Challenge
A Well Site Leader working on a rig in West Texas’ Delaware Basin identified that their conventional mud motor was stalling at a much lower differential pressure than the motor was supposed to be rated for, indicating that the motor in hole was weak. Making an unplanned trip to replace the motor could cost approximately $50,000, on top of the costs of the day rate if they had to pull-out-of-hole (POOH). More importantly, an extra trip would mean increased exposure to safety incidents as there is an increased likelihood of a serious injury or fatality (SIF) event every time there is an unplanned trip.
The operator and the H&P team knew they needed to find a solution that would allow them to reach total depth (TD) without needing an extra trip.
Solution
H&P recommended the newly released StallAssist® software which is designed to detect, mitigate, and recover from downhole stalls. As pressure is reaching the stall rating, the system continually and simultaneously evaluates several factors, including: pressure, the speed in which the pressure is rising, and motor specifications. These dynamic, real-time calculations help lessen the severity of pressure that is outside motor limitations.
A Well Site Leader working on a rig in West Texas’ Delaware Basin identified that their conventional mud motor was stalling at a much lower differential pressure than the motor was supposed to be rated for, indicating that the motor in hole was weak. Making an unplanned trip to replace the motor could cost approximately $50,000, on top of the costs of the day rate if they had to pull-out-of-hole (POOH). More importantly, an extra trip would mean increased exposure to safety incidents as there is an increased likelihood of a serious injury or fatality (SIF) event every time there is an unplanned trip.
The operator and the H&P team knew they needed to find a solution that would allow them to reach total depth (TD) without needing an extra trip.
Solution
H&P recommended the newly released StallAssist® software which is designed to detect, mitigate, and recover from downhole stalls. As pressure is reaching the stall rating, the system continually and simultaneously evaluates several factors, including: pressure, the speed in which the pressure is rising, and motor specifications. These dynamic, real-time calculations help lessen the severity of pressure that is outside motor limitations.