SPE 39023
A Successful Short Radius Re-Entry with Aerated Mud in Venezuela
Charles Ingold, SPE, Anadrill Schlumberger, Julio Salazar, SPE, Anadrill Schlumberger, Jose Carrasquel, Lagoven, Jose
Vidal, Lagoven, Francisco Ramirez, Lagoven, Bernard Gourgues, Air Drilling S.A, Juan Beltran Paredes, Air Drilling S.A
Copyright 1997, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc.
This paper was prepared for presentation at the Fifth Latin American and Caribbean
Petroleum Engineering Conference and Exhibition held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 30 August–3
September 1997.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
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Abstract
New horizontal wells drilled with aerated mud have
proven to be a cost-effective way for drilling and enhancing
well productivity. Reentry drilling operations using aerated
mud have been used for over a year in Western Venezuela.
A major operator considered for a long time to combine
short radius technique and aerated mud to reduce cost per
produced barrel. Several re-entry candidates appeared to be
perfect for such an application.
A short radius drilling system, including articulated
downhole mud motor and modified measurement while
drilling (MWD) tools, combined with careful drilling
engineering program has enabled a successful completion
of the first two short-radius wells with aerated mud drilled
in Latin America. The second of which resulted in a six-
fold production increase over the average well in the area.
The first short-radius well was drilled in 13 days with 500
feet of displacement. The second well was drilled in 12 days
and had 880 feet of horizontal drain (fig. 1 & 7).
This paper describes the operational aspects, and
procedures followed. It emphasizes the equipment and rig
selection, the training requirements, and the environmental
and safety concerns. It also includes a comparison with
other techniques.
The Problem: An Overlying shale Bed and a Water
Zone
Drilling new horizontal wells (medium radius) in
“Tia Juana” field at the Misoa formation - interval B5
(Eocene Sand of Lake Maracaibo) - has been quite
successful. A water zone overlying the targeted pay zone
has to be isolated. They are separated by an unstable shale
stringer. On medium or long radius wells profiles a casing
would be set at 60 degrees inclination or higher in the
shale. Due to the proximity of the target, medium radius
cannot be used starting from vertical.
The top of the pay zone was less than 77 ft from the
bottom of the shale (discordancia) in the first well.
(Payzones are about 20 foot thick).
Drilling in Tia Juana has three major problems:
1- Setting intermediate casing restricts the number of
options to complete reentry wells, especially when the main
casing is 7 in.
2- The additional intermediate casing increases the well
cost.
3- Lost circulation is always present, independent of the
casing program or the build up rate.
Under this scenario, how could an operator get the
benefit of short radius reentry drilling at a reasonable cost ?
The problems were addressed by planning a
borehole trajectory where the well is drilled 100 % inside
the pay zone. The unstable shale was avoided by cutting a
section below it, at the top of the Misoa sand. A short
radius well profile brings additional benefits, like: single
hole size, or using nearby well logs data for correlation
purposes.
Aerated mud
Aerated mud drilling has been recognized as having
many advantages over conventional mud drilling, such as
higher ROP, less formation damage and less risks of lost
circulation or differential sticking. Avoiding differential
sticking and lost circulation have a great impact on costs.
In some areas, aerated mud as a circulating medium, is the
only option to drill oil or gas wells.
The overbalance pressure is often defined as the
pressure differential between the bottom hole pressure
(caused by hydrostatic and friction) and the formation fluid
pressure. A formation pressure lower than the hydrostatic
pressure of a column of fresh water requires the use of a
lighter fluid. Air injected with mud will result in a lower
2 C. INGOLD, J. SALAZAR, J. CARRASQUEL, J. VIDAL, F. RAMIREZ, B. GOURGUES, J. PAREDES
overbalance pressure. Aerated mud is defined as a fluid
consisting of liquid (water or mud), air and drilling
cuttings. With the right surface equipment (mud pumps
and air compressors) the required liquid and air flow rates
depend on the desired carrying capacity of the aerated mud
and flowing BHP during drilling. If a lower BHP is
desired, a higher air/liquid ratio should be used (Fig. 3).
An infinite number of combinations of mud and air
flow rate exists that meet the hole requirements. The bore
hole stability, the carrying capacity of fluid, pipe sticking
and formation damage prevention are taken into account.
An optimum air flow rate exists from an energy
consumption point of view. This combination was
determined and used on both jobs.
In this particular case the reasons to select aerated mud
drilling techniques were:
- Avoid the circulation losses
- Reduce formation damage
- Improve the rate of penetration
Planning the Job
Drilling these wells required a careful preparation.
The selection of personnel and BHA design, the
environmental and safety considerations and specially a
teamwork approach were crucial to the success of this
operation.
The operation benefited from local experience of
team members, particularly in aerated mud drilling
practices. Several modifications to the standard drilling
program were implemented; like:
• Flopro mud to improve borehole stability.
• The rig was not equipped with top drive which at
the end was considered regrettable (see conclusions)
• Pumping power, rotary and hook load capabilities
were more than adequate for the depth.
• A zero discharge system was also in place.
• The rig was equipped for air drilling and is utilized
most of the time for “aerated mud” operations. The
compressors had enough power even with a full
string of 3 1/2 in. drill pipe.
The drilling crew had good experience in the area
with aerated mud. The quality of the technical support
provided by operator, drilling fluid companies, wireline and
gyro companies and recognized experts in the field of air
drilling were in tune with the situation.
The rigs used on the lake are floating barges.
Generally waves are one foot high, but they may reach up to
four feet. This can be a problem with aerated mud system
and slow rate of penetration; for example, if the downhole
motor stalls, it takes time a long time to identify the
SPE 39023
problem, because pressure fluctuations are common with
aerated mud due to connection, air / mud ratio etc.)
The basic short-radius BHA has the following
components: bit, articulated downhole motor, customized
flexible non-magnetic drill collar with MWD, and S-135
drill pipe (3 1/2 in. or 2 7/8 in.). In the upper straight
section of the hole standard 5 in. or 3 1/2 in. drill pipe is
used depending on casing size. Drilling a short radius
curve required an articulated downhole mud motor
equipped with a special air drilling power section, where an
orientation sub for the MWD tool is located at the top of it.
A field-replaceable rotating stabilizer located close to the
bit reduces hanging-up and improves overall drilling
performance. The steering and measurement functions
were performed by a modified retrievable MWD tool. The
tool was hardwired to operate in air drilling conditions (fig
6.) It provides azimuth, drift, magnetic toolface, gravity
toolface, gamma ray, and downhole drilling shocks
measurements. It is battery-powered even though it is
linked to surface by a cable. It can be retrieved, or run in
the hole, with a wire-line. The drill string needs to be
pulled to the wet connect to allow, if required, replacement
of the MWD without having to trip the BHA all the way out
of the hole. This is a reliable alternative to the
electromagnetic data transmission system. The changes to
the standard MWD system can be made in a few hours.
The directional sensor package is located at the bottom of
the tool, bringing the measurement point 17 ft above the
bit. Such a short distance allows to have an effective
control of trajectory in short radius drilling operations.
Most steering tools do not allow measurements as close as
the MWD.
NMDCs have been specially designed to provide the
flexibility to easily trip in and out of the hole, through the
curve, without problems.
A tricone bit is normally preferred because of its
lower drilling torque and easier toolface orientation while
drilling the curved section of the well. In the lateral
section, tricone bits were also used even though PDC’s
could have been considered.
LL 1070 first job The first Reentry Operation
The well profile was designed to use the short
radius system and available drill string components at its
maximum limits, i.e. 70 ft radii. These constraints made it
necessary to land the drain hole at the lower part of the pay
zone. The presence of a positive 2 degree formation dip
made it necessary to build angle to 95 deg. to get higher in
the best part of the reservoir.
A single 6 1/8 in. was planned from 9 5/8 in.
casing. A cement plug was set next to a section milled
window and drilled off within a foot of the top of window.
The curve was drilled in two steps. The sidetrack was
initiated with a double bend motor assembly oriented with
SPE 39023 A SUCCESSFUL SHORT RADIUS RE-ENTRY WITH AERATED MUD IN VENEZUELA
gyroscopic survey, followed by an articulated positive
displacement (PDM) motor. The well was drilled very
close to the planned azimuth making build rate more
effective, which combined with the good performance of the
double bend assembly permitted landing the drain hole 16
feet above the plan in the better section of sand, resulting in
a lower final hole inclination. Geosteering techniques
using MWD gamma ray measurements were used to keep
the drain hole in the pay zone throughout its entire length.
During the planning phase, there was a concern
about the effect of aerated mud, i.e type of fluid, corrosion,
and difficulty of sealing-off with a 4.5 ppg equivalent fluid;
on the downhole motor articulations and power section.
Early articulation designs showed leakage problems when
rotary drilling. Even though the motor was equipped with
redesigned articulations, potential leaking problems were
anticipated.
On the first run, the short radius system was pulled
out of the hole after 24 hrs drilling time and 54 deg. at the
bit, to verify its condition. No failure was experienced and
the motor power section did not suffer any damage. 20 “
drilling hours” later the curve was completed to 84 deg.
The same articulated motor was reconfigured to the
lateral configuration. The articulated motor is designed to
drill the straight section of the hole but has limited power
thus affecting the drilling performance. Therefore,
following the first bit run after the curve, the lateral was
drilled using “hybrid motors”, which are almost standard
downhole motor assemblies. The lateral section was
completed more efficiently with better ROP.
The hybrid motor was connected to the rest of the
BHA with a special flex joint. Several crossovers were
eliminated, including the dump valve (not used with
aerated mud) and float valve. This simple modification
made it possible to more than double the rate of penetration
(from 10 ft/hr to 20 ft/hr) with tricone bits in rotary mode.
Throughout the horizontal section, the ROP was up to three
times higher than in the curve. During this phase, the
values of torque and drag were lower than the predicted
values. Sliding was kept to a minimum with an effective
ROP at around 25% of that of rotary drilling ROP. Drilling
was stopped after a bad joint of drill pipe broke 3 ft above
the bottom connection. The BHA was fished without any
problem.
On this well, 84-ft is the distance from the top of
window to the landing point. (A system that produces 70
feet radius will use up more than 70 ft tvd in a re-entry
application) (fig 2.)
LL 1084 second job The Reentry Operation
The drilling program for LL 1084 was modified
after extensive analysis of LL 1070 recorded drilling data
and operational experience, to improve performance. For
example, the selected equipment was found adequate but
3
important reduction of drilling time could be achieved by
slightly modifying the operating procedure.
Reservoir conditions at LL 1084: i.e. formation dip
very close to 0 degrees, permeability of 25 - 30 md, porosity
of 20 % and of 15 Ohms; required a 56 deg. / 100 ft. build
up rate.
The BHA was virtually identical to the first job
except that new 2 7/8 in. S-135 drill pipe was used in the
curve. The rest of the string was 3 1/2 in. grade G. Rig up
and rig down time was reduced by making small
improvements to the cable system; like quick connects and
an integral float valve / wet connect assembly. The cable
only had to be cut to make a connection through the pack
off at the kelly. The connection time to sting in and out of
the wet connect were reduced.
A 6 1/8 in. drainhole was planned out of a 7 in.
casing. This time a whipstock was preferred to open the
window and sidetrack, because there was ample space
available for such type of operation. It was located and set
with a combination of casing collar locator (CCL), a
gamma ray and a radioactive trace. Even if the distance
from the top to bottom of the whipstock was 10 ft, a total of
21 ft of formation are exposed to the opened window (3 ft
above due to the string mill, 8 ft below due to the rathole)
(fig 2). An additional cleaning run with a bit and junk
basket was made to drill two feet and recover any steel.
An articulated down hole motor was used to finalize
the side track and drill the curve. The initial orientation
was done with gyroscope. The plan called for a continuous
build and turn curve, where 60 degrees turn to the left was
necessary to land the drain hole in the proper position in
the reservoir. The maximum observed build rate was 64
deg/100 ft. It is interesting to note that the build rate
increased from 5291 ft MD (about 10 %) and the rate of
penetration from 4 ft./hr. to 7.4 ft./hr. At 5300 ft MD a
good quality sand was drilled. The BHA was pulled out of
the hole to reconfigure the articulated motor for drilling the
lateral section. Reconfiguring the motor took 20 minutes
and it was done on the rig floor. (Changing a motor and
orienting it takes longer).
The well was relogged using gamma ray (GR)
readings from MWD. It was decided to land five feet lower
than planned. The short radius articulated motor was
pulled out of the hole as soon as the build up rate required
to land was less than 8 deg./100. The hybrid motor was run
to increase the power output and improve drilling
performance. The articulated motor reached a maximum
6.5 ft/hr in rotary mode. The hybrid motor drilled at up to
21 ft./hr. The bit was pulled after drilling for 32.25 drilling
hours. The weight on bit was deliberately limited to 8000
pounds in rotary mode, to reduce the risk of buckling the 2
7/8 in. drill pipe in the vertical part of the hole. A new bit
was run and additional 2 7/8 drill pipe were added in the
BHA.
4 C. INGOLD, J. SALAZAR, J. CARRASQUEL, J. VIDAL, F. RAMIREZ, B. GOURGUES, J. PAREDES
ROPs from 10 ft/hr to 21 ft/hr. were also obtained
on this bit run. 516 feet were drilled with 5% sliding only.
The 5% sliding took 14 % of the overall drilling time.
When the drain hole had almost reached 900 ft it was
decided to call it TD. The bit drilled for 42 hours at an
average of 12.3 ft per hour with very low torque and drag
values. Bit came out of the hole 1/4 inch undergauge with
three loose cones. The BHA had a very light natural
tendency to gain inclination in rotary mode which
contributed to improve the drilling performance, as it was
necessary to direct the drain hole into the higher section of
sand. Losses were experienced at the end of the job.
An estimate of production potential of an horizontal
wells can easily be done with a Nodal analysis. The
average well in Tia Juana field produces around 200 bopd.
The well LL 1084 produces 1300 bopd. This confirmed the
economics of short radius aerated mud drilling operations
in this field.
Operating Conditions
Both wells were drilled under overbalance condition
using an aerated mud system. Air was injected through the
stand pipe with the drilling mud to lower the equivalent
circulating density (ECD) to match formation conditions.
The wellbore support and stability were the same as that of
a conventional drilling fluid yet minimizing reservoir skin
damage and lost circulation.
Oil, water or gas influx could have been controlled
by applying a back pressure at the air mud separator control
manifold. Generally the bottom hole pressure did not
exceed 200 psi over the normal ECD pressure gradient.
The mud properties before the injection of air were
as follow:
Mud density, ppg 8.6
Plastic Viscosity, cp 6 to 8
Yield Point, lb/100 sq-ft 12 to 16
Filtrate API, cc 6 to 8
MBT, lb / Bl 5 The increase in hydrostatic pressure is slightly
PH 10
The mud weight was lowered from 8.6 to 4.6 PPG on well
LL 1084. The aerated mud properties were as follow:
Air volume, Cu-ft/min: 900 to 1050
Mud volume, gpm: 180 / 185
Injection pressure, (off bottom) psi: 1300 to 1450
Bottom Hole Pressure, psi: 1300 *
Equivalent Circulating Density, ppg 4.7
Average weight on bit, Klbs: 6 to 8
Average Rotary Speed on surface, RPM: 25
* Annular pressure profile (Fig. 4)
The experience obtained in these drilling operations
SPE 39023
showed that the B5 formation could be drilled with an ECD
as low as 4 ppg.
The carrying capacity of the aerated mud for a
given liquid flow rate is directly linked to the air injection
volume. In the range of low liquid and air flow rate (for a
fixed air injection rate) increasing mud flow will decrease
the carrying capacity. The increase in mud flow will
elevate mixture density, resulting in a larger drop in
mixture velocity than in cutting slip velocity.
The difference between the mixture velocity and the
slip velocity reflects the cuttings carrying capacity of the
aerated mud.
Lack of returns upon resuming drilling, for example
after a connection, does not mean that circulation is lost.
Returns have to be established as a new circuit. Pressure
will go up first and will decrease as annulus is lightened up.
Aerated mud has the drawback of causing corrosion
caused by oxygen and fluid. Drill pipe corrosion can be
reduced by using organic ester corrosion inhibitor. The
corrosion inhibitor should be oil soluble and water
dispersible to protect the drill string and casing when in
contact with hydrocarbons.
On the second well, LL 1084, with 185 gpm and
1000 cu-ft/min of air, the pressure drop never exceeded
1800 psi at surface when resuming circulation after trip.
The most frequent question is:
- What is the equivalent amount of fluid as it goes through
the motor and jets?
A large volume of air is pumped on surface and is
subject to the following changes (these are approximations
that pertain to this job):
• The injection pressure (typically 100 psi above the
pump pressure)
• Friction pressure which is reduced as fluid goes
downhole.
• Hydrostatic pressure gradient increases as the fluid
goes downhole
superior to the decrease in friction pressure (except in the
lateral). On the average, the actual amount of fluid at the
stator is around 220 gpm (185 gpm of mud and 35
equivalent gpm of air). Higher volumes would have caused
over spinning which would have been identified. Note also
that the efficiency of an air compressor is reduced with
altitude and temperature.
Other items to watch out for, especially with aerated
mud, are as follow:
• Are the pumps primed and working?
• Are there returns?
• Are we loosing or gaining fluid?
• Is the rotary head properly latched?
SPE 39023 A SUCCESSFUL SHORT RADIUS RE-ENTRY WITH AERATED MUD IN VENEZUELA
• Is the rotary head leaking?
• Are we loosing or gaining pressure?
Any fluctuation of pressure has to be accounted for.
The motor could be stalled. The wave effect makes it more
difficult to read the weight indicator (especially at slow
ROP). The driller’s console indicates the pit level but with
another limitation: the pit level changes with the wave
effect: a wash out could be developing. A change in
compressor or mud efficiency could also change
substantially pressure drop. After each connection,
pressure starts off higher and takes as much as one hour to
stabilize to the previous value. If for any reason the mud
pump is cut down or reduced, the well can “unload” with
little notice.
As depth increases the air injection rate has to be
increased to stay close to balance. Pressure on bottom will
be increased if air injection is reduced (keeping mud flow
rate constant). Pressure on bottom will be decreased if air
injection is increased. A jet sub can be installed in the
string to increase hole cleaning and help returns. It would
be placed at about twice the depth of the static level of the
well. When a trip is made, metal displacement has to be
accounted for. Once the bit reaches the static level no more
fluid needs to be added. A sonolog can help determine
whether fluid needs to be added. Normally one sonolog is
taken once the bit is at the window. The static level on LL-
1084 was around 2750 ft below rotary. A survey taken
shortly after drilling may indicate much less.
Summary
Both of these wells, LL 1070 and LL 1084 were
operational successes. Benefits and advantages of
whipstock versus section milling were identified. Lateral
sections were drilled very effectively with minimum sliding
time, especially on the second well. The MWD / gamma ray
measurements were adequate to navigate inside the pay
zone. These wells have demonstrated the technical
competitiveness of short radius technique. Overall drilling
performance and rate of penetration in the curve and in
laterals improved on the second job, specially due to the
ability to control the BHA behavior. The operating
procedures with the cable were improved, leading to a 30 %
time saving (connection time, the rig up time, wet connect
operation.)
The success of this project will lead to more short-
radius wells drilled with aerated mud on lake Maracaibo,
where multilaterals are also considered but promise to be
more complex to design.
Conclusions
• Short radius drilling can save one casing
• The curve is drilled at a slower ROP but is
shorter (3 to 6 times)
5
• The drilling efficiency in the lateral section is
negatively affected by the lower power output of
the short radius. Improvements can be achieved by
customizing the BHA with Hybrid motors to
increase the power available downhole
• Natural Corrosiveness of aerated mud system can
be controlled, but is always present.
• Drilling from floater with aerated mud can be
complex especially at slow ROP, when the wave
effect creates fluctuation on weight on bit.
• Planning a short radius reentry well requires
additional distance for the window opening and
initial rat hole. A 70 ft. radius system may require
as much as 90 ft. in a reentry application to
go from 0 to 90 degrees.
• In case of reduced TVD to reach horizontal, a
section milled window is preferred over the
whipstock. A whipstock creates a 15 deg./100 dog
leg severity over a 20 ft interval, while with the
section milled window it is possible to reach 40
deg./ 100
Modern one trip whipstock systems have an
additional drawback. They expose more
formation as the whipstock is longer and the
rathole is deeper
• Section milled window results in a smoother curve
profile.
An additional benefit is that the number of
gyroscope orientation surveys can be reduced. A clean
reading of the azimuth without magnetic interference is
obtained when MWD directional sensor package is across
the section. (Fig. 5).
On the average job this is what happens:
a- With a Whipstock:
- The first 60 feet (below whipstock) are drilled without a
reliable azimuth data.
- When the first valid azimuth appears, there is 45 deg of
drift at the bit.
b- With Section milling (45 ft. section):
- The first 25 ft. (below top of section) are drilled without
reliable azimuth data.
- The next 29 ft. -from 25 to 54 ft- are drilled with valid
information.
- The next 10 ft may be drilled without a valid azimuth
At that point the well should be lined up to the
desired azimuth: the short blind interval is not critical as
gravity toolface may be used.
• An improperly set whipstock has a negative impact in the
final quality of the curve generating additional torque and
drag till TD.
6 C. INGOLD, J. SALAZAR, J. CARRASQUEL, J. VIDAL, F. RAMIREZ, B. GOURGUES, J. PAREDES
• Hexagonal kelly or drill pipe are easier to seal off than
square kelly.
• Better quick connects with ready made float valve have
reduced rig up time. Quick connect that can be run through
pack offs will save extra time.
• The use of a top drive would make a hard wired modified
retrievable MWD almost as fast and easy to use as an
electromagnetic one.
• Drilling underbalance, probably with coiled tubing and
nitrogen will also be considered for the future wells. It is
advisable to gain more experience before doing so.
Possibility of using Electromagnetic MWD system:
Electromagnetic MWD eliminates the need for a
cable -except for gyroscope surveying- and all associated
operations. One supplier was contacted but had two
problems:
• The directional survey package could not be moved down
(the measurement point would be located 34 ft above the bit
instead of 17). As a consequence it would take around 44
feet to evaluate BHA response or 40 % of the curve length.
This could be too late for taking proper corrective action to
land the well in target. In the case of a whipstock, a clean
azimuth reading would require having 80% of the curve
drilled.
• Maximum operating conditions for the electromagnetic
MWD system were limited to 60 deg./100 ft dog leg
severity which is far below the project requirements.
Possibility for Short Radius Multilateral wells:
To have successful multilateral wells, some of the
inherent problems associated with production mechanisms
in these type of wells, i.e. cross flow, have to be solved.
• Multilaterals through milled window or whipstock are
feasible with bare foot or drop-in liner completion
• In the case of a section milled window, the circulation
losses through the first well are a risk.
• A retrievable whipstock is probably the better option for
multilateral drilling from a common cased trunk.
• Multilaterals in the same zone may require the
combination of short and ultra short radius technique.
Avoiding fatigue and corrosion
Short radius drilling techniques are very particular.
Many of the rules for classical rotary drilling do not apply.
Short crossovers and tool joints are recommended to add
flexibility and reduce stress concentration in the drill string
and BHA components.
The connections should not be equipped with stress
relief and bore-back grooves just like on ordinary drill pipe.
The extra length required to recut the connection increases
rigidity and fatigue on tubes.
Stress relief and bore back grooves can accelerate
fatigue in a corrosive environment. Severe pitting was
SPE 39023
found close to each end of the non-magnetic element of the
BHA. Even if anti-corrosion agents injected to the drilling
fluid have reduced the corrosion effect, placement of
corrosion rings at each end are considered. Corrosion rings
are already used in the drill pipe to monitor corrosion.
Another aspect of paramount importance in short-
radius drilling is the quality of the curve in terms of
smoothness. A tortuous curve with inconsistent build up
rates, where the presence of higher than expected micro
doglegs creates points with stresses concentration resulting
in extremely high “true” forces acting on the string, far
above calculated values: as a consequence, there is an
accelerated fatigue process and early failure. In addition,
any tortuosity will add some extra drag and torque, limiting
the capability to reach long displacement. In other words
the curve is what takes place first. It will affect drilling the
lateral until the end.
Nomenclature
DLS = dogleg severity (X / 100 ft)
BUR = Build up rate (X / 100 ft)
DNI = MWD directional sensor package
CFM = Cubic Foot per Minute
NMDC = Non Magnetic Drill Collar
PDM = Positive Displacement Motor
Formula for equivalent gpm going through PDM
(This is for air drilling and has to be adapted for aerated
mud)
P1 = Atmospheric Pressure ( -14.7 psi)
V1 = Compressor Rated Output (CFM)
P2 = Standpipe Pressure
V2 = CFM delivered to downhole Motor
Pick gpm from Motor Specifications.
V2 = gpm : 7.48 gal/cu. ft = CFM (delivered to PDM)
V2 = P1V1(0.455) : (P2)
V1 = P2V2 : (P1 x 0.455)
0.455 = Assumed efficiency of the compressor and motor
combined
Acknowledgments
We thank Lagoven S.A for their assistance and technical
support in preparation of this paper.
Contributors: Jaime Bernardini, Ulf Remahl, Peter Ellice,
Duilio Olmo, Beltran Marin (Anadrill)
Paul Neumann (Gyrodata)
References
1. Hill, D., Askew, W., Tracy, P., Koval, V.: “A Predictable
and Efficient Short Radius Drilling System.” Paper
SPE 39023 A SUCCESSFUL SHORT RADIUS RE-ENTRY WITH AERATED MUD IN VENEZUELA 7

IADC/SPE 35049 presented at the 1006 IADC/SPE

Drilling Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, 12-
15 March 1996.
2. Black Max Motor Manual
3. William J. Tank, Short-Radius Horizontal Drilling
System Optimization in Yates Field Unit Provides
Excellent Directional Control and Highly Economical
Completions. Paper published in March 1997 SPE
Drilling and Completion.

SI Metric Conversion Factors

ft. x 3.048* E -01 =m
in. x 2.54* E +00 = cm
* Conversion factor is exact
 LL1084

ANNULAR PRESSURE PROFILE

1200

1000
Run #1
Run #2
800 Run #3
B.H.P. PSI

Run #4
Run #5
600 Run #6
Run #7

400

200

0
0

1000

2000

3000

4000

4414

4414

4774

4774

5000

5000

5180

5180

6000

6044

6044

6127

6127

6128
DEPTH FT

FIG 4