|
|
Varel International Delivers World's Largest Roller Cone Drill Bit
Varel International recently completed a massive 44" steel-toothed roller cone bit for the oil and gas industry. The bit, which weighs in at more than 6,000 pounds and is over 22% larger in diameter than any previous roller cone bit, was requested specifically by Saudi Aramco, an integrated global petroleum company in the Middle East.
This bit features an advanced cutting structure with optimized row placement, tooth spacing and cutter geometry for increased drilling efficiency. These attributes also work to minimize tooth wear and prevent cutter tracking in a wide variety of formations and conditions.
David Harrington, vice president of Varel's roller cone technology group, explained how the ultra-large diameter bit will work to create efficiencies in current field operations by offering a single bit solution to top-hole drilling, which previously involved drilling a pilot hole and then re-drilling with a hole opening assembly.
|
"Drilling with this large diameter bit in the top-hole section is a more efficient solution. The bit saves the operator time and money through a reduction of tripping to change bits and the need for hole enlargement tools," said Harrington. "The inaugural run of this innovative product is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011."
|
 Varel International Announces the Acquisition of the Patented "Rotary Percussion System" from Renegade Tools LLC
|
Varel International has completed the acquisition of the Rotary Percussion System (RPS) product line and assets of Renegade Tools LLC. The line of high frequency, low impact percussion tools complements the already robust suite of tools Varel supplies to the mining and industrial drilling market.
The product line, which has been under development since 2005, allows drillers to utilize traditional roller cone or PDC drill bits in air, mist or foam fluid applications, increasing the rate of penetration by efficiently combining the complementary forces of both rotary and hammer drilling. |
"We are very pleased with the addition of the RPS technology to the portfolio of products Varel brings to the global marketplace," said Jim Nixon, president and CEO, Varel International. "RPS promises to enhance drilling efficiencies for our blast hole mining customers and is likely to have application in air drilling for the oil and gas side. We look forward to working with the team at Renegade to rapidly bring RPS to market."
Speed Collingsworth, Varel's vice president for mining and industrial products, discussed some of the advantages of RPS technology: "After field testing the RPS tools in several different applications throughout the Western Hemisphere, we found that they not only increased the drilling rate by 25% or more, but also delivered a straighter, cleaner drilled hole. A cleaner hole reduces the need for time-consuming back reaming, and a straighter hole improves rock fragmentation during blasting, ultimately reducing costs by improving efficiencies at the crusher."
Renegade Co-Principal Joe Goebel expressed his thoughts on the transfer of the RPS technology: "Varel's unique position in the mining supply industry coupled with its global reach will accelerate the advancement of this new technology into the market. We have developed and evolved RPS over several years and look forward to working with Varel to improve results for drilling customers worldwide."
"Varel has the engineering, metallurgy, distribution, and supply chain assets needed to take RPS to the next level," added Ross Bassinger, co-principal of Renegade. "Over the past year, we have forged a great relationship with them that has allowed us to prove the commercial applicability of RPS. We will work together over the coming quarters to evaluate candidate RPS applications and fine-tune the products to meet customer needs." |
Product Performance
Outstanding Product Performance - Exceptional ROP in Eagle Ford Play
|
Challenge
An operator new to the area called upon Varel to deliver a bit that was capable of drilling with a high rate of energy while maintaining durability. In the most recent well, the operator indicated concerns regarding the lighter set drill bit designs and the inability of these products to produce desired results.
Solution
Field engineers suggested a bit originally designed for the Haynesville Shale
|
Play, an 8-3/4" VTD516PH Tough Drill™ PDC drill bit. This five-bladed bit loaded with 16 mm cutters had shown success in drilling the challenging Travis Peak and Cotton Valley formations due to its aggressive, but durable cutting structure. In addition, the bit is equipped with backup cutters and premium gage protection.
Results
Running on a high performance rig, the bit successfully drilled 5,885 ft to TD the well in LaSalle County, Texas. During the 28-1/2" hours the bit drilled, there was an average ROP of 206.5 ft/hr. According to the local field engineer, this performance exceeded local offset performance by approximately 30%. During the post run evaluation, the bit was graded 1-1-CT-G-X-I-WT-TD. It was serviced in the Houston manufacturing center and redeployed to the field for additional runs.
For more information on this performance, please contact us. |
Tradeshows
Join Varel and DHP as they showcase their latest technology at these upcoming shows:
SPE/IADC Drilling Conference
March 1-3, 2011
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
RAI Congress Centre
Booth 303
Both Varel International and DHP representatives will be available to discuss the companies' latest technology and solutions for your specific challenges.
At the conference, Varel plans to showcase an array of actual roller cone and PDC drill bit products ranging in size from 6" to 12.25," and will also have both hard and electronic copies of its latest catalogs on hand.
DHP will have products ranging from industry-leading centralizers to guide shoes, alongside the patented DEPS tool, which was previewed at the 2009 drilling conference.
Middle East Oil & Gas Exhibition
March 21-23, 2011
Manama, Bahrain
Bahrain International Exhibition Centre
Booth 937
Join Varel International in Booth 937 as they showcase the 44" steel-toothed roller cone bit - the largest of its kind - that was delivered to the Middle East earlier this year. Company representatives will be in the booth to answer questions about your applications.
SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing & Well Intervention Conference
April 5-6, 2011
The Woodlands, TX
The Woodlands Waterway Marriot Hotel
Booth 607
Varel International will be on hand with its Compass™ series drill bits, which are targeted for applications such as reduced size casing programs, horizontal drilling, re-entries, multi-laterals and coiled tubing drilling, all requiring steerability, reliability and maximized rates of penetration. This series has been system engineered to perform well at low weight on bit, run longer hours and withstand high RPMs typical of motor applications.
Offshore Technology Conference
May 2-5, 2011
Houston, TX
Reliant Park
Booth 7546
Varel International and DHP will have a combined booth at the upcoming Offshore Technology Conference, and we welcome our customers and colleagues to visit us and learn more about our solutions for offshore challenges.
|
|
