SPE 115765

Solving Swelling Clay Issues: Drilling with Expandable Reamers in WBM

Reduces Trip Time by 66%, Argentina
Hugo Bazzara, Hugo Biasotti, Angel Romero, Repsol-YPF, Marcelo Crovetto, Smith Services and Cezar Pinheiro,
Smith Borehole Enlargement Group
Copyright 2008, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2008 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Denver, Colorado, USA, 2124 September 2008.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
The Chihuido de La Salina field is located in the folded thrust belt of the Neuqun Basin in west-central Argentina, about 200
kilometers northwest of the city Neuqun (Figure 1). The field contains several fault blocks, which produce both oil and gas.
Generally, production is controlled by a thrusted anticline, structurally high in the north and relatively low to the south. The
most important portion of the field produces oil from the steeply dipping flanks. Efficiently drilling the swelling clay
formations of the Neuqun group (Upper Cretaceous), in Chihuido de La Salina field (ChLS), has been a distinctive
challenge and is the subject of this papers analysis and multiple-well case studies.

Clay Mineralogy
To better understand the clay swelling issues in Chihuido de La Salina field, a basic review is provided of the Neuqun group
shale formations. The group consists of terrestrial sediments (Figure 2) laid down during the Rio Grandico sedimentary
cycle (Upper Cretaceous). The formations contain two main shale constituents including smectite (70%) and illite (20%).

In the smectite shales, montmorillonite is the most critical mineral with regards to swelling. If an atom of aluminum (Al3+) is
replaced by an atom of magnesium (Mg2+), it will cause an additional electron or negative charge (Figure 3). The net
negative charge is compensated by cation adsorption on the surfaces of the external/internal structure and is likely to cause a
phenomenon know as exchangeable clay cations. These charged cations can be either an ion of sodium (Na+) or a double
charged ion of calcium (Ca2+) or magnesium (Mg2+). This reaction produces either sodium montmorillonite, calcium
montmorillonite and/or magnesium montmorillonite.

The change in clay mineralogy reduces the strength of the repelling forces between layers allowing water to enter and occupy
the intra-layer space. Smectites have an expandable structure which increases colloidal activity due to a significant increment
of specific surface. All of the structures surfaces, including intra-layers are available to hydration and cationic exchange.
These characteristics give montmorillonite the capacity to swell between layers due to hydration (Figure 4). Although illite
clays have the same basic structure as montmorillonites, they dont normally display the same swelling characteristics. In
Chihuido de La Salina field, the 8-1/2 hole section must be drilled through formations that contain 70% of the problematic
smectite shale constituent, negatively impacting drilling economics.

Background Drilling the Neuqun Group

Initial field development began in 1995 using water base mud (WBM). Despite the presence of a potassium chloride
inhibitor in the mud, the operator was experiencing severe lost-time incidents related to swelling clay formations in the 8-
1/2 hole section including excessive trips to ream, wash-over, free stuck pipe and in the worst case scenario, sidetracking
due to BHA lost-in-hole.

To help improve field economics, the operator began utilizing oil base mud (OBM) in 2003 significantly reducing the clay
swelling issues. However, it became necessary to increase the mud weight to 10-11 ppg in order to stabilize the hole and
limit salt intrusion into the wellbore slightly reducing drilling efficiency. In spite of the OBM success, environmental issues
forced the operator to return to WBM in 2006, resulting in the same lost-time incidents previously associated with the
swelling clay formations in the Neuqun group.
2 SPE 115765

OBM vs WBM
Penetration rates suffered when the operator initially changed from an oil-base mud to a water-based system. The average
time to drill the Neuqun group portion of the 8-1/2 section increased 14.2% up from 141.7 hrs with OBM to 165.1 hrs with
WBM. Although the same PDC bit was used, engineers surmised that bit balling was most likely responsible for the decline
in penetration rates. More significant than reduction in penetration rate (ROP), there was a 100% increase in the cumulative
tripping distance and tripping time skyrocketed by 400%.

This was caused by a multitude of problems during trips that resulted in 100% increase in the time per distance tripped and
the need to trip more frequently (double the distance), due to clay swelling in the Neuqun group shales. It was clear the
operator required new drilling technology and techniques to efficiently complete the 8-1/2 hole section using WBM drilling
through the swelling clay formation.

Solution Expandable Reamer

To solve the swelling with WBM problems, the service provider recommended the operator drill and simultaneously enlarge
the hole section with a 10-1/4 expandable reamer and 8-1/2 PDC pilot bit to determine if the degree of improvement would
justify the additional expense of the reamer.

The proposed new-style BHA incorporated the innovative expandable reaming technology that, in other applications, was
able to reliably cut longer intervals through a wide range of formations types at faster penetration rates than other products
available on the market. This concentric reamer (Figure 5) has met the technical challenges and performance risks in
deepwater and other high-cost/high-profile drilling environments worldwide.1,2

The reamers toughness and durability comes from its one-piece cutter block and extension mechanism design. The tongue
and groove actuation system traverses each of the three PDC cutter-laden blocks and opens them to a pre-selected diameter.
The blocks are then locked in place by the tools hydraulic system. The single piece body design increases the tools torque
and load carrying capacity ensuring it can efficiently handle the heavy weight of any type BHA component hung below. The
service provider and the operator agreed on the following objectives using the new reamer BHA:

Reduce total time spent tripping

Minimize risks during trips
Minimize fishing operations, back-off, wash pipe, etc
Minimize risks of BHA lost-in-hole and associated costs
Minimize sidetracks events

Reamer vs. Non-Reamer Runs

In August 2007, the operator ran the expandable reamer technology and a new simultaneous hole enlargement drilling
technique on five wells with outstanding results compared to previous wells drilled with just a PDC BHA in WBM. On these
five test-wells, the reamer/PDC BHA drilled out the 9-5/8 casing shoe at approximately 350m and continued drilling
through the problematic Neuqun group to the kick-off point (KOP) between 900m - 1100m. At KOP, the reamer was
tripped-out and drilling continued with a conventional directional PDC BHA to TD. As part of the performance analysis and
to ensure a thorough field study, engineers incorporated data obtained from wells drilled with OBM and WBM in a variety of
analysis and conclusion scenarios:

Wells drilled with OBM without the reamer and a 4/5 bladed PDC
Wells drilled with WBM without the reamer and a 4/5 bladed PDC
Wells drilled with WBM and the expandable reamer technology and new PDC technology

Hours - Tripping vs. Drilling

The multi-tiered study revealed the reamer had a positive impact on several critical drilling operations. Firstly, tripping time
and tripping distance were basically equal on wells drilled with the reamer in WBM compared to wells drilled without the
reamer in OBM (Figure 6).

Repsol engineers also developed a ratio system to quantitatively measure the effects of changing the mud system with regards
to drilling hours versus tripping hours between all three groups of wells. Basically, a high ratio number means the operator
spent less time tripping during the same amount of drilling hours. When drilling with OBM, the ratio between drilling hours
and tripping hours averaged 2.85. When using WBM without the hole enlargement tool, drilling efficiency dropped
significantly and the ratio plummeted to just 0.86. However, when the operator applied the expandable reaming technology,
the ratio jumped back to 2.60, documenting wells drilled with the reamer in WBM were nearly as efficient as wells drilled
without the reamer in OBM.
SPE 115765 3

ROP Challenges - WBM

As discussed previously, a 14.2% average reduction in penetration rates occurred in all wells drilled with WBM versus those
drilled with OBM. This performance degradation was attributed to bit/bottomhole balling. However, in spite of drilling a
larger hole (10-1/4 vs 8-1/2) and a secondary cutting structure, penetration rates achieved using the reamer and PDC bit in
WBM were similar to those drilled with PDCs without the reamer in WBM (Figure 7). The maximum ROP achieved
drilling the five test-wells was 18.6 m/hr on ChLS 1190. However, with further study and optimization planning, engineers
hypothesize an ROP of 20 m/h is technically feasible drilling with the reamer/PDC BHA in WBM down to a kick-off point of
approximately 1100m.

Days vs. Depth (WBM)

Once the OBM runs had been analyzed against the WBM runs, engineers wanted to focus on just wells drilled with WBM
(with and without the reamer). To help accomplish this task, some irrelevant timing records were deleted that would have
skewed the factual performance results including:

Rig repair time

Directional survey time
Connection times
Down time for inclement weather

For the purpose of the study, engineers selected ChLS 1186 as the baseline well because it achieved the best overall
performance of all wells drilled in Chihuido de La Salina field without the reamer in WBM (Figure 8). After plotting time
(hrs) versus depth (m), it became apparent the first two wells drilled with the reamer in WBM (ChLS 1188, ChLS 1187) did
not yield significant performance gains to KOP compared to the baseline well. The lack of performance differentiation was
attributed mainly to running conservative operating parameters to learn how the new reamer/PDC bit combination would
react to various changes in formations and different RPM/WOB variations.

Once below the KOP, the differences in ROP on ChLS 1188/ChLS1187 (Figure 8) were mainly due to PDC bit selection.
On well ChLS 1187, another bit suppliers steerable PDC product (HCM505) delivered significantly lower ROP throughout
the entire 8-1/2 run. In fact, the HC-style PDC delivered the lowest ROP of any well drilled with the reamer in WBM.
Conversely, the initial trail well drilled with the service providers PDC technology (Mi516MUPX) and expandable reamer
was only slightly slower than the baseline ROP up to KOP at approximately 910m, but made significant improvement in the
directional portion of the well. The directional work on wells 1188/1187 was performed by the same service company and
tool/BHA documenting the ROP difference was mainly attributed to the different style PDC bits.

One of the main reasons the service providers PDC technology was able to outperform the other bit suppliers product,
without a detailed history of reamer/PDC offset runs, was attributed to the use of the service providers sophisticated 4-D
dynamic modeling program as a bit selection and drilling performance projection tool. Based on the recommendations from
the modeling program and the initial performance, the operator elected to utilize the 8-1/2 Mi516MUPX (Figure 9) for the
remaining jobs. The 4-D modeling program will be discussed in more detail later in this paper.

On the subsequent wells drilled with the same PDC/reamer BHA (ChLS 1185 and ChLS 1190) the ROP improved
dramatically to 14.2 m/hr and 18.6 m/h respectively due to more aggressive drilling parameters outlined and recommenced
by the service providers 4-D analysis program (Figure 10).

New Field Record

By utilizing the expandable reamer and the new-style PDC bit (Mi516) along with optimized operating parameters and a
different type motor, the operator was able to achieve a new field record reducing total drilling time (drilling + tripping) with
WBM to just 197.25hrs on well ChLS 1185. The new WBM total time record is just 13.6% below the total drilling time
average with OBM of 173.62hrs. The new WBM record is a 45% reduction compared to the average total time of wells
drilled without a reamer in WBM.

On the final reamer trial-well (ChLS 1169), the ROP rate dropped below expectations for two reasons, the operator elected to
test-run another manufacturers PDC bit (DSX519 M) with the reamer and the requirement to maintain verticality on a close
tolerance to avoid a costly directional hole section. In an attempt finish the operation without directional work, the borehole
was rotary drilled 260m below the depth reached by reamer/PDC BHA. But to land the 8-1/2 hole in the proper location,
directional work was eventually required. This combination of special requirements in addition to several wiper trips resulted
in well ChLS 1169 suffering the lowest ROP and highest tripping times.

4-D Modeling Program

As discussed previously, the challenges of executing the well designs in Chihuido de La Salina field, Argentina create a
4 SPE 115765

difficult operating environment for drill bits and reamers. A key to successful drilling is selecting PDC bits that will drill at a
high ROP without balling; will efficiently deliver all directional objectives; and will remain dynamically stable for the
specific formations, well profile, BHA and drilling system characteristics. Because the drilling operation is a single complex
mechanical system, all of these elements must be analyzed together, not independently of one another. To solve this difficult
challenge, the service provider developed its Integrated Dynamic Engineering Analysis System (IDEAS). IDEAS is a
comprehensive time-based 4-D modeling tool that accurately predicts a drilling systems performance and behavior using
finite element analysis, laboratory-derived drilling mechanics data and physical input data that accurately characterizes the
attributes of the total drilling system.3-5

The model delivers an accurate projection of a bits performance considering the BHA, well characteristics, formation
characteristics and operating parameters. IDEAS performs the analysis in a fully dynamic simulation that accurately
represents conditions encountered in the real environment achieving a fully integrated optimization between historically
separate areas of the drilling system. As a result, modeled bits can be certified to provide consistently predictable
performance in the target application. Using the process, its now possible for a single bit to be designed to provide
exceptional performance in terms of bit life, ROP, dynamic/directional control for a wide range of different types of
directional drilling systems because it can be designed to remain dynamically stable. A certified design can routinely deliver
outstanding performance with all types of rotary steerable systems and steerable motors. The resulting reduced vibration
levels have resulted in longer life for sensitive downhole tools.

Drilling engineers can also use the modeling program as a bit selection tool. The operators specific information is put into
the simulation model along with the service providers drill bit cutter location data and laboratory-derived formation data.
Typically, several designs are evaluated leading to the optimal choice for the application giving the operator the opportunity
to test-drill the interval multiple times prior to making the final bit selection.

The modeling program offers the industry the proven ability to optimize the performance of the entire drilling system and to
maintain dynamic stability without the excessive cost, time delays and high-risk of the traditional trial and error approach. It
has designed bits have shown faster ROP, longer life while minimizing vibration and its adverse effects on costly downhole
components. The result is quantifiable performance improvement that has significantly lowered drilling costs and reduced
uncertainty in Chihuido de La Salina field.

WBM Performance Results

To objectively determine the time/cost savings in a head-to-head comparison, engineers conduced an a final analysis that
included all tripping hours in the 8-1/2 section down to KOP of each well drilled with WBM in Chihuido de La Salina field.
All tripping operations were recorded and added to the total hours for each well, except the first BHA tripping (RIH to pick-
up new BHA and drill cement track) and the last BHA trip (POOH to lay-down BHA and drill pipe). The in-depth analysis
revealed an average trip-time reduction of 66.4% using the expandable reamer in WBM (Figure 11).

Cost Savings Calculations

The average trip time was reduced to just 64.30 hrs/well with the reamer compared to 191.58 hrs/well without the reaming
device. The performance improvement translates into significantly reduced operating times/costs (bullets) and most
importantly, less risk associated with well construction operations.

Operating costs of rig and wellsite services: $20,000USD /day ($833.33 / hour)
Hours averaged saved in tripping time per well: 127.19 hrs (191.58 64.39)
Cost of expandable reamer in the section: $56,000USD
Cost savings per well: (127.19 * 833.33) 56,000 = 50,000 USD
Cost savings for five trial wells = $250,000USD
Unknown (not quantified) savings due to reduced risk associated with reduced tripping time

Conclusions
The hole enlarging technique and expandable reaming tool demonstrated intrinsic value in this non-traditional South
American application.

The concentric expandable reamer demonstrated it has the reliability to consistently deliver a high-quality enlarged
wellbore at high ROPs without the risk of lost parts associated with a conventional underreamer or the damaging
vibration potential associated with eccentric bi-center hole opening products.

The reamer and its optimized application continuously reduced wiper trips in the enlarged portion of the hole. This
fact documents that enlarging the problematic Neuqun Group shales to 10-1/4 with the reamer BHA
SPE 115765 5

systematically reduced costs and lost time incidents while drilling through the problematic swelling shales compared
to drilling the section with a standard 8-1/2 PDC BHA.

The innovative reamer met all of the service providers proposed objectives (Solution section of the paper) as
documented above. There was not a single minor/major lost time incident including difficulties during trips or a
stuck-pipe event.

Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank management at Repsol-YPF and Smith International for permission to publish this paper. We
especially want to recognize all drilling personnel from the El Portn - Buta Ranquil Business Unit of Repsol-YPF for their
valuable assistance during the planning, application and analysis stages of the project. Finally, thanks go to Craig Fleming,
Smith Technologies, for his technical writing and editorial contributions.

Reference Papers
1. Courville, D.F., Childers, R.D., Miller, G.C.: Wellbore Enlargement for a Deepwater Casing Program: Case Study
and Developments IADC/SPE paper 87153 presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, Texas, 2 4
March 2004.
2. Miller, G.C., Childers, R.D.: Innovative Concentric Reamer Enhances Deepwater Drilling Operations SPE paper
84247 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, 5 8 October 2003.
3. Gillick, S., Hamilton, R., Singh, A., van der Pouw, A.: Rock Mechanics Lab Testing and Computerized Simulation
of Bit Dynamics Improves Drilling Performance in Horizontal Chalk Reservoirs IADC/SPE paper 87101 presented
at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, Texas, 2-4 March 2004.
4. Aslaksen, H., Annand, M., Duncan, R., Fjaere, A., Paez, L., Tran, U.: Integrated FEA Modeling Offers System
Approach to Drillstring Optimization IADC/SPE paper 99018 presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference,
Miami, Florida, 21-23 February 2006.
5. Frenzel, M.P.: Dynamic Simulations Provide Development Drilling Improvements OTC paper 19066 presented at
the 2007 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, 30 April 3 May.
6 SPE 115765

Figure 1 General area map, Neuqun Basin, Argentina, South America (Rigzone.com)

Figure 2 Stratigraphic column, Neuqun Basin in the Chihuido de La Salina field area
SPE 115765 7

Figure 3 Reticular structure of smectite shale

Figure 4 - Montmorillonite has the capacity to swell between layers due to hydration
8 SPE 115765

Backreaming Cutting Structure

Ensures borehole quality
in all formation types

Stabilizer/Gauge Pad
Maintains hole gauge

Formation Cutting Structure

Optimized to ensure high ROP

Z-Drive Tongue
& Groove Actuation
For reliable block
deployment and retraction

Figure 5 - Expandable reamer in open and closed positions with close-up of cutter block (3 total)
SPE 115765 9

Total Total Total Tripping Drill Time /

Well Name Rig Mud Type Drilling Tripping Meters Rate (Round Trip Time
Time Time tripped Trip) Mts/Hr Ratio

CHLS N 1174 ODE 22 OBM 169.25 87 11359 65.28 1.95

CHLS N 1173 ODE 23 OBM 107.5 24 7530 156.88 4.48
CHLS N 1178 ODE 22 OBM 164.75 50.75 15288 150.62 3.25
CHLS N 1180 ODE 22 OBM 137.5 24.25 6232 128.49 5.67
CHLS S 1175 ODE 22 OBM 114 71.75 13280 92.54 1.59
RdC S 1007 ODE 22 OBM 166.75 49 11516 117.51 3.40
CHLS CN 1165 ODE 22 OBM 132 45.75 12654 138.30 2.89
141.68 49.66 11304 2.85

CHLS S 1176 PI 365 WBM 233.5 284.25 23646 41.59 0.82

CHLS 1177 PI 365 WBM 125.5 165.75 20460 61.72 0.76
CHLS 1186 ODE 22 WBM 136.25 124.75 18404 73.76 1.09
165.08 191.58 20837 0.86

ChLS 1188 Nabors 836 WBM 138.5 64.2 11308 88.07 2.16
ChLS 1187 DLS 129 WBM 212.75 77.25 13940 90.23 2.75
ChLS 1185 Nabors 836 WBM 142.75 54.5 10524 96.55 2.62
ChLS 1190 DLS 129 WBM 159.5 50 11946 119.46 3.19
ChLS 1169 Nabors 836 WBM 182.5 76 14718 96.83 2.40
167.20 64.39 12487 2.60

Figure 6 - Drilling vs tripping hours documenting efficiency gains with the reamer in WBM (green) vs. wells
drilled without the reamer in WBM (blue).

Authors note: The operator did not run wireline logs on wells drilled with OBM. This resulted in significantly fewer trips and tripping distance compared
to wells drilled with and without the reamer in WBM where electric logs were run. The authors have made allowances in the performance calculations to
objectively adjust the ratio calculations accordingly.

Figure 7 - Reamer BHA achieved similar ROPs to wells drilled with just PDC (both WBM)
10 SPE 115765

Hours - 8 1/2" Section

0 50 100 150 200 250 300
200
ChLS 1188

400 ChLS 1187

ChLS 1186
ChLS 1185
600
ChLS 1190
ChLS 1169
800
Depth (m)

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

Figure 8 Utilizing the service providers 4-D modeling system, reamer, and PDC bit achieved continual
reduction in lost time incidents and a new field record run (ChLS 1185).

Figure 9 Record setting IDEAS Certified PDC bit with 16-mm cutters (Mi516MUPX)
SPE 115765 11

Figure 10 - Sensitivity plot identifying critical rotary speeds (red) to avoid

350
284.25
300
Tripping Hours

250
200 165.75

150 124.75

100 77.25 76
64.2 54.5 50
50
0
77

86
76

88

87

85

90

69
11

11

11

11

11
11

11
11

S
LS

LS
S

hL

hL

hL

hL

hL
LS

C
C

C
H
C

Figure 11 Using the reamer in WBM reduced tripping hours an average of 66.4% compared to wells drilled in
WBM with just a PDC BHA. The reduction significantly reduced operating times/costs while reducing risks
associated with well construction.