A new high build-up rate (HBR) rotary-steerable drilling system (RSS) with comprehensive logging-while-drilling (LWD) capabilities was developed and commercialized. The new HBR RSS was designed to provide extensive LWD services, including propagation and deep resistivity, neutron and density porosity measurements, borehole imaging and many others at build-up rates up to 12°/100 ft. Using closed-loop control and a short steering sleeve that decouples steering functionality from drilling dynamics, the system can perform open-hole sidetracks and drill high dogleg severity (DLS) curves and laterals in one run with precise directional control and well placement, without exceeding the fatigue limits of the LWD tools. In many areas around the world, rotary-steerable systems have replaced steerable motors because of the inherent advantages of RSS technology [1], including improved directional control, reduced wellbore tortuosity [2] and comprehensive logging-while-drilling (LWD) measurements. However, some applications require drilling and evaluating wellbores with higher build-up rates (BUR) than possible with a standard RSS. Developments in drilling tool design have increased the achievable BUR of rotary steerable systems to values on par with those of steerable motors. This achievement introduces a challenge related to the bending loads of the sophisticated LWD tools positioned behind the HBR RSS. When run with a steerable motor, the high bending loads on the LWD tools are primarily in static, because the curvature is created in a sliding mode of the drillstring. When run with a HBR RSS, the LWD tools are exposed to high cyclic bending loads because the string is constantly rotating. As a result of this challenge, the selection of LWD measurements available in HBR RSS applications is very limited. The authors present the design, simulation criteria and commercial results of the new HBR RSS in several operating environments, including the Western region of the USA and the Middle East. Drilling high DLS curves increased the length of laterals by several hundred feet, enabling additional reservoir exposure and ultimate recovery. The system drilled entire sections in one run and improved operational efficiency by the elimination of sliding. If formation tops arrived unexpectedly, or faults were encountered during geo-steering, the new HBR RSS system reduced the out of zone depth interval, thereby increasing recoverable reserves. The innovative HBR RSS system is used in many applications around the world to drill and evaluate complex wells with high DLS, as well as straight laterals, with precision and efficiency. Lessons learned during the commercial application of this functionality and technologies are presented with the industry to ensure the maximum value is achieved in the shortest amount of time possible.

New advanced technologies are being introduced into unconventional resource basins at a record setting pace. As these new technologies are being implemented, connectivity -communication between the office and the rigsite -becomes increasingly important to the operator both in support of these technologies and for improving business efficiency. The benefits of officeto-rig connectivity are found in many places: rig de-manning, personnel development, multi-vendor data management, global support infrastructure, declining subject matter expertise, real-time decision making and remote control to name a few. This paper will first provide a summary of new connectivity technologies and how they have developed into their current technical and commercial state. Next, the paper will explore the commercial drivers for new connectivity technologies and the potential for their application in the eastern basins of the United States. Examples are provided of improved operational and business performance as a result of applying these connectivity technologies. Finally, the paper will clear up some myths regarding the cost of implementation of leading edge connectivity technologies and make a business case for adopting the "right level" of connectivity to make operations more efficient. Upstream Oil and Gas Connectivity TechnologiesOverview From the early days, when the stakeholders were always on location for new wells, to the 1900s when telecommunications and radio came into being, the oil and gas industry has been searching for the most efficient means of communication between the office and the rigsite. Over the years, telecommunications technologies, including facsimile transmission, data transfer and video conferencing have improved the connection between the stakeholders in the office and those on the rigsite.However, the most significant recent advancement in office-to-rig connectivity are using web technologies to make all data that is acquired on the rig available to any decision-maker in real-time regardless of his or her physical location. In recent industry conferences, 1 a key theme has been the use of web technologies to enable new real-time workflows for better and faster decision making. Companies such as BP, StatoilHydro, and Baker Hughes have all presented digital, web-based strategies built upon a vendor neutral WITSML core infrastructure used to create global, virtual decision-making environments. Web-based TechnologiesIn order to understand how web technologies can make a dramatic improvement in upstream oil and gas communications, let's first reflect on the how these technologies have influenced and benefited other industries. For over a decade, professionals have been exchanging emails and files using a number of standards (SMTP, POP, FTP, HTTP, SSL, TCP/IP). These standards allowed people to communicate with each other regardless of what platform they were using or where they were located, but they did little to encourage application-to-application interaction allowing automated workflows.Recently, new web...

Hydraulic Fracturing treatments generate large volumes of valuable data. The industry recognizes this data can be leveraged to optimize various parameters for oil and gas production from a well. Additionally, there are evolving regulatory reporting requirements that require a standardized exchange of information with the service providers and the regulatory organizations. Historically, data was provided to the well operator in custom paper or varying digital formats, resulting in delays, overhead, and inconsistent information during the database import process. In response, the Energistics© global consortium 1 united a wide variety of industry professionals to develop the stimJob Object open exchange standard for hydraulic fracturing in November, 2010. The stimJob Object standard was subsequently updated and incorporated into version 1.4.1.1 of the WITSML™ (Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup Languag) standard as released in July, 2012. The stimJob WITSML 2 report was initially deployed to the high volume USA market as a post-job report for each stage of the hydraulic fracturing operation. It is an XML file containing a data record of the treatment including rates, pressures, volumes, densities and additives. The digital data format conforms to WITSML-compliant requirements for use in several commercial applications. The stimJob report utilizes the current version of WITSML, v1.4.1.1, which is a further refinement of the data-object specifications for ease of implementation and use. WITSML is designed for the seamless flow of well data between the operators, service companies, and regulatory agencies, to speed and enhance decision making and reporting. This paper outlines the content of the stimJob report, how the data is exchanged with the operator and the beneficial results from the early adoption of the standard into the stimulation workflow.

Acquiring accurate downhole pressure data for casing shoe test interpretation and real-time decision making is critical to the delivery of a safe, efficient, and cost-effective well. With modern logging-while-drilling (LWD) technology, pressure profiles from a formation integrity test (FIT) or leak-off test (LOT) can now be measured during wellbore pressurization, stored in the memory of the downhole tool, and transmitted in a compressed 60-point pressure versus-time data format via mud-pulse telemetry when circulation is re-established. This data are decoded and decompressed at the surface to provide a detailed downhole flow-off pressure profile. If a higher-resolution data set is required, a "zoom" function using the same telemetry loop can be affected over a selected (smaller) time interval to provide another 60 (enhanced) pressure points. The ability to transmit these data sets real-time, without a special downlink, saves rig time and ensures quality data as well as test objectives are attained before terminating the test. FIT's are routinely carried out to determine the fracture gradient around the casing shoe (shoe strength), or the maximum pressure the wellbore can withstand with regard to the casing setting depth. The pressure profile can also provide an indication of the quality of the cement bond around the casing shoe. While picking an inflection point from the pressure-versus-time plot seems straightforward, there are a number of factors that can distort the FIT results and lead to interpretation difficulties, particularly when differentiating between cement problems and formation effects. Additionally, the effect of drilling fluid properties can induce inaccuracies in the interpretation of surface-collected data, often resulting in a higher pressure than the correct value. With the advent of data compression and high-speed telemetry technology, downhole pressure profiles can now be acquired with improved resolution. This enhanced data set is essential for robust FIT/LOT interpretation, the accuracy of which is critical for avoiding costly drilling problems. A Gulf of Mexico deepwater case history will be analyzed to display effective ways in which this emerging technology has been successfully implemented. This approach in downhole pressure measurements during FIT/LOT can provide on-demand, high-precision data sets for enhanced interpretation and real-time decision making.