7.

Directional Drilling Survey Calculations

When drilling a directional well, surveys are taken at regular pre-determined intervals in
order to determine the present downhole location compared to surface location.
In directional survey we note down the inclination and azimuth at the survey point for a
particular survey depth and using these data we calculate the North-South (N-S), ast-
West (-W) coordinates and !"# using few mathematical calculations$
!here are several methods that can %e used to calculate the survey data, of these some
are accurate while are other may produce some error for a given situation$
Some of the most common methods used for survey calculation in the industry are&
!angential method (Least Accurate)
'alanced !angential method
(verage (ngle method
)adius of *urvature method (Most Accurate)
+inimum *urvature method (Most Accurate)
!he !angential, 'alanced !angential and (verage angle method are %ased on the
trigonometry of a right angle triangle$
TANGENTIAL METHOD
(s shown in the figure %elow, I
,
I
-
is the actual well%ore course$ !o calculate the
inclination at I
-
, we draw a tangent to I
-
$ !he tangential method states that the tangent
drawn at the survey station I
-
is the assumed well%ore course and angle ( is the
re.uired inclination which is similar to inclination at I
-
$
It uses only the inclination and direction angles measured at the lower end of the survey
course length.
Now applying trigonometry to the right angle triangle ('I
-
, we have &
#irectional #rilling & !angential +ethod
angle ( / angle I
-

(I
-
/ assumed well course / 0+# (change in measured depth for this interval)
(' / (I
-
*os I
-
/ 0!"# (!his will %e e.ual to the !"# for this interval)
'I
-
/ #eparture
0North / 0+# SinI
-
1 *os (
-
$
0ast / 0+# SinI
-
1 Sin (
-
$
It is clear from the a%ove figure that the !angential method gives a noticea%le error in
+easured #epth (+#) and #eparture$
In !ype I, III and I" holes, the error will %e significant$
With the tangential method, the greater the %uild or drop rate, the greater the error$
(lso, the distance %etween surveys has an effect on the .uantity of the error$ If survey
intervals were ,2 feet or less, the error would %e accepta%le$ !he added e1pense of
surveying every ,2 feet prohi%its using the tangential method for calculating the
well%ore course especially when more accurate methods are availa%le$
"With my study and practice works performed on live well data, I observed
that the calculations based on Tangential Method gives a considerably large
value of departure and in some cases the well appears to be too shallow. In
some deviated wells, the error in TV was more than !"#$" feet."
BALANCED TANGENTIAL METHOD
The balanced tangential method uses the inclination and direction angles at the top and
bottom of the course length to tangentially balance the two sets of measured angles.
!his method com%ines the trigonometric functions to provide the average inclination and
direction angles which are used in standard computational procedures$
Directional Drilling: Balanced Tangential Method
3rom 'alanced !angential +ethod, following values are o%tained&
0!"# / 0+#4- $ (*osI
,
5 *osI
-
)
0North / 0+#4- $ 6(SinI
,
1 *os(
,
) 5 (SinI
-
1 *os(
,
)7
0ast / 0+#4- $ 6(SinI
,
1 Sin(
,
) 5 (SinI
-
1 Sin(
,
)7
This technique provides a smoother curve which shoud more cose!
appro"imate the actua we#ore #etween surve!s$ The on%er the distance
#etween surve! stations& the %reater the possi#iit! o' error$
A(E)AGE ANGLE METHOD
When using the average angle method, the inclination and azimuth at the lower and
upper survey stations are mathematically averaged, and then the well%ore course is
assumed to %e tangential to the average inclination and azimuth$
Directional Drilling: Average Angle Method
3rom (verage (ngle +ethod, following values are o%tained&
0!"# / 0+# $ *os(I
,
5I
-
)4-
0North / 0+# $ Sin(I
,
5I
-
)4- $ *os((
,
5(
-
)4-
0ast / 0+#4- $ Sin(I
,
5I
-
)4- $ Sin((
,
5(
-
)4-
*ince the avera%e an%e method is #oth 'air! accurate and eas! to cacuate& it
is the method that can #e used in the 'ied i' a pro%ramma#e cacuator or
computer is not avaia#e$ The error wi #e sma and we within the accurac!
needed in the 'ied provided the distance #etween surve!s is not too %reat$
)ADI+* O, C+)(AT+)E METHOD
!he radius of curvature method is currently considered to %e one of the most accurate
methods availa%le$ !he method assumes the well%ore course is a smooth curve %etween
the upper and lower survey stations$ !he curvature of the arc is determined %y the
survey inclinations and azimuths at the upper and lower survey stations as shown in
3igure %elow$ !he length of the arc %etween I
,
and I
-
is the measured depth %etween
surveys$
Directional Drilling: Radius of Curvature Method
!he following values are o%tained using radius of curvature method&
0!"# / 6(,82) (0+#) (SinI
-
9 SinI
,
)7 4 : (I
- -
I
,
)
0North / 6(,82)
-
(0+#) (*osI
,
9 *osI
-
) (Sin(
-
9 Sin(
,
) 7 4 :
-
(I
- -
I
,
) ((
-
- (
,
)
0ast / 6(,82)
-
(0+#) (*osI
,
9 *osI
-
) (*os(
,
9 *os(
-
) 7 4 :
-
(I
- -
I
,
) ((
-
- (
,
)
#; / 6(,82) (0+#) (*osI
,
9 *osI
-
)7 4 : (I
- -
I
,
)
r / ,82 4 : (#<S)
0+# / (I
- -
I
,
) 4 '
r
$
Where,
: / =$,>,?@-A
#<S / #og <eg Severity
'
r
/'uild )ate
Note& In these e.uations, the inclination and azimuth are in degrees$
Since the calculation using this method %ecomes a tedious Bo%, this method is not used
in field practise unless a programmed software is availa%le %ased on this method$
I have hands#on e%perience on few well planning softwares based on this
method. In the coming blogs, we will discuss on "irectional Well &laning" and
for calculation purpose, I will show you that how these softwares are utili'ed
to design a directional well.
Here& its worth mentionin% that when the vaue o' incination -I. and a/imuth
-A. are same at #oth surve! stations& then the denominator 'or some o' the
a#ove equation #ecomes /ero and hence the equation is not de'ined$ This is the
E))O) we 'ound usin% 0)adius o' Curvature Method0$
*O HO1 CAN 1E O(E)COME THI* E))O) 22
One o' the wa! to overcome this error is to use 0Minimum Curvature Method0
which has #een discussed #eow$
The second method i would suggest is that, we can add any small number (say
) % )"
#!
or ) % )"
#$
* to either survey points. The result thus produced will be
insignificant .. +
MINIM+M C+)(AT+)E METHOD
Posted by Deepak Choudhary at :!":## AM
$abels: Average Angle Method% Balanced Tangential Method% Controlled Directional Drilling% Mini&u&
Curvature Method% '()C% Radius of Curvature Method% *urvey Calculations% Tangential Method%
+++.ongcindia.co&