3.1 days saved with tde empower service integrated within operator’s optimization drive

Empowering Optimization: 3.1 days saved with tde empower service integrated within operator’s optimisation drive

tde empower provided drilling optimization training and mentoring to a multinational oil company for its operations in South East Europe. Our tde empower expert worked in collaboration with a team of drilling engineers to master and apply the tde engineering toolbox to benchmark existing performance, identify critical path drilling opportunities and apply these insights over several wells and fields. Offset well analysis using the tde optimization toolbox identified potentials in every hole section.

Recommendations made during the offset analysis stage were implemented and performance monitored with real-time observations communicated to the teams. Significant performance improvements were achieved in every well/field, including several field best metrics. Additional performance opportunities were also identified during the implementation phase of the project with solutions recommended for future wells.

Challenge

Instead of a standalone report, the operator wanted TDE to work in collaboration with a team of their engineers. With the engineers trained and mentored using tde drilling performance tool box and drilling optimization processes. The ultimate goal of the project was for the engineers to become in-house optimization champions. These champions would then apply this process to disseminate their learnings across the operators entire rig fleet/drilling campaign.

Offet well analysis identified inconsistent penetration rates across all hole sections as the main opportunity. Each of the hole sections also displayed sub-optimal connection practices, however it was determined that p-rate improvement was the primary ‘low hanging fruit’ opportunity to focus on.

Results – How tde empower helped the client

Our tde empower engineer worked in partnership with the assigned drilling engineers to both work the process and apply their training using tde pronova to obtain insights into current drilling performance. At the culmination of each stage of the process a peer review was performed with the wider drilling team to ensure both stakeholder buy-in and that all voices and opinions on opportunities were heard. The relevant service companies were also heavily involved throughout the process.

Offset drilling data sets from relevant wells was ingested into the tde pronova system. The data was then benchmarked and analyzed using tde pronova for detailed performance metrics, tde trace (time-based drilling data superimposed with DDR activity descriptions) was used to identify performance opportunities. ALT WellCAD was used to provide subsurface contextual insights.

A series of solutions were identified encompassing the entire drilling process (both on and off bottom operations). These opportunities were captured and communicated to the rig teams during each well pre-spud meeting. The engineers also provided roadmaps prior to drilling each section and made rig visits to ensure the practice changes became embeded within each rig team.

A total of 1.9 days/well were saved on field A and a total of 1.2 days/well were saved on Field B.

The highlights by hole section include:

Hole Section	Highlights
12-1/4” Section	• 5 hours saved on Field A/well with improvements to on-bottom drilling time • 6 hours saved on Field B/well with improvements to on-bottom drilling time
8-1/2” Section	• 32.5 hours saved on Field A/well with improvements to on-bottom drilling time • 22 hours saved on Field B/well with improvements to on-bottom drilling time • RSS process changes resulted in savings of 9 hours on wells where RSS was used • During Casing while Drilling operations modifications to the drill-out PDC bit design has the potential to save an additional 40 hours (Field A) and 33 hours (Field B)