This photo portrays an uncleaned PDC bit fresh out of the hole after drilling with the Teledrill. This driller went back in the hole with the same bit.

For Teledrill Inc. engineers who are rolling out the Katy, Texas-based company’s new technology, the phrase “go with the flow” has taken on new meaning.


Teledrill’s new pulser drilling technology puts the power of the pumps at the bit. When the pulser is closed and opened, it enhances the driller’s rate of penetration (ROP), which is the speed at which a drillbit penetrates a formation.


By creating a jackhammer force, the drillbit efficiently breaks up the formation. This force can be increased or decreased at the driller’s discretion by manipulating the amplitude of the pulses from 10 pounds to 15,000 pounds. The greater the amount of force exerted, the greater the ROP. The pulse amplitude can be modified with a crescent wrench in under two minutes.


“We can create a 10,000-pound force with 20 watts of energy,” says co-founder David Kusko. “It speeds up the entire drilling process. In different lithologies on our first six wells, we never drilled a 30-foot stand in less than 50 feet per hour. At 50 feet per hour, we were pulsing every four to five seconds. At higher amplitudes, with more frequent pulses, our ROP exceeded 150 feet per hour.


“On average, Teledrill’s ROP has been 115 to 120 feet per hour. Without pulsing, the ROP average declined to 38 to 40 feet per hour. Pulsing makes a huge difference.”


The higher the ROP, the faster wells can be drilled, thus saving daily rig rental and other dayrate expenses. With a 100% ROP increase and an $18,000-per-day rig rental rate, an E&P could save $2.3 million per year, per rig, assuming it operates 250 days per year. This does not include other dayrate or variable costs.


“The pulser is incorporated into a totally functional measurement-while drilling-(MWD) tool,” says Kusko. “The technology combines the MWD/ROP capabilities into one compact, downhole tool. It delivers MWD information, such as azimuth, inclination and gamma ray, uphole to the driller in real time. The information is also downloadable on the surface. Teledrill has created a gamma-ray log display that assures the accuracy and reliability of the data.”


In Teledrill’s most recent test, the tool continued to function after 72 hours in a poorly conditioned well with high sand content, minimal filtration and an extremely erosive environment. The longevity of the tool in clean environments has not yet been determined. In all of the company’s tests, only one in seven wells had conditioned drilling fluid.


In these tests, Teledrill has never failed to retrieve its tool. It exceeds an 80% retrieval success rate on its first attempt.


Teledrill incorporates a generator into its downhole tool, where most other similar tools use batteries. While Teledrill’s generator powers the downhole electronics and the pulse generator, it has batteries for backup when there is no flow.


Another advantage is the Teledrill’s short length, which allows the gamma-ray detector to be in close proximity to the bit. This enables a geologist to steer the bit in a timely manner and maximize the driller’s ability to stay within the zone of interest. The attached, non-magnetic drill collar is only 10 to 13 feet long.

Also, initial field tests suggest that Teledrill, due to its picking action, drills a straighter hole. This reciprocating, jarring action reduces stick slip, a common problem in horizontal wells. Since the Teledrill puts the power of the pumps at the bit, longer horizontal and vertical wells should be achievable.


Additionally, when Teledrill opens its pulser, the pent-up energy in the fluid column is released, which cleans the bit, reduces bit balling and removes the dense cuttings from the bottom of the hole. Testing data also suggest the Teledrill extends the useful life of the bit.
“Teledrill has been used successfully in the Barnett shale for Grand Operating, with Unit Drilling as rig operator,” says Kusko. “Teledrill has also worked with several turnkey drillers that have their own rigs. I think E&Ps with their own rigs and turnkey drillers are the companies that will benefit the most.”

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