Slbs New System Boosts Land Drilling Efficiency

In land drilling operations, time directly translates to cost. Every minute of delay means increased expenses. The industry faces a critical challenge: how to significantly reduce drilling cycles while maintaining safety standards. SLB presents a breakthrough solution – the Horizontal Tubular Handling System (HTHS), an integrated approach specifically designed for land drilling operations.

Traditional tubular handling methods rely on vertical assembly and disassembly at the well center, creating both efficiency limitations and safety concerns. These challenges become particularly pronounced when handling double-joint casing, triple-joint drill pipe, and complex bottom hole assemblies (BHA). The conventional approach requires BHA assembly, testing, and programming near the well center, further increasing time investment and safety risks. These factors collectively constrain overall operational efficiency in land drilling.

SLB's Horizontal Tubular Handling System fundamentally transforms tubular operations by relocating assembly and disassembly processes to horizontal positions away from the well center. The system comprises two modular components working in tandem to handle various drilling tubulars, BHAs, and casing combinations:

• Hydraulic Catwalk: Safely transports tubulars to assembly areas, minimizing manual handling and improving safety.
• Assembly Table with Integrated Side Entry Bucking Machine: Enables horizontal assembly/disassembly with space-efficient side-entry technology that ensures connection quality.

The system's modular design provides exceptional deployment flexibility across different drilling sites. After completing operations at one location, components can be rapidly mobilized to other rigs, maximizing return on investment across multiple projects.

HTHS demonstrates particular strength in handling complex drilling scenarios, including double-joint casing, triple-joint drill pipe, and BHAs containing logging-while-drilling (LWD) or measurement-while-drilling (MWD) components. The integrated side-entry bucking machine's compact footprint enables deployment in space-constrained land drilling environments.

Field data indicates HTHS can reduce casing operation time by up to 45%, with additional time savings from off-center BHA assembly and programming. BHA-related processes may see time reductions up to 65%. The system simultaneously enhances safety by minimizing manual handling and elevated work platform operations.

SLB provides customized simulation analysis to evaluate potential savings in stand building and rig moves, enabling operators to assess system benefits specific to their operational parameters.

As competition intensifies in land drilling markets, efficiency and safety become increasingly critical differentiators. SLB's HTHS technology establishes new benchmarks for operational performance, offering operators improved efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced worksite safety.