XACT service provided downhole data during MPD drilling, cementing

A customer with a North Sea well wanted to observe and control pressures downhole in a complex offshore well with tight margins while running a managed pressure drilling (MPD) operation with the potential for losses. In order to safely manage and efficiently drill the well, the following were required:

          Observe downhole pressures in real time while drilling ahead

          Trip in and out of the well in several hole sizes while still receiving downhole

          pressure data

          Cement operations after losses were encountered with downhole pressure data

This required a telemetry and measurement network with a full through bore that could operate with and without fluid flow or connected to the top drive. The operation also needed to be independent of, and not interfere with, traditional MWD or mud pulse telemetry.

Baker Hughes recommended the XACTTM downhole acoustic telemetry service. The telemetry tool was deployed on seven drilling runs in a complex well requiring MPD. The XACT tool was run in conjunction with a traditional assembly consisting of measurement while drilling (MWD) and logging while drilling (LWD) services, but also provided downhole and along-string pressure measurements to enhance the MPD operations.

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