At-the-Bit Piggyback Drilling Solution - an integrated while drilling solution for mud loss control.

Curing severe mud loss during drilling is a big challenge to the oil industry. Todays solutions are time consuming and costly. The At-the-Bit Mud Loss Control innovation include down hole technologies for on-demand and instant treatment of such losses. The key features of the new tool involve down hole storage and release of a swellable polymer, AtB Gel, that highly swells when mixed with drilling mud and will seal the lossy formations. The technology has been tested in full scale experimental wells. To mature and qualify the technology, well pilots in oil and gas fields are planned. The petroleum industry recognize the high value potential related to safe and cost efficient drilling and reduced logistics.

The track record of the At-the-Bit Mud Loss Control project have shown the high potential of converting the circulating drilling fluid to a swellable pill downhole. Qualifying laboratory experiments, full scale testing and well pilots have brought the project technology readiness towards TRL4. However, up to now it has not been possible to demonstrate the At-the-Bit technology when drilling in actual lossy well formations. In a close dialogue with ARA Petroleum in Oman as one of the JIP partners the opportunity of implementing the At-the-Bit as a piggyback solution in at least one of their upcoming wells in a field with high chance of mud losses. The proposed project (Phase 5) will include drilling of potentially lossy wells as nominated by ARA Petroleum. Crucial R&D challenges are to investigate the drilling history of offset drilled wells in the area to optimize the operational drilling procedures including where to activate the newly developed polymer gel payload. The formation sealing capability will also be carefully assessed through the data gather during the operations.