DTEK Oil&Gas has successfully applied the VerticalScout® Mechanical Rotary Steerable System while drilling one of its challenging wells in Poltava Region. The use of the technology increased the rate of penetration by 20% compared with an alternative solution and provided a potential economic benefit of more than USD 100,000. VerticalScout® technology was implemented in cooperation with the U.S. company Scout.
The project became another example of the company's systematic work to implement modern technologies in its production processes. To achieve this, DTEK Oil&Gas combines the expertise of its own Service Company and Engineering & Technology Center with the experience and technologies of leading international companies, enabling it to promptly integrate innovative global solutions and adapt them to Ukrainian geological conditions.
The system was used while drilling the 8½-inch vertical section of the wellbore at depths from 4,050 to 4,892 metres in complex geological conditions with formation dips of 10–15°. Under such conditions, conventional drilling methods require additional operations to maintain wellbore verticality, which affects both the duration and cost of operations. VerticalScout® autonomously maintained the planned drilling trajectory, while also allowing high drilling parameters to be sustained without additional restrictions.
During the operations, two tools completed three runs and accumulated more than 530 circulating hours as part of both rotary and motorised bottom-hole assemblies. After drilling was completed, the equipment was pulled out of hole with minimal stabiliser wear.
The use of the technology made it possible to eliminate part of the operations typical for a conventional bottom-hole assembly with a mud motor and MWD telemetry system. As a result, drilling time was reduced by more than five days, which is about 20% of the expected duration, and a potential economic benefit of more than USD 100,000 was achieved.
"Every day of drilling rig operation requires significant resources, so even saving several days has a tangible impact on project efficiency. But equally important for us is that this result confirms the effectiveness of the approach that DTEK Oil&Gas has been consistently developing for many years. We systematically test, adapt and implement modern technologies, combining the capabilities of our own Service Company, Engineering & Technology Center and international technology partnerships. This cooperation is what enables us to quickly integrate new solutions into production and improve drilling efficiency in Ukrainian geological conditions," said Maksym Dorokhov, Head of DTEK Oil&Gas Engineering & Technology Center.
DTEK Oil&Gas continues to expand cooperation with international technology companies, implementing modern engineering solutions to improve drilling efficiency and hydrocarbon production. The company views this approach as one of the key tools for development and for bringing advanced global expertise into Ukraine's oil and gas sector.
