVD at the bit. If you want to STOP at 6’,
then I would suggest dropping 5’ or so, then slowly bring the angle at the bit up to
89.5 or so, and ease down the last foot, so you don’t overshoot. Same with going
up in TVD.
Note: “UP” in TVD is a smaller number / “DOWN” in TVD is a larger number.

Keep this in mind as well.
Another handy equation is basically the reverse of the one above:
Feet p/100’ Change Required/100(acos) = Angle Needed To Achieve Drop

For example, Engineering tells you that, due to hole tortuosity, you can only drop
at 2’ TVD p/100’ MD, no matter what the Geologist says. So, to find what bit
angle that is:
2’/100 (acos) = 88.85° maximum angle at bit.
Bakken Formation General Drilling Characteristics:
1. Sand is very spotty. Not always present, and is not very consistent in thickness.
Not a very good marker. Get a feel for the API u value of the top 14’ interval
when the sand is NOT present, and you will be able to at least tell when you are
going out the bottom of the pay interval.
2. Individual Bakken intervals can drill very differently. For example, I have
rotated for three days, without sliding, in the sand itself (present the whole
way), and I have had to slide 30’ – 60’ p/stand down in the sand to try to just
HOLD angle (in that well, I was finally pushed out the top into the shale – a 45’
slide yielded nothing, and I built up to 93°). Suggest talking with Geologist and
CoMan, explain whatever tendency you are experiencing, and come to a
consensus on where to drill. If the sand is there and drills well, stay in it. If it
doesn’t drill well, talk to someone, see if you can come down and find a better
zone to rotate in. Rotation is the key to these progressively longer-lateral wells.
The more you can rotate, the better it is.
3. Sand is ONLY found in the top 14’. There may be small clean-ups down below
(there is one that is about 17.5’ down from the top, and another sometimes
around 19’ down), but they are NEVER as clean as the top sand. Suggest using
a “baseline” APIu value to distinguish “clean” –vs- “very clean” sands; it will
help you decide what part of the zone you are in.
4. If you are going to hit a shale, make it the Upper Bakken Shale! NEVER hit the
bottom shale. If you are lost in the formation, not sure where you are, and feel
that you have come down in TVD, always slide up to begin searching for pay.
The lower shale is extremely sticky, easily friable, and collapses quickly. In
some areas of the Williston Basin, like the northern Nessen Anticline, it is
actually difficult to drill into the upper shale, due to a hard spot right below. In
other areas, like the Blue Buttes/Antelope Structure, there is no hard spot, and
the upper shale can be drilled into, but, again, it is not as dangerous to do so as
the bottom. More and more commonly, operators are going to open-hole
completions in the Bakken, without running a liner. This will only be done if no
shale, upper or lower, is opened. In the Sidney, MT. area, the upper shale is
commonly used as a marker, and the phrase “come up and get a shale strike”
means that the Geologist actually wants you to scratch into the shale so maps/x-
sections can be updated.
5. X-Cutting Features: Uncommon but annoying, you will occasionally run into
areas where there is a “hard spot” that, although at the time you will not know
it, actually transects at an oblique angle the formation. In other words, the dip is
flat, but something keeps wanting to run you out the bottom at 89°, for
example. This is different from the formation wanting to drop or build – there is
no drop or build tendency, just a hold tendency at a certain angle or line of
TVD. It is suggested that you slide up above this type of zonal feature, get away
from it, and rotate out, trying to get a handle, from GR markers, cuttings, etc.,
of what the real formation dip is. Methods for getting through hard streaks are
discussed below, in the Red River “B” section.
6. “Sweet Spots”: This term is used sometimes in production to mean an area that
has higher oil/gas production than another, but in directional drilling terms, it is
an interval within the pay zone that will hold angle while rotating and drills
faster than others. Do not confuse this with a x-cutting feature or other less
desirable interval that will push you out of the pay, a sweet spot is what you are
trying for. In the Bakken, there is usually one right below the 0’ – 14’ sand
interval, and sometimes in the sand itself. Usually 2’ – 3’ thick, you will notice
that you won’t hold one angle, but slowly build and then bounce down, only to
drill ahead and bounce up again in a leisurely fashion. Build and drop rates
don’t usually exceed +/- .75°/100’. DD’s not used to this type of zone will tend
to see a build, even a slight one, for example, and slide down right away, only
to rotate out and find that the bit had already “bounced” and was on it’s way
down anyway. This is a great way to dogleg the heck out of the well. I can’t
stress it enough- get a feel for what the formation is doing, rotate out if you
have the room and feel safe doing it, and try to get the BHA to “lay out” in the
zone.
7. Dip Changes: The Bakken has a nasty habit of exhibiting abrupt, sharp dip
changes followed by flat/near flat plateaus. This is commonly called “stair-
stepping”, and is quite evident on geosteering plots and horizontal mud logs
throughout MT/ND. The formation will be running along near horizontal, then
will dip without warning – leaving you in danger of hitting the top or the
bottom. At the very least, you’ll lose your markers and get lost. No way to
prepare for it, and most geologic isopach maps are set up on 10’ TVD lines.
This is almost worthless considering how far out of whack a 10’ TVD change
will put you. Below is an example of an anticlinal structure with a co-planer
well path superimposed upon it. Note the 10’ contour lines – the formation can
do ANYTHING between these contours!
CMU
-7
50
H. J. UDL
- 7450
H. K. RUD #2
Anderson Smith #1-26 H #1 WILLISTON PROJECTS, IN
- 7, 527
HANSON #27-22
-7 65
- 7, 554 H. RUD #1 HALVORSON-STOCK

-760
0
27 26 25
0
ERICH KATHER #1
H. CHRISTENSON #2
HANS CHRISTIANSON #1
MCCLURE
OLE GRANLEY #2
OLE GRANLEY #1 R. SmithH.#24-43 H
CHRISTEN
-7
Anderson Smith #1-26 V -7 - 7, 521

55
Anderson Smith #1-26 H #2 50

- 7, 547 0
0
WALTER KAMP #1 N.D. F #3

N.D. F #1
BROWNELL #34-11
- 7, 623
CAPA DEEP UNIT #31-35
LOWELL ALLEN #1 - 7, 547

WALTER KAMP #2
- 7, 610
34 HATTIE HOUTHMAKER # 1
N.D. F #5 N.D. F #
35 36
MABELLE CHARLSON #1
KAMP #34-1 HATTIE HOUTHMAKER #2
N. D. F #2
- 7, 610
-770
-765
C.MORTENSON
MORTENSON33-44
#3-44
- 7, 660 N. D. F #6
-76
W. KAMP #1
0
-7
00
55
0
NELS KAMP #1
SVEEN #2-22 W. C. KAMP #2
PETRA 08/24/2006 2:21:42 PM
8. Common Build Rates: Bits and Motor types are client/DD specific, but there
seems to be, like any area, certain BHA’s that work, and some that don’t.
Commonly, builds are set up for 10° - 12°/100’ BUR, and use either a PDC or
Tricone. 12° BUR with a tricone usually require a 6.5” motor set @ 2.1°, and
for a PDC, a motor set @ 2.4°. As PDC bit technology for this area develops,
the setting needed may change.
9. DP: Commonly, 5” DP is used in the vertical/build, and 4” is used in the lateral
sections.
10. Hole Sizes: Commonly, 8.75” in the build, 5.875 – 6.5” in the lateral. For
smaller rigs, it is common to run 7.875” in the build and 4.75” in the lateral,
using 3 to 3-1/2” DP, but this is uncommon for the larger drilling programs in
the area.
11. Motors: 6.5” slow and medium speed in the build, 4.75” slow and mediums in
the lateral for the larger hole-size wells.
12. Flow Rate: 425 – 500 is what can typically be run for the 8.75” build sections,
and somewhere in the 230 – 300 gpm range for the +/- 6” lateral sections.
13. Commonly, after approximately 6000 - 7000’ of Vertical Section, sliding
becomes difficult and time consuming (having to “rock” the pipe, hammer-drill
the slides, etc.). To offset these problems, more and more operators are going to
using a hydraulic agitator/shock sub combination to facilitate sliding. If you run
this type of assembly, there are a few things to remember. 1- Always remember
to run the shock sub ABOVE the agitator. The agitator itself does not shake – it
is simply a one-stage motor with a bypass valve that, when closed, causes a
pressure pulse in the mud to deflect up the drillstring into the shock sub,
compressing it around 17 Hz. 2 – DO NOT test the agitator above the rotary.
Too violent, and many companymen not familiar with the tool will become
concerned and not want to run it. This is a mistake, since it will help you slide
remarkably. 3- DO NOT place the agitator in the string so that it is in contact
with the casing. I usually will place it at least 1000’ out of the casing when on
bottom, and I find that placing the tool 35 stds. above the bit works well. Rule
of thumb for placement: Try to place the agitator so that, at TD, it is back up the
string where you first started to have trouble sliding. The logic is, you could
push the string at least that far w/o it, it should keep you sliding at least a few
thousand feet beyond that point. 4- Agitators only shake so fast. As you get
farther out, you may notice that you can only drill so fast, and, in fact, the more
weight you use, the slower you may drill. This may be due to the fact that as
you put more and more weight on the shock sub, it will compress and not be
able to “shake” as well as if you had lighter weight. Every DD has a different
method, but what I would suggest is stroking the pipe and see how fast and at
what indicated WOB the agitator seems to shake off at best. For example,
letting of the Hydromatic and let the string free-fall will most likely bind it up,
with 100k indicated, and it won’t shake off. Try holding 40 or 50k indicated,
stop, and you will notice that the weight will steadily drop off, often all the way
to 10k or less. You will have to refine your technique, but you have just found a
good starting point for your slides. 5- Remember that bottom is not always
where you think it is. For example, you are showing 50k indicated WOB, 4’
off-bottom, so you are setting up for your slide, and you notice that you are
starting to show differential and the toolface is moving. Look at your weight
indicator – I would bet it has shook off quite a bit while you were waiting for an
update – you are now on bottom. Again, it takes a little getting used to, but
remember that you no longer have the compression you thought you did in the
DP. 6- You may also find that, while you are sliding fine, you can’t get all that
much differential, and since you can’t add weight to correct it, you find that
your TF keeps walking right. The main reason for this is that every drillstring
has “free torque” in it, which is torque that is in the string, but doesn’t
measurably turn it to the right (Look at it this way: Imagine you’re at the
surface with the rig tongs, twisting on the pipe. It won’t move, the TF at
bottom, right? But imagine if all friction was broken by the agitator – is it
possible that it may move just a little? This is what happens when the free
torque gets worked out). Usually, this isn’t a problem, since the torque will
never come out of the pipe, and won’t affect the TF. With an agitator, however,
it will keep trying to shake ALL of the torque out, to equilibrium. Keep this in
mind as you decide how much right-hand you put into the pipe to “hold” it.
This is something you will have to see to completely understand, but hopefully
this will help you recognize it.
Red River “B” (U4A) Formation
The Red River “B” is another common pay drilled in the Williston Basin. The
most productive areas are found between Bowman, ND and Baker, MT., in what is
known as the West Cedar Hills Anticline. The RR”B” is a dolomitic limestone, and
is characterized by very low GR readings in the pay (15 or less). Below the “B”,
the “C” is commonly water-bearing, and tends more towards limestone. Above the
“B” is a anhydritic member. This member has a tendency for very slow drilling/bit
balling and sliding difficulties. It is especially troublesome because, in many areas,
the anhydrite has a false porosity within it. Once the lower part of the anhydrite has
been drilled through, and the false porosity entered, it is extremely difficult to get
back out of. This situation usually requires a sidetrack to get out of.
Within the RR “B” is commonly found a middle chert section. This chert
basically splits the pay zone into upper and lower halves. The total thickness of the
RR “B” varies, but is commonly around 3’ – 6’ thick. While drilling, you will find
that the quality of shows, while still in the zone, will vary depending on whether or
not you are above or below the chert. Usually, it is better to be above the chert, and
through this you will find a unique quality of the chert itself. It is a very
gradational contact, not sharp, and the hardness of the chert is in sharp contrast
with the soft “sugar-zone” of the dolomite pay. So, when ABOVE the chert, it is
relatively easy to drill DOWN through it, since it is graded soft on top, and
progressively harder as you go down. Once you have chipped into the soft top of
the chert, even though it is getting harder, it is still relatively soft, and so the bit
will continue to dig into the chert, until finally you have dropped enough angle that
it can punch right through it. Remember, it is a very gradational contact, with the
layers directly below just a little harder than the ones above. The bit also has
gravity pulling it down, and so working against you. However, once you are below
the chert, and below the hardest part, it is extremely difficult to punch back UP
through it, since you are relying on the motor to rest on the very soft dolomite to
give leverage to drill back up. Commonly even when sliding 15’ – 30’, you can not
scratch you way up into the chert, and your next survey after the slide will shot
nothing to even a drop in angle, as you begin to rotate and the bit loses it’s “ledge”
(this is a phrase used in sidetracking, but is quite apt here, since that is really what
you are trying to do – imagine the dolomite below as the softer cement, and the
chert as the hard formation). The pay zone in the Red River “B” is characterized by
very high ROP’s and an excellent tendency to “lock-in”; meaning you may go
literally days w/o sliding. In certain areas, the formation can have a nasty walk
tendency, however.
Drilling Through Hard Streaks
When trying to drill through hard streaks such as the chert, two methods come to
mind. The first is to get right under the zone (a graph of TVD –vs- Survey MD will
plot where the hard streak is to within a few inches – trust me, it will be very
apparent where the streak is after you plot a few surveys), and attempt to slide all
the way through it. This is sometimes successful, if the hard streak is relatively
thin, the downside being that you may wind up with more angle at the bit than you
want (w/o either an At-Bit Inclination tool or a real good handle on your ROP
changes between dolomite and the hard streak while sliding). A variation of this
technique is to get right below it and do a very short “time-drill” to get the bit
started into the formation, then push hard in rotary, hoping to drill through it.
The second method is to let the bit bounce down a few feet below the hard
streak, slide 2 to 2.5° of angle into the hole, and then rotate through. You may
bounce off the first time or two, but you will be able to get an idea of what angle
you will need to get through it. This is where the TVD graph comes in handy – I
have seen people get up to 93°, take a running start at the chert rotating ahead, and
the next survey is 90.5°. Then they make a mistake – they don’t know what the
orientation of the hard streak is, they just know they have dropped angle, so they
slide up again. Except they have unknowingly drilled through the hard streak,
losing some angle in the process but still successful, and now they rotate ahead
going out the top of the formation! Many DD’s, especially ones coming from a rig
background -vs- engineering or geology college work, will scoff at trying to graph
where they are, or try to understand the geology. Others are just plain lazy and say
that the “mudloggers” should handle it. Wrong. As a DD, you need to be a little
roughneck, a little engineer, and a little logger, all rolled into one. It is your job to
know where the bit is, what the assembly is doing, and what needs to be done next.
Medium – Radius BHA Recommendations
8.75” Hole Size (Build Section)

For 8° - 10° BUR Curves:
8.75” Bit
6.75” 7/8 – 5.0 stg. Set @ 2.4° (Rotatable) – CoMan Will Need To Order
Note: Run Equivalent Motor If Available.
6.5” Flex Pony NMDC
6.5” MWD + GR
6.5” Flex NMDC
4-1/2 XH p x 4-1/2 IF b X-O
33x 5” DP (S-135; 19.5#)
4-1/2 IF p x 4-1/2 XH b X-O
24x 6.5” Spiral DC’s (96#)
4-1/2 XH p x 4-1/2 IF b X-O
5” x 4.276” 19.5# DP To Surface
***Note: As Geologic Control improves and a better feel for the formation/motor BUR
arises, could begin to run this BHA in the 11 – 12 degree BUR range as well.
For 11° - 12° BUR Curves:

8.75” Smith F30TV
6.5” Motor (Sleeved) Set @ 2.1° (Rotatable)
6.5” Flex Pony NMDC
6.5” MWD + GR
6.5” Flex NMDC
4-1/2 XH p x 4-1/2 IF b X-O
30x 5” DP (S-135; 19.5#)
4-1/2 IF p x 4-1/2 XH b X-O
24x 6.5” Spiral DC’s (96#)
4-1/2 XH p x 4-1/2 IF b X-O
5” x 4.276” 19.5# DP To Surface
+/- 6” Hole Size (Lateral Section To +/- 6000’ V.S.)
6” Bit (5x16’s or 5x18’s)
4.75” Motor Set @ 1.5°
4.75” Slick Pony NMDC
4.75” MWD + GR
4.75” Slick NMDC
3-1/2 IF p x XT39 b
?? stds. 4” DP (XT39, 14#) NOTE: Suggest Run HWDP To 30° and calculate stds.
needed from there to TD
20 stds. 4” Spiral-Weight DP (S-135; 32.7#)
4” x 3.34” 14# XT39 To Surface
+/- 6” Hole Size (Lateral Section From +/- 7000’ - +/- 11000’ V.S.)
6” Bit (5x16’s or 5x18’s)
4.75” Motor Set @ 1.5°
4.75” Slick Pony NMDC
4.75” MWD + GR
4.75” Slick NMDC
3-1/2 IF p x XT39 b
?? stds. 4” DP (XT39, 14#) Note: Suggest # Of Stands Calculated From Where You
Tripped To TD. Thought Is, You Made It That Far, Now Let Agitator Push You The
Rest Of The Way.
XT39 p x 3-1/2 IF b
4.75” Hydraulic Agitator
4.75” Shock Sub
3-1/2 IF p x XT39 b
?? stds. 4” DP (XT39, 14#) NOTE: Suggest Run HWDP To 30° and calculate stds.
needed from there to Agitator/Shock Sub.
20+ stds. 4” Spiral-Weight DP (S-135; 32.7#)
4” x 3.34” 14# XT39 To Surface
Up/Downside of Various Suggestions:
1. 8.75” PDC: Drills faster (even with longer curve needed), but may not yield as
much BUR as tricone. If geology in area is still a bit unknown/highly variable dip
rates, then tricone will be best bet to start with. As noted above, this motor/bit
combo may yield more than enough, even with relatively drastic landing-point
TVD changes, to drill the your wells with 11’s or 12’s. This will have to be
discussed at a later date after some data ahas been accumulated.
2. 8.75” Tricone: Drills slower/possibility of bit trip, but can relatively easily yield in
the 15’s+, so landing is usually not a problem.
3. 6” 505zx: Controllable, fast-drilling bit type. Holds record runs throughout Rocky
Mountain Area.
Would strongly suggest running 4” DP in the lateral. Less buckling so better weight
transfer, stronger, less stick-slip (wind-up) than 3-1/2”.
8.75” Vertical Hole

Many operators in ND/MT are having good luck with the Vertically-Centering Bits.
Might consider it for the straight hole. Your particular Client may want to pick tools up
from under surface and have you control it down to KOP. I would suggest NOT picking a
bit for this application – let the client decide which one to use - this is their ROP game. If
a certain bit is difficult to control/slide, let the client rep know and make a note of it.
Also, be aware of your hardlines and THINK about what the client is trying to
accomplish. For example, if there are no hardline constraints, and the well is walking
gently behind in VS, let it go – your KOP will be behind section, you will land behind
section, and give the client a little more pay opened up. Nice job, DD…
Drilling Notes: S & J-Type Well Profiles
Denver-Julesberg (DJ) Basin
Note: The descriptions and suggestions compiled below are from a pad in the city of
Greeley, Co. at the corner of 4th St. and 71st Ave. ALL TVD measurements are taken
from that location, and you will find that formation top TVD’s will be deeper to the west,
and shallower to the east of the city. However, please also note that I have attempted to
orient the guide along formation tops in general, so whether or not your TVD’s match
this guide, you can expect that, in most cases, the general position of the intervals
described below, in relation to formation tops, is accurate.
Surface Hole
0’ - +/- 1425’ TVD:
Slides of 5’ – 9’ p/joint usually yield 2°/100’ BUR. It is suggested that you start off
with a 6’ slide in the build section, and then adjust from there. Due to formation factors,
once you are projecting 4 – 5 degrees at bit, you will typically need to increase you slides
to 6’ – 8’ p/Kelly to get the common 2° BUR for wells in the area.
+/- 1425’ – 2000’ TVD:
Slides of 12’ – 17’ will be necessary to yield 2° BUR. Commonly, well profiles will
have you coming into your tangent section through here, and the tangent will require 10’
– 12’ p/joint slides just to maintain angle on higher-inclination wells, and 5’ – 8’ p/joint
on lower (10 – 15 deg) inclination wells.
+/- 2000’ – 2600’ TVD:
Formation exhibits an aggressive drop tendency. Expect to need 14’ – 18’ p/joint slides
to maintain angle in higher inclination wells, and 6’ – 10’ p/joint slides in lower
inclination wells.
Pierre Silt Formation
+/- 2600’ – 2825’ TVD:
This upper interval coming into the Pierre holds angle fairly well when rotating,
especially in wells drilled right around the City of Greeley proper. South and east of the
city, this “hold section” is less pronounced, and you may find that you will need
anywhere from occasional to consistent 4’ – 6’ p/joint slides to maintain. Suggestion is to
anticipate this section coming up, but don’t rely on it to act decently.
+/- 2825 – 3150’ TVD:
This middle member of the Pierre Formation drops hard for the first 30’ – 50’ or so as
you are coming into it, then the drop rate begins to slack off. Expect, for higher –
inclination wells, to begin with 10’ – 14’ slides p/joint, going to +/- 8’ – 10’ p/joint slides
to maintain. For lower angle tangent sections, start with a 4’ – 5’ bump just to be safe,
and figure out a maintenance schedule from there.
+/- 3150 – 3675’ TVD:
This section is characterized by VERY AGGRESSIVE DROP RATES. For higher-

angle wells, expect to need anywhere from 18’ to 26’ slides p/joint (do not suggesting
sliding entire kelly’s due to hole cleaning problems). On lower angle tangents, it is
common to need 15’ – 18’ slides just to maintain. It should be noted that south and east
of the City of Greeley, this aggressive drop section is less pronounced, but will still exist.
Watch for it. Look at your well plan – it will have the expected tops of the formations
listed on it. Remember that the TVD’s in this guide, as explained above, will not
correspond EXACTLY to the tops in your well, but the zones they identify will be
relative to your formation tops.
Parkman Formation
+/- 3675’ – 4050’ TVD:
This interval, at or very near the top of the Parkman Formation on your well plan/prog,
is characterized by a much-needed hold tendency, although towards the bottom of the
interval, +/- 5’ slides may be necessary, depending on inclination. Commonly you can
rotate quite a bit through this interval, and in/around Greeley city proper, it is possible
that you will encounter a slide BUILD tendency, which should help you orient yourself
on the well plan if some of the zones above have caused you problems directionally.
South and east of the city, you may need to slide on average 4’ – 6’ p/double through this
interval, but is still better than many of the zones above. Caution: If you are unfamiliar
with this area, it is a good idea to wait until the surveys prove that this interval is holding
angle before you decide to rotate an entire joint, let alone two. The beginning of the zone
is a pretty clear marker around Greeley proper, but can get a little hazy to the south and
east.
+/- 4050’ – 4450’ TVD:
Typically a ratty interval, needing on average 4’ – 10’ p/joint bumps to maintain; no

need to be much more aggressive than that.
Sussex Formation
+/- 4450 – 4825’ TVD:
Commonly, the lower Parkman/Sussex Fm.’s are lumped together, having very similar
drilling characteristics. Again, 4’ – 10’ bumps p/joint are typical of this zone. It is
suggested that before you slide the 10’, wait for the surveys to tell you it is needed. Try to
go as easy as possible on the sliding.
Shannon Sandstone Formation
+/- 4825’ – 5000’ TVD:
This upper interval, at or right near the top of the Shannon, exhibits a pretty strong hold
characteristic. If still in the tangent section, may require +/- 4’ bumps to maintain. If in
the drop section, you can expect your rotary drop rate to decrease. Typically, the Shannon
holds well throughout the DJ Basin, but tends to hold better to the north of Greeley;
somewhat less so to the south and east. Often, this formation will coincide with the start
of the drop section in many well plans in the area, and can be tricky if you are not
prepared for it. If you are in the drop section of your well plan, it is suggested that this be
the only place you might consider sliding down, but be cautioned: no more than a 4’ – 5’
bump down, and make sure you rotate it out to see what the slide has given you before
you attempt it again. This is not a thick interval, only about 175’, and you may be out at
the bit and dropping angle again in rotary by the time you see the survey and decide to
slide again. Don’t get caught – project your TVD @ bit, see if you are still within the
zone, and act accordingly.
+/- 5000’ – 6000’ TVD:
Depending on your inclination and whether or not you are in the drop, 4’ – 6’ slides
should maintain angle, with occasional 8’ – 10’ slides needed. Suggest not rotating one
here at all if in the tangent. If you are in the drop section of your well plan, expect drop
rates to be .7° - 1.2°/joint on higher-angle (11 – 15 degree) wells, and .5° - .7° p/joint on
lower-angle (5 to 10 degree) wells. On very high-angle wells (15+ degrees), expect to
have to slide +/- 4’ p/joint UP just to retard the rotary drop rate! At any rate, once you
have controlled your descent to 10 degrees or so, you can typically let the natural drop
rate of the formation in rotary take you down to 6 degrees or so, assuming the common
2°/100’ well plans, but once you are less than 6 degrees, you will find you will have to
help it along. Start with a 4’ bump down, then rotate till you see it, and decide from there,
considering your motor performance, if that will be enough or not. Once you are down to
3°, the formation typically drops at less than .5°/100’, and will require 6’ – 8’ bumps
down to get it the rest of the way to vertical. Be careful not to tuck the well under itself; it
causes a lot of undue drag, and may make tripping/logging/casing operations more
difficult. Once vertical, if you keep your weight light, and your RPM’s up, it should hold
for you w/o a lot of maintenance slides to keep it vertical. You will know if you are
running too much weight because the well will run on you building. Slide if necessary.
Tepee Buttes Formation
+/- 6000 – 6800’ TVD:
From the many well plans I’ve looked at, typically this formation is in the vertical part
of the hole, after the drop section, and tends to exhibit the same characteristics as the
lower part of the Shannon. Keep weight light and rotary up, and it should act pretty well
for you. Slide if needed.
Niobrara Shale Formation
+/- 6800’ – 7250’ TVD:
This is very simple: SLIDING IN THE NIOBRARA W/O A ROCK BIT IS A WASTE
OF TIME. The formation is a ratty mix of sand, silt, shale and clay with a dash of
bentonite stringers thrown in. TF control is very difficult to maintain with a PDC, and
slides will yield next to nothing. Be within +/- 10’ of target center when you enter this
formation, then keep the weight light, the rotary high, and rotate through it. Any minor
corrections that need to be made can be done towards the very end of the well, but just to
keep it within the legal box.
Ft. Hays Formation / Codell Shale
+/- 7250’ TVD – TD
Common pay interval’s in the basin. As mentioned above, you can do a little final
sliding here if necessary. Of course, you’ve had all well to get this thing right, so if it
isn’t where it should be, I am told that Walmart is hiring.
Additional DJ Basin Notes
Some bits tend to work better than others, as is always the case, and in many cases,
there are tradeoffs to using one versus another. Typically, Reed and Smith bits hold angle
better than HC 405Z’s, but are not as steerable at depth, and may not drill as fast.
Security bits are almost unknown in the basin. It is suggested that you try them all, and
use what suites you the best.
The use of lubricants and hole-cleaning chemicals is recommended. Commonly, 123L
Polymer is provided by the mud companies in the basin, and it is suggested that you add
one vis cup full every third connection from KOP to start of drop section, then one vis
cup EVERY connection until TD. From drop point down to TD, backream every
connection. You will see a noticeable reduction in torque and drag, and will improve TF
control. If the coman/toolpusher tells you it takes too much time to ream every
connection, tell him it takes less time to ream than it does to fish or redrill the hole. If he
continues to harass you, possibly inferring that backreaming can cause keyseats or undue
pipe wear or possibly the Apocalypse, tell him you are not running a drilling school for
morons. You will get to go home, but hey, is that so bad?
If you run into tight spots before you reach the drop point, suggest you start adding
polymer every connection early, and work it with the pumps on/rotary off. This is much
like spotting beads in a horizontal well.
Pay attention to the mud. Your target fluid is freshwater. If you allow the rig to close in
the system, rather than dumping, you will soon have DRILLING MUD weighted with
solids. This causes serious hole drag/sticking problems, and can make for tough
logging/casing runs.
Remember: Slide on every Kelly whenever possible, as opposed to sliding a lot on one
and then rotating.
General S-Well BHA Recommendations
14.75” - 12.25” Hole Section (If Drilled)

1. Limit DLS/Total Angle Needed by kicking off as high as possible while staying
below any near-surface problem zones (From geologic prognosis, try to set KOP
below +/- 1,000 MD). Suggest 1.5 - 2 deg/100’ build rates – max 10 degrees hole
angle before setting casing in the 14.75” section. Very important to keep
doglegs/displacement to a minimum near-surface. On longer step-out wells,
consider building to higher angle in surface section gradually. Will adjust DLS
needed to step-required.
8.75” - 7.875” Hole Section

1. Would feel comfortable increasing BUR’s to 3 deg/100’ to achieve total expected
angle needed of 20 – 30 degrees.
2. Would suggest flow rate 500 – 600 gpm. You may find your can’t do it do to pump
pressure.
3. 6.5” motor operating WOB is about 37k (more with special bearing-packs).
Suggest having that amount available when calculating # of DC’s/HWDP, taking
into account maximum expected hole angle and buoyancy factor.
4. Since formation characteristics vary widely, even on the same pad/general area,
would suggest a very comprehensive sweep/mud lubricant background % program
if drag becomes extreme. Even at 30 degrees, well should not have to be “rocked”
while sliding. Might consider planning a short-trip to the top of the HWDP to p/u a
hydraulic agitator assembly to reduce borehole friction. This particular tool is
usually run in extended-reach and horizontal applications, but will work in sticky,
hanging S-wells effectively. Along these same lines, you might want to consider
running either a hydraulic or mechanical Adjustable-Gauge Stabilizer. This tool
will help control the build/drop tendency of the BHA while rotating, dramatically
cutting down on the need to slide for inclination.
5. Depending on local knowledge and hole conditions, might consider planning on
reaming every stand as a rule (many company men do not like to do this since it is
“dead-time” with bit not drilling. Particularly in the higher angle wells this can be
effective with cleaning out swales in the borehole, and will noticeably decrease
drag.
6. Sliding problems are the #1 time waster on any directional project. Would suggest
trying, on the higher-angle wells at least, an RSS, which produces such a smooth,
controlled wellbore that drag is reduced (and ROP increased) significantly. Such a
quality wellbore also cuts down on other problems, such as casing running and
production equipment failure. May consider higher DLS when using RSS.
7. Hi-LCM percentages are not a problem, when taken as a whole-mud calculation.
What causes common plug-off’s or damages DH tools is the way the LCM is
mixed. It must be stressed to everyone involved with the rig’s mud system that the
LCM must be mixed slowly and evenly – no heavy spots.
8. Depending on local geology, suggest 1.5 to 2 deg/100’ drop rates.
9. Suggest special instructions be made common knowledge concerning problem
areas (coals, for example), and what should be done as these formation sequences
are drilled. Communication makes or breaks a successful well.
10.On long step-out wells, might consider doing some directional work in the top of
the pay, if drag on offset wells is found to be too high.
11.Dogleg versus DLS: It is not recommended to set the motor very high, then do
very short/hi-yield slides right before the survey. Suggest setting the motor to a
reasonable angle, then sliding on every joint throughout the build and drop
sections. This will take longer, and your average ROP will suffer, but it will cut
down on your torque/drag, and will provide a more usable hole, which, in the end,
will make the ROP back up.
Greater Green River Basin (Pinedale/Jonah Area)
Green River / Wasatch Formations
Aside from surface sediments (Green River Fm.), The Wasatch Fm. is the uppermost
formation commonly encountered in the Basin. Containing shales and sands, it
commonly acts well while drilling, holding well in rotary, down to the contact with the
Ft. Union.
The contact between the Wasatch and the Fort Union is unconformal, meaning there
isn’t a gentle contact between the two formations. The base of the Wasatch / top of the Ft.
Union, particularly in the Stewart Point field, can be extremely sticky, and many BHA’s
have been lost in the zone. As time goes on and our drilling/mud practices improve, this
will become less of an issue, but still something to watch. Depending on surface KB, the
TVD’s to look for this contact are 3800’ – 4800’ TVD.
Fort Union Formation
Commonly a sandy member, the Fort Union is where you will drill most of the tangent
and drop sections of the well. Commonly drops relatively easily to +/- 4°; after that,
sliding becomes more difficult. Variety of conventional BHA designs are used in the
basin, as well as more advanced tools, like the TruTrak system. It is recommended that if
sliding becomes too difficult, an Agitator might be considered to transfer weight more
evenly, as well as coming out to P/U a tricone bit.
Lance Formation / Fox Hills Sandstone
The Lance and Fox Hills are the two upper most pay intervals found in the basin.
Commonly, they are only drilled in the vertical, and in many cases we will L/D
directional tools above these zones, after setting casing. They do drill well, holding angle
relatively well (up to .2 - 1°/100’ rotary build rates), and with the casing being in place,
the drag is usually low enough to get solid, effective slides in.
MesaVerde Group
The MesaVerde Group is a collection of similar Upper Cretaceous formations below a

capping shale formation. These formations include the Almond, Ericson, Rock Springs
and Blair formations. The Almond is a much-studied gas producer in the basin, and is
considered to be the “next” pay in the basin after the Lance/Fox Hills has been
developed. These formations drill similarly to the Lance. Several test wells have been
drilled to this and deeper formations, and development plans are in the works with
several of out clients.
Appendix
Whipstock Operations
Commonly, whipstocks are set in the vertical hole to allow the drilling of a second
build section. Another use for them is in the lateral at +/- 90°, in a horizontal coplanar
arrangement. If set in the vertical, it is necessary to run a gyro to slide off the face of the
tool. Typically, the orienting sub is placed up above the top NMDC, some 100’ behind
the bit. In most cases, all that is necessary is for you to use the gyro to align your TF, and
then slide enough footage, using a “safe” projected motor BUR, to get yourself off the
whipstock, out into the formation and into a position to rotate until the MWD sees a
Highside TF. This will save a lot of time, since commonly sliding with a gyro + wireline
in the hole is much slower than using just the MWD, especially with a kelly rig, where
you can’t use the kelly to drill with. Without the kelly in the bushings, there is no way to
adjust your TF for reactive torque, so low weight must commonly be used in this
situation. Something else that must be considered when kicking off of a whipstock is
what “size” is the whipstock. Commonly, a 2.5° or 3° whipstock is used in Williston
Basin horizontals. Below is one method of deciding how much to slide before L/D gyro.
Example: You are 50’ behind the bit with a motor that gives 9’s compounding from
vertical, with a well plan set up for 11’s. You have a 3-deg whipstock in the hole,
aligned at 0° mag. The Tie-In survey @ Window was .6° at an Azi of 180. How much
should you slide to be “safe” to L/D the gyro and assure you will be at Mag-Grav X-
O point on the MWD tool, set at 3 degrees?
Well, first off, having the 3° whipstock is nice, since it means that just about the time
your MWD is out the window, you are at Mag-Grav X-O. In this case, like in most,
however, the hole angle affects that somewhat.
AT 50’ MD out of the window (the Bit-Bend), by the plan you need to be @ 5.5 deg.
You are .6 degrees behind, and that .6 degrees with a motor throwing 9’s will need an
extra 7’ to be drilled. Now, 50 + 7 = 57’. 57*(11°/100’) = 6.27° in the hole on-plan.
6.27° – 3° = 3.27°/(9/100) = 36’ to slide, leaving 21’ to rotate.
You are now 7’ out of the window, on-plan @ the bit, and at Grav-Mag X-O point of 3°
inclination. You might consider a 10% safety factor, so slide 40’ with the gyro, then
rotate 17’. Either way, your big concern is to get to X-O point, and you have plenty ahead
of you to do just that. A little behind the plan – don’t worry, just push on it a little.
In horizontal wells, or in wells with some angle to them, you probably won’t need a
gyro to kick off of it, since you are already at or above Mag-Grav X-O. Simply work the
tool through the window a few times slowly to see if it is slick, align the TF the same
direction as the whipstock face, and slowly slide off of it. I usually don’t use full pump
rate (full bit speed) until I know the bit is off the face, but this more due to wear on the
whipstock face than a drilling technique.
Another common practice is to use an MWD tool to set the whipstock to a certain
Gravity TF. You must remember to scribe the whipstock face to the MWD just like you
would a motor. The whipstock will hang from a bolt on the pilot mill, and this bolt is the
“highside” of the whipstock. I usually run the MWD scribe all the way down the collar,
with a Curv-o-Mark, and then scribe UP the mill assembly and wobble joint from the
hang-off bolt to the mark on the MWD. After the milling run, you should L/D the MWD
tool used – it has seen too much vibration to be trusted to run back in the hole.
Things to keep in mind with a whipstock is that the mills tend to walk up and to the
right off the face, so you might consider taking that into account when setting the tool.
For example, let’s say want to kick off around 0° Mag. I would set it 15° or 20° to the
left, at say 340° Mag, because the window will come off to the right. If setting at 90° Inc
to go Left, let’s say, I would consider setting it at 115L to come off +/- flat.
Sidetracking
Time-Drilling Off Of A Plug
Commonly, the way to get off of either a cement plug or to induce an open-hole
sidetrack is to time-drill. Time-drilling is a method in which you take a reasonable
amount of footage and break it up into segments, usually about 5’ in length, that you
assign different minutes p/inch to. Think of it as VERY SLOW control-drilling. The
number of feet you will need in most cases will depend on the quality of plug/formation
hardness, direction of sidetrack (sidetracking HS off of a plug @ high-angle may take
more footage than one coming off at vertical), and type of bit, as well as the motor bend
and “speed” in which you are attempting to sidetrack. I have found that coming off of a
vertical plug in the Williston Basin, for example, takes about +/- 16’ with a 6.5” motor
with a 1.5 bend, a Smith F-30TV insert bit, a relatively good plug (+/- 60 fph w/15 – 30k
polished off with a slick assembly), and a time-drill program that consists of:
2’ @ 10 min/1”
4’ @ 5 min/1”
5’ @ 4 min/1”
5’ @ 3 min/1”
Then keep on sliding, slowly adding weight and holding TF. Watch you samples and the
Pason/Epoch for weight increases as you are time drilling. If you see it taking weight
every time you squeak an inch off, then slowly drill off before the next inch is dropped,
this is a sign you are getting off the plug, as is some differential pressure. Also, you may
have a little trouble setting the TF and/or getting it to hold. Believe it or not, this is also a
good sign – it means that the motor is in a bind down there, pushed hard up against the
side of the hole, and wants to find a place to relax. Trough 10’ – 15’ from KOP up for
about 30 minutes, adjusting the TF, and it will settle down, because it has cut a groove on
the side of the hole – basically, you have already started sidetracking.
Coming off of a plug HS @ high angle (let’s say 65° or 70°) is basically the same
concept, but I would extend the length of the time drill, to include more at 5 min/1” and
some at 3 and 2 min.
Open-Hole Sidetracks
Open-hole sidetracks are quite common in multi-lateral horizontal operations, and use
the same basic principles as coming off of a plug, with a few additional things to be
considered. First off, it is best to open-hole sidetrack in an area of the wellbore where
there is a dogleg going up i.e., if a survey 17000’ is at 89° and the one at 17032’ is 90.8°,
this is a good place to sidetrack, because the bit will have something to “push” against,
low-side, to start make another hole. Obviously, the reasons you are sidetracking
(planned new lateral, unplanned sidetrack around fish or bad formation, etc.) will affect
where you can place the sidetrack, but always try to put it in the easiest, most logical
place, so gravity can help you “track” back into it, even with dumb iron, like casing, etc.
It is usually best to sidetrack down and left/right, so you are getting away from the
original bore in two directions, not just down, and it also keeps you from dropping too
mush angle and needing to put big doglegs in the well to recover – the sidetrack itself is a
big enough dogleg! Footage needed is dependant on formation. You might consider a
“safe” 25’ sidetrack to begin with, with at least 5’ at 5, 4, 3 and 2, plus some to start with
at 10 min/1”. Watch you samples and weight, and you should be fine. Area experience
will help you decide, in the future, how much you need to drill to sidetrack, and I would
suggest plan the sidetrack so that even once you’re off, you can keep sliding, with weight
and controlling the TF, for at least another 15’ – 30”. This will make the sidetrack
smoother, lessen the amount of TVD lost by dropping angle, and will get you further
away before you start rotating. Personally, once I am off, I kep sliding another 20’, sloly
bring the TF from let’s say 150R to +/- 50R over that 20’. Now you are pointed up and
away from the old bore, and in recovery mode for TVD loss.
Diamond Sidetrack Bits
If you are having trouble getting off of a cement plug time-drilling, THIS is the bit you
should use. Basically, think of it as a very-short gauge (1”) flat-bottom mill with what
looks to be a rough hardbanding on the bottom and sides, which is actually made up of
very tiny natural diamonds. On the face of the mill are cut a series of water courses.
Being such a short gauge, it has great side-cutting action, and very easily sidetracks.
When running the bit, you must VERY GRADUALLY add weight, over a 4’ or 5’
distance, to “face-up” the bit, which means to bury the entire bottom of the bit in
cement/formation. You will know when the bit is faced up because it will very quickly
show an increase in pump pressure. This pressure increase comes from the drilling fluid
being “squeezed” out around the water courses – there will be little/no reactive torque
encountered. The pressure increase can very easily be 400 – 600 psi, and is a GOOD
thing, not something to be concerned about. Continue to add weight slowly. Different
size bits obviously have different weight ratings; for 8.75” tools, 20 – 25k WOB is
reasonable. Typically, these bits drill VERY slowly, like 2 – 4 fph, and additional weight
doesn’t seem to have much affect. One of the downsides of this bit is that you will have
little/no indication that you are off the plug and into new formation; no change seen in the
ROP typically. I would say a solid 20’ sidetrack should get you off the plug and safely
into the formation, but this depends on plug quality, formation hardness, softspots, etc. It
may be quite a bit less. Go by your samples.
Basic Bit/BHA Notes
Tri-Cones:
1. Have little affect on BHA build/hold tendencies in general.
2. Tend to exhibit R-H walk
PDC’s:
1. Shorter-gauge PDC’s tend to show higher BUR/DOR versus a tricone.
2. Tend to exhibit L-H walk
In VERTICAL holes, if effective formation dip is <45°, the well will tend to walk up-dip.
If the formations effective dip is >45°, the bit tends to walk down-dip.
For S & J wells, drilling in the tangent sections, if you are drilling in the updip direction
off to the left of the formation effective dip (<45°), then the bit, regardless of type, will
want to walk right. If you are to the right of the up-dip direction, then it will tend to walk
left. If formation effective dip is >45°, drilling to the right of down-dip, the bit will
exhibit left-hand walk. Left of down dip you will see right-hand walk.
Build Assembly: If your assembly has a habit of dropping angle, try putting a Near-Bit
Stabilizer on the motor, and leave just a hardband on top, and put more weight on it. You
may have to play with the size of the stab; try a ¼” under to begin with if the rotary BUR
is <1 deg/100’; maybe gauge if greater than that.
Drop Assembly: If your assembly has a bad build tendency in rotary, you may want to try
running a slick or a slick-sleeved motor and a top stab, possibly up to gauge diameter.
Adding weight to this will curve the motor down and help you drop in rotary; depending
on how bad the formation wants to push you, you may wind up just holding inc, which is
what you want.
Hold Assembly: Gauge to ¼” under near-bit stab, top stab, and possibly one above MWD
collars. In addition, may consider a motor with a stabilized AKO as well.
Adjustable Assembly: Commonly a Hold Assembly with either a hydraulic or mechanical

Adjustable-Gauge Stabilizer. Stabilizer can be opened or closed to control inclination in
formations that don’t have very aggressive Build/Drop tendencies (.75° B/D or less
depending).

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Triangles (TVD – VIEW)

COS Inc = TVD/MD TVD = MD * COS Inc

TVD at End of Tangent Section

Displacement Needed To Reach Target TVD @ 22 deg

COS Azi = North/Displ. SIN Azi = East/Displ.

Displacement ^2 = N^2 + E^2

SIN Direction = East/Displ.

IS THAT CORRECT? THINK ABOUT IT…

RADIUS OF CURVATURE (RC)= 360 * 100 = 5729.58

Arc Length = Arc Angle * 100/Build Rate

Stds. DP = 762’/95’ = 8 Stands

KOP = 9900’ – 477.46’ = 9422.54’ TVD

Build Rate = RC/Radius

Better get the cementers on the road…

TVD @ EOB: 1807.03’

25° INC (angle) TVD @ EOT: 11000’

Information Needed To Be Given FOR EVERY PLAN:

Build Radius = 360*100/2*pi*BUR = 18000/pi*3 = 1909.61’ – this is needed for TVD

End of Build MD = KOP MD + 100*INC/BUR = 1000 + 100*25/3 = 1833.33’

TVD @ End of Build Depth = KOP TVD + Build Radius*SIN INC

Displacement @ End Of Build = KOP Displ. + Build Radius*1-COS INC)

TVD @ End Of Tangent = EOB TVD + Length Of Tangent*COS INC

How did I get 10143.32?

9192.73/COS 25 = 10143.32’ MD.

End of Tangent MD = Length Of Tangent + EOB MD

Displacement @ End Of Tangent = Displ. @ EOB + Length Of Tangent*SIN INC

TVD @ EOB: 1405.14’

EOD MD: 2675’

45° INC (angle)

Information Needed To Be Given FOR EVERY PLAN:

Build Radius = 360*100/2*pi*BUR = 18000/pi*10 = 572.96’ – this is needed for TVD

End of Build MD = KOP MD + 100*INC/BUR = 1000 + 100*45/10 = 1450’

TVD @ End of Build Depth = KOP TVD + Build Radius*SIN INC

Displacement @ End Of Build = KOP Displ. + Radius #1*1-COS INC)

End of Tangent Depth = Length Of Tangent + EOB MD = 1000’ + 1450’ = 2450’ MD

TVD @ End Of Tangent = EOB TVD + Length Of Tangent*COS INC

Displacement @ End Of Tangent = Displ. @ EOB + Length Of Tangent*SIN INC

Drop Radius = 360*100/2*Pi*DDR = 18000/Pi*20 = 286.48’

End Of Drop MD = EOT MD + 100*INC/DDR = 2450 + 100*45/20 = 2675’ MD

Displacement @ EOD = EOT Displ. + Drop Radius*1-COS INC

TD MD = End Of Drop MD + Vertical Tangent MD = 2675 + 1000 = 3675’

TVD @ TD = EOD TVD + Vertical Tangent TVD = 2314.82’ + 1000’ = 3314.82’

Displacement @ TD = Displacement @ EOD + Vertical Displacement =

Build to 15 degrees w/1.5’s

Drop From 15 degrees w/1.5’s

Added Displacement to Hit Target:

TVD @ End Of Tangent: 521.61’

Final MD @ End Of Drop: 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 540.01 = 3540.01’ MD

Final TVD @ End Of Drop:

Final Displacement @ End Of Drop:

Build To/Drop From Inc MD TVD Displacement

10° 666.67 663.29 58.03

Build To/Drop From Inc MD TVD Displacement

10° 500 497.47 43.52

Build To/Drop From Inc MD TVD Displacement

10° 333.33 331.64 29.01

Build Radius = 360100/2piBUR = 18000/pi3 = 1909.61’ – this is needed for TVD

End of Build MD = KOP MD + 100INC/BUR = 1000 + 10025/3 = 1833.33’

Build Radius = 360100/2piBUR = 18000/pi10 = 572.96’ – this is needed for TVD

End of Build MD = KOP MD + 100INC/BUR = 1000 + 10045/10 = 1450’

Drop Radius = 360100/2PiDDR = 18000/Pi20 = 286.48’

End Of Drop MD = EOT MD + 100INC/DDR = 2450 + 10045/20 = 2675’ MD

MD @ EOB = MD @ KOP + INC100/BUR = 10000 + 90100/10

Build Radius w/10’s = 360100/2piBUR = 18000/pi10 = 572.96’

MD Change @ 70° Casing Point = 100INC/BUR = 10070/10 = 700’

Build Radius w/8’s = 360100/2PiBUR = 18000/Pi8 = 716.2’

MD Change From 70 to 90° LP = 100INC/BUR = 10020/8 = 250’

= ATAN 46SIN 3 Degrees Change/(46 COS 3 Degrees) – 40

= ATAN 46.052/(46.999) – 40 = ATAN 2.407/5.937

= 180 - ATAN 40SIN 3 Degrees Change/46 - (40 COS 3 Degrees)

= 180 - ATAN 46.052/46 - (40.999) = 180 - ATAN 2.093/6.055 = 160.932°

TF = 180 – ATAN 24SIN2 = 180 – ATAN 24.035

= ATAN 6.47SIN22 = ATAN 6.47.375

Change Inc = DLCOS TF/COS Change Azi = 6.47COS22/COS 3.048