PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Schlumberger adds new drilling system

Petroleum News

Schlumberger Oilfield Services has added a new system to its PowerDrive line to help drillers steer bits through difficult layers deep below the surface. It’s the company’s first rotary steerable system with integrated measurements.

The PowerDrive X5 system has a temperature rating of 302 degrees (Fahrenheit) and provides azimuthal gamma ray measurements close to the bit for real-time detection of geological slip and fault boundaries.

“The system has been designed for hot, tough drilling environments and for reservoirs in which geosteering is aided by near-bit gamma ray or where tighter total vertical depth control is required,” said Paul Wand, business development manager for Schlumberger Drilling Technologies. “Typically these targets are found in offshore and high-tier markets.”

The company says the new technology provides significant reliability and efficiency gains. The PowerDrive X5 will facilitate longer runs, optimize wellbore placement, and cut drilling time, according to Schlumberger.

The system has real-time 360-degree azimuthal gamma ray measurement for geosteering applications and enables drillers and geologists to identify bed boundaries quickly. An MWD-type triaxial sensor package close to the bit provides accurate azimuth and inclination information and allows fast, responsive directional control in either automatic or manual operation, the company says. The system uses the latest Schlumberger chassis-mounted electronics.