American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2020 - 63

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SpecialReport: Drilling Innovations

Drilling BHAs Gain Speed, Precision
By Colter Cookson
A bottom-hole assembly is like an orchestra in that when its components work
together, the results can be amazing.
Whether that result is a stunning performance of the hit musical "Hamilton"
or a record-setting run in a formation
full of tough stringers, it takes time to
achieve quality. Just as musicians spend
decades rehearsing several hours a day,
the engineers who design BHA components continue to hone their craft to
deliver stellar performances.
That drive for efficiency is reshaping
mud motors and the rotary steerable systems those motors often support. According to their manufacturers, the latest
motors and rotary steerables can drill
longer, faster and more precisely than
their predecessors, providing meaningful
reductions in drilling costs and improvements in hole quality that are welcome
now more than ever.
"These are unprecedented times," reflects Myles Woloshyn, president and
chief executive officer of Turbo Drill Industries Inc. (TDI). "For the past four
years, we have focused on ensuring we
can survive at $35 oil and thrive at $45.
Today, we are developing tools and techniques that can help the industry thrive
at $35 and survive at $25."
Collaboration between operators and
service companies is key to the industry's
success, Woloshyn argues. "We need to
work together to examine every step of
the well delivery process and make it
more efficient," he outlines. "That likely
will mean standardizing well designs,
hole sizes and BHA components to streamline supply chains."
Because standardization is crucial
to efficiency, Turbo Drill has developed
a customizable BHA with standardized
components aimed at reducing drilling
costs in shale plays, Woloshyn reports.
TDI's customizable BHA consists of a
next-generation drilling motor, any
measurement-while-drilling system, a
friction reduction tool and a stick-slip
mitigation tool.
According to Woloshyn, every component is designed to be easy to manufacture and service. He adds that TDI
makes every part in the United States,
which simplifies quality control and ensures they will be available even when

unusual events disrupt international manufacturing or shipping.
"To control costs, the only electronic
component in the BHA is the MWD
tool," Woloshyn says. "Mechanical systems
can drill wells at a much lower cost. Our
goal is to achieve 85%-90% of an electronic system's performance with half
the daily cost and only 40% of the lostin-hole cost."
Compound Angle Motor
The customizable BHA can deliver
such strong performance because it uses
a compound angle motor, Woloshyn says.
"This proprietary motor has a lower bendangle on the outside and an internal bend
on the inside," he describes. "While
sliding, the two angles combine, allowing
the motor to achieve high build rates in
the curve."
If the wellbore deviates from the plan
in the lateral, the motor's high dogleg
capability while sliding allows for quick
corrections, mentions Chad Feddema,
TDI's chief technology officer. "Switching
from a conventional motor to a compound

angle motor dramatically reduces the
sliding time," he states.
The motor's flexibility allows the driller
to complete the curve and lateral in a
single run, Woloshyn says. In addition to
reducing trips, this simplifies the service
company's supply chain. "For every motor,
the industry historically has demanded a
backup motor on location, plus another
in the shop. Using one motor design to
drill the curve and lateral, rather than
two, frees up at least one motor to go
elsewhere, helping the service company
deliver quality products at a lower cost."
When the motor is rotating, it drills
faster than high bend-angle designs, Feddema says. "With any bend-angle, the
bit will deviate slightly and waste energy
drilling an over-gauge hole. The lower
the bend-angle, the more drilling efficiency
increases," he explains.
The low bend-angle also reduces cyclic
stress on the motor, allowing it to run at
higher drill string revolutions, Feddema
adds. "The compound angle motor can
withstand 120 rpm in applications where
high bend-angle motors would rapidly

To reduce drilling costs, Turbo Drill Industries Inc. has developed a compound angle
motor that has a lower bend-angle on the outside and an internal bend on the inside.
While sliding, TDI says, the two angles combine, allowing the motor to achieve high build
rates in the curve. It is embedded with sensors that gather shock, vibration, rpm and
temperature data to help pinpoint drilling dysfunctions, TDI adds.

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