Saudi Aramco awards Baker Hughes drilling systems contract

Saudi Aramco has awarded Baker Hughes a two year contract for two fit for purpose underbalanced coiled tubing drilling packages designed to re-enter existing wells in the gas fields of southern Saudi Arabia. Baker Hughes will provide project management oversight and downhole drilling and completion services, including CoilTrak™, a steerable drilling system deployed on coiled tubing.

The contract has an option for a one year extension and operations are set to begin in the Q2 of this year. Saudi Aramco plans to re-enter existing wells and drill horizontally into untapped reservoir sections. The horizontal wells will be drilled underbalanced to minimise damage to the reservoir, which is critical to overall reserve recovery.

Downhole package
In addition to CoilTrak, Baker Hughes will deploy its newly developed rib steering motor, designed specifically for coiled tubing applications. This motor technology allows for more precise reservoir navigation and wellbore quality, enabling longer horizontal laterals and enhanced reservoir penetration. The drilling package will feature drill bits specially designed for increased durability, which is necessary to handle this project’s highly challenging formations while providing extreme dogleg capabilities and minimal vibration. Slimhole, through tubing casing exit and fishing completion technology also are part of the downhole package.

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