The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has achieved the highest rate of penetration (ROP) ever achieved in Kuwait’s North field.
According to a media release received by arabianoilandgas.com, KOC has been able to achieve this feat due to the usage of Baker Hughes, a GE Company’s (BHGE) TerrAdapt adaptive drill bit, combined with the BHGE AutoTrak eXpress rotary steerable system – the first deployment of the product in the region.
The North field poses a challenge for oilfield equipment application, with high levels of vibration during drilling that can lead to non-productive time and damage to the drill string.
The combination of the BHGE products reduced drilling vibration by over 33% compared to previous systems and increased ROP by 42% over the field average. In addition, KOC saved 19 hours of drilling time in one section and safely delivered the section one day earlier than offsets with zero non-productive time.
Waleed Al Saffar, development drilling team IV leader for KOC, said: “We are consistently seeking innovative technologies that enable us to achieve higher levels of operational efficiency and reliability in our drilling operations.”
“As our long-term partner, BHGE understands our requirements, and together we deployed the region’s first smart drill bit for the challenging North field operations. The results have been exceptional, with breakthrough performance achieved at all levels. This will help accelerate the operations of the field and bring production online ahead of schedule,” Al Saffar was quoted as saying in the press release.
BHGE’s TerrAdapt adaptive drill bit with the AutoTrak eXpress rotary steerable system stands out for its ability to adjust to downhole conditions automatically to achieve smoother, faster drilling and extended tool life.
It enables more efficient drilling by reducing the overloading of cutting structures while assuring cost-effective deployment and accurate, consistent drilling performance.
“This was certainly a breakthrough performance in all aspects and we are excited about the potential of this smart technology. Optimising performance and efficiencies is one of many key performance indicators we strive to achieve at KOC and the TerrAdapt bit certainly set the bar high. After running the smart bit in north Kuwait fields, we are looking at running TerrAdapt bits in another challenging application in west Kuwait,” Saleh Gholoum, senior drilling engineer for KOC, said.
Soufiane Kanoun, Geo-Market Director, North Gulf & Turkey for BHGE, added: “Since the first supply of turbomachinery to support Kuwait’s oil and gas sector four decades ago, we have been a committed partner in introducing innovative technologies that strengthen operational efficiencies. The new TerrAdapt adaptive drill bit is an industry game changer, and by marking its regional introduction in Kuwait, we are underlining our focus on bringing smart, innovative technologies that help achieve greater levels of reliability and performance. This is a notable example of global technology at work with a strong and committed local workforce to achieve exceptional results.”
The innovative technology builds on BHGE’s growing footprint in Kuwait, where it is providing a set of solutions from across its fullstream portfolio.
BHGE is also collaborating with KOC for training in the field of research and development, with the aim of developing cost-saving solutions for the oil and gas sector and offering specialised training programmes to enhance the skills and expertise of Kuwaiti engineers.
