DEPTH CONTROL

What is Schlumberger’s MOST

IMPORTANT measurement on every
trip to the well?

DEPTH
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 Depth Measurement Policy
Goals
• Implement a uniform depth measurement
procedure worldwide

• Provide traceable Depth Measurement

procedure

• Improve Depth Repeatability

• Provide a complete, user friendly methodology

where limits are defined by equipment, not the
user.
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 Depth Control
• Depth Control - Importance for the clients
• Measuring devices
• IDW
• Encoders
• Depth Systems
• Measured depth vs True depth
• Depth Control procedures
– First Run
– Subsequent Run, Same Hole
– Subsequent Trip
• Depth Summary
• Total Depth & First Readings
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 Depth Control - Importance
• Depth is the PRIMARY
measurement Schlumberger
provides to the client
• Correlation between wells
• Geological markers
• Casing points
• Reservoir Delineation
• Monitoring of OWC & GOC
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 Driller’s Depth
• The first information of the depth the client
has about a well is the driller’s depth
• It is the total length of the drill pipe,drill
collars, casing joints or production tubing
lowered from the drill floor
• Pipes are measured vertically in the derrick
or horizontally on the pipe rack not under
the tension of complete drilling string

Driller’s Depth rarely includes pipe stretch

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 Essentials of Depth Control
Procedure
• Calibrated IDW is the primary depth measurement
• Wheel Slippage detected and compensated by
surface acquisition system
• Elastic Stretch in cable is manually corrected
according to procedure
• No need for magnetic marks (non-mandatory)
• Traceability through standard recording and reporting
Accuracy: +/- 5 ft / 10,000 ft (+/- 0.05%)
Repeatability: +/- 2 ft / 10,000 ft (+/-0.02%)

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 Depth Control
 Depth Control - Importance for the
clients
• Measuring devices
• IDW
• Encoders
• Depth Systems
• Measured depth vs. True depth
• Depth Control procedures
– First Run
– Subsequent Run, Same Hole
– Subsequent Trip
• Depth Summary
• Total Depth & First Readings
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 Integrated Depth Wheel
Track and drive module
Encoders
Cap screw Wheel-opening handle
Marker eraser

Handle

Anchoring device
Track module

Spacers

Spring
bridge Wheels
Frame Spacer
Marker Detector
 IDW Description
 Each encoder is driven independently by a measuring
wheel.
 Each encoder produces four separate trains of square
pulses, arranged into two pairs. Each pair is made of
complementary signals and the pairs are shifted a quarter
of a period with respect to each other.

 Quadrature signals allow the processor to distinguish

between up-hole and down-hole cable movement.

 The recurrence frequency of the waveform

corresponds to 0.1” of cable movement.

 Each turn of the wheel produces 30” (2.5’) of

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measurement.
 IDW - Wheel Correction

1. Calibrating with the IDWC-

A

2. Calculation

3. Derive from Direct

Measurement

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 IDW Calibrator
As per policy, the WC is determined by Calibrating the
IDW for the specific type of cable.

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 IDW Calibration

• Use the IDWC-A system

• Every time a wheel, encoder or component
is replaced
• Every 6 months, 50 well site trips, or 500
kFOW
• IDW Calibration Data are recorded

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 What if…no Calibration
available?
WC = CRC+WDC+WWC
Cable Rolling Coefficient (CRC):
1) Cable not perfectly cylindrical
CRC
2) deformed by IDW spring pressure

WDC = - 8,
Wheel Diameter Coefficient (WDC):by wheel design
Wheels are manufactured undersized
to compensate for CRC errors
WWC = -2d,
measured
Wheel Wear Coefficient (WWC):
with a
The friction of the cable produces a micrometer in
groove in the flat surface of the wheel 1/1000 of an
15
inch(d)
 Depth Control
 Depth Control - Importance for the clients
 Measuring devices
 IDW
 Encoders
• Depth Systems
• Measured depth vs True depth
• Depth Control procedures
– First Run
– Subsequent Run, Same Hole
– Subsequent Trip
• Depth Summary
• Total Depth & First Readings
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IDW - WAFE connections

ENC1

ENC 2
 Encoder Slip Correction

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WFDD Depth Set up

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 Depth Control
 Depth Control - Importance for the
clients
 Measuring devices
 IDW
 Encoders
• Depth Systems
• Measured depth vs True depth
• Depth Control procedures
– First Run
– Subsequent Run, Same Hole
– Subsequent Trip
• Depth Summary
• Total Depth & First Readings
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 Depth Control Procedures

• First Run in the hole

• Subsequent Run in the hole
• Subsequent Trip to Well

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 First Run in Hole
• 1. Set up Depth System
• 2. Zero the tools
• 3. RULS
• 4. RULB
• 5. Stretch corrections:
• Log down vs Log up
• Formula DL = 1/2 x L x E x (T up
- Tdown)

• 6. Re - Zero tools
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 Zeroing The Tool
Tool’s Zero Reference is usually the bottom of the
toolstring
Client’s Depth Reference Point is usually
Drill Floor (DF)
Rotary Table (Kelly Bushing) (KB)

Place the tool’s zero reference point at the Client’s Depth

Reference Depth Reset at the acquisition unit (WFDD)

All Elevations are normally referenced to a Permanent

Datum:
Mean Sea Level
Ground Level
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**Tide correction should be applied, if relevant.

 ZERO

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 RULS

Rig Up Length
at Surface

Cable
Flagging

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 RULB
Rig Up Length at Bottom

RUL
B

RULS

The Difference is due to rig up

slack.
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If the Difference is > 1 ft,
Investigate.
 Stretch

• Log Down vs Log Up  Policy

(use down log as reference log)

• Empirical method  Estimate

DL = 1/2 x L x E x (Tup - Tdown)

Stretch

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 Depth Control Procedures
Logging Up Procedures

•Log up without making any further

corrections

•Re-check Tool zero at surface

•(Within +/-2ft over 10,000 ft of total
travel) (in one direction)

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 Depth Control Procedures

Subsequent Runs (First

Trip)

•Zero
•RIH & check depth Systems
•Correlate to the first run within 1ft
and log
•Depth should agree to +/-2ft
•Re-zero
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 Depth Control Procedures

Subsequent Trips
• Agree on Reference Log with Customer
• Repeat all procedures for first run
• Correlate at the previous run’s TD
•If Difference is less than 5 ft/ 10kft
Adjust Depth to match reference log
•If Difference is greater than 5 ft / 10 kft -
Investigate
•Proceed to TD and adjust for stretch
•Logging pass should overlap with reference log
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by ~ 200 ft.
 Traceability
Depth Summary Listing
•Predefined format for capture of depth specific
data.
•Depth parameters are written to DLIS file
•DSL record is included in the log print (header)
•Wdl file is generated by WFDD, excellent
troubleshooting device, especially in pull-offs.

Depth and Tension Measuring Devices

•Use of IDW Calibrator is mandatory
•Tension device calibration coefficients recorded
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 Depth Summary Listing

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 DSL Parameters

 Log
Rig Type
Sequence


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 New Cable
• Break in Period (First 5 to 10 jobs)

– Heavy toolstring
– Low pressure, liquid filled wells
– Free to Rotate (swivel head, avoid
caliper)
– Reduce cable speed

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 Depth Control Aid
Cable Card / Rig Book
1) Cable length on the truck
2) Date Rope Socket was built
3) Type of cable
4) Date and calibration of the tension
device
5) Date and Calibration data of IDW
6) Type of head in use and its measured
OD
7) Splice depths and date of the splice
41 8) Open hole tool combination lengths
 Logging Work Sheet
Depth Engineer:
Pre job checks:
Date:
Cable:
Rig:
Type
Well:
Length
Client:
kft

Control IDW
TD-K/TDP
WC MMD
Pull-on-line
Head / cable / collector / TIU
New rope-socket?
Head W.P. colour
Length cut
Rating 75% LWPR

Aids Unit Hrs

Safety pull-on-line to be set at 300 lbs above normal tension at all times !

Must be used for each run

Logging runs
Start (R.U) / Finish (R.D) time
Run # Run # Run #

Tool string configuration

Tool weight in mud (lb)
Make sure you check all Rigup length L1 = Spot safety meeting
L2 = Subject(s):
the depth set-up before L1 - L2 =
the job. I.e IDW, WFDD Stretch correction
L = L * E * (Tu - Td) / 2 =
settings. Representatives:

L1 & L2 to be calculated Tension Logging down

Logging up
Maximum safe pull at TD
Mud Data
Big difference between Rm / Temp
L1 & L2 to be investigated Rmf / Temp
Rmc / Temp
WSD update: Hide:
TD / CD:
BLI /TLI:
TLAB:
MRT (BHT):
TOOL numbers updated ?
Other services updated ?
REMARKS updated ?
Field / Customer Repeat:
Tape Main log:
File After cal:
Numbers WSD:
 Depth Control Aid
The ‘Z’ Chart
Well Sketch Well :
Dog-legs : Date :
Restrictions: Run Number:
Note the position of first wrap
Magnetic
Marks

Write cable wrap depths

on the way down

Check cable wrap depths

on the way up

Spool the cable correctly

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