Signa consultant sets ROP drilling record in East Texas!
By of Signa Engineering Corp.
April 2005
HOUSTON – A Signa Engineering drilling consultant has set a drilling record for rate of penetration (ROP) through the Travis Peak formation in East Texas.
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The Hughes Christensen company recently honored Brandon Steed, 34, for his supervision of the Exco Resources, Bolt Boyd #4 unit in Rusk County, Texas, near Henderson. Using an aggressive new XT Genesis 6-bladed PDC bit, Steed and his crew were able to penetrate the Travis Peak at a rate of 35.6 feet per hour (fph) for 34.5 drilling hours, a feat that nearly doubled the previous record.
Since PDC bits have become more common in East Texas, drilling times have also decreased. More aggressive bits and newer cutter designs have led to greater time efficiency across much of the state, and decreased 30-day drilling intervals down into the teens.
The hard Travis Peak, however – which sets at approximately 7,400’ MD across East Texas – usually presents a challenge for drillers that sail through the shallower formations. Upon reaching the Peak, drillers have been known to wear out the diamond 9-bladed bits within the first 10 feet of new hole. The average ROP through “The Peak” in East Texas was usually 18-20 fph, according to Brandon and others who have been drilling in that region for several years.
“We usually bit drill down to the transition zone between the Travis Peak and the Cotton Valley,” Steed said at his award ceremony. “Down to there, it’s pretty smooth sailing. Then we use a roller cone through the transition zone. After we get out of it, we go back to a regular bit.
On Feb. 25, 2005, Steed and his crew were drilling from the Patterson Rig #3 as they approached the Travis Peak. They decided to use one of the new 6-bladed Genesis bits – the HC 5062X – that incorporate double rows of 5/8” cutters along six blades for increased durability and ROP. Larger ports between the blades also promote better cuttings transport, according to Mark White, technical field representative for Hughes Christensen.
“Drillers have not historically been able to use an aggressive bit as they would have liked through this formation, because they aren’t durable enough,” Mark said. “This bit changed all that.”
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Using the 7 7/8” bit, Steed and his crew drilled through 1,230’ of Travis Peak in a very reputable 34.5 hours. Shortly after, when the bit crew came by the rig to get the records, he was surprised to see the ROP figures.
“Yeah, he was real shocked to see how fast we got through there. He said it was twice as fast as he had seen before,” said Brandon, who is also a champion calf roper with the United States Calf Roper’s Association (USCRA). “I told him, ‘Man, we’re out here to drill a hole.’”
Brandon is from Athens, Texas, and has been drilling in the area for Signa Engineering nearly two years. He described the wells as “simple wells with no gas kicks.” However, he said the Travis Peak is much harder and more difficult to drill in the Rusk County area than in other parts of the state.
“It’s a really big accomplishment for Signa, and me and the crew, and for Hughes,” Brandon said as Hughes Christensen treated him and his crew to a catfish fry, a common sight in the piney woods of East Texas. “I reckon it makes us all look good.”
Signa Engineering Corp. is a leading-edge petroleum engineering and operations management company. Signa's primary focus is the evaluation, design and execution of drilling and completion operations, onshore and offshore, both domestic and international, for projects involving vertical, directional, horizontal or underbalanced operations (UBO), as well as casing drilling, managed pressure, mudcap drilling.
For more information about this article, contact Patrick Reynolds at 281-774-3110 or send Patrick an .
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