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Tailoring Equipment and Expertise for Unmatched Performance in the Permian’s Diverse Terrain

It’s common in the oil and gas industry to forcefit technology regardless of the application, especially when it comes to directional drilling. However, that’s not how we do things at ProDirectional. Having over a decade of experience drilling in the Permian Basin, we understand the importance of customizing equipment in order to meet specific application requirements. This not only results in better performance for our clients, but also keeps our equipment in better condition and running more reliably. 

From the Midland Basin to the Delaware Basin, there are a variety of drilling targets and reservoirs which need to be drilled differently because they behave differently. Each application creates unique challenges in terms of vibration, build tendencies, drillability, and formation stability. If we were to use the exact same equipment in the Permian that we do in other basins in the US, we wouldn’t be able to get the kind of results our clients expect from us.

At ProDirectional, we use our leading-edge technology and fine tune our equipment based on the drilling challenges of the Permian, creating unmatched performance. This means minimized non-productive time (NPT), fewer trips, and optimized on-bottom results.

Here are just a few examples of how we tailor drilling equipment for the Permian Basin.

Sprint MWD brings data to your fingertips

The goal of our Sprint MWD ecosystem is to minimize NPT. When working in the Permian Basin, it’s critical to get data updates at extremely high rates. If there is any delay in the speed of data transfer or the reliability of transfer, it can cause issues in the drilling process. Our custom data compression capabilities allow for calculated surveys, 6-axis raw surveys, continuous measurements, azimuthal gamma ray, and total gamma ray to be transmitted at industry-leading data density rates.

We have also implemented technology that minimizes decoding errors, increasing reliability without reducing speed. Plus, our ProShock Stop tool, which is used in all our Permian projects, minimizes the shock and vibe that is so prevalent in this application, further improving reliability.   

Motors offer unprecedented reliability 

With over 100 million feet of drilling experience under our belts, we have developed motor technology that provides tremendous downhole power to deliver top-tier performance. Our clients are looking for both speed and reliability, which is why we offer a best-in-class ProFlex Transmission for the Permian Basin. This technology is for long Vertical-Curve-Lateral (VCL) applications and routinely drills 17,000 feet intervals, resulting in big time savings for the operator. Our transmission eliminates the need for extra trips, minimizing NPT. This technology is especially important for Permian applications, both Midland and Delaware Basins. 

Operators use different hole sizes to meet their wellbore construction requirements, and our technology can accommodate all of their demands. For example, a recent development which has been widely adopted in the Permian is the need to drill the 7 ⅞ hole size. This was a fast-paced industry change that ProDirectional adapted to quickly once we went through our research and development process. We designed and developed a 6 ⅝ motor for the 7 ⅞ hole market — a fully dedicated motorline for that hole size.       

Application engineering ensures we choose the right equipment 

It’s not enough to have the right tools for the job available — you have to know how to use them to maximize performance. This is why we have a dedicated applications engineering team based in the Permian Basin, whose role is to identify performance improvement opportunities and ensure we are utilizing our tools to their full potential.

When drilling, there are many different benchmarks operators are aiming for. Our applications engineering team ensures that our equipment is tailored to help operators meet their goals in the most effective way possible. 

Remote operations increase service quality

The Permian Basin is a large operational area — and many parts of the field present unique challenges for operators. Our Remote Operations Center offers our clients a wealth of knowledge and support when they need it most. Our remote specialist team is consolidated in one location and collaborates together to resolve issues our clients experience in the field in real time. 

For locations where there is poor cell service, we utilize StarLink technology to ensure our remote team can always connect with those on site. With multiple lines of backup communication, there are no situations where the Remote Operations Center cannot keep in touch. There is a real time dashboard to monitor rig operations so that we can be proactive instead of reactive when faced with any drilling or coring challenges. 

The Permian Basin directional drilling presents unique challenges

With over a decade of experience drilling in the Delaware Basin and the Midland Basin, we know the importance of making sure the equipment is right for the job. No matter what geological or well geometry specific challenges our clients face, we know how best to tailor technical solutions to meet their needs. For example, just recently we designed and developed a new float valve to run managed pressure drilling (MPD) applications to ensure they have a better seal — reducing washouts and increasing reliability. 

At ProDirectional, we believe there is an engineering solution for any application challenge. When it comes to the Permian Basin, we’ve experienced many of them first hand and know how to deal with them.

Have an upcoming or ongoing drilling program in the Permian? Get in touch with us today and learn how we recommend tailoring coring and drilling technology to meet your objectives.

Harnessing the Power of Remote Operations Centers for Efficiency and Savings

Remote operations in all industries have become more common in the last few years — from healthcare to education, and of course to oil and gas. A decade ago, managing a drilling operation from hundreds of miles away would seem impossible. However, with the right technology, processes, and people, it’s more than possible — it’s the direction the industry is moving in today.

While some clients hesitate to embrace remote operations simply because they are unfamiliar with them, those who understand the cost savings and additional value a remote operations center (ROC) brings to the project never look back to doing things the conventional way. Within just a few weeks, they realize how valuable a remote operations center is and how much money it can save them in the long run.

ProDirectional is a leader in remote operations, having completed over 30,000 remote tours with a group of highly trained remote operations specialists. And while we certainly save our clients thousands of dollars on each project, it’s in a different way than you might expect.

Going beyond predictable cost savings

You may expect that the main way to reduce costs for the client with a remote operations center is by minimizing the number of personnel on site. As a result, you have a lower day rate and a lower cost of service delivery. All of this is true — by having a remote operations center we are able to reduce the day rate and cost of service delivery for our clients. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cost savings.

At ProDirectional, we’re never satisfied with the status quo, and are always looking for ways to go above and beyond for our clients. We know that the only way we can succeed is when our clients succeed. This is why the main way we offer cost savings for our clients through a remote operations center is with value creation. 

Adding value through expertise

Our remote operations center is manned by our team of remote operations specialists, all of whom have considerable experience working on rigs. We have a central location for our remote operations at our headquarters, where we also have our directional and MWD coordinators, technical services team, and engineers, all of whom act as resources for our remote operations team. 

Instead of having just one person at the rig, our clients have this exceptional team of professionals available to troubleshoot any type of problem that occurs. We can escalate the issue quickly to the required experts, gather the information we need to solve the problem, and implement the solution within minutes. This simply isn’t possible without a remote operations center in place. 

Having so many eyes available to look at the issue provides a wealth of expertise and experience. We even had a situation where the pressure signature being generated by the rig pumps resulted in all the standard filtering protocols being ineffective for decoding. In this situation, our remote operations team engaged with the right resources to get a custom filter written into code and deployed it quickly in real time in order to decode the data at the surface and communicate with the tools downhole. If our client didn’t have remote operations expertise available to them, this problem would have taken days to solve, resulting in non-productive time (NPT).

What is all of this expertise worth to our clients? While it’s hard to put a dollar amount on it, most would agree it’s in the tens of thousands of dollars at least — especially when you consider the amount of NPT we’re able to help our clients eliminate. 

Ensuring we support you 24/7/365

At ProDirectional, we understand that our clients’ drilling operations run 24/7/365. That’s why our remote operations center runs 24/7/365 as well — and we don’t stop for anything. It’s a mission critical service, which is why we have built in multiple layers of redundancies, both at the center and at the rig, to ensure our support continues no matter what situation we’re in.

Our ROC has a built-in power system redundancy, three levels of communication backups, a detailed disaster recovery plan, and extreme weather event protocols. In addition, we have redundancies at the rig as well, ensuring we never lose communication between the center and the wellsite. 

Not only that, but all of our remote operations specialists also have a full setup at home, so if there is ever a situation where they are unable to come into the center, they can connect from home to provide client support. Our communication platform is proprietary technology we have built for this purpose, and it can be used from anywhere to connect to the rig.

As a result of these redundancies, we have an impeccable record for delivering our remote operations service. There is no situation in which we cannot connect to the rig. The cost of total peace of mind? We think most would agree it’s priceless.

Our Remote Operations Center is at your service

While we have a robust remote operations center, we also have personnel in the field to support changing out downhole and surface equipment when necessary. However, when it comes to major troubleshooting, our remote operations center can handle anything that comes their way — operating in this way is second nature to us after tens of thousands of tours.

Our remote operations center can completely change the trajectory of your project, eliminate NPT, and ensure any issues are resolved immediately. Get in touch with us today to discuss how the remote operations center can benefit your project.