Abstract
The bottom-hole assembly (BHA) is one of the most critical downhole drilling string components that determines the course of the drilling operation and its efficiency. It provides the required force on the bit (weight on bit) to efficiently penetrate formations; it facilitates acquiring operational data to successfully land wells; and enables directional drilling. The BHA also affects the borehole shape, direction and other geometric characteristics. In addition, it plays a significant role in determining the rate of penetration (ROP) leading to faster and more efficient drilling or otherwise that could translate to significant cost optimization (or, alternatively, waste). Drilling troubles such as stuck pipes, wellbore stability, cleaning and nonproductive time (NPT) is another area impacted by how optimized the BHA is leading to client satisfaction and timely achievement of objectives in a cost effective manner.
To achieve optimal BHA design, engineers and professionals need intuitive access to historical BHA data to perform in-depth analysis studies and correlate drilling troubles with used BHA designs, which allow them to develop the required mitigation plans and improve the BHA designs for wells. Moreover, this will contribute to a well's hydraulics optimization by linking BHA data with the real-time data.
In this paper, Saudi Aramco shares its experience in constructing a computer software system that facilitates capturing, tracking and analyzing complex BHA data in a more structured manner. The paper demonstrates how the system ensures the integrity of BHA data by applying business rules and data quality controls.
