Baker Hughes releases new geospatial navigation and analysis LWD service to improve drilling

US-based Baker Hughes has released its VisiTrak geospatial navigation and analysis LWD service which will help in improving drilling efficiency and increase recovery.

The new service is a combination of pre-well modelling, deep-reading LWD sensors, visualisation software and reservoir navigation and provides real-time, 360° view up to 100ft from the wellbore.

It will also facilitate optimal well placement for increased hydrocarbon recovery.

Baker Hughes drilling services president Tom Thissen said: “Most of today’s wellbore placement strategies rely on surface and downhole seismic measurements, and drilling time-consuming pilot holes to confirm the top and base depth of the reservoir.

“Because the VisiTrak LWD service can identify multiple bed boundaries at up to five times the distance of conventional services in real time, operators can make faster drilling decisions to navigate to the most productive zones, while eliminating unnecessary rig time.”

The VisiTrak LWD service, which serves as an example of the company’s strategy to optimise production and increase recovery simplifies pre-well planning and logistics.

VisiTrak has interpretation capabilities for complex geological scenarios and also facilitates exact pre-well models and well designs.

Extended-depth LWD readings have the capacity to determine the distance to adjacent bed boundaries at the time of drilling in a bid to visualise complex reservoir architecture in real time.

According to Baker Hughes, the early detection and improved visualisation combination allows operators to precisely navigate to and through the productive zones of the reservoir so as to improve recovery.

Separately, the company also announced the commercial release of its SPECTRE frac plug to completely disintegrate downhole after fracturing.

The plug enables easy future access by eliminating coiled tubing interventions and accelerates completion times.