Unconventional Engineering Toward Efficient Geosteering and Well Placement - Logging-While-Drilling in an Oil-Based Mud Environment

This paper presents a success story of deploying new technology to improve geosteering operations in an unconventional horizontal well. A new-generation logging-while-drilling (LWD) imaging tool, that provides high resolution resistivity and ultrasonic images in an oil-based mud environment, was tested while drilling a long lateral section of an unconventional horizontal well. In addition to improving the geosteering operations, this tool has proven the ability to eliminate the wireline image log requirements (resistivity and ultrasonic), hence reducing rig time significantly. The LWD bottomhole-assembly (BHA) included the following components: gamma ray (GR), density, neutron, resistivity, sonic, density imager, and the newly deployed dual imager (resistivity and ultrasonic). The dual imager component adds an additional 15-ft sub to the drilling BHA, which includes four ultrasonic sensors orthogonal to each other, and two electromagnetic sensors diametrically opposite to each other (reference figure 1). This new technology was deployed in an unconventional horizontal well to help geosteer the well in the intended zone, which led to an improvement in well placement, enhanced the evaluation of the lateral facies distribution, and allowed better identification of natural fractures. The dual images provided the necessary information for interpreting geological features, drilling induced features, and other sedimentological features, thus enhancing the multistage hydraulic fracturing stimulation design. In addition, an ultrasonic caliper was acquired while drilling the curve and lateral section, providing a full-coverage image of the borehole walls and cross-sectional borehole size. The unique BHA was designed to fulfill all the directional drilling, formation evaluation and geosteering requirements. A dynamic simulation was done to confirm the required number of stabilizers, and their respective locations within the BHA, to reduce shock and vibration, borehole tortuosity and drilling related issues, thereby improving over-all performance. Real-time drilling monitoring included torque and drag trending, back-reaming practices and buckling avoidance calculations, which were implemented to support geosteering, and for providing a smooth wellbore for subsequent wireline and completion operations run in this well. A new generation dual-image oil-based mud environment LWD tool was successfully deployed to show the multifaceted benefits of enhanced geo-steering/well placement, formation evaluation, and hydraulic fracturing design in an unconventional horizontal well. Complexities in the multifunctioning nature of the BHA were strategically optimized to support all requirements without introducing any significant risk in operation.