Setting a New Benchmark in ROP and Bit Durability in the Pre-Salt Section Carbonate Rocks of the Deepwater Mero Field in Brazil

This work explains the process of how a bit was designed specifically to address drilling challenges of the reservoir section of the Mero Field offshore Brazil. The performance of this new bit is compared to previous bits used in the field. A systematic process to design and evaluate the performance of a new bit involves interaction with the operator to understand the challenges and gather information, evaluate previous bit performances, use software to simulate the new bit design based on drilling conditions in the field, manufacture the bit according to design specifications, run the bit according to planned parameters, capture and report results, and evaluate results to identify possible improvements. The reservoir section has a high hardness and is primarily composed of calcareous rock and silica intercalations. Since the discovery of the Mero Field, more than 17 wells have been drilled by different companies. In the majority of the wells, the reservoir section was drilled using impregnated bits and turbines. As a result, the application of a systematic process was used to solve operator challenges where a new bit was designed and run in the field to drill the reservoir section of two wells. A comparison was performed between the previous bits used in the field and the new bit concept, certifying that the new bit reduced the reservoir section drilling time by 59%. This work discusses improved drilling efficiency in the reservoir section by drilling with a new bit design in a field where only impregnated bits and turbines were used. This created a new benchmark for drilling performance in the Mero Field.