Pressure While Drilling (PWD) Services: Real-Time Downhole Pressure & ECD Monitoring

PRESSURE WHILE DRILLING (PWD) SERVICES: REAL-TIME DOWNHOLE PRESSURE & ECD MONITORING

Evaluate Downhole Conditions with
Real-Time PWD Pressure Data

While hydraulic engineering models provide estimates, complex wellbores require more than just calculations. ProDirectional’s Pressure While Drilling (PWD) service delivers high-precision annular and drill pipe pressure measurements in real-time. This allows operators to accurately monitor Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD), ensuring wellbore stability and mitigating risks in narrow pressure windows where model accuracy is limited.

Our PWD system can be combined with both Sprint and Octane MWD ecosystems to provide a fast and highly reliable service up to 175c

Two Prodirectional employees measuring a coring casing

Mitigating Risk with PWD in Challenging Drilling Environments

PWD services are not always used in directional drilling. However, when you need them, nothing else will do. There are a number of challenging drilling environments where reliable real-time downhole pressure and ECD insight can help mitigate significant risk and potential for failure. Some of these challenging environments include:

Narrow Drilling Pressure Window

PWD real-time pressure data helps balance mud weight in tight margins, reducing risks of formation fracturing or influx.

Hole Cleaning Difficulties

Continuous downhole pressure monitoring supports proper circulation, improving cuttings removal and reducing stuck pipe incidents.

Borehole Stability Issues

Live PWD downhole readings help adjust drilling parameters, minimizing collapse or sloughing in unstable formations.

Risk of Washouts in the Drill String

Real-time PWD monitoring allows for early detection of downhole pressure anomalies, identifying washouts quickly to protect equipment and reduce Non-Productive Time (NPT).

Fluid Losses and Influx Risks

ProDirectional’s Pressure-while-drilling (PWD) tools provide rapid detection of fluid losses or influxes by monitoring real-time ECD changes, significantly improving well control and operational safety.

MPD & UBD Applications

Real-time PWD measurements provide the accurate downhole pressure data required for precise adjustments, ensuring safe and efficient Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) and Underbalanced Drilling (UBD) operations.

Seamless PWD Integration with Sprint and Octane MWD Systems

The ProDirectional PWD tool is housed in a high-performance sub engineered for seamless wellsite integration with our Sprint and Octane MWD systems. This modular design enables the rapid deployment of real-time pressure services alongside our full suite of directional drilling solutions, ensuring consistent data delivery without operational delays.

Designed in-house by our expert engineers, our PWD tools undergo rigorous maintenance and calibration after every run to meet the highest industry standards for reliability. By managing our Pressure While Drilling technology internally, we ensure maximum sensor accuracy and tool consistency in the most demanding downhole environments. That is the ProDirectional commitment to reliability.

Drilling tool on a ground on a prodirectional's site

Cut NPT with Real-Time Insight

Get valuable downhole insight to further reduce your risk of NPT

FAQs

What is the Pressure While Drilling (PWD) service?

Pressure While Drilling provides accurate real time drill pipe and annular pressure measurements during drilling to help determine equivalent circulating density and reduce risk.

PWD is ideal for environments with narrow pressure windows, hole cleaning difficulties, borehole instability, washout risk, fluid influx or loss, and managed pressure or underbalanced drilling programs.

PWD is designed as a modular sub that integrates seamlessly with Sprint and Octane MWD ecosystems for smooth deployment and real time pressure services. 

PWD enables real time insight into downhole pressure and ECD, helping operators make informed decisions to minimize downhole risk and reduce non productive time.

Designed and maintained in house, PWD tools receive the same high quality servicing and lifecycle management as all ProDirectional gear to ensure consistency and reliability. 

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