This paper documents the results of a customer demonstration of a digital network powered from surface deployed on a wired drillpipe system downhole. The objectives of the trial were to: demonstrate the ability of the system to power multiple tools from surface without the need for batteries or power generation turbines downhole concurrently, provide high speed bi-directional telemetry between downhole tools and surface without the need for mud pulse, E-Mag signals or repeaters Over 100 joints of the powered and wired drillpipe were mobilized to a land test rig. Two runs were planned for the customer demonstration well: the first with a service company's bottom hole assembly equipment, the second utilizing a Measurement-Whilst-Drilling (MWD) tool replacement specifically designed to make use of the full potential of the high speed telemetry and electrical power available. In setting up the system, the rig was fitted with a top drive adapter, allowing data and power to be transmitted from surface to the drillpipe and downhole tools. During the trial, typical operations were conducted to validate system handling times, operational aspects and to demonstrate overall power/network uptime and reliability. Handling, racking and tripping operations were conducted, showing that the wired pipe string could be manipulated in the same way as regular drillpipe. Make/break and slips to slips timings showed similar periods to regular drillpipe handling on the same rig. No damage was observed and no special handling or thread doping techniques were required. A total of 96 pipe joints [3058ft] were run in hole on two successive runs, drilling a granite formation whilst circulating with a water based fluid. Run #1 demonstrated the ability of the system to interface to and supply power to a service company's drilling mechanics BHA without the need for lithium batteries downhole. Tools were pre-assembled, torqued and pre-programmed before arrival at the rigsite and could be run directly into the wellbore. Run #2 demonstrated power delivery to and high speed real-time telemetry with a custom designed MWD tool providing continuous directional surveys, tool-face, annular and internal pressures, shock and vibration and gamma ray measurements at >61,000bps data rate. During the runs, power and real-time measurements were monitored whilst circulating, drilling on bottom and tripping. Both runs included a distributed in-string sub to measure annular pressure, temperature and string vibrations, communicating and taking power from the string concurrently with the other downhole tools. 189hrs of operations were recorded during the demonstration, witnessed by customers at the rigsite, and streamed globally to those remote. 100% uptime was recorded for both the power and telemetry transmission over the digital network. Overall, the trial results demonstrated the ability of the system to be handled in a similar way to a regular drillstring. Power was supplied to downhole tools thus eliminating the need for downhole batteries and turbines. A high speed, reliable digital network was deployed allowing multiple tools and sensors to communicate on the same transmission path as the power without the need for in string signal repeaters.

This paper documents the development, qualification and field test deployment of an electrically powered and wired drill pipe system for use by operators, drillers and service companies in oil & gas drilling operations. Deployment of the technology has the potential for users to power downhole tools from surface and thus reduce or remove downhole batteries / turbines. High-speed bi-directional telemetry over the wired drill pipe can improve realtime communications and downhole measurement quality, while enabling high frequency, surface and downhole data sharing / integration. The development of the system is centered around: a braided conductor and an insulating materiala robust field replaceable pipe connector systemtransceivers optimized for the transmission characteristics of the system The novelty of the new drill pipe design is the ability to supply downhole tools with power in addition to bi-directional high-speed data communication telemetry from surface over the same braided and insulated conductor, manufactured into the ID profile of the drillstring. Due to power regulation at surface and matched transceivers, the need for in-string communications repeaters is avoided. In addition, special attention has been paid to the design, robustness and field maintainability of the connector system at each end of the drill pipe. Qualification of the system in a laboratory environment applied downhole drilling conditions using simulators, highly accelerated life tests ("HALT"), and physical testing on discrete samples, joints and short strings of drill pipe. Transceiver performance, connector make/break cycles and testing of the conductor and insulating layer under tension, bending, torque, pressure, temperature and erosion were all performed. Parallel "real life" runs on testing and commercial drilling rig operations have yielded encouraging early results to validate the qualification laboratory testing. Minimal damage was observed during handling and downhole use on several drilling rigs, indicating that the system has the potential to be handled as regular drillpipe and can be simply integrated into rig operations. Several iterations in design and testing of the braid and insulating material have proven the viability of new manufacturing techniques and given valuable insight as to the ability of the design to withstand normal drilling conditions of flow, torque, tension, pressure, temperature etc. gained through commercial drilling rig testing. System trials on rig operations have shown that stable downhole power can be delivered whilst communicating with a minimum bit rate of 56Kbit/sec during drilling. A top drive slip-ring assembly at surface and a crossover to a service company BHA downhole have been developed and were used for the drilling trials.