Schlumberger announced the release of the slimhole PowerDrive Archer high build rate rotary steerable system (RSS). The new RSS delivers build rates of up to 18°/100 feet (ft), with full directional control and dogleg assurance for complex 3D well profiles and multilateral well designs.

“The slimhole PowerDrive Archer RSS can drill well profiles previously only possible with motors, in one run, with the ROP and wellbore quality of a fully rotating RSS,” said Steve Kaufmann, president, Drilling & Measurements, Schlumberger. “Expanding the capabilities of our high build rate RSS services, this slimhole edition has drilled 130,000 ft in carbonate, sand and unconventional reservoirs as part of our integrated drilling systems offering, including advanced Smith PDC drillbit technology.”

Built on the reliability of the PowerDrive X6 system, the slimhole PowerDrive Archer RSS, using a combination of push- and point-the-bit technologies, introduces a step change in drilling performance in geosteering and openhole sidetrack applications as proven in more than 130 field test runs in North America, the Middle East, West Africa, Europe and Asia.

In the Permian Basin, Cimarex Energy needed to drill a 6 1/8-in horizontal section within a 7-ft thick true vertical depth zone in the Bone Spring shale formation. The well design included high dogleg severity with a 10°/100-ft curve. The slimhole high build rate RSS was selected to eliminate additional trips downhole, and the challenging curve and lateral were drilled in one run, saving 26 hours of drilling time.

Schlumberger is the world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions to customers working in the oil and gas industry worldwide. Employing more than 118,000 people representing over 140 nationalities and working in approximately 85 countries, Schlumberger provides the industry’s widest range of products and services from exploration through production.