1

PETE 411
Well Drilling
Lesson 33
Directional Drilling
2
Directional Drilling
N When is it used?
N Type I Wells
N Type II Wells
N Type III Wells
N Directional Well Planning & Design
N Survey Calculation Methods
Build
and Hold
Build-Hold
and Drop
Continuous
Build
KOP
EOC
I II III
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Read ADE Ch.8 (Reference)
HW #17 due 11-27-02
HW #18 due 12-06-02
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Inclination Angle
, , , , , I
Direction Angle
, , , , , A
5
6
Max.
Horiz.
Depart.
?
7
8
9
10
11
12
Type I Type II Type III
Build
and Hold
Build-Hold
and Drop
Continuous
Build
KOP
EOC
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x
y
I
I
r
r
L
In the BUILD
Section
x = r (1 - cos I)
y = r sin I
L = r
rad
deg
I r
180
= L

BUR *
000 , 18
r

=
14
15
Fig. 8.11
4 2 1 3 1
x r r and x r < + <
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4 2 1 3 1
x r r and x r > + <
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N18E
N55W
S20W
S23E
Azimuth
Angle
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Example 1: Design of Directional Well
Design a directional well with the following
restrictions:
Total horizontal departure = 4,500 ft
True vertical depth (TVD) = 12,500 ft
Depth to kickoff point (KOP) = 2,500 ft
Rate of build of hole angle = 1.5 deg/100 ft
Type I well (build and hold)
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Example 1: Design of Directional Well
(i) What is the maximum hole angle
required.
(ii) What is the total measured depth (MD)?
(MD = well depth measured
along the wellbore,
not the vertical depth)
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(i) Maximum
Inclination
Angle
ft 820 , 3
5 . 1
000 , 18
r
1
= == =

= == =
0 r
2
= == =
( (( ( ) )) )
ft 000 , 10
500 , 2 500 , 12
D D
1 4
= == =
= == =

ft 500 , 4 x
4
= == =
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(i) Maximum Inclination Angle









+ ++ +
= == =
500 , 4 ) 820 , 3 ( 2
500 , 4 ) 820 , 3 ( 2 000 , 10 500 , 4 000 , 10
tan 2
2 2
1 -

3 . 26
max
= == =








+ ++ +
+ ++ + + ++ +
= == =

4 2 1
4 2 1
2
1 4
2
4 1 4 1
max
x ) r r ( 2
x ) r r ( 2 ) D D ( x D D
tan 2
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(ii) Measured Depth of Well
ft 395
) 26.3 cos - 3,820(1
) cos 1 ( r x
1 Build
= == =
= == =
= == =

ft 4,105
395 500 , 4 x
Hold
= == =
= == =
ft 265 , 9 L
105 , 4 sin L
Hold
Hold
= == =
= == =
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(ii) Measured Depth of Well
Hold rad 1 1
L r D MD + ++ + + ++ + = == =
ft 518 , 13 MD = == =
265 , 9
180
26.3
3,820 2,500 + ++ +







+ ++ + = == =
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* The actual well path hardly ever coincides with
the planned trajectory
* Important: Hit target within specified radius
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What is known?
I
1
, I
2
, A
1
, A
2
,
L = MD
1-2
Calculate
= dogleg angle
DLS = 100/ 100/ 100/ 100/L
DLS =
dogleg
severity
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(20)