Borehole images have been widely used in industry for almost three decades for different geological and petrophysical applications; though these logs were often limited in application in the wells drilled with oil-base mud (OBM) due to resolution and coverage constraints against the downhole environment. Recent advances in technology helped address this issue with wireline logging; however, the logging-while-drilling (LWD) capabilities for high resolution borehole images in OBM remained limited thereby limiting any real-time applications of this data. The new innovative multi-measurement LWD imager provides game-changing enabler for wide-scale comprehensive solutions from drilling-efficiency till field development. Singular image acquisition for subtle features at high resolution could often miss out on a lot of important events, thereby constraining the optimal characterization of sub-surface and downhole conditions. To properly understand, characterize and demystify the sub-surface, Industry's first multi-measurement imager was developed with high resolution capabilities in OBM; with ultrasonic and electromagnetic measurements physics. Ultrasonic and Electromagnetic measurements are made at multiple frequencies by multiple sensors to ensure that the features on borehole wall are observed and resolved, both. The complementing nature of these technologies provide far better application capabilities, with multiple full-bore images being acquired simultaneously for apparent resistivity, amplitude and transit time by multiple sensors to overcome downhole operational challenges and variability of formation response without introducing complexity to the drilling bottom-hole assembly (BHA). The apparent resistivity images from electromagnetic measurements provide rich information of the sedimentological, diagenetic and structural features while the ultrasonic images are more sensitive to the near wellbore fracture, drilling induced features and borehole conditions. Availability of the multiple measurements in real-time and relevant time lends the borehole image data for various applications, enabling drilling optimization, smoother and efficient operations and detailed geological characterization. Such comprehensive applications were not available earlier for wells drilled with OBM or any non-conductive mud.

This paper presents a novel borehole image compression algorithm for real-time (RT) logging while drilling (LWD). The compression scheme is designed to optimize the critical information required for RT decision making at low telemetry bandwidths. In the proposed algorithm we estimate the structure of the image (i.e. the amplitude and phase shift of the dip) and modify the encoding dictionary based on the features. The resulting dictionary resembles sinusoidal features, thus optimizing the reconstruction of bedding or other planar features in deviated wells. The dictionary is designed using a modified version of the 2D discrete wavelet transform (DWT). This approach has a low encoding complexity and supports the integration of directional information into the transform. Since feature estimation is a challenging step, we use a classifier to identify when directional information should be added to the transform or whether a conventional implementation is used. The algorithm has been implemented in both oil- and water-based mud LWD imager tools, where the low encoding complexity has facilitated the implementation in legacy tools with limited computation resources. We present field test results comparing the borehole images from RT and recorded mode (RM) data from one of the industry’s first RT LWD resistivity images obtained from a well drilled using oil-based mud.

Oil and gas remote operations (RO) enabled by automation and digital solutions are reducing the number of people required to work in the wellsite; many subject matter experts can now complete their daily tasks from the safety of the office in town. We have been transitioning to these new ways of working for some time, and the progress has been greatly accelerated to help ensure business continuity for customers during COVID-19 restrictions, allowing high numbers of wellsite operatives the freedom to work from home. For the Oil & Gas companies that have experimented with more technology, the results have been incredible. Digital transformation has finally hit the industry and it’s taking off to meet sustainable goal of upstream companies, this transformation is one such measure by which these goals can be approached. Despite the global availability of technology to handle analytical task from a safe distance, substantial drilling activities have been carried out traditionally across globe. Such traditional drilling operations were carried out in Thailand where client and SLB work together in fast paced factory drilling environment where an oil well can drill and complete within 7 days for 2 strings (2-sections only) 2400-2600 m in onshore operation which requires experienced people to monitor and execute tasks. To support such operation from town i.e., remotely with systematic monitoring by skilled people, one requires to adapt digitization. This paper demonstrates the ability of SLB to adapt the digital environment by introducing "Remote Operation Center" setup enabling to help client achieve their sustainable goals within budget and provided an alternate solution to sustain operations in COVID-19 pandemic. Remote Operations is the ability to operate a system or a machine at a distance; one can handle multiple operations from a safe environment of office in town using technology. It unfolds analytical task & physical task; the former is handed over to Remote Operation Center and physical task is left at rig crew. The Remote Operation Center execute both Directional Drilling (DD) and Measurement & Logging While Drilling (MLWD) services at the well site, from town. Executing Directional Drilling Remote Operation was more challenging. RO moves industry towards future and pushes all other traditional players to work on sustainable goals while adapting to digital environment. On site presence of crew was reduced by 50% while maintaining same pace of operations with better data analysis.

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New sub-surface challenges are encountered everyday as the industry drills more in complex geological and operational settings; and smarter applications are being made with new and more efficient technologies for real-time solutions. And, one of the remaining frontiers, that of real-time, high-quality, multi-applications borehole images while drilling with oil-base mud (OBM) has been overcome with deployment of multi-sensor, multi-physics measurements providing the highest resolution data. A new feature-based compression technology is developed to transmit the geological feature-rich data in real-time, even with limited telemetry; enabling real-time decision making. Logging-while-drilling (LWD) imaging in OBM started from low-resolution density images with limited meaningful applications; even ultrasonic imaging introduced lately was not able to consistently unmask the geological information. Industry-first technology advances for borehole image acquisition in OBM were made possible with the deployment of ground-breaking integration of multi-sensor, multi-physics technologies of electromagnetics and ultrasonic on one small sub. Four operational frequencies of electromagnetic measurements are used for resistivity-imaging to cover a wide resistivity range in the sub-surface, whilst ultrasonic images are made at two frequencies to help optimize the imaging for varying standoff and rugosity during drilling. This enables feature identification of subtle variation in texture, structure, sedimentation and diagenesis style; most of the sedimentary structures imaged on the apparent resistivity images made from electromagnetic measurements whilst the drilling-related features manifesting themselves more visibly on ultrasonic images. Results of this technology are discussed with various examples acquired during the early deployment; examples showing the plethora of information available in real-time enabling drilling optimization to hydro-fracturing decisions. A comparison has also been made with established wireline technology for validation of the LWD images in some of the examples. With more applications being developed to integrate this data, this opens up new avenues for geosciences and drilling solutions while drilling. This new technology overcomes the OBM barrier for high-resolution imaging while drilling, and coupled with feature-rich data transmission in real-time enables real-time decision making.