Novel Drilling Technology Delivers a Step Change in Challenging Deepwater Operations

Abstract

Jar technology has been around in the oil industry for several decades and its basic principles have remained primarily the same. As the oil industry moves forward in the exploration and development of unconventional hydrocarbon reserves, the demand for tougher, more reliable, and safer tools is more critical. Deeper wells and more complex well geometries are pushing the drilling envelopes, requiring tools to be engineered not only to withstand higher stresses downhole, but also to provide higher levels of safety on the rig floor. Through the engineering of simple but ingenious features, this paper describes how jar technology has been taken to a higher level. A jar has been designed acknowledging the most important features required in the current demanding drilling scenarios. The industry is not only looking for safer and more reliable tools, but also tools that will provide higher firing loads to increase the levels of success of freeing a drill string during a stuck pipe incident. The loads delivered during the first hours of a stuck pipe event can significantly improve the chances of retrieving the drill string safely to surface. The design features employed in this new technology maintain the same operating procedures of standard designs, but have increased the torque, tensile, and pressure ratings of the tool. In addition, current technology can suffer damage from excessive internal pressure build up when the over-pull rating of the tools are exceeded; particularly in deepwater applications where heave can be a contributing factor. A device has been engineered to protect the tool if such a condition is reached. The new jar also features a modular safety mechanism that will eradicate the use of the traditional safety collars eliminating the potential hazards of dropping objects on the rig floor. This paper will provide an overview of the innovative technology, plus review the initial field trials. Testing and field trials will demonstrate how this technology is a true step change, matching the growing demands of the drilling industry.