Achieving Optimal Horizontal Drill Operations

Authors

Daniel J. Serna, Southern Methodist UniversityFollow
James Vasquez, Southern Methodist UniversityFollow
Donald Markley, Triple Crown ResourcesFollow

Abstract

In this paper, we present a novel method of predicting the onset of a slide event in horizontal drilling operations. Horizontal drilling operations attempt to create a well through a subsurface as quickly as possible by rotating a drill through the subsurface. A slide event occurs when the drill begins to inefficiently rotate through the subsurface, resulting in a significantly reduced rate of penetration. Slide events can be prevented, or significantly reduced in their impact, when their onset is accurately predicted. We present a method of accurately predicting the onset of slide events with a time-series based predictive model that operates on real-time drilling data. We identify controllable features that allow drill operators to mitigate or prevent slide events.

Recommended Citation

Serna, Daniel J.; Vasquez, James; and Markley, Donald (2019) "Achieving Optimal Horizontal Drill Operations," SMU Data Science Review: Vol. 2: No. 3, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholar.smu.edu/datasciencereview/vol2/iss3/2

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License