Presenter
Jennifer Market from Well ID
Co-authors
Lars Oy, Well ID
Abstract
Introduction
As offshore operators increasingly transition from wireline to logging-while-drilling (LWD) data acquisition, there is a growing requirement for wireline-quality borehole imaging within real-time drilling workflows. High-resolution borehole shape and electrical images can provide valuable information for geological interpretation, wellbore quality assessment, drilling optimization, and completion planning. Radar-based LWD imaging has been established for several years as a memory-mode technology and can acquire borehole shape and electrical images alongside high-frequency drilling dynamics. This study describes the implementation of radar-based LWD imaging with wired pipe to deliver high-resolution borehole images and associated interpretation products in real time at the rigsite.
Procedure
Implementation required integration of a third-party radar imaging tool with the primary LWD service string without interfering with existing operations or communications. New communications protocols were developed to stream radar waveform data at both low and high bandwidths and reconstruct the measurements reliably at surface. Time-based measurements were synchronized with surface-derived depth, inclination, and azimuth to generate depth-based drilling dynamics, borehole shape, and electrical image products, together with derived outputs such as average hole size and cement volume. The system was also adapted to acquire and interpret both rotating and non-rotating measurements during trips out of hole. Finally, time-lapse processing and visualization were incorporated to enable real-time monitoring of changes in borehole shape and stability.
Results / Observations
The wired-pipe radar imaging system was successfully implemented and validated across a series of offshore wells. Real-time data quality was evaluated against memory-mode measurements in both 12¼-in. and 8½-in. hole sections, including overburden and reservoir intervals. The resulting workflow provided visualization of borehole shape, electrical images, and drilling dynamics while drilling and during trip out of hole. Combining the imaging measurements with high-frequency drilling dynamics enabled investigation of relationships between drilling parameters and borehole events, including the identification and evaluation of stick/slip-related changes in borehole condition. The system also demonstrated the ability to generate useful hole-shape and caliper information from non-rotating measurements acquired during tripping operations.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that radar-based LWD imaging can be successfully integrated with wired-pipe telemetry to provide high-resolution borehole imaging and drilling dynamics in real time. A key lesson was that successful deployment requires coordinated development of downhole communications, surface data reconstruction, depth synchronization, interpretation algorithms, and rigsite visualization. The ability to combine borehole images with drilling dynamics provides an integrated view of both borehole condition and the drilling processes contributing to observed changes. Real-time and time-lapse visualization can further support operational decision-making during drilling and tripping. The successful multi-well implementation provides a foundation for broader deployment of real-time radar imaging to improve geological interpretation, drilling performance, borehole stability assessment, and completion planning.
Supporting document (download from Google Drive)
Biography
Jennifer Market is the Chief Scientist at Well ID and specializes in development new downhole measurements and applications