GA Drilling, a specialist in geothermal drilling technology, has entered into a technical cooperation program with Petrobras.
In cooperation with Cenpes, Petrobras’ research, development and innovation center, the partnership said it aims to bring a next-generation downhole drilling system to fruition, significantly reducing well construction costs and risk in challenging drilling applications.
The partnership pairs Petrobras with GA Drilling’s technology, a downhole anchoring and drive system that will form the cornerstone of an advanced autonomous reeled drilling system. The collaboration aims to enable deep and complex offshore wells to be drilled from a light well intervention vessel rather than a more costly semisub or drillship, saving 30% of well construction cost.
GA Drilling said its novel system improves drilling efficiency and enables the replacement of conventional drillpipe with reeled continuous tubing, thus minimizing pipe handling hazards, tripping times and well control risk. The new technology, the company added, includes sophisticated drilling automation and control systems and real-time wireline communications to the surface that optimizes and drives the drilling process downhole at the rock face rather than many thousands of feet above.
