Directional Drilling

Directional Drilling

 When is it used?
 Type I Wells (build and hold)
 Type II Wells (build, hold and drop)
 Type III Wells (build)
 Directional Well Planning & Design
 Survey Calculation Methods
 References:
READ. “Applied Drilling Engineering”
Ch. 8, pp. 351-363

REF. API Bulletin D20, “Directional Drilling

Survey Calculation Methods and
Terminology”
 What is Directional Drilling?

Directional Drilling is the process of

directing a wellbore along some trajectory
to a predetermined target.

Basically it refers to drilling in a non-vertical

direction. Even “vertical” hole sometimes
require directional drilling techniques.

Examples: Slanted holes, high angle holes (far from vertical), and Horizontal holes.
Non-Vertical q, a or I
Wellbore
Inclination Angle
Z Axis (True Vertical
Depth)
North

Direction
Angle f, e or A

Direction Plane X
 Lease Boundary

Surface Surface Location for Well No. 1

Location for
Well No. 2
Bottom Hole Location for Well 2

Houses

Figure 8.2 - Plan view of a typical oil and gas structure under a lake showing how
directional wells could be used to develop it. Best locations? Drill from lake?
 Top View

NOTE: All the

wells are
directional 5 - 50 wells
per platform

Figure 8.3 - Typical offshore development platform

with directional wells.
Drilling Rig Inside Building

Figure 8.4 - Developing a field under a city

using directionally drilled wells.
 Why not
drill from Maximum
top of lateral
mountain? displ.?

Fig. 8.5 - Drilling of directional wells where the

reservoir is beneath a major surface obstruction.
Cement Plug Fish Lost in Hole and
Unable to Recover

Sidetracked Hole
Around Fish

Figure 8.6 -
Sidetracking
around a fish.
 Figure 8.7 -
Using an old Oil Producing Well
well to explore Ready to Abandon
for new oil by Sidetracked
sidetracking Out of Casing
out of the
casing and Possible
New Oil
drilling
Old Oil Reservoir
directionally.
 Type II
Build-hold and Drop (“S Type”)
Type I Build and Build-hold Drop and/or Hold
Hold Type (Modified “S” Type)

Type III Continuous

Build

Figure 8.8 - Major types of wellbore trajectories.

 Figure 8.10 -
Geometry of the
build section.

Build Section

Build Radius:
18,000
r1 
 * BUR
 Build Section:

ofarc,L1  r1θ 1
Length
Vert  C'D' r1sinθ 1
icaldepth
Horiz.dev. DD' r1(1 cosθ 1)
L1 100
r1  
θ1 θ * π
1
180
18,000
  r1 
rad deg  * BUR
 Start of Buildup

End of Build
Type II

Drop Off

Target

Build-hold-and drop for the case where:

r1  x 3 and r1  r2  x 4
 Kickoff

Type II End of Build

Maximum
Inclination
Angle
Build-hold-and
drop for the case Drop Off
where:
Target

r1  x3 and r1  r2  x 4
 Projected Trajectory Projected Trajectory
with Left Turn to Hit
Targets

Target 1
Target 2
Target 3

Fig. 8-14. Directional well used to intersect

multiple targets
 N18E S23E
o
A = 157

Fig. 8-15.
Directional
quadrants and
compass
measurements
N55W
S20W o
A = 305
 Projected Well Path
Lead Angle
Surface
Location
for Well
No. 2

Target at a
Lake TVD 9,659

Figure 8-16: Plan View

 Horizontal
N View

Vertical
View
We may plan a 2-D well, but we always
get a 3D well (not all in one plane)
 MD, a1, e1

DMD

b = dogleg
angle a 2, e2

Fig. 8-22. A curve representing a wellbore

between survey stations A1 and A2
 Directional Drilling
1. Drill the vertical (upper) section of
the hole.
2. Select the proper tools for kicking off
to a non-vertical direction
3. Build angle gradually
 Directional Tools
(i) Whipstock
(ii) Jet Bits
(iii) Downhole motor and bent sub
 Whipstocks

Standard retreivable Circulating Permanent Casing

 Setting a Whipstock
Small bit used to start
Apply weight to:
– set chisel point &
– shear pin
Drill 12’-20’
Remove whipstock
Enlarge hole
 Jetting Bit
Fast and Small Jets

economical
For soft formation
One large - two
small nozzles
Orient large nozzle
Spud periodically
No rotation at first
 Jetting
Wash out pocket
Return to normal
drilling
Survey
Repeat for more
angle if needed
 Mud Motors
Drillpipe
Non-magnetic
Drill Collar
Bent Sub
Mud Motor
Rotating
Sub
 Increasing Inclination
Limber assembly
Near bit stabilizer
Weight on bit forces
DC to bend to low
side of hole.
Bit face kicks up
 Hold Inclination
Packed hole
assembly
Stiff assembly
Control bit weight
and RPM
 Decrease Inclination
Pendulum effect
Gravity pulls bit
downward
No near bit stabilizer
 Packed Hole Assemblies

Drill
String String String NB
pipe
Stabilizer Stabilizer Stabilizer Stab
Monel
HW DP Steel DC Steel DC DC
Vertical Calculation Horizontal Calculation
3D View Dog Leg Angle
 Deflecting Wellbore Trajectory
0

270 90

180
 Bottom Hole Location

Direction : N 53 E
Distance : 2,550 ft
TVD : 10,000

E  2,550 sin 53 
 2,037 ft
N  2,550 cos 53 
 1,535 ft
Closure  2,550  E 2  N2
E
Closure Direction  tan -1   53 o
N