Oil Industry Revolution: Continuous Drilling Technology Developed in Russia

Russian scientists have discovered a unique device capable of fundamentally accelerating the drilling process in the oil and gas industry. Developed by specialists from the Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNIPU), this platform allows for non-stop operation when drilling directional wells. This is being hailed as the first technological solution of its kind globally. This is reported by Ixbt.com news reports.

Typically, during the drilling of directional wells, the drill string vibrates strongly due to the impact of the drill bit. Such vibrations negatively affect the accuracy of optical gyroscopes that determine the well's direction. As a result, specialists are forced to regularly stop drilling to obtain accurate data. According to ixbt.com, such technological pauses waste up to 15 percent of the total working time.

Operating Principle and Advantages of the Technology

To solve this problem, PNIPU specialists devised a special platform that stabilizes gyroscopes. The device is installed inside the drill pipe, on the electric motor housing. The system includes gyroscopes and accelerometers that monitor the rotation of the string.

As soon as the sensors detect the string starting to rotate, the electric motor begins to rotate the platform at the same speed but in the opposite direction. This ensures that the platform remains stationary and stable. Consequently, even during the strongest vibrations, the gyroscopes do not lose their accuracy, and there is no need to stop the drilling process.

The new technology can be applied to any directional wells, both onshore and on the offshore shelf. According to researchers' calculations, using this platform significantly reduces drilling time. For example, in a drilling process lasting one month, an average of 4-5 days are saved.

From an economic perspective, this invention allows for the saving of tens of millions of rubles at a single site. For the oil extraction industry, such savings of time and resources serve as an important factor in reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Currently, issues regarding the wide practical implementation of this development are being considered.