SPE/lADC 29396 New Bi-Center Technology Proves Effective in Slim Hole Horizontal Well

B.C. Sketohler, Chevron USA Production Co.; C.M. Fieldar, Diamond Produots Intl. Inc.; and B.E. Lee, Delmar Directional Systems
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ABSTRACT Thispaperdescribesthe design and applicationof new hi-center bit technologyin the Bay Marchand Field (offshore Louisiana). A hi-center bit and tandem motor assembly were used to simultaneously drill, undemeam,and directionallycontrol a slim hole horizontal re-entry well using conventional directional techniques.This new hi-center technology significantlyreduced cost for underreaming and eliminated the risk associated with theuseof underreamersin a slim hole, high angle environment. INTRODUCTION Theincreasedhorizontal drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico overthe last severalyears was a precursorto the proliferationof horizontalsidetracksftom existing wellbores. Perhapsnowhere is the possibilityfor the successfulapplication of new slim hole reentry horizanbl drilling techniques more evident than in the Gulfof Mexico. Sincethe drilling of the first horizontalre-entry well in this area in early 1994, slim hole horizontal re-entries have stressed the new technology envelope in all aspects of , .... anmng operations as operators strive for new cost-effective methodsto enhanceprofitability and justi& additional projects. Slim hole applications as found herein will give direction to imPKmd field managementthrough the utilization of existing wellbores.

of One aspect drilling horizontal m-entry wells which presented an opportunity for the infision of new technology was found in the eliminationof the high costs and risks associated with using underreamers in a slim hole high angle environment. The problem lies in drNing a slim hole horizontal re-entry well out of an existing 7 casing string. Typical horizontal well drilling and completiondesignsrequirethe well be horizontaljust before or as the objective sand is drilled. Casing is then nm to isolate this hole section and protect the future lateral productive seetion of the hole fhm mud contamination or borehole sloughing. When drilling this intermediatehole section from a 7 cased wellbore, typical hole sizes range from 5-7/8 to 61/8,depending on the weight of the 7 casing. A hole sin of 6-1/8 allows proper clearance for no larger than a 5 casing string. With 5 casing in place, additional risks are encountered while drilling the lateral section since the available tools and equipment required are 3-1/2 in outside diameter. Conventionalexternal fishing techniques cannot be employed to fish tools of this size through 5 casing. The use of cumenttechnology necessitatesthe underreamingof the intermediatehole section in order to accommodatethe 5-1/2 casing string. Conventional slim hole underreamers have been used to resolve the problem, but not without mechanical concerns and excessive costs. Although conventional underreaming is fairly reliable, special caution needs to be employed when using these tools in a slim hole application where the underreaming blades have limited life and shock resistance and lend themselves to more fkequentfailures. This can lead to costly fishing operations. The prominent cost

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Referencesnd figuresat end of paper a

NEW B1-CENTERTECHNOLOGYPROVESEFFECTIVEIN SLIM HOLE Horizontal

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SPWIADC29396

associated with underreaming a horizontal wellbore is the rig spread cost incurred with the time required to make a conditioning trip to prepare for the undemearningand the actual undemeaming trips required. A new low risk, more cost effectivemethod was needed. Using hi-center bits to simultaneouslydrill and underream(thus reducing costs by eliminating trips) is not a new concept. The geometry of hi-center bits however causes unstable drilling characteristicsand has limited their use, especiallyin directional applications. Slim hole horizontal re-entry wells are directionally demanding and would typically be considered a very poor application for hi-center bits. Recently, new technology has been developed that has significantly improved the directional characteristics of drill bits used in horizontal wells, Combining this new technology with the older hi-center technology,results in an improvedhi-centerbit which allowsthe use of conventional directional techniques to drill and underream while complying to a demanding directional program. This paper describes this new technology, how it was applied to hi-center bits, and gives results from the first use of this technology in a slim hole horizontal re-entry well. Specifically, a 6 x 7 bkcenter bit, run on a tandem motor and bent-housing assembly, was used to successfully (l) kick-off from a cement plug placed across a section cut horn 7 casing, (2) drill a long 7 straight interval holding an inclination of 7 degrees, and (3) aggressivelyturn and build the 7 well-bore to a pre-determined casing point at 90 degrees hole inclination. BI-CENTERBIT DESIGN Conventional Bi-Center Technology: Bi-centerbits have been used sporadically for nearly 20 years. Their ability to pass through a small hole and then drill a hole that is larger than the one passed through is a desirable feature that could be used in many applications. In spite of this, they have seen only limited use. Problems with short life due to odd wear patterns or excessivewear, drilling a smaller than expected hole size, and poor directional characteristicsl 23ave prevented hi-center bits h ftom becoming a reliable alternative to underreaming. These problems all stem from the unusual geometry of hi-center bit designs. There are several variations of the basic hi-center design, but typically a hi-center design consists of a pilot bit that is similar in design to conventional drill bits and a reamer section that has . .. --- -:A- ..r.l. ali me cutters moved tO om SIUC UI uI~ bit @igttt?5 i). BO*J. t!k pilot bit and reamer section have design features that can be variedto conform to the formationto be driiied but the dominant design features are determined by the required piiot bit passthrough, and driil-hoie diameters. These diameters are intemeiated variables that define the final geomeby of the bi-

center bit. How these variabies interact has been described in prior iiterature3,but the net effect is that this special hi-centerbit geometry does not foliow what is typicaily accepted as good drill bit design practices. Cutter positioning is the primary area where good design practices cannot be used. Nonnaliy bit designs have cutters positioned in a fairiy even pattern around the bit. A hi-centerbit however, has its cutters positioned in a non-symmetrical arrangementthat causes cutting action and cutter forces to be unusual. As a bit drilis, the cutters move in a helical path. This means that as the cuttersmove around the bit axis, they move down at a fixed rate which is determinedby the penetration rate of the bit. The depth of cut that each cutter takes depends on the helix (penetrationrate of the bit), the overlap of the cutters (how many cutters cut each part of the hole), and the angular distance between cutters that cut the same part of the hole. If a bit had otle cutter cufii~g ~aeh --A UL qI.. WIG, puIt -e UK. l.-la qh - -. h .*,***WCU!C! td% d,. w.-. have the same dep~ of cut and that depth of cut wouid be the distancethe bit moves down in one rotation, If this same bit had two cutters cutting each part of the hole, and the cutters were on opposite sides of the bit horn each other (evenly spaced at 180 degrees apart), they would both have the same depth of cut and that depth of cut would be one half the distance that the bit moves down in one rotation. If however the bit had two cutters cutting each part of the hoie but they were spaced only 40 degrees ~ then the leading cutter will have a depth of cut that is eight times greater than the cutter that is 40 degrees behind it. With all of the cutters on the reamer section of a bicenter bit moved to one side, you get a detrimental cutter arrangementwherethe cutter spacing causes the leadingblade of the reamer to have a very high depth of cut compared to other biadeson the reamer. This excessivelyhigh depth of cut on the ieading reamer biade results in abnonnai forces and excessive torque making hi-center bits highiy susceptible to whiri. This expiains the high shock and torque values and ftequent cutter impact damage that are typicai of hi-center mns in general, and the staliingand orientingproblemsseen when using a motor. Besidesthe probiem with depth of CUL having all the cutters on one side of the reamer causes a second design problem which is an extremely high force imbaiance. (Force imbaiance refm to the situationwere the vector sum of all cutting forces is not ma Aii bits have at least some imbalancebut a high force imbalance causes detrimental tillling chamcteristics.) Fk&fdiy, the reamer section pushes the pilot bit into the hole wall. This push is had ~nough ~. rn.aket~e pi!~t bit dig into the hole wall causing the pilot hole to become oversized. Since the force imbalancecontinuesto push the pilot bit into the hole wall even when the pilot hole is oversized the hi-center bit begins to rotate off-center. This causes two more probiems typical of hi-center

SPE/lADC29396

SKETCHLER,B.C., FIELDER,C.M., LEE, B.E.

bit runs which are one-sided wear on the pilot bit and an undersizedrearnedhole. Another geometric problem with hi-center bits that results in a poor design is the unusually long length of the hi-center assembly. The direction that a bit drills is determinedby bit tilt (the difference between the axis of the hole and the axis of the bit). Normally, bit tilt is specifically controlled by using .tah:1:--- -l&am-* -IswU1m Ullwbluls=l-----LI.J S.-h =3 a --AI.-.. - A:--+:.--.-l -Iuu!y -WSU1 Uwbsws ps G1tlGllb motor and bent housing. One typical BHA used to build angle consists of a pendulum assembly combined with a long-gaged bit or a bit and near-bit stabilizer. The long-gage or near-bit stabilizer helps to exaggeratethe directional effect of tilting the bit up. Unfofiuna@ly, hi-centerbit with its largeoverall length a acts like a long-gaged bit or near-bit stabilizer. Also, since it is impossible to properly stabilize the string above the reamer, there is a natural tendency for hi-centerbits to be angle builders. All three of the referenced papersl2Jon hi-center bits mention severeproblems with excessiveangle buildktgtendencies. To help reduce angle building tendencies,under sized stabilizers can be placed above the reamer. Also, the overall length of the hi-center bit can be controlled to some extent by the designer. Neither of these methods can totally solve the problem. There will be some bit tilt. When the bit tilts, the shoulder of the reamer and pilot bits will be pushed into the hole wall thus causing the bit to try to change direction. (With a conventional
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A shaped cutter is a standard PDC that has a large taper ground at the front of the PDC (Figure 2). A reverse bullet is a tungsten carbide cylinder with a hemispheric front (Figure 3). Both of these pieces are designed to be stabilizing elements,not cutters. They are placed below the level of sumoundingcutters and do not touch the formation if the bit is drilling smoothly. When the bit or part of the bit begins to penetrate excessively, they will contact the formation, but because of their shape, they ....114- --- cut. Tiie taper on the shaped cutter and the . ... SLm w nut hemisphereon the reverse bullet prevent fiuther penetration into the formationand promotessliding forward. These special elements have been used for over a year in a variety of bit designs to reduce cutter breakage, reduce torque, and improve directional characteristics.The results have varied with the applicationbut each use of shaped cutters and reverse bullets has shown some indication that the cutting action of the bit is smoother. One of the most significant successes and currently the most popuhr use of these, special elements has been to improve directional characteristics in South Texas horizontalwells. It was the similarity between problems found in this application and with hi-center bits generally that first suggested the use of shaped cutters and reverse bullets in bicenterbits. AggressivePDC bits have been used to drill wells through the Austin Chalk in South Texas for many years with no apparent C piobieins. PDC bitt used in A-us%in iiak iiorizmttai wciis however initially gave smpisingly poor results in bit sim smallerthan 8-1/2.Only TSP or non-aggressivePDC bits were successfulwith significantly reduced performance compared to straight hoie performance. Aggressive PDC bits ail had high toque, severe directional tendencies, and were hard to control directionally(chamcteristicssimilarto hi-centerbits). The introduction of 4-3/4 dual power head motors in 1992 gave significantly improved results when used with PDC bits. By i~~~~i~u the mmilnhlz nqpr -*9 nrnhl-m. .Ath v=~ .-m.-=mk.e o --v- --rVA -w--fi~- U~ ~ PDC bits were reduced, but not eliminated. In early 1994, shapedcutters and reversebullets were added to bits used in this South Texas horizontal application. Figures 4 and 5 show the directional characteristics of a PDC bit with medium aggressivenessbefore and after adding the shaped cutters and reverse bullets. Figures 6 and 7 show the actual shaped cutters and reverse bullets used in these bits. The shaped cutters and reverse bullets eliminated problems with toque, tool face orientation, and directional problems when rotating. As a side benefit the ROP also increasedsince less time was apentsliding. HighlyaggressivePDC bits using the shaped cutters and reverse bullets have now been tried in this application with fhrther improvements in ROP, but without a return to previous problems. The success in this application led to the belief that these new stabilizing elements could also be used to solve problemswith hi-centerbits.

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of the hi-center bit exaggerate the effect.) All of the blades on the pilot and reamer come into play, but because of the circumstances mentioned above, it is the lead blade of the reamer and the cutters on the opposite side of the piiot that wiii do most of the side cutting. It is this excessiveside cutting that causes hi-centerbits to consistentlyhave problemswith building too much angle. Simply stated, nearly all the problems associated with hi-center bits wwrelated to CXCeSSbe pe!!cQMkM h!fO thc k!~ w~ii by the leading reamer blade on one side and the pilot bit on the other side. A design solution was required that would prevent this excessivepenetration into the hole wall. Shaped Cutters and Reverse Bullets: Excessive cutter or blade penetration is not a problem unique to hi-center bits. It actually is a common problem with all drill bits. The problem is just more obvious, severe, and consistentin hi-centerbits. In the past fw years, diamond bit suppliers have directed significant resources to reducing this problem in conventional drill bits. The resulting bit design changes aimed at this problem include studa or bumps behind the cutters, increased use of force balancing, and special whirl reducing designa or f-ma. A recent addition to this group is two new bit stabilizing elements called shaped cutters and reversebullets.

561

NEW BI-CENTERTECHNOLOGYPROVESEFFECTIVEIN SLIM HOLEHORIZONTALWELL

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New Bi-Center Technology: In early 1994 information was published that described an improved hi-center design. This improvement consisted of separating the pilot blt and reamer section which allowed a stabilizer to be placed betweenthe two sections. It took several tries to determinethe best assembly to place between the pilot and reamer but this novel approach produced two beneficial effects. First it prevented the reamer section force imbalancefrom pushing on the pilot bit. With the stabilizer compensating for the force imbalance, the pilot bit performed like a conventional drill bit and therefore was less likely to produce an oversized pilot hole. Second, with the hole closer to true size and a stabilizer placed directly below the reamer, the erratic movement of the reamer section was restrictedthus reducing its tendency for severewhirl. While it is clear that this new approach did lessen the problems associated with hi-centerbits, its specializedbottom hole assemblydoes not easily allow for the use of the conventional directional tools requiredfor many of todays directionalapplications. To be able to use a hi-center bit with conventional directional techniques,such as a motor and bent housing,the problem of the reamer and pilot bit penetrating into the hole wall excessively has to be eliminated or reduced without the use of additional string components. In order to accomplish this, three distinct changes are necessary to improve existing hi-centerbit designs. First, the force imbalance must be minimized. To do this, a force analysis is performed on the pilot bit and reamer section separately. As you would expect the pilot bit typically has a low force imbalancewhereasthe reamer force imbalanceis very high. The cutter positions are changed on the pilot to increase its imbalance. Then when the pilot bit is assembled with the reamer, it is oriented so that the pilot imbalance and reamer imbalanceare in the opposite directions. This reducesthe force imbalanceof the assembly. Nex4 shaped cutters are added to all the cutter positions on the leading blade of the reamer section. The normal procedure for using shaped cutters is to space them symmetricallyaround a bit but in the case of hi-center bits this is impossiblesince all of the cutters are on one side of the reamer. Also, because of the extreme conditions found on hi-center bits, there is a need for the shaped cutters to be concentrated on the leading reamer blade so that this biade wiii continue siiaing forwardand not dig into the hole wall. The result of this change is to reduce the whirling tendency and improve the stability of the overall assembly. The final step is to add reverse bullets to the pilot and reamer sections. They are added to the pilot bit in the area that would normally be pushed into the hole wall. They are positioned on the reamer to add stability to blades other than the leadingblade. By doing this, the odd wear of the pilot is reduced, the correct drill hole size is better maintained,and the stability of the overall assemblyis improved.

This new hi-centertechnology was first used in early 1994 in a Gulf of Mexicowell. The bit was run on rotary in a high angle hole. Normal drill bits used in this section consistently dropped angle and it was assumed that the hi-center bit would also drop angle. The hi-centerbit successfidlydrilled the interval and was found to be directionallycontrollable by adding or reducing bit weight to build or drop angle. The better than expected directional characteristicsof this bit encouraged the belief that the new hi-center technology could be used in a much more demandingdirectionalapplicationsuch as a slim hole horizontal re-entrywell. FIELDAPPLICATION In June of 1994,preparationswere made to drill S. L. Well #59 in the Bay Marchandarea of the Gulf of Mexico out of 7 26# casing. The objectivewas to clean out and sidetraek the existing well to make a horizontal completion in a sand just below 6ZO0TVD (all depths are measured depth unless othenvise noted). Duringthe planning of this well, drilling personneltook into consideration the liner running difllculties experienced in previous re-entry horizontal wells tillled in Bay Marchand. In one prior incideng a 6-l/~ horizontal wetlbore was not underreamedand while running a 5-1/2 liner, it became stuck off bottom. All attempts to recoverthe liner or push it down to the wells total depth were unsuccessful. Underreaming was used successfully in a subsequent well to increase the . . .-:> -.-%:intermediatehoie she from 6-1/8 to 7-la . me uncierreamcrs (2 were used), opened the hole successfully at a rate roughly doubling that experiencedduring drilling, In this wellbore, the 5-1/2 liner was successtldly run to the total depth of the well without incident. In an effort to reduee risks and costs in the proposed W sidetrac~it was deeided to use this new bkeiiter bit technology,along with dual power head motors. The #59 well involved milling a seetion of 7 casin~ sidetrackingwith turn and drop, off of a cement plug, holdhg angle and direction in a 1,400, 7 degree tangent section, then building 6/100 to 91 at 6,248TVD. At this point a 5-1/2 liner would be run into the hole that was drilled with a 6 x 7 bi-centerbit ( 6 is the pass through diameter and 7 is the drill hole size). Becauseof concernsof excessivetorque from the hi-centerbit it was decided that after dressing off 10 of an established plug laid acrossa cut section of casing, a wirdine steeringtool would be utilized instead of an MWD while kicking off the plug. The hi-centerbit was run in the hole with BHA #l (Table 1). Afier successfullytime tillling off the plug at 12/hr. from 3,941 to 4,066, and encounteringno toque problems fkom the bi~ the steering tool was laid down. There was no discernible wear to the hi-center bit. The hi-center bit had successfully kicked-off the cementplug in a near-verticalhole.

SPE/lADC

29396

SKETCHLER,

B. C., FIELDER, C. M., LEE,

B.E.

hi-center bit was then utilized in BHA #2 (Table 1) to continue drilling the straight, low angle hole from 4,066 to 5,344. While drilling this section of the hole, it was only necessary to slide two times for a total sliding footage of 25. The BHA with the hi-center bit, held both angle and direction exceptionally well throughout the 7 hold section of the well, The ROP through this section of hole ranged horn 150hr. to 300ihr. Rotating amps which started out being 115 amps at 4,000 were running 120amps by 5,344. At 5,344 the kick-off point was reached and BHA #2 was pulled out of the hole. After the first !,278 of hole, the hi-center bit had no cutter wear but the reverse bullet on the reamer section was about 70% worn and the reverse bullets on the pilot bit were about 50/0 worn.
The 6 x 7

though still drilling, was pulled because of a MWD failure. When the bit was out of the hole this time, it was laid down because of significantwear. The pilot bit blade opposite to the reamingsection had completelyworn. Figures 8 and 9 show the dull conditionof this bit. An identicalreplacement6 x 7 hi-center bit was then utilized for finishingthe curve, up to 90. Bi-centerbit # 2 drilled 369 to 6,853, and an angie of %?e. it was then ptiiiecianti the 5 ii2 liner was successfullyrun to the total depth of the well without incident. The resulting directional path drilled by the hi-center bits in the steerable assemblies, as compared to the proposed well paths, can be seen in Figures 10and 11. SUMMARYOF RESULTS The 6 x 7 hi-center bit ran well inside the 6-1/8 ID casing. There were no noticeablehindranceswhen mnning the bit below a padded motor with a stabilizer spaced just above the motor. There were no metal scar marks on the bit indicating any difficulties of running the bit through the production / drilling casingor the well head. The hi-center bit performed very well coming off the cement plug. There was little if any apparent difference with the reactive torque generated by the hi-center bit as compared to a typical roller bit. There were no problems in maintaining constant tool face while time drilling off the plug. The bit demonstrateda smoothtransition flom off-bottomto drilling and weight-on-bitcould be applied as needed to bring the tool face around. From the results seen in this application, the use of a wireline steering tool in subsequent wells will not be necessary Lu ---- L(JU laws - (jUllu u! --1 c--- U1 lG1lLULIU1l UU1 lug A- :-J---:-- -:- 1 ULLU G EA@ms. Severe and erratic down-hole vibrations which have been associated with previous hi-centers that could have caused down-hoie tooi faiiures or communication probiems were not encountered. There was no unusual or excess wear in any component of the tillling assembly. Both MWD and LWD signals were pulsed to surface effectively and without interference. There were no noticeable effects on the angle building capabilities of the BHAs due to the hi-center bit. Although there was one unanticipatedBHA change due to an insufficient buiid rate, this wOuid not necessarily be the case in subsequent wells. Utilizing slick housing motors required for this applicationin the Gulf of Mexico lend some unpredictabilityto any steerable assembly. In summary, the build rates produced by the steerable assemblies with the hi-center bit were comparable to those experienced with conventional bits used under similarcircumstances.

The hi-centerbit was re-run using BHA #3 (Table 1) to drill the 6-1/4/100 build section of the hole from 5,344 to 5,965. At 5,965, BHA #3 was pulled out of the hole because a different degree bent housing motor was needed to finish building the curve. This change of motor bend was not caused by any lackof building tendency of the hi-center bit, but by unanticipated Iithological characteristics. Indeed, there was no discernible difference between the building abilities of any of the BHAs using the hi-center bit as opposed to a roiier cone bit or a conventionalPDC bit. The hi-center bit was re-run on BHA #4 (Table 1)which was identicalto BHA #3 except a 2-1/4 tandem motor replacedthe 2 tandem motor. BHA #4 was used to build the angle from 39 to 67 at a survey depth of 6,507 and a bit depth of 6,570. While drilling from 4,000 to 6,570, fluid flow was kept at 230 GPM. During the 6-I/4/100 build section of the hole, 30 to 45 of reactive torque was produced by the bicenter bit. The pump pressure differential between off-bottom and on-bottom ranged from 25 to 150 PSI. Drilling was discontinued at 6,570. TineB*HA was i-lungof?-hi he Casiiig and the rig was evacuated because of a tropical storm in the Gulf. The hi-center bit, when finally pulled out of the hole afier the stotm, had made a total of 2,629 and was described as having 10%cutter wear near the outside of both the pilot bit and reamer section. The reverse bullets all had 70 to 90% wear. The gauge of the reamer section showed signs of wear, and wear was beginningto develop behind the cutters on the pilot. Afier the tropical storm had passed, the bit was tripped in the hole to 4,003 where it tagged up and would go no further. After repeatedlytrying to get deeper in the old hole, the decision was made to drill ahead duplicating the original well path as close as possible. The same 6 x 7 hi-center bit which had drilled 2,629 of hole, was re-run and drilled from 4,325 to 6,016 on BHA #5 (Table 1). At 6,016, a trip was made to change to BHA #6 (Table l). The hi-center bit which now had made 4,320 of hole, was used to drill from 6,016 to 6,484. The hi-center bit performed the same way when re-drilling the hole as it did for the first 2,629. Directional control remained the same with no significant orienting or motor stalling problems. The bit, with 168 hours and 4,788 of hole drilled,

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Mud motor wear was not a problem. There was no increase in wear on the bearings of the motor, nor was a motor pulled prematurelydue to failure. Since no damages were inflicted to the motor housing or bearing packages, it is feasible that the entire well could have been drilled with one motor. The shaped cutters and reverse bullets performed as expected, with one exception. Whenthe bit was pulled to evacuatethe rig prior to the tropical storm, the reversebullets were heavily worn and the blade wear on the pilot bit behind the cutters indicated that the pilot bit was beginning to cut an oversizedhole and was
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3) Bi-center bits can exhibit build rates, angle-holding tendencies, and other drilling characteristicssimilar to those of conventionalrock bits and PDCS. 4) Bi-center bits can work effectively in aggressive directional applicationsand in iow to high angie weiibores. 5) Bi-centerbits utilized in a steerabledrilling assemblyperform most effectivelywhen mn in conjunction with dual power head motors.
6) The -, ----

seen on the pilot bit. Although it may have been possibleto drill this well with the bicenter bit on a single power head motor, there is no doubt that the drilling was improved with a dual power head motor. This was particularlytrue when encounteringformationchangesboth while rotating and sliding. The sudden increase in torque that was generated with the hi-center bit when it encounteredsome of the iithological changes would likely have stalled a single power head motor. As it was, the pump pressure differential would sometimes rise by as much as 500 PSI before drilling off. The extra power generated by the dual power head motors was very usefhl at these times and it allowed the bi-center bit to performwith maximum effectiveness. Without the use of new hi-center technology, this well would have requireda minimum of six trips for three rock bit runs, one PDC bit run, and a minimum of two undenwuner runs. Using the new hi-center technology, we now know that only two trips are required, one for the initial kick-off and straight section, and the secondto change the BHA for the aggressivecurved section. By doing this, a savings of roughly $225,000 could be realized in this geographic area over offset wells, without the risks associated with undemeaming. This amounts to a savings of over 45V0 of the total costs required to drill this hole section. It is also conceivable that under similar circumstances in subsequent wells, additional savings can be had by utilizing the bi-center bit in a single steerable BHA configurationto kick off a cement plug, drill a tangent section, then turn and build to horizontalin one trip. CONCLUSIONS 1) The new hi-center bit design features which incorporate shaped cutters and reverse bullets provide a low risk, more cost effectivealternativeto slim hole underreaming. 2) Bi-center bits can simultaneously drill and underream using conventionaldirectionaland LWD/ MWDtools and techniques.

shaned _---r-- ~~tters ~d ~verse b~iie~ WQrk~ m exti. ~-----, although the reverse bullets wore out too quickly. Some means of increasing reverse bullet life should be found to further improvehi-centerbit performance.

NOMENCLATURE PDC = polycrystallinediamond compact TSP = thermallystable polycrystallinediamond MD= measureddepth TVD = true verticaldepth MWD= measurementwhile drNing LWD= loggingwhile drilling BHA= bottom hole assembly ROP = rate of penetration ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authorswould like to thank the managements f Chevron o U.S.A. ProductionCompany,Diamondproducts International Inc.,and DelmarDireetionaiSystemsfor permissionto publish this paper. A specialthanks to the Bay MarchandProfit Center IMlling Group,the Bay MarehandProfit Center State Field ManagementTeam, and Randy Dominguefor their efforts in makingthis projectsuccessful. REFERENCES 1. Kalloo,C.L., Attong, D.J., Steele,H.E.: A Novel Design Bi-CenterBit SuccessfidlyDrills Deep ExplorationWell Off the East Coast of Trinidad; paper lADC/SPE27471 presentedat the 1994 IADC/SPEMilling Conference,Dallas, Februmy 15-18. 2. James,S.A.: Bi-centerBits for DrWingand Underreaming MovingSalt paper SPE 15514presentedat the 1986Annual TechnicalConferenceand Exhibition,New Orleans,Oct. 5-8. 3. Myhre,K.: Applicationof BicenterBits in Well-Deepening operations: SPE Drilling Engineering(June 1991) 105. 4. Dugas,J.J., Califf, B.C., Chappell,J.W.: Improvementin DrillingWith PerformancePower Head Section Motorsfl paper lADC/SPE27517 presentedat the IADC/SPEDrilling Conference,Dallas,February 15-18.

564

Table 1

BottomHoleAssemblies-S. L. Well #59 in BHA#2 6 X 7 Bicenter 1 1/4DegreeTandem Motor DoublePin Sub 5 3/4 Stabilizer Float Sub 10Non-MagneticFlex Joints MWDColiar 30 Non MagneticFlex Joints 6 1/8Stabilizer 3-4 3/4 Drillcollars 33-3 1/2 Heavy Wt. Drill Pipe Jars 8-3 1/2Heavy Wt. Drill Pioe

the

Bay MarchandArea of the Gulf of Mexico

.

BHA #1 6 X 7 Bicenter 1 1/4DegreeTandem Motor DoublePin Sub 5 3/4 Stabilizer Float Sub GrientingSub 2- Non MagneticFlex Joints 6 Ml Stabilizer 3-4 3/4 Drill collars 33-3 1/2 HeavyWt. Drill Pipe Jars 8-3 V2 HeavyWt. Drill Pipe

m- BHA #3 (6X 7 Bicenlter 2 DegreeTandem Motor DoublePin Sub Float Subt 10Non-MagneticFlex Joints MWDCoIhtr Double Pin Sub R&stivity Collar 30 Non MagneticFlex Joints ;!4 -3 1/2Heavy Wt. Drill Pipe Jars 41-3 1/2Heavy Wt. DrN Pipe -

BHA #4 6 X 7 Elicenter 2 1/4 DegreeTandem Mctor Double Pin Sub Float Sub 10Non-MagneticFlex Joints MWD Colhr Double Pin Sub ResistivityCollar 30 Non MagneticFlex Joints 24-3 1/2Heavy Wt. will Pipe Jars 41-3 1/2Heavy Wt. Drill Pipe

BHA #5
6 X 7 Bicenter 1 3/4 DegreeTandem Motor Double Pin Sub 5 3/4 Stabilizer Float Sub 10Non-MagneticFlex Joints MWDCohr 30 Non MagneticFlex Joints 6 1/8 Stabilizer 33-3 1/2Heavy Wt. Drill Pipe Jars 8-3 1/2Heavy Wt. Drill Pipe

BHA #6 6 X 7 Bicenter 2 1/4DegreeTandem Motor DoublePii Sub Float Sub 10Non-MagneticFlex Joints MWDCollar DoublePm Sub ResistivityCollar 30Non MagneticFlex Joints 24-3 1/2Heavy Wt. Drill Pipe Jars 41-3 1/2Heavy Wt. Drill Pipe

Figure 2- Shaped Cutter

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