September 2008
Features

Four-blade bit helps reduce drilling time by as much as half

Williams Production RMT is one of the most active operators in the Piceance Basin near Parachute in northwest Colorado, operating about 25 rigs in the region. The operator produces more than 560 MMcfd of natural gas from more than 2,300 wells. Many of the rigs that the operator uses in the Piceance Basin are set on a drilling pad that can contain up to 22 directional-drilling well slots, typically about 7,000-9,500 ft total depth. The wells usually reach TD in 10-12 days, drilling the top 2,000 ft or so with a 13½-in. roller-cone bit and a 13½-in. PDC bit, then finishing the well with several five-blade 7 7/8-in. PDC bits. In some wells, the operator was using as many as three to four 5-blade bits to complete the 7 7/8-in. interval due to the various formations encountered.

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