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Application-Specific MWD Tools for Cost & Time Savings

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Highly customized MWD equipment and mud motors get the job done

If you consider the different basins and geographical areas in the continental United States, there is a lot of diversity in the formation, well construction requirements, and reservoir temperatures. That means that the way you drill wells in these different basins needs to be diverse also — you cannot use the same MWD tools and mud motor technology in the Permian as in the Haynesville because you’re dealing with a completely different application. 

That’s why when you’re considering which MWD and directional drilling service provider to work with, it’s important to look at their diversification of technology and skill. If they can’t offer a way to customize the drilling equipment based on the characteristics of your specific application, you may end up in a situation where you’re dealing with non-productive time as a result of downhole equipment issues — costing you a lot of time and money.

Highly customized MWD equipment

At ProDirectional, we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to any drilling situation. We understand how important it is for our clients to avoid NPT, so we come prepared with the right tools for the task at hand.

MWD services and mud motors for the oil and gas industry

We are experienced in drilling in every major basin across the United States, from the Eagle Ford Basin to the Permian or Haynesville, and a multitude of others. With this kind of diverse experience, we have had the opportunity to develop the range of drilling equipment required for each type of geographical area.

Mud motors for directional drilling

We offer our customers over 30 different types of directional motor configurations — far more than the typical directional drilling service provider on the market. Our application engineers carefully select the downhole motor configurations our customers need by evaluating the different formations and temperatures we have to drill through, resulting in a job that remains on schedule and maximizes efficiency. 

Measurement while drilling (MWD) tools

Not only that, but we also have four different MWD equipment platforms — Sprint MWD, Octane MWD, Octane XT MWD, and Electromagnetic MWD — allowing us the ability to accurately, safely, and successfully drill in any area regardless of the challenges our clients are facing. 

We don’t try to force fit generic technology for every application. Instead, we customize the drilling motor and MWD tools to meet our customers’ unique needs on location. 

Measurement while drilling (MWD) tools

Drilling with mud motors and MWD technology that’s fit for purpose 

Our application engineers and operational teams recommend which MWD equipment and mud motors our customers should use based on the unique characteristics of each basin. 

  • Eagle Ford Basin: In this area of Texas, speed is a driving factor. It’s important to choose powerful equipment that can drill quickly and efficiently. In addition, downhole temperatures can be elevated in this region, so it’s important to have equipment that can withstand extreme heat while performing reliably. 
  • Permian Basin: In this region, there are a multitude of target formations that are produced, so one of its unique characteristics is the diversity itself. We have a range of downhole drilling equipment that can be customized to meet the needs of each benchmark in the Permian — that goes for both the Midland and the Delaware basins. 
  • Haynesville: Temperature is an important factor here because it gets extremely hot in this harsh drilling environment. This area also requires equipment that is going to be highly reliable — because if an issue occurs in the production interval, it can take a day or more to get back into the hole. We always aim for some speed here; but we really focus on going for reliability to lower well costs. 
  • Marcellus and Utica: In these regions, we frequently drill on air. Here we utilize electromagnetic (EM) MWD tools for the right results. Plus, we’re dealing with extremely long extended reach laterals, which require highly specialized knowledge and capabilities.
  • Powder River and the Rockies: In these areas, the drilling applications vary a lot, and  there are also challenges around getting the MWD equipment and steerable motors where they need to be on time, especially in the winter months. This requires a regional presence as well as specialized logistical and operational experience along with proper job planning. 

Pivoting with downhole drilling tools and steerable motors 

Across the board, ProDirectional has the most diverse asset base which we can customize according to the needs of the many different applications clients have. What this also means is that we have the ability to pivot faster than other service providers.

Pivoting with downhole drilling tools and steerable motors 

For example, if we encounter an unexpected issue while drilling that requires a different type of mud motor or MWD tool — in any basin — we have the technology available in house we can deploy right away, minimizing NPT for our customers.

Unrivaled expertise in downhole mud motor design and MWD tools

Having the ability to offer customized MWD equipment and mud motor tools is one thing; you need the application engineering expertise to oversee it. That’s why we have an application engineering team that supports each of the different regions we operate in, with dedicated personnel for key basins. In addition, we also have operational teams to support each basin, along with our well planning team. 

Our experts become specialists in their areas  by focusing their time and effort on the unique characteristics of the location and the challenges that can arise because of them. This helps us to be ready with solutions that we can apply whenever a problem emerges, saving our customers time and money. 
Supporting our application engineers, operational teams, and well planning teams is our Remote Operations Center, which consists of highly experienced personnel that have knowledge of all the major basins. They are available 24/7/365 to provide guidance on any issues that occur.

Unrivaled expertise in downhole

You need the right MWD tools and downhole motors for the job 

Don’t settle for service providers that want to jam a square peg in a round hole. You simply can’t achieve the results you want by using generic technology for specific applications. Reduce non-productive time and increase performance — while saving your time and money — by choosing fit-for-purpose technology that is highly customized for your application and managed by personnel with specialized knowledge. 

Get in touch with ProDirectional today to discuss the specific characteristics of your drilling application. 

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Recent Articles

ProDirectional Measure While Drilling system completing a 250 hour long run in a high temperature oil and gas well.

High Reliability MWD for Long Runs and High Temperature Wells

Introduction

In modern oil and gas drilling, reliability is as important as performance. Long laterals, high temperatures, and aggressive drilling parameters place extreme stress on downhole tools. When MWD systems fail, wells stop, rigs wait, and costs climb.

High reliability Measure While Drilling systems reduce unplanned trips, protect wellbore quality, and allow drilling teams to maintain momentum across the most demanding wells in the Permian Basin, Haynesville Shale, and Eagle Ford Shale.

At ProDirectional, MWD systems are built, maintained, and deployed with one goal in mind: staying in the hole and delivering data for as long as the well requires.

Why Long Run MWD Matters

Every trip out of hole costs time, money, and risk. Unplanned trips caused by MWD failures can add days to a drilling schedule and create additional exposure to stuck pipe and hole instability.

Long run MWD systems allow operators to:

• Drill more footage per run

• Reduce tripping events

• Maintain consistent wellbore geometry

• Lower total well cost

• Improve safety

In long horizontal wells, especially in tight formations, these benefits compound quickly.

The Stress of High Temperature Drilling

Modern wells routinely expose MWD tools to temperatures exceeding 300°F. Electronics, batteries, and sensors must continue to function accurately in these environments while also withstanding vibration and shock.

High temperature MWD systems require:

• Heat resistant electronics

• Robust power management

• Thermal protection for sensors

• Reliable telemetry components

ProDirectional’s MWD technology is designed to operate across wide temperature ranges, allowing drilling to continue without sacrificing data quality or tool life.

Mechanical and Electronic Durability

MWD systems must survive:

• Continuous rotation

• High vibration

• Shock loading

• Extended circulation

• Long footage

Failures often occur when mechanical wear and electronic stress combine. ProDirectional mitigates these risks through tool design, quality control, and rigorous testing before deployment.

Field Proven Long Run Performance

ProDirectional MWD systems have supported runs exceeding 200 circulating hours while drilling thousands of feet on a single tool. These extended runs demonstrate the ability of the system to maintain telemetry, sensor accuracy, and mechanical integrity over time.

Long run capability allows drilling teams to complete curves and laterals in fewer trips, improving efficiency and reducing exposure to downhole risk.

Why MWD Reliability Reduces Total Well Cost

Even the fastest drilling system loses its value if tools cannot stay in the hole. Reliable MWD systems reduce:

• Rig downtime

• Fishing operations

• Sidetracks

• Tool replacement costs

• Lost drilling days

These savings often exceed the difference in tool rental price, making high reliability MWD a critical part of well economics.

Engineering and Quality Control

Reliability does not happen by accident. ProDirectional maintains strict quality control processes across its MWD fleet, including inspection, calibration, and preventative maintenance.

In-house engineering teams track tool performance, identify trends, and implement improvements that extend run life and improve data stability.

MWD Rentals Backed by Support

MWD rentals are only as good as the support behind them. ProDirectional provides:

• Field ready tools

• Technical support

• Real-time troubleshooting

• Engineering oversight

This support structure ensures that when challenges arise, they are addressed quickly without sacrificing drilling momentum.

Reliable Data in Real Time

Long run MWD systems must deliver not just longevity, but accurate data throughout the run. Stable telemetry ensures that directional drillers and drilling engineers can make informed decisions without interruption.

ProDirectional’s MWD systems are designed to deliver continuous, reliable measurement across extended drilling operations.

Why Operators Choose ProDirectional for High Reliability MWD

Operators drilling in the Permian Basin, Haynesville Shale, and Eagle Ford Shale depend on MWD systems that stay in the hole, provide consistent data, and support efficient drilling.

ProDirectional’s high reliability MWD systems are built to meet those demands, delivering the run life and performance required in today’s complex wells.

To learn more about ProDirectional’s MWD technology and services, visit:

https://prodirectional.com/mwd-technology/

 

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Three mile lateral drilled in 156 hours using ProDirectional rotary steerable system and Measure While Drilling technology in the Permian Basin.

Rotary Steerable MWD for Faster, More Accurate Wells

Rotary Steerable MWD for Faster, More Accurate Wells

Introduction

Modern horizontal wells demand two things that were once considered tradeoffs: speed and precision. Drilling faster without staying in zone sacrifices reservoir contact. Drilling accurately without efficiency inflates well cost. The solution is not choosing one over the other. It is integrating Rotary Steerable Systems, commonly referred to as RSS, with high performance Measure While Drilling technology.

At ProDirectional, RSS and MWD are deployed as a single drilling system. This approach allows operators to drill long laterals, complex curves, and tight landing windows while maintaining high rotary time and wellbore quality. Across basins like the Permian Basin, Haynesville Shale, and Eagle Ford Shale, this combination has become the standard for high performance directional drilling.

 

What a Rotary Steerable System Actually Does

A Rotary Steerable System allows continuous rotation of the drillstring while steering the wellbore. Unlike conventional sliding motors, RSS tools maintain constant rotation, which reduces friction, improves hole cleaning, and produces smoother wellbores.

RSS systems use internal steering mechanisms to change the trajectory of the well without stopping rotation. This provides a significant advantage in long laterals and high dogleg environments where sliding becomes inefficient and unstable.

However, RSS tools do not make decisions on their own. They rely on real-time downhole measurements to know where to steer. That is where MWD technology becomes essential.

 

Why MWD Is the Control Layer of RSS

An RSS tool is only as effective as the data guiding it. Measure While Drilling systems provide the real-time information that tells the RSS how to steer.

MWD systems supply:

  • Inclination and azimuth
  • Azimuthal gamma for formation mapping
  • Toolface and orientation
  • Pressure and vibration
  • Survey quality and depth correlation

This data allows the RSS to continuously adjust steering as formations change. In complex reservoirs, small trajectory errors can quickly move the well out of zone. High quality MWD data prevents that from happening.

ProDirectional’s MWD systems are designed to deliver stable telemetry and accurate measurements even in high temperature, high vibration, and extended lateral environments.

 

How RSS and MWD Improve Drilling Speed

One of the biggest drivers of drilling efficiency is rotary time. Sliding slows drilling, increases wear, and introduces wellbore tortuosity. RSS systems guided by reliable MWD data allow drilling teams to remain in rotary mode for most of the well.

Higher rotary percentages lead to:

  • Higher rates of penetration
  • Less vibration
  • Reduced motor wear
  • Improved hole quality
  • Lower torque and drag

Across long laterals in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale, this difference can translate into days of saved drilling time and millions of dollars in reduced cost.

 

Wellbore Quality and Completion Performance

Speed alone does not define success. The quality of the wellbore has a direct impact on casing runs, cement jobs, and completions.

Smoother wellbores created by RSS and guided by high resolution MWD data result in:

  • Easier casing runs
  • Lower risk of stuck pipe
  • Better cement coverage
  • Reduced friction during fracturing
  • Improved production efficiency

In formations like the Haynesville Shale, where laterals are long and pressures are high, wellbore quality is critical to safe and successful completions.

 

Geosteering and Reservoir Placement

Azimuthal gamma tools integrated into MWD systems allow directional drillers to see formation boundaries around the wellbore. This enables precise geosteering, even in thin or structurally complex reservoirs.

When combined with RSS, this information allows continuous steering to stay within the target zone. Instead of reacting after the well has drifted, the RSS can make small corrections in real time, keeping the well exactly where it needs to be.

This capability is especially important in stacked plays and tight reservoirs where vertical and lateral accuracy directly affects production.

 

Real Field Performance

ProDirectional has demonstrated the value of RSS and MWD working together in multiple basins. In one Permian Basin project, a three mile lateral was drilled in just 156 hours using a rotary steerable system guided by high resolution MWD data. This level of performance requires stable telemetry, accurate surveys, and precise steering response.

In other wells, ProDirectional has navigated significant true vertical depth changes mid lateral while maintaining formation position, completing both the curve and the lateral in a single run. These results are only possible when RSS and MWD operate as an integrated system.

 

Reliability Matters as Much as Precision

Long laterals and complex well profiles place enormous stress on both RSS and MWD tools. Reliability becomes just as important as accuracy.

High performance MWD systems must deliver:

  • Stable telemetry over hundreds of circulating hours
  • Sensor accuracy under vibration and shock
  • Electronics that withstand high temperature
  • Mechanical durability through long footage

ProDirectional’s MWD systems have supported extended runs exceeding 200 circulating hours while drilling thousands of feet without interruption. This reliability reduces trips, lowers operational risk, and keeps drilling programs on schedule.

 

Why Integrated RSS and MWD Systems Reduce Risk

When RSS and MWD systems operate together, drilling teams gain full control of the wellbore. Real-time measurement allows immediate steering adjustments, pressure data supports safer drilling, and azimuthal gamma keeps the well in zone.

This reduces:

  • Sidetracks
  • Unplanned trips
  • Lost in hole incidents
  • Completion issues
  • Production variability

For operators managing large drilling programs across basins like the Permian, Haynesville, and Eagle Ford, this consistency is just as valuable as speed.

 

The Future of Directional Drilling

The future of high performance drilling lies in deeper integration between measurement and steering. RSS tools will continue to evolve, but they will always depend on accurate, reliable MWD data to guide their actions.

ProDirectional continues to invest in both technologies to deliver drilling systems that provide speed, precision, and reliability across the most demanding oil and gas wells.

To learn more about ProDirectional’s MWD and directional drilling systems, visit:

https://prodirectional.com/mwd-technology/

 

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ProDirectional MWD system used for Measure While Drilling in oil and gas directional drilling

High Performance MWD Systems for Modern Directional Drilling

High Performance MWD Systems for Modern Directional Drilling

Introduction

Measure While Drilling, commonly known as MWD, is the backbone of modern directional drilling. Without reliable MWD systems, operators lose visibility into the wellbore, struggle to stay on plan, and face higher drilling risk.

In today’s oil and gas wells, MWD technology does far more than transmit inclination and azimuth. It delivers formation data, pressure information, and downhole diagnostics that allow drilling teams to place wells accurately, maintain high rates of penetration, and avoid costly surprises.

At ProDirectional, Measure While Drilling (MWD) systems are engineered and deployed as part of a fully integrated directional drilling platform. Every tool, sensor, and telemetry package is selected and supported based on real field performance across the Permian Basin, Haynesville, and other major oil and gas plays.

 

What Defines a High Performance MWD System

Not all MWD equipment is created equal. A high performance MWD system must deliver three things at the same time:

  • Accurate and repeatable measurements
  • Reliable telemetry under harsh conditions
  • Mechanical and electronic durability over long runs

Modern wells are deeper, hotter, and more complex than ever before. High doglegs, long laterals, and aggressive drilling parameters place enormous stress on MWD tools. Systems that cannot maintain data quality under these conditions quickly become liabilities.

ProDirectional’s MWD technology is built specifically for these realities.

 

Telemetry That Keeps Directional Drilling on Track

Telemetry is how downhole data reaches the surface. If telemetry is unstable or noisy, directional decisions become slower and less accurate.

ProDirectional’s Octane and OctaneXT MWD systems are designed to deliver consistent, high-quality telemetry in:

  • High temperature wells
  • High vibration environments
  • Long horizontal laterals
  • Extended circulating hours

These systems provide real-time inclination, azimuth, and sensor data that allow directional drillers to maintain trajectory and react quickly to formation changes.

Learn more about Octane MWD technology here:

https://prodirectional.com/mwd-technology/octane-octanext-mwd/

 

Azimuthal Gamma for Geosteering Accuracy

Staying in zone is one of the most important factors in well economics. Basic gamma tools only show vertical information, but modern wells require a full three-dimensional view of the formation.

ProDirectional’s GeoSight360 azimuthal gamma system provides directional drillers with:

  • Full 360 degree formation mapping
  • Bed boundary detection
  • Fault and dip identification
  • Improved landing accuracy

This allows drilling teams to make precise steering decisions that maximize reservoir contact and reduce unnecessary corrections.

Learn more about GeoSight360 here:

https://prodirectional.com/mwd-technology/geosight360-azimuthal-gamma/

 

Pressure While Drilling for Well Control and Optimization

Pressure While Drilling, or PWD, has become a critical component of modern MWD systems. Real-time downhole pressure data allows drilling teams to:

  • Detect kicks earlier
  • Identify losses
  • Monitor equivalent circulating density
  • Optimize mud weight
  • Reduce well control risk

ProDirectional integrates PWD directly into its MWD platform so that pressure data is always available to both drilling and directional teams.

Learn more about Pressure While Drilling here:

https://prodirectional.com/mwd-technology/pressure-while-drilling/

 

Electromagnetic MWD for Challenging Drilling Environments

Not every well can be drilled with mud pulse telemetry. In shallow, air, or underbalanced wells, electromagnetic MWD systems provide a reliable alternative.

ProDirectional’s EM MWD technology allows operators to continue receiving downhole data when traditional telemetry is limited, keeping drilling programs on schedule even in difficult conditions.

Learn more about EM MWD here:

https://prodirectional.com/mwd-technology/electromagnetic-mwd/

 

Reliability Is the True Measure of MWD Performance

High performance MWD systems are measured by how long they stay in the hole and how consistently they deliver data.

ProDirectional MWD tools have supported runs that exceed 200 circulating hours and drill tens of thousands of feet without interruption. This reliability reduces trips, lowers operational risk, and improves overall drilling efficiency.

Every ProDirectional MWD system is tested, maintained, and supported by in-house engineering teams who understand how these tools perform in real drilling environments.

 

Field Experience That Builds Better MWD Technology

MWD systems are refined in the field, not just in the shop. ProDirectional continuously gathers data from live wells across multiple basins and uses that information to improve tool design, telemetry stability, and mechanical durability.

This feedback loop between drilling crews and engineering ensures that every new MWD system is stronger, more reliable, and better suited to modern directional drilling.

 

Why Operators Choose ProDirectional MWD Services

ProDirectional does more than provide MWD equipment. We deliver fully supported MWD services that combine:

  • Advanced technology
  • Experienced field personnel
  • In-house engineering
  • Real-time support

This integrated approach gives operators the confidence to drill longer laterals, tighter curves, and more complex well profiles with lower risk and better results.

To explore ProDirectional’s complete MWD platform, visit:

https://prodirectional.com/mwd-technology/

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