Unconventional shale gas has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States over the past decade, and interest has spread to shale-gas plays in multiple countries. Shale gas is expected to continue to supply larger shares of the natural-gas production in North America by 2020. One of the most active shale plays in North America is the Haynesville, which represents extreme challenges in drilling horizontal lateral sections with 16,500–18,500-ft measured depth wells and flowing temperatures that can exceed 375°F at section TD. This paper examines a collaborative and systematic approach between the service provider and operator to drive relentless performance improvements in the production interval of the Haynesville. In 2009, the team set out a challenge to eliminate mud motor and MWD failures in the production interval. The approach outlined in this paper will explore how root-cause failure analysis, new condition-based maintenance systems, and field-operation processes were used to systematically push MWD, mud motor, and LWD performance in this hostile environment.