Advanced drilling systems study Page: 4 of 9
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Table 3. Study Objectives
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-Provide system descriptions
Estimate capital and operating costs
Assess system performance
Identify common problems
Outline possible development programsIn addition to the basic description defined
by the drilling functions and constraints, particular
capabilities and advantages of various systems
have been identified, and technical as well as
financial limitations have been studied for each
system.
The development of estimates of the capital
and operating costs is ongoing. Estimating the
cost of equipment that exists in concept only is an
uncertain operation at best. However, much of the
equipment associated with advanced drilling
systems is common to current technology. This
commonality will have the effect of reducing the
uncertainty in the overall system cost estimates.
Performance assessment for most systems
is difficult. The stage of development varies
dramatically from concept to concept. There is
little data, other than that collected in laboratory
bench tests, associated with many of the concepts
that are under consideration. It is neither easy nor
accurate to extrapolate expected performance
characteristics from such data. For many
concepts, the best that can be done is an order-of-
magnitude estimate of the expected rate-of-
penetration (ROP). Performance assessment for
some systems consists of an estimate of the
necessary performance in order for the system to
compete with current technology.
Because of the systems approach taken in
this study, we have identified a number of
problems and needs that are common to several
advanced drilling systems. These are discussed
later in this paper.The last objective listed in Table 3 is to
identify the technical problems and needs of the
various concepts and assess the likelihood of
successfully solving these problems.
STUDY PROGRESS
In consultation with the sponsors, we have
determined the systems and concepts for study and
have developed system descriptions. We have
defined the equipment and material requirements
for each system by function as well as by source
(i.e. capital, rental, service, expendable).
We have also conducted a survey of the
industry. The discussions in this survey consisted
of one or more of the following topics:
1. Study direction and organization,
2. Previous work performed on advanced drilling
in general or one of the concepts in particular,
and
3. Ongoing efforts in the area of drilling research.
We have collected a significant amount
data concerning the capital and operating costs
associated with drilling. The analysis of these
data is ongoing.
DRILLING CONCEPTS
Table 4 lists the concepts, sorted by cutting
mechanism, that have been studied. This list was
developed to cover the range from current
technology, through ongoing efforts in drilling
research, to highly speculative concepts. Included
are cutting mechanisms that induce stress
mechanically, hydraulically, and thermally.
The initial analyses of rig capital and
operating costs indicate that it is not possible to
build a new rig and operate at a profit given
current rates. Rig rates today are artificially low
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Pierce, K. G. & Livesay, B. J. Advanced drilling systems study, article, March 1995; Albuquerque, New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc685034/m1/4/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.