IADC/SPE 119570

Step-Change Improvements with Wired-Pipe Telemetry

Scott Allen, SPE, and Chris McCartney, SPE, Occidental Petroleum; Maximo Hernandez, SPE, and Michael
Reeves, SPE, NOV IntelliServ; Azaad Baksh and Danial MacFarlane, Baker Hughes

Copyright 2009, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1719 March 2009.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE/IADC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have
not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not
necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or
storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the International Association of Drilling Contractors is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE/IADC copyright.

Abstract
This paper describes the rationale, justification and benefits associated with the deployment of wired-pipe
telemetry drillstrings at Occidental of Elk Hills, Inc. (OEHI) in Kern County, California.
Recent technological advances in Measurement While Drilling (MWD) systems, Logging While Drilling (LWD)
systems, and wired-pipe telemetry systems have overcome historical data bandwidth issues enabling real-time
acquisition of critical data streams. These data sets include: continuous annular pressure for equivalent
circulating density (ECD) management; vibration diagnostics for drilling optimization; instantaneous downlink
commands to Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS) that aide in eliminating secondary non-productive time (NPT) and
enhancing directional control; and memory quality formation evaluation measurements to improve reservoir
navigation and wellbore placement. With this new wealth of data, onsite drilling personnel, geoscientists, and
office engineering staff are able to make real-time decisions that serve to enhance wellbore quality and reduce
overall costs.
Utilizing wired-pipe to its full potential has helped to deliver an average drilling time savings of 10%.
Introduction
The benefits of drilling dynamics and formation evaluation from MWD and LWD tools are well known. However,
these systems are impacted by bandwidth limitations which restrict the amount of data that can be transmitted to
surface in real time. Recent advances in technology have addressed this issue.
At the OEHI asset, Oxy and the service providers worked together to evaluate the application and benefits of
deploying wired-pipe transmitted data in a land based environment. The technology was tested in combination
with multiple downhole LWD and RSS tools. The system was tested in both a 5-in. tubular/mud-based and a 4-in.
tubular/foam-based environment.
Benefits in the Use of Wired-Pipe Telemetry
One of the major challenges in a fast rate of penetration (ROP) drilling environment is transmitting all the required
data to surface in a timely manner. When mud-pulse telemetry or electromagnetic data transmission is used, a
large amount of this data is stored in memory and downloaded after the tool is tripped out of the hole. The
drawback to this system is the lag time in receiving and processing the downhole measurements on the surface.
As downhole acquisition technology continues to advance, these measurements are requiring additional
bandwidth. This reduces the data density of mud-pulse telemetry points transmitted to surface while drilling, thus,
making real-time interpretations and decisions challenging. In order to make an interpretation from a full data set,
the operators must wait for the bottomhole assembly (BHA) to be tripped out of the hole and the memory data to
be downloaded.

IADC/SPE 119570

In contrast, wired-pipe telemetry systems provide a bandwidth more than 1,000 times greater than conventional
mud-pulse or electromagnetic telemetry systems. Data rates typically achieved with mud-pulse telemetry
systems range from 3 to 40 bits per second (bps). In addition, these systems are affected by noise introduced by
mud pumps, signal loss due to depth, fluid properties, and/or fluid flow rate since flow is required for transmission.
Electromagnetic telemetry data rates range from 3 to 20 bps and these tools are limited in the vertical drilling
distance since the signal attenuates heavily in certain formations. Because wired-pipe has a bandwidth of
~57,600 bps, the MWD/LWD personnel on location are able to configure downhole tools to transmit all acquired
data through the network at the fastest possible update rates. Transfer of information to the surface can be
reliably achieved at a fixed high-speed real-time transmission without being affected by depth, formation
resistivity, fluid properties or flow rates. Hence, the drilling progress is optimized regardless of logging and
steering requirements.
Full Telemetry Redundancy
Within the wired-pipe telemetry configuration, the mud-pulse telemetry system serves as a backup should the
wired-pipe system malfunction or fail. This redundancy ensures minimum data requirements are continually met
and avoids NPT for equipment troubleshooting or repair.
The wired-pipe network was fully operational for 87% of the time while it was being used at OEHI. The majority of
the downtime experienced was due to learning curve related elements regarding pipe handling and installation
resulting in damage to some of the components during the startup of the project. When the proper handling
methods were used, the reliability of the system noticeably increased as shown in Fig. 1.
Time distribution per well
250
5" String

4" String

Hours (Total well hours)

200

150
Telemetry not required
Actual Telemetry Hrs
Telemetry Down Hrs
NPT

100

50

0
1

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Well number

Fig. 1Telemetry use and reliability. Minimum NPT even when wired-pipe telemetry is unavailable.
High-Speed Bi-Directional Communication
The wired-pipe telemetry network enables concurrent high-speed transmission of data between the downhole
tools and surface equipment. Thus, the control of the BHA while running RSS or other advanced services that
require surface control are enhanced (i.e; formation pressure testing and seismic while drilling). Since there are
no restrictions to when commands are sent to the downhole tools, the fully bi-directional nature of wired-pipe
telemetry reduces NPT while improving control of all tools. This is in contrast to the downlink transmission
process using mud-pulse telemetry systems that require several minutes to send commands to downhole tools.

IADC/SPE 119570

The initial two (2) wells drilled with wired-pipe telemetry at OEHI realized a drilling time savings of 4 and 6.5 hours
respectively (Fig. 2). These wells were drilled in 43.4 hours and 41.5 hours. A 10% time savings and reduced
drilling costs significantly improved the project economics.

25 bps
MudPulse
Telemetry
WiredPipe
Telemetry

Well

No. of
Downlinks

Downlink Time and

Confirmation (hr:mm)

Time
Saved
(hr:mm)

A
B
C

58
71
54

04:00
04:15
03:45

0
0
0

1
2
3

50
72
62

N/A
N/A
N/A

04:02
06:24
04:00

Fig. 2Comparison of downlinking efficiency during the project (all the above wells were drilled in the same field).

Wired-Pipe Telemetry Components & Handling

The drillstring used for wired-pipe telemetry is similar to a conventional drillstring in functionality, handling, and
specifications. The drillpipe is modified to accommodate an inductive coil in the secondary shoulders of the pin
and box which allow for data transmission from one joint of drillpipe to the next. The coils at the end of each joint
of pipe are connected via a high-strength, high-speed data transmission conductor cable embedded inside the
tool joint that exits to the joint internal diameter at the connection upset. The conductor cable is under tension
inside the pipe. Electrical continuity from the drillpipe to the BHA is achieved by using an interface sub; therefore,
the system network allows bi-directional transmission to and from the downhole tools. Data boosters are
embedded in pipe tool joints at ~1500 ft intervals (10-15 per well) to increase signal-to-noise ratio and ensure no
data is lost. Also, the boosters are fitted with temperature and pressure sensors allowing for the ability to acquire
measurements along the drillstring. On the surface, a data swivel mounted to the topdrive enables the extraction
of data flow inside the drillpipe to the surface computers while the pipe is rotating. This system allows for full bidirectional communication at ~57,000 bps while drilling (Fig. 3).
Tubular handling and care was of utmost importance since damage to connections could potentially harm the
networking components. Proper training of rig personnel on double-shouldered connections was critical to the
success of the project. Because tubular dimensions and specifications were the same as regular non-wired,
double-shouldered connections, no additional safety hazards were identified with the use of the equipment
involved.

IADC/SPE 119570

Top Drive Swivel

Extracts the Signal on the Rig

Telemetry Pipe
Conveys the Telemetry Signal

DataLink
Boosts the Signal, Wellbore Measurements

Interface Sub
Connects to MWD Tools

Fig. 3Wired-pipe telemetry network schematic (left) and topdrive swivel image (right).

Memory Quality Data While Drilling

Memory quality data is received on surface from the real-time wired-pipe transmissions. Due to the high data
rate, it is possible to deliver most downhole measurements with full digital resolution to the surface in real time,
which results in improved clarity of the downhole conditions and wellbore.
The use of drilling dynamics measurements have greatly improved since shock and vibration data is available in
real time. Shock and vibration can change rapidly and cause severe drillstring damage very quickly. The
instantaneous peaks in the measurements would not be detected in real time with standard mud-pulse telemetry
systems since the updates for those systems are much slower; therefore, this data would not be available to
correct the condition. With high-frequency real-time drilling dynamics data, drilling parameters can be optimized
and life expectancy of the bit and downhole tools increased.
Identification of undesired vibration was clearly observed by the downhole vibration sensor data transmitted to
surface. Below is a short example of four (4) instances showing the clarity of the data transmitted through the
wired-pipe telemetry. In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the vibration during a connection is shown as it was acquired by the
LWD tool and transmitted through wired-pipe. Fig. 4 shows a connection without any damaging vibration;
whereas, Fig. 5 has large instantaneous vibration spikes and rotations per minute changes which could damage
downhole tools. Fig. 6 represents the data acquisition from a mud-pulse telemetry vibration measurement system
as a means of comparing the quality of data for downhole events. This additional data from the wired-pipe
system allows for a much clearer image of the drilling dynamics, thus, optimizing drilling performance.

IADC/SPE 119570

Fig. 4Connection with no damaging vibration.

Fig. 5Connection with damaging vibration levels.

mitigate vibration.

Project engineers are able to adjust drilling parameters and practices to

IADC/SPE 119570

These data tracks display the same data acquired

with both wired-pipe (left) and mud-pulse (right)

Fig. 6Comparison of wired-pipe to mud-pulse telemetry measurements.

Another advantage of wired-pipe is pressure and ECD management in standard and underbalanced drilling
environments. This data can be acquired while the pumps are off, which can ensure health, safety, environmental
and NPT incidents are avoided and risk mitigation is improved. Fig. 7 through Fig. 10 shows the advantages of
pressure management with wired-pipe.
Improved ECD management is achieved by acting on real-time downhole parameters which are indiscernible from
surface. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 show the effects of mud temperature on the viscosity and density of the drilling fluid
and the resulting change to ECD. When an operating ECD window is critical (i.e., lost circulation, formation
damage, etc.), data from downhole tools can help to ensure the drilling parameters are maintained within the
window guidelines.

These data tracks display the same data

acquired with both mud-pulse (right)
and wired-pipe (left)

Fig. 7Erratic ECD measurements are shown clearly when using wired-pipe telemetry.

IADC/SPE 119570

Fig. 8Flow-off pressure and ECD via wired-pipe.

In the example below (Fig. 9), 2 hours of circulation time were required to bring the mud system to the drilling
operating temperature.

Fig. 9Cold oil-based mud at start of run causes a higher ECD.

IADC/SPE 119570

Fig. 10Warm oil-based mud after a few hours causes lower ECD.

The greatest benefit of using wired-pipe is the ability to transmit large data sets in real time while drilling. In
general, data sent to surface through a mud-pulse telemetry system is limited by the system bandwidth; therefore,
interpretation of the data is more difficult. This limitation is more evident when reservoir navigating operations are
being used and proper placement of the wellbore is critical to a successful well. In this case, wired-pipe telemetry
enabled the transmission of two (2) additional resistivity curves, an 8-sector gamma image, and all the drilling
dynamics and pressure management information simultaneously at 5-second intervals.
Case one (1) is a reservoir navigation application where 4,324 ft of reservoir interval was successfully drilled in a
24-hour period. This enabled the drilling and reservoir teams to stay within the productive zone.
Fig. 11 is a comparison between the logging deliverables obtained with mud-pulse and wired-pipe systems.
These examples of logs were used to steer the wellbore to an optimum location in the reservoir. Using wired-pipe
allowed the interval to be drilled at a ROP greater than 300ft/hr. If a mud-pulse system was used, a slower ROP
would have been required to achieve an adequate data density to optimize wellbore placement within the
reservoir.

IADC/SPE 119570

Mud-pulse Data

Wired-pipe Data

Fig. 11Reservoir navigation data comparison between mud-pulse and wired-pipe telemetry.

In addition to having these high-speed, real-time measurements on location, the data was transmitted via satellite
link to all project team members. This data was viewed and processed by office personnel in real time allowing
critical decisions to be made in a timely manner.
Due to the significant volume of data, highly qualified and experienced personnel are needed to properly interpret
the data. With data overload an issue, precautions need to be in place prior to the start of drilling operations.
Downhole Tool Diagnostics
With rig efficiency a high priority, the importance of effective root cause analysis of downhole tools remains
critical. However, mud-pulse telemetry systems often cannot deliver the required data to accurately diagnose
downhole problems or suspected tool failures. Many times, problems could be resolved prior to tripping out of the
hole for a perceived tool failure if all the diagnostic data was available. This advanced troubleshooting and
diagnostic system prevents NPT (i.e., trip for diagnostics/perceived tool failures).
In one (1) case, personnel on location were able to successfully diagnose hole problems that caused directional
control issues. If the information received from the downhole tools were not transmitted via the wired-pipe, a trip
would have been required to resolve the issue. Instead, the additional diagnostics data received indicated the
rotary steerable assembly was functioning correctly. By viewing raw sensor values, the personnel on location
were able to determine that wellbore deterioration was the root cause of the steering difficulties; therefore, drilling
parameters were adjusted and the BHA drilled to total depth without any further problems. There were several
other instances where tool diagnostics were used to determine tool functionality or downhole problems; thus,
unnecessary NPT was eliminated. Once again, qualified and experienced personnel are necessary to interpret
and achieve these results.
If any of these incidents had occurred with a typical mud-pulse telemetry system, a diagnostic downlink would be
shorter and less detailed. Also, this could require up to two successful downlinks and a lengthy transmission of
diagnostic data. There is an extremely high probability the BHA would have been pulled out of the hole to
determine the problem in these situations.

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IADC/SPE 119570

Replacement for Wireline Applications

Because the drilling ROP is much lower than the electric logging wireline trip speed, the data acquisition from the
LWD tools is acquired at a higher density. Also, the data is less impacted by borehole deterioration and drilling
fluid invasion as observed on wireline logs since wireline data is acquired long after the borehole is drilled.
Foam Drilling Design and Applications
A significant industry milestone was achieved during this project. This was the first time that a reservoir
navigation operation utilized wired-pipe with foam as the drilling fluid (Fig. 12).
Five (5) of the seventeen (17) wells analyzed were drilled with foam using 4-in. wired drillpipe and a 6-in. bit.
The use of foam was critical for proper ECD and pore pressure management. Fig. 13 shows the BHA
configuration as it was run. The use of wired-pipe mitigated and eliminated the typical issues encountered with
mud-pulse telemetry in a foam drilling application. Namely, the lack of continuous data flow due to the absence of
uniform density and flow rate of the drilling fluid. Typically, this results in erratic voltage input from the system
power turbines which leads to the possibility of the downhole tools switching on/off as the well is drilled. The most
important element in the execution of ECD management was the capability to monitor well pressures when foam
flow was off. It is very important to manage the pressure surges generated when pumps are restarted after
connections to avoid damage to the formation.
Acquisition of measurements (i.e., annular pressures with the pump) is a challenging task for LWD service
providers since downhole power is required. This problem was resolved by using a battery sub installed in the
BHA. As the pumps were turned off for a connection, the battery sub provided power to transmit the required
data. Once the connection was made, all measurements were transmitted as normal. This allowed the drilling
engineers to monitor and control the pressure surges generated when the mud pumps were started. In addition,
this system enabled the acquisition of directional surveys when the pumps were turned off during the
connections.

Fig. 12Plot of the first log image acquired via wired-pipe telemetry while using foam drilling fluid.

IADC/SPE 119570

11

ITEM
NO.

DESCRIPTION

12

Wired HWDP

11

1 Wired NMCSDP

10

Interface sub

Mod Stab

LWD

Mod Stab

Mod X/O Box-Box

Smart Battery

X/over Pin-Pin

6 1/2" Stabilizer

4 3/4" Mud Motor

6 3/4" PDC Bit

Fig. 134 -in. BHA designed for foam drilling.

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IADC/SPE 119570

Analysis of Mud Displacement with Foam

Fig. 14 illustrates the need to monitor ECD and downhole pressure changes as drilling mud is being displaced
with foam. This is particularly significant to avoid potential formation damage.

Fig. 14Change in pressure and ECD as water-based mud is displaced by foam.

IADC/SPE 119570

13

Tubular and Topdrive Hardware Development

Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 show damage to the wired drillstring resulting from improper stabbing procedures. When
severe pipe damage occurs at the pin or box end, there is a possibility that the inductive coil can malfunction.
Having specialized wired-pipe personnel on site during drilling operations ensures damage will be minimized.
When the 5-in. drillstring was moved to another drilling rig, a modification to the topdrive was required to
accommodate the topdrive data swivel. This modification allowed for more space between the quill and the top of
the grabber box in the top drive. A lead time of approximately 90 days was required to manufacture the parts
necessary for the modification. This delay time was identified as the main challenge for changing the drillstring to
other drilling rigs. The issue is being mitigated by proactive inventory buildup and proper pre-project planning.

Fig. 15Example of dropped stand damage.

Fig. 16Example of severe stabbing damage.

With the technological advance in downhole data transmission comes the need to improve other components of
the drilling systems to achieve the full potential of wired-pipe technology. Enhancing the power of surface and
downhole data processing hardware is needed to handle the increased data flow and increased memory is
necessary to accommodate additional measurements.
Plans are already in place to run other services using wired-pipe technology (i.e., electrical and density images,
3D caliper measurements) to support land-based drilling operations. These services combined with wired-pipe
telemetry will be capable of delivering higher quality real-time data that cannot be achieved with mud-pulse
telemetry. To accommodate the increase in data being transmitted, the next version of wired-pipe telemetry will
achieve data transfer speeds of 1 million bits per second. Also, work is being conducted to develop a 350F hightemperature version of the system.
Conclusions
Improvements achieved in this project were: ECD management enhancements; vibration diagnostics for drilling
optimization; instantaneous downlink commands to RSS; elimination of data linking related NPT; directional
control improvements; and memory quality formation evaluation measurements which allowed for more effective
reservoir navigation and wellbore placement.
The learning curve associated with the implementation of the wired-pipe and downhole tool combination in real
time does not represent a threat to the operations and the risk associated with its adoption is low. The total NPT
was approximately 10 hours from the seventeen wells. Although avoidable through technology and process
improvements, these initial imperfections do not represent a threat to the widespread implementation and the
capability for exceptional reservoir placement.
The technology combinations presented herein are still in an early implementation stage. Even so, drilling a well
10% faster demonstrates the advantages and potential of these technologies and techniques.

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IADC/SPE 119570

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Carl Rhodes, Hal Owens, Brian Anderson, and Greg
Howard, Occidental of Elk Hills and Arash Aghassi, Dave Taylor and Ross Lake, Baker Hughes INTEQ.
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