CASE HISTORY
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AutoTrak eXact RSS Delivered Record ROP, Run Length, and
Pay Zone Footage in Challenging Formation
Location: Middle East
21
Results
Drilled challenging, high-angle
well profile
AVERAGE RATE OF PENETRATION (ft/hr)
nn
18
Previous fastest and longest run
(4 3/4-in. AutoTrak™ eXact RSS)
Established multiple field records for
ROP, run length, and fewest trips
nn
15
Minimized bit and BHA wear in
challenging drilling environment
nn
Current longest and fastest run
(4 3/4-in. AutoTrak eXact RSS)
Challenges
12
Hard, abrasive sand and siltstone
was causing significant downhole
tool wear
nn
9
Deep, highly-deviated well
nn
Sub-optimal ROP on several
offset wells
nn
6
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
RUN LENGTH (ft)
The AutoTrak system set field records for footage drilled and ROP, whereas competitor systems repeatedly failed to
perform well in both simultaneously.
A Middle East operator was drilling in a field
with hard and abrasive sand and siltstone. The
challenging formation was causing torsional
stick-slip, slow rates of penetration (ROP) and
high wear and tear on the bottomhole assembly
(BHA) and other drilling equipment.
Faced with ever-increasing well construction
costs, the operator contacted Baker Hughes for
a solution that would maximize drill bit life and
run length on their next well which had a highdeviation and was targeted to reach a total
depth (TD) of 21,548 ft (6568 m).
After careful review of the well plan, the
operator and the Baker Hughes drilling
teams selected the 4¾-in. AutoTrak™ eXact
rotary steerable system because its technical
capabilities best matched the operational
requirements for the deep, highly-deviated well.
The AutoTrak eXact system maintains a
continuous proportional steering vector
throughout drilling operations using three
precision-controlled pads mounted on a slowrotating sleeve. This steering principle is unique
to AutoTrak systems, and delivers smooth, ingauge holes, exact well placement, and faster,
more reliable drilling performance.
Despite the challenging conditions and highlydeviated well path, the AutoTrak eXact system
established multiple records for the field
by drilling 7,018 ft (2139 m) of payzone—
Baker Hughes solution
Deployed a 4¾-in. AutoTrak eXact
rotary steerable system featuring
continuous proportional steering
CASE HISTORY
including a single run of 2,442 ft (744 m)—
quickly and efficiently with three fewer trips
than the best competitor offset.
Because AutoTrak systems use internal
hydraulics to power the independent steering
pads, their steering control is not affected, by
drilling dynamics or artificially restricted by by
flow rates, and drilling fluid properties. This
flexibility allowed the operator to match the bit
design to the formation challenges.
On a subsequent well, the AutoTrak eXact
system used continuous proportional steering
to push the field’s benchmark performance
further by:
Drilling up to 5% faster than the best offset
nn
Extending the average run length by up
to 15%
nn
Achieving 7,296 ft (2224 m) of pay
zone exposure
nn
Drilling a single run of 2,790 ft (850 m)
nn
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