MODELING WHILE DRILLING

Directional drilling presents a range of technical challenges. Today, real-time geosteering teams
can use pseudo-logs with customized applications to model downhole tool responses and anticipate
lithological variations in horizontal wells while drilling. The expected tool responses can be
compared with actual results and used to guide the next stage of drilling. This approach has been
applied in several oil and gas fields and is becoming an established tool for many companies in the
Middle East and Asia.
In this article, Caroline Le Turdu, Indrajit Bandyopadhyay, Lothar Schulte, Bill Abbott, Raphael
Guerithault, Jim Lingley, and Steve Warner examine the importance of an effective workflow for
modeling during drilling operations and highlight the associated benefits.

The introduction of advanced geosteering techniques means

that LWD tool responses can be modeled ahead of the drill bit.
This helps to reduce uncertainty in complex geological settings.
It also enables geosteering teams to anticipatein real time
lithological variations and to place deviated and horizontal
wells more accurately.

Phase I: Building the earth model with all the available data
Depth-converted
seismic extracted
along the well path

Existing offset wells

Well planned
trajectory
Faults

drilling workflow is ideally suited to challenging environments,

where continuous monitoring and model updating are
essential to steer the well within the targeted reservoirs.
Most major oil companies now use the modeling-whiledrilling workflow. Widespread adoption of this method
reflects its quality, reliability, and value to operational teams.

Oil/water contact
Petrophysical
property

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7200

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The first step of the modeling-while-drilling workflow is to

create a robust and consistent earth model that incorporates
all the existing data. A typical earth model includes the
following datasets:
seismic surveys
horizons interpreted from the seismic data
fault interpretations
a 3D earth model
3D facies and petrophysical properties
workflows for volumetrics and uncertainty analysis
several predefined plotting windows
modeling-while-drilling workflows.
Creating the earth model is the most important step of
the workflow. This model will be used to gather and unify all
the field data, from initial exploration seismic data to
simulation studies, and will provide the basis for future well
planning and drilling operations. It is also the base-case
model for the modeling-while-drilling workflow and will be
used to guide important drilling decisions. This means it
must be quality checked by all team members to ensure its
effectiveness (Fig. 1).

-2800

Phase Ibefore drilling begins

-2800

Across Asia and the Middle East, some operators have found
that tight schedules for development projects and lack of
adequate planning tools result in inadequate well plans.
These poor-quality plans and the limited risk assessments
that are associated with them are the main causes of the
costly drilling problems, such as stuck pipe, kicks, and losses,
that add up to nonproductive time and significant cost
overruns. At the same time, because of high drilling costs,
smaller teams of engineers are often being asked to drill
increasingly difficult wells.
Well placement brings together many oilfield disciplines,
in particular drilling, geophysics, geology, and reservoir
management. For field operators, the main benefits of
effective well placement are maximized production with
minimized construction and intervention costs.
In the past, there was often a substantial delay between
gathering information and making decisions. Slow processing
and poor predictive modeling of well trajectories limited the
efficiency and reliability of drilling operations.
New technology enables drillers and asset teams to make
better decisions within very short time frames. Advanced
earth-modeling tools, such as Petrel* seismic-to-simulation
software, mean users can gather and unify all the relevant
data in a single application and quickly update their models.
Already applied in several oil and gas provinces, this approach
has the potential to transform modern drilling practices.
As more and more horizontal and multilateral wells are
drilled to drain reserves from thinner and more inaccessible
targets, drilling engineers and asset teams find that they have
smaller margins for error to work with. The modeling-while-

Figure 1: The model-building

process incorporates all the
available information, from seismic
to simulation data. Different views
illustrate how the well interacts
with the final model.

The first step of the modeling-while-drilling workflow is to create a robust

and consistent earth model that incorporates all the existing data and
soft information.

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Phase I: Building the earth model with all the available data

Synthetic logs
extracted from the
model

Top of reservoir
markers generated
from the model

Petrophysical property
simulated and projected along
the 3D well trajectory

Planned well trajectory

Offset wells with markers

Figure 2: The 3D well with expected horizons and synthetic logs.

Once the asset team members have created the model,

they can plan the well and send instructions to the drilling
department. They can also extract synthetic logs from the
petrophysical model along the planned well trajectory to
provide an idea of the log response that might be expected.
Well markers along the proposed path are also extracted to
identify the entry and exit points for each zone in the
model (Fig. 2).

Predrill modeling
The predrill modeling step combines the planned trajectory
and the geological subsurface model to create the optimum
well trajectory and data-acquisition strategy. Real-time
techniques often prove particularly valuable for steering
horizontal wells within thinly bedded sand/shale reservoirs.
In these jobs, preparatory work on the log simulation would
be beneficial.
The main objectives for well-placement strategies are
to identify uncertainties before drilling begins and to
make contingency plans to help mitigate any problems that
may arise.

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updating of the reservoir model to optimize drilling

operations. As drilling progressed, real-time data were entered
into the application and the predrill, 3D geological model was
updated throughout the drilling process.
The ROP was 10 m/h, which enabled the company to
update the model three times a day. With each update, the
Hoan Vu asset team obtained an accurate picture of the
progress and the expected results for each phase of the
drilling program. The team could also compare these results
with the predrilling estimates.
Using Petrel technology, Hoan Vu could incorporate
multiple data types into a single canvas when creating and
reviewing its well designs. For example, the ROP proved to
correspond directly to the fault results derived from the
software. The asset team found that when the well path
intersected the heavily faulted areas identified by the
automated structural interpretation module (ant-tracking
methods), the ROP increased. As the bit passed through
areas with little or no faulting, the ROP decreased.
Incorporating Petrel technology into interpretation,
modeling and drilling phases helped Hoan Vu deliver one of
the best basement wells ever drilled in Vietnam. The initial
production rates were 1,433 m3/d for oil and 22.6 MMcf/d
for gas.

Case study: Optimized drilling boosts well

performance for offshore field in Vietnam
Complex faulting poses a major challenge to operators who
want to optimize their drilling operations. The Hoan Vu Joint
Operating Company, a joint project between PetroVietnam,
SOCO International plc, and PTT Exploration and Production
Public Company Ltd, wanted to develop an accurate
reservoir model for an offshore field in Vietnam.
The model would help the asset team to optimize their
drilling and development strategies. Unfortunately, the
complex faulting and fracturing in the granite basement
reservoir made developing a reliable model very difficult.
Hoan Vu geoscientists selected Petrel software to help.

Identifying fault patterns

Petrel helped us to accurately

visualize the 3D geometry of complex
fault systems, confirm our seismic
and tectonic interpretations, and drill
an exceptionally productive well.
Vincent Duignan, general manager, Hoan Vu Joint
Operating Company

Geosteering in real time

Real-time geosteering software (RTGS) is a Schlumberger
application for well-placement services. With RTGS software,
users can extract the 2D geological model from the 3D Petrel
model in the form of a curtain sectiona vertical plane that
depicts the subsurface structural configuration along the
planned well path. This curtain section is then populated by
log properties from nearby wells to derive a subsurface layer
earth model.
Analysts can then convolve the planned well trajectory with
this layer earth model to simulate log responses. RTGS
contains the codes for all the available Schlumberger LWD
tools and hence can model log responses for any of them. The
aim is to predict, assuming that the subsurface configuration
matches the geoscience perceptions and that the well is being
drilled as planned, the log responses for a particular suite of
tools while the well is being drilled.
This simulation provides a tentative road map for the well
before drilling starts and helps the geosteering team to
evaluate possible drilling difficulties and to make
contingency plans using its knowledge of regional geology.

Log-simulation workflow
Once the 2D subsurface structural model (curtain section)
has been created, the second step is to populate it with the
petrophysical properties and so generate the 2D layer earth
model. Generally, well logs from nearby wells are squared to
define horizontal beds with uniform properties. Individual
bed properties are then propagated within the model
following the structural configuration. The process enables
the users to change the bed orientation and thickness
laterally if required, but it is assumed that the properties are
laterally consistent.
In the third step, the planned well trajectory is convolved
with the layer earth model to simulate log responses.
Simulation is conducted using a range of tool-specific codes.
This provides the user with accurate log responses that
reflect the apparent geological structure, the wellbores
location and orientation, and the relevant tool suite.

Working in partnership, Hoan Vu personnel and Schlumberger

Information Solutions staff created a reservoir model that
confirmed Hoan Vus seismic and tectonic data. The model
was then used to guide drilling operations. Real-time
solutions were not required, but the operator wanted rapid

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The geosteering team can use RTGS to monitor drilling in

real time. During drilling, the actual well trajectory and the
acquired logs can be directly streamed into the model, and a
similar log simulation can be conducted. The simulated logs
can then be correlated with the recorded logs, and the exact
structural configuration can be derived. This procedure,
which is performed continuously during drilling, enables the
team to modify the drilling plan to suit the changes in
subsurface and to suggest reactive measures to prevent exit
from the reservoir or pay section.
However, there are some limitations to this approach.
RTGS is confined to a curtain section, so it will not allow the
user to update the 3D model in real time or to visualize the
wells progress in 3D.
These limitations underline the need for the moresophisticated Petrel workflow to achieve effective modeling
while drilling. This workflow enables the team to quickly and
simply rebuild the model and incorporate all the data

5988000

Creating the modeling-while-drilling workflow

acquired in real time during drilling (Fig. 3). Such data may
include well trajectory, gamma ray and resistivity logs, and
other new information acquired in real time.

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The log-simulation process is used to build scenarios. The

first scenario, the base case, represents the layer earth model
that seems to be the most probable. Additional scenarios are
modeled to address
uncertainties due to changes in structural dip
depth uncertainties, where layers appear shallower
or deeper
the entry or exit of the well from the reservoir. For these
scenarios, the well is made to exit from the reservoir. The
logs simulated from these situations are used to see
whether the exit can be predicted and, if it can, how
much warning time the driller will have for avoiding it.

Figure 3: A simple workflow generated automatically by the Petrel

Process Manager. This can be used for automatic updating of the
model in real time.
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Building scenarios

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In addition to modeling log curves (1D arrays), RTGS also

enables users to model azimuthal images (2D arrays).
In the early days of geosteering, field operators wanted
advance indication of the drill bits approach to bed
boundaries that would enable the drilling engineer to
modify the trajectory accordingly. This deep azimuthal
resistivity modeling is now part of the established modelingwhile-drilling workflow. Propagation resistivity values from a
series of coaxial and tilted sensors are processed using an
inversion algorithm to detect bed boundaries at distances of
up to 4.5 m from the tool. This detection process enables the
geosteering team to establish accurately the position
(distance and direction) of the boundary before intersecting
it and to take positive decisions to avoid it.

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Scale of the update

Flexibility in the model updating process is crucial. Using
Petrel software, the asset team can decide to update the
entire field with the new data or to work only with part of
the field, such as the nearby offset wells. Whatever its
extent, this model is considered to be the operational model
and is used only for rapid updating that will support
decisions while drilling. Comprehensive updating of the
model will be done once the new well has been completed
and all the logs have been acquired and analyzed. All these
new data will be integrated within the regional model.

Figure 4: Preparation of the specific windows required to follow the well in various directions and dimensions. Those shown include
2D and 3D views, a map, well intersections, and a well correlation.

For asset teams, one of the most important challenges is

to bring all the necessary information together in a unified
earth model. Using Petrel software, geoscientists can create
an environment in which the process of sharing information
and knowledge enhances the decision-making process.
Within the collaboration room, data can be displayed on
high-resolution interactive 2D screens and by 3D
stereographic projection, where this is available. These highly
visual collaborative environments can be used during initial
well planning and during drilling.

Preparation of specific plotting

Each member of an asset team has a unique perspective on
the well and an individual way of working with the data
that are generated during drilling. In Petrel software, a
specific setup of user windows can be created for each
discipline and all types of data. These windows will
automatically be refreshed with the new data at every
update (Fig. 4).

Remote access
The collaboration room provides an excellent working
environment, but there may be times when team members
will have to share information and make important decisions
when they are in different locations. While drilling a real-time
trajectory, log data and other relevant information can be
sent directly from the rig site in WITSML [wellsite information
transfer standard markup language] format via satellite, radio,
or fiber-optic links. By using the InterACT* real-time
monitoring and data-delivery system, the asset team has
secure access to this information at the office, in the CVE, or
even at home via a personal computer from where the data
can be directly loaded into the Petrel software.

The collaboration room

Modeling while drilling calls for close collaboration between
team members and a high degree of spatial understanding
as the team works to assess the drilling options. Because of
the necessity for informed, cross-disciplinary decisions, there
is a clear benefit to undertaking the work in a collaborative
visualization environment (CVE) (Fig. 5).

Figure 5: Collaboration room facilities and connectivity.

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Phase III: Update of the model using Petrel Process Manager

Phase II: Drilling started, import of the data and interpretation

Synthetic logs
extracted from the
model

First portion of the drilled well imported

Synthetic logs
extracted from the
model

Top of reservoir
markers interpreted
using the real logs

Top of reservoir
markers interpreted
using the real logs

Real log acquired in

real time

Top of reservoir
markers generated
from the model

Petrophysical property
simulated and projected along
the 3D well trajectory

Planned well trajectory

Figure 6: Importing and interpreting data once drilling has started.

The second stage of the workflow covers the period when

drilling has started. The key objectives for this phase are to
import all the data that are relevant for modeling, to start
interpretation, and then to update the model (Fig. 6). The
interpretation of these new data involves
picking new markers
checking for possible shifts of key horizons
searching for layers with characteristic signatures, such as
coal units
reinterpreting the geology and geometry (lateral or
vertical extensions) of sand bodies.

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Middle East & Asia Reservoir Review

RUN > 21 seconds after the

model is updated, corrected
from the new top reservoir
marker and the new portion
of log

Planned well trajectory

Figure 7: Updating the model using the Petrel Process Manager.

Phase IIIreal-time updates for the

geological model
The third step of the modeling-while-drilling workflow is
real-time updating of the model. This process can be carried
out periodically during drilling so that the asset team can
make new predictions using the latest data. One of the most
critical factors governing these techniques is timing. Systems
must be available to quickly transfer the data from the field
into the model so that decisions on steering the well can be
made while it is being drilled.
Once all the new deviation and log data are available and
the changes in the well picks and the geological model are
completed, the entire model can be updated automatically
using the Petrel Process Manager (Fig. 7). Updating involves
regridding the entire structure, including the propagation of
various petrophysical properties such as gamma ray and
resistivity responses. It may also include some specific
operations such as volume calculations, dynamic simulations,
history-matching, and automatic plotting.

In almost every drilling operation, there will be a time when the

borehole crosses an unexpected fault or fracture, or encounters a
known fault in an unexpected location.

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Real log acquired in

real time

Petrophysical property
updated and projected along
the 3D well trajectory

Offset wells with markers

Phase IIimporting and interpreting data

First portion of the drilled well imported

Adding or modifying fault information

Changing the position of a marker

In almost every drilling operation, there will be a time when

the borehole crosses an unexpected fault or encounters a
known fault in an unexpected location. When this happens,
it is important to incorporate or change the faults position
with an estimated throw within the model because it may
impact on the structure of the reservoir that the asset team
is targeting.

Altering marker positions is the most critical part of the

model update. The asset team checks the logs acquired in
real time and, before making any changes to the model,
must validate the new markers. Marker positions can be
modified and quality controlled in a 3D view, a 2D well
correlation window, or using a spreadsheet (Fig. 8).

Figure 8: A well marker

position can be changed
either in the spreadsheet
or directly in a 3D window.

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Problem
with the drill
bit, change
to another
one

Gas zone

Reservoir

Oil zone

Oil zone

Horizon 2

Horizon 3

Horizon 4

Figure 10: Real-time log simulation.

Shale
zone

Horizon 5

Figure 9: Dip and azimuth data can be integrated into the model and visualized either in a well correlation section or in
a 3D window as a 3D volume.

Changing the position of a horizon

RTGS while drilling

During the early stages of a drilling operation, the asset

team will often observe a systematic shift of all the horizons.
This shift may be related to the depth-conversion methods
being used. This kind of discrepancy can be easily resolved in
real time using the Petrel Process Manager. The team can
either alter the depth of the horizons or modify the well
horizons associated with a radius of influence, which will
only apply locally around the drilled section.

During drilling, RTGS is used for real-time monitoring and

adjustment of the well trajectory relative to the desired
target. This helps to ensure that all the defined objectives for
the well are met. Real-time MWD and LWD data are
streamed into RTGS via the InterACT system to facilitate easy
access to the modeling software at the rig site or in the
office. The well-placement workflow combines RTGS with
Petrel software, and, when significant geological changes
occur, the Petrel 3D model can be quickly updated and a
new curtain section can be extracted for continued
modeling in RTGS.
The progressive changes in the log responses observed
with RTGS enable the operation team to react when, for
example, the drill bit approaches the boundaries of the
reservoir zone (Fig. 10).

Integrating data
During drilling, the asset team can combine data from the
FMI* Fullbore Formation MicroImager tool with dip and
azimuth data extracted from images (Fig. 9). This integration
of available data helps to optimize drilling decisions.

Geologists can adjust all the modeling parameters (such as the

facies model, the shapes of channels, or the variograms) and use
the Petrel Process Manager to update the model automatically.

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Redefining the geological content

Audit trail and reporting

During drilling, the asset geologists may notice that the

shape of the facies bodies or the facies distribution is not
exactly as expected, and new log data may require them to
change the reservoir properties of the model. Geologists can
adjust all the modeling parameters (such as the facies model,
the shapes of channels, or the variograms) and use the Petrel
Process Manager to update the model automatically.

The Petrel Process Manager continuously captures all the

parameters used in the workflow to regenerate the earth
model. Collating everything from seismic information to
simulation data means that projects can be archived and
retrieved at any time. Petrel Process Manager workflows can
be copied from one project to another to help standardize
all work processes. This helps asset teams to make consistent
and reliable comparisons between various projects.
When the model is updated, all the windows (2D images,
3D images, plots, and intersections) related to it are
simultaneously updated. This means that composite plots
and customized montages can be printed automatically
when the workflow is complete. The updating and printing
of these plots can be added at the end of the Petrel Process
Manager workflow. These graphical reports can be sent to
the drilling department as a common discussion document
before final drilling decisions are taken.

Advanced volumetric analysis and

uncertainty workflows
Advanced volumetric analysis can be included in the Petrel
Process Manager workflow so that the end product of the
run is a spreadsheet with a complete report of volumetrics.
This is particularly helpful if important changes have been
made to the structure of the model.
In addition, the uncertainty of most of the models
parameters can be assessed using the Petrel Process
Manager, and this information can be included in the realtime update of the model. This approach delivers a volume
distribution of the reservoir that is based on several
realizations of the model using stochastically selected
parameter values within an estimated uncertainty range. It
enables the asset team to see immediately how new data
may affect the estimates of reservoir volume.

Frequency of updating
In geosteering operations, updates are typically required two
or three times daily, but this, of course, depends on the
drilling progress. Once the new dataset (well trajectory, logs,
and changes in well markers) has been imported, the
updating process may take up to a few minutes, depending
on the complexity of the workflow involved.

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Nymphe
Palawan

SULU SEA

Phase IV: Decision on the next path to be drilled

SOUTH CHINA SEA

First portion of the drilled well imported
Synthetic logs
extracted from the
model

Sembakung
Bunyu/Nibung/Tapa

Top of reservoir
markers interpreted
using the real logs

SABAH

Hakebabo/Juata/
Baram field
Mamburungan/
Mengatal/Pamusian/
Sesanip

Next points to be
drilled

BRUNEI
CELEBES SEA

SARAWAK

Petrophysical property
updated and projected along
the 3D well trajectory

KALIMANTAN

RUN > 21 seconds after the

model is updated, corrected
from the new top reservoir
marker and the new portion
of log

Sangatta

Planned well trajectory

Kerindingan/Melahin/Serang

Figure 11: The location of Baram field.

Attaka

Bontang/Santan

AK

AS

SA
R

ST

Senipah

Balikpapan
Case study: Optimized drilling paths,
Lawi Lawi
offshore Malaysia
Bekapai/Lerang

Peciko NW

RA

IT

Figure 12: Decision time and designing of the next targets to be drilled.

Badak/Nilam/Tambora
Tunu
Handil/Pamaguan KALIMANTAN
Nubi/Sisi

The benefits of real-time geosteering are increased success

rates for well placement, better well performance, and lower
costs associated with drilling operations.
The offshore Baram field near Sarawak, Malaysia, consists
of faulted stacked reservoirs (Fig. 11). This complex structure
JAVA SEA
makes
precise well placement essential. Until recently, the
Sulawesi
field operator, PETRONAS Carigali, had designed well
trajectories using 2D maps. This approach required
considerable time and effort to update.
PETRONAS Carigali engineers decided that successful wellpath design required field models that could be built
through an iterative process using subsurface-data
integration. A key requirement was that these models could
quickly be rebuilt using new data and interpretations. As
each well was drilled, the Petrel data were used to finalize
the well completion plans.
This approach helped PETRONAS Carigali save an estimated
USD 4,500,000 in rig time for nine wells in Baram field.

Phase IVmaking decisions and designing

new wells
The ability to share the same model and the same vision
between
the asset team and the drilling department leads
SULAWESI
to better communication and reduces the risk of making a
wrong decision.
Discussions among team members, and the decisions that
result from them, can be conducted during meetings with
projected or printed views, or in a CVE. The CVE option
enables the team to view all the data in 2D or 3D and to edit
it as work proceeds.
After the model has been updated, new targets can be
designed, and, in many cases, a new well profile can be sent
back to the rig site within a couple of hours (Fig. 12).

Conclusions
Modeling in real time enables field operators to build easily

Visualizing the 3D geometry of complex fault systems,

updatable geological and reservoir (earth) models. This

integrating seismic and tectonic interpretations, merging

means geophysicists, geologists, and reservoir engineers

all these data, and testing volumetrics and uncertainty

can change any data and test different scenarios while

in a completely unified environment such as Petrel

drilling. The earth model can be updated two or three times

software have proved to be helpful in improving decision

a day for particularly complex drilling projects.

taking as well as in drilling exceptionally productive

This unified workflow enables geoscientists to include

wells. This unified solution and real-time workflow are

advanced volumetrics and mapping within the process,

also seen by many clients as very useful tools to aid

which can be crucial for seeing the impact on the

communication between asset and operation teams.

volumes of a change in the structure, for example. In

addition, uncertainty workflows can also be incorporated
to deliver a full volume distribution for the reservoir. Both
advanced volumetrics reporting and uncertainty
assessment can be done in real time while drilling.

Reference
Le Turdu, C., Bandyopadhyay, I., Ruelland, P., and Grivot, P.: A New
Approach to Log Simulation in a Horizontal DrainTambora
Geosteering Project, Balikpapan, Indonesia, paper SPE 88448 (2004).

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