Measurement-while-drilling services

Real-time robotic analysis of drilling fluid and cuttings

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0.1 About company

LLC «Drilling Technologies Dubai» develops, serially manufactures equipment for measurement-while-drilling services, namely for determining the properties of drilling mud and cuttings composition, as well as provides training and technical support for the use of this equipment. The company's main office is in Dubai.

The analyzers design were tackled the following problems of the oil and gas industry, the solution of which increases the efficiency of drilling in the development of oil and gas fields:

In addition, we have analyzed all existing technologies on the market in these areas, which allows us to produce devices that are superior to their counterparts.

The analyzers can be used together or separately
  • Real-time mud properties analyzer
    The real-time mud properties analyzer
    automatically determines the basic properties of the drilling fluid to reduce the risk of drilling complications.
  • Real-time cuttings composition analyzer
    The real-time cuttings composition analyzer
    automatically determines the elemental chemical composition of cuttings using in-stream X-ray fluorescence analysis while drilling. The ultimate goal of using the analyzer is to improve well productivity and oil recovery by more accurately relating cuttings to depth.
0.2 Real-time mud properties analyzer

The real-time mud properties analyzer without human participation measures the main drilling fluid parameters determining its functionality and transmits them to the customer's information systems, forming a database of actual mud properties in real time.

Installation requires:
Real-time mud properties analyzer
The real-time mud properties analyzer is a vertical metal cabinet
Overall dimensions: H×W×D (mm): 1200*600*400
Placed on the drilling fluid storage tanks or in the immediate vicinity of them in the echelon of the drilling rig, sampling - from the working tank / at the wellhead
Required connections:
  • Water from the drilling rig system
  • Power supply 380 V
  • Number of measurements per hour — at least 12
  • Operating time berween maintenace, days — at least 30
List of parameters measured by the real-time mud properties analyzer:
Name of the parameter Units of measurement Hydrocarbon-based drilling mud Water-based drilling mud
Temperature °С + +
Density g/cm3 + +
рН - +
Resistivity Om*m +
Oil Water Ratio vol. % : vol. % +
Mineralization mg/l +
Electrical stability Volt +
Plastic viscosity (API) mPa-s (cPs) + +
Dynamic shear stress (API) lbf/in2 + +
Low-Shear-RateViscosity mPa-s (cPs) + +
Flow behavior index in Herschel-Bulkley model - + +
Consistency coefficient in Herschel-Bulkley model Pa*sn + +
Yield stress in Herschel-Bulkley model lbf/in2 (Pa) + +
Lubricant content vol. % +
Solid phase content vol. % + +
Comparison of the results of drilling fluid parameters measurement by an engineer and the real-time mud properties analyzer based on the results of pilot tests
Name of the parameter of hydrocarbon-based drilling mud, units of measurement Engineer's measurement results Measurement results using the real-time mud properties analyzer
Temperature, °С 44 39
Density, g/cm3 1,1 1,115
Oil Water Ratio, vol. % : vol. % 71:29 75:25
Electrical stability, Volt 350 360
Mineralization, mg/l 55000 63800
Low shear yield point (LSYP), lbf/in2 3 4,4
Dynamic shear stress, lbf/in2 8 9,7
Plastic viscosity, mPa-s (cPs) 24 25
Consistency coefficient in Herschel-Bulkley model, Pa*sn 0,189
Flow behavior index in Herschel-Bulkley model 0,720
Yield stress, Pa 0,230
0.3 Real-time cuttings composition analyzer

The real-time cuttings composition analyzer takes cuttings samples using an automatic sampler at drilling speed without human intervention, performs their elemental analysis and integrates the analysis data into the customer's information and control systems

Installation requires:
Real-time cuttings composition analyzer
It is fixed under the first section of the cuttings conveyor or mounted on the base above the drive of the second section of the cuttings conveyor
Overall dimensions of the analyzer with sampler: L×W×H (mm): 1400*330*300
Insert the sampler into the vertical part of the cuttings conveyor. The diameter of the opening for the sampler is at least 70 mm.
Necessary connections:
  • Compressed air from the drilling rig system
  • Power supply 220 V
  • Number of measurements per hour — at least 10
  • Operating time berween maintenace, days — at least 30
List of parameters measured by the real-time cuttings composition analyzer
Name Description
Qualitative elemental composition of cuttings, % Database of the content of chemical elements in cuttings with a high degree of discreteness. The total number of measured elements is 80 units from Al to U.
0.4 Video

Analyzer operation

Video Open video
Real-time mud properties analyzer operation with direct sampling from the working tank
Video Open video
Automatic drill cuttings sampling for the real-time cuttings composition analyzer
Video Open video
Demonstration of piston sampler operation
0.5 Results of pilot-industrial tests using analyzers

The performance and reliability of the analyzers have been tested under industrial and operational conditions. Pilot tests were conducted during field development in 2 stages: from January 24 to February 4 and from March 8 to March 26, 2023. Each analyzer operated in normal mode for a total of 325 hours, in the intervals of drilling horizontal sections of the main wellbore at depths of 2515-3003 m, 4606-5319 m and additional wellbore at depths of 3686-4921 m.

Conclusions on the results of using the real-time mud properties analyzer
Results
Results
Results
Results

Dynamics of density and rheological parameters for the Herschel-Bulkley model variation as a function of depth.

Good convergence of the data obtained with the analyzer compared to standard measurements is noted.

Dynamics of low shear yield point (LSYP) variation for the Herschel-Bulkley model as a function of depth.

Good convergence of the data obtained with the analyzer compared to standard measurements is observed.

Dynamics of plastic viscosity and dynamic shear stress (API) variation as a function of depth.

Good convergence of the data obtained with the analyzer compared to standard measurements is observed.

Dynamics of pH, chlorine mineralization and lubricant variation as a function of depth.

Good convergence of data obtained with the analyzer compared to standard measurements is observed.

Results
Results
Results
Results
Conclusions based on the results of the using of the real-time cuttings composition analyzer
  • Concentrations of 33 chemical elements were determined in the composition of drill cuttings at the qualitative level - from 13 to 45 element
  • The results obtained at this stage show that at the same type of geological section the chemical composition of the drilled rocks is different.
Table

Data transfer to the drilling monitoring system, data visualization

Results
Results
0.6 Conclusions

Conclusions on the results of pilot tests

Real-time cuttings composition analyzer Real-time mud properties analyzer
Confirmed:
  • Stability, reliability of analyzers operation in industrial conditions;
  • Real-time data transfer and integration into the customer's drilling monitoring system.

The benefits of using real-time mud properties analyzer:

  • multiple increase in the frequency of measurement of drilling fluid parameters during drilling, which leads to an increase in the speed of response to possible deviations from the optimal drilling mode;
  • possibility of full automation of the drilling fluid measurement process and elimination of the human factor in it;
  • formation of a database of actual drilling fluid parameters during drilling with high discreteness in real time mode;
  • reducing the risk of such complications as:
    • unsatisfactory wellbore cleaning;
    • crumbling and collapse of the wellbore;
    • drilling fluid contamination;
    • absorption or hydraulic fracturing;
    • manifestations of oil and gas;
  • possibility of operative calculation and change of flushing parameters in remote mode using engineering software.

The benefits of using real-time cuttings composition analyzer:

  • determination of the main marker elements for a particular field;
  • formation of a database of the cuttings elemental composition (by the elements to be determined) with high discreteness in real time during the drilling process;
  • provision of information for more accurate lithologic dissection of the borehole section and creation of mathematical models for further automatic determination of the chemical composition of rocks.
0.8 Contact us

Contact Information