The new AutoTrak G3 system drilled 6,000 ft in a single run offshore Norway and saved a UK operator a lot of money in the North Sea.

Baker Hughes Inteq recently introduced its third-generation AutoTrak Rotary Closed Loop Drilling System (RCLS) in the Norwegian and UK sectors of the North Sea. The initial deployments in May were both successful and delivered excellent performance. In the Norwegian sector, the new system drilled more than 6,000 ft (1,829 m) in a single run to TD, operating for a total of 65 drilling hours. The first UK deployment provided the operator with significant financial savings based on previous drilling performance in the field.
The new system is a fully modular, automated bottomhole assembly (BHA) consisting of a steering unit, formation evaluation sub and a two-way communications module. As with previous-generation AutoTrak tools, this integrated system combines field-proven pad steering technology with some of the industry's most advanced formation evaluation and drilling-optimization sensors. For the new-generation system, all the system components were extensively re-engineered to offer improved sensor integration and accuracy, higher levels of 3-D steering precision, better reservoir navigation capabilities and enhanced reliability.
The tool originally was developed by Baker Hughes Inteq and ENI-Agip. Prior to its commercial launch in the North Sea, it underwent extensive field trials, logging a total of 6,000 operating hours between October 1999 and April 2002. "I can say with confidence that the AutoTrak G3 system is one of the most thoroughly tested drilling systems ever brought to market," said Hartmut Gruenhagen, drilling and evaluation product line manager for Baker Hughes Inteq.
Since its commercial introduction in 1997, the AutoTrak RCLS has been used in more than 1,000 wells, drilling more than 1,000 miles (1,609 km) of hole and accumulating more than 100,000 operating hours. Compared to conventional drilling systems and methods, it is estimated that these systems have helped save operators nearly US $500 million in overall wellbore construction costs.
Improved steering unit
The re-engineered steering unit offers several advantages over the previous generation, including smooth operation over a full rotation range (up to 400 rpm) and up to 55,000 lb of weight on bit. The unit's bending moment capability has been increased by about 25% to survive higher mechanical loads and deliver more reliable performance under the most extreme drilling conditions. Instead of multiple, rotating seals and bearings running in hydraulic oil, the steering unit incorporates mud-lubricated bearings similar to those used in downhole motors, lowering the part count and eliminating rotating seals for increased durability.
Enhanced directional control
The steering ribs are designed with independent hydraulic control, providing redundant wellpath control and added reliability. In addition, the system incorporates long-life materials and is engineered for improved dynamic stability and perfect steering precision in both very hard and very soft formations.
The redesigned steering module is shorter and more rugged than its predecessor. With the addition of real-time rotary directional measurements (inclination and azimuth), the next-generation system offers greater directional control than is possible with stationary directional measurements. These rotary measurements, combined with a unique automatic drilling (hold) mode, result in tangent sections straight as a laser beam, smoother trajectories, exceptional wellbore quality and the industry's most precise hole placement.
Improved FE reliability
Baker Hughes Inteq engineered the FE (formation evaluation) sub to provide reliable data acquisition with dual gamma detectors, multiple compensated resistivity antennas and redundant power sources. Under potentially destructive drilling conditions, the OnTrak sub can automatically change its telemetry format to communicate downhole dynamics, allowing drillers to immediately adjust drilling parameters before failure occurs. In addition, an optional smart battery module (SBM) can be added to the BHA to supply power during pump-off and to automatically act as a backup power supply while drilling. As an added benefit, this sub facilitates logging during leak-off tests or while tripping.
Bi-directional communications
To improve system reliability and BHA configuration flexibility, Inteq design engineers have separated the AutoTrak system's power and communication module from the OnTrak measurement sub. The downlink communication system does not disrupt drilling, allowing the field crew to match changes in the downhole environment by reprogramming the system "on the fly" to optimize wellbore placement, rate of penetration (ROP), data rates and telemetry formats.
In addition to supplying communications and power to the system, the bi-directional communications and power module also performs this function for other Inteq tools, including the Caliper Corrected Neutron, Optimized Rotational Density and Acoustic Properties eXplorer. Because the measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and logging-while-drilling systems can communicate with the surface via a single downhole sub, tool length and sub placement are optimized so logging measurements can be gathered nearer to the bit than with conventional systems. A new Ethernet communication protocol allows rig-site personnel to download the memory data 50 times faster than with previous MWD tools.

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