Directional Profile

DRILLING ENGINEERING DESIGN

CONSIDERATIONS
◼A carefully conceived directional
drilling programme based on an
assessment of geological information.
◼ knowledge of mud and casing

programmes.
◼ target areas etc., is used to select the

type of hole most suitable for the

operation.
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TYPES OF WELLS
Essentially there are three types of
directional well:
◼ Slant wells

◼ "S" wells

◼ "J" wells
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SLANT WELLS
◼ Is the most common type of deviated well.

◼ In a slant well the hole is spudded and surface casing is set.

◼ Then the hole may be deviated, starting at the kick off point (KOP).

◼ The angle is increased at a designed rate of build, using a deflecting

assembly, until the required angle and direction (azimuth) are reached
after which the hole may be cased.

◼ A change of drilling assembly then enables the well to be drilled

maintaining angle and direction to the target in the tangent section.

◼ One casing string may be set in the vertical section of hole as the kick-
off point (KOP) may be deeper than 2000 feet or 600 metres. Also, the
well may be "nudged" or given a small inclination to provide greater
separation between wells at shallow depths.
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◼ Directional wells are usually designed with a relatively
shallow kick off point occurring in a soft formation. This
gives the following advantages:
1. Desired inclination and direction easier to
achieve
2. Trip time is short for the necessary changes in
bottom hole assembly (BHA)
3. Survey and orientation time is shorter and
more easily achieved and controlled at
shallower depths
4. Casing run at the end of the build up prevents
key seating problems.
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The "S" type well
◼ Is used in areas where a deep bottom hole location with a
small horizontal displacement would require.
◼ The well is designed to drop off as it approaches the target
zone and a higher inclination is. Therefore, required to give
the necessary horizontal displacement.
◼ Multiple pay zones are encountered better separation and
thus production may be achieved with this type of well.
However, there are some disadvantages as it imposes,
higher angles, both kick off and drop off, correspondingly
higher torque, drag, drill pipe wear, rig wear, and chances
of dog legs and key seats.
◼ As with the lower limit of 25 deg. there are problems
encountered with high angles and there is an upper limit of
about 70 deg. With these high angles, torque increases and
there is a greater probability of stuck pipe.
◼ Difficulties can be encountered in logging and surveying.
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type the "J" well
◼ Is drilled for example when the target
coordinates do not allow a slant well.
◼ Another use may be as an appraisal
well where a vertical exploration well
is plugged back and sidetracked to
evaluate the extent of a reservoir.
◼ KOP may be deep and deflection
angles high and accordingly trip times
for BHA changes are lengthy. Unless
MWD surveys or a steering tool is
available, survey time for single shot
survey orientation would be
significant and, possibly, inpractical.
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SPECIALIST WELLS
◼ Two developments of these types of well exist.
◼ Firstly, to achieve the maximum horizontal displacement
the well may be inclined from the start.
◼ This is effected by a slant rig. where the derrick is not the
conventional vertical tower but an inclined frame enabling
the well to be drilled from spud at high inclinations which
can be further increased with drilling assemblies.
◼ These wells are drilled off-shore into shallow producing
formations.
◼ The second specialist type well is the horizontal drainhole
type.
◼ This is a development of the "J" type well where from KOP
the well bore is deflected from vertical to horizontal
enabling long producing zones to be drilled in the
reservoirs.
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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS BUILD UP RATE
◼ This is generally given as a number of degrees per one
hundred foot interval drilled.
◼ The important point, however, is to deflect the well bore
from vertical to the desired maximum inclination and
direction in a smooth curve. Generally build-up rates of 1.5
deg./100 ft. to 2.5 deg./100 ft. are used, the lowest value
consistent with achieving the desired inclination before
casing point being preferable.
◼ Dual build-up rates may be used. Initially with say 1.5
deg./100 ft to enable higher KOP's and larger casing to be
run through the initial kick off, followed by 2.5 deg./100 ft
in the smaller hole size enabling a larger stepout to be
obtained.
The build-up should be kept as close to the designed well
trajectory as possible.
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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
◼ FORMATION

◼ Formation plays an important part in the determination of

the KOP.
◼ As it is desirable to perform the initial kick off in one bit
run, hard formations are to be avoided.
◼ Abrasive formations should also be avoided, if possible, as
undergauge hole will increase the chances of sidetracking
the kick off when the stabilized rotary build-up assembly is
reamed to bottom.
In very soft formations the hole may be washed out of gauge
thus reducing the amount of build that an assembly was
expected to produce.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

LEAD ANGLE

◼ When drilling with rotary drilling assemblies there is

a tendency for the hole to "walk to the right".
◼ There are several factors that may influence this
including formation dip.
◼ bit type.
◼ rotary speed.
◼ Stabilizer placement.
◼ Turbine drilling assemblies tend to have the opposite
effect, that is "walk to the left" or, in some cases,
with particular configurations very little walk may
be experienced. Therefore, the directional well in its
entirety needs to be carefully appraised to determine
the amount of lead required, at kick off.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

FORMATION DIP
◼ The angle of dip of the formation bears
consideration with respect to bit walk and the
corresponding lead angle required.
◼ Whilst drilling uniform (isotropic) rock such as
massive sandstone the bit teeth tend to remove
chips of equal size to either side of the tooth. The
result is that drilling progresses straight ahead.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
CASING DEPTHS

◼ Casing strings are normally run on

encountering specific formations, the
vertical depth of which is known.
◼ Kick off points are, therefore, selected
to enable the well to be deflected to
its required inclination within the
interval of the proposed casing string.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

MULTIPLE TARGETS
◼ As mentioned earlier the wellbore
may be deflected to pass through
multiple targets. These may be on the
same section of the well trajectory
i.e. the tangent section or after the
drop off. Alternatively the well may
be designed to pick up one target,
then alter its course to a further
objective.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
ANTI COLLISION PLOTS
◼ An important part of well planning is to ensure that on
multiple well platforms an up-to-date record is maintained
of all holes drilled.

◼ In its simplest form a hand drawn, scale map of the slot

layout is produced and as each single shot survey is taken
and calculated the information is transferred to the plot
showing the current well status and all previous wells
drilled.

◼ The vertical depth must be included on these plots and all

directions must be compatible, i.e. referenced to the same
North. Generally these plots are drawn to three scales. The
first covers the extent of the holes down to kick off point,
the second from kick off through build up, until sufficient
separation is obtained between wells and finally the field
layout.