Wired BHA Applications in Underbalanced Coiled Tubing Drilling

Abstract

Abstract Underbalanced directional drilling with coiled tubing is emerging as an instrumental technique for accessing new and bypassed reserves while enhancing overall reservoir recovery since, unlike jointed-pipe operations, circulation does not have to be interrupted every 30 feet to make connections. Coiled tubing drilling (CTD) thus offers the potential to achieve genuine steady state underbalanced conditions resulting in the elimination of formation damage, lost circulation and differential sticking. One of the enabling technologies assisting the growth of underbalanced directional CTD is the wireline-steerable bottom hole assembly (BHA). In contrast to conventional mud pulse telemetry systems, these purpose-built wired BHAs have been designed to accommodate efficient, continuously underbalanced drilling operations while also providing an opportunity for reservoir evaluation while drilling. The paper details the operational results for several underbalanced and low-head CTD projects involving an integrated wireline-steerable BHA. The most recent wells were completed in the North Sea, Canada and United States in 1999. Topics discussed include equipment performance, nitrified fluids, wellbore stability, well results and learning points. An analysis of time-based underbalanced CTD data is also presented.