World’s First-Ever Cabin-less Drilling on a Test Rig

Abstract Objectives/Scope This paper documents the conceptualization, execution and post-operation lookback of the driller’s cabin repositioning away from the rig floor on a land test drilling rig. With the automated pipe handling system, the cabin removal from the rig floor enables the test rig to conduct ‘remote’ drilling operations and enhance the safety performance with zero human/machine contact during tripping operations and other pipe handling. The cabin-less drilling operations have been executed successfully, with full objectives met and incident-free. Methods, Procedures, Process Digital vision technologies (the rig’s closed-circuit television or CCTV and the high-resolution vision system), including multiple high-resolution, stitch-able cameras, wearable location and movement detection sensors on human bodies, and the red zone management system, enable a hands-free rig floor during tripping operations in addition to all other conventional operations. With the installation of the three robots on the test rig (two on the rig floor and one on the fingerboard), the driller’s cabin has been removed since April 2023 with enhanced drilling safety, efficiency, and consistency compared to the conventional set up of the driller’s cabin situated on the rig floor. Results, Observations, Conclusions Since the initial removal of the cabin from the rig floor, three wellbores have been drilled, with measured total depth (MTD) being up to 6,000 ft for individual wellbores in two distinct well programs. In the first well program (4021D), five different sets of bottom hole assemblies (BHAs) were run to complete different phases of the well program, from cement cleanout in the casing, various open hole drilling and testing, to cementing the open hole back to above the casing shoe. Two different specs of downhole adjustable motors and one rotary steerable tool were successfully tested during drilling ~6,511 ft of open hole. All the drilling and testing objectives were met within the scheduled timeline, with drilling testing efficiency and safety metrics being comparable with the conventional drilling process exercised ~70 times in the past ~10 years using the same 1500-HP drilling rig in the same test facility. No major down time or diminished efficiency was experienced while the rig was in near continuous drilling operations for three weeks. Several months later, the second well program (4022D) was successfully executed with two major motor BHAs, ending with a total depth of 4,862 ft. Novel/Additive Information An automated pipe handling system reduces tremendous amounts of contact points between humans and equipment or structures on the rig floor and on the fingerboard. The 16-month successful execution of the cabin-less drilling operations brings paramount confidence to the test rig and the drilling industry and accelerates the pace to the next step of remote drilling operations from a notable distance. This paper documents the conceptualization, execution, and post-operation lookback of the driller’s cabin removal from the rig floor on a land test drilling rig. With the automated pipe handling system, the cabin removal enables the test rig to conduct ‘remote’ drilling operations with drilling supervisors and rig operators located in a safe location away from the rig floor with remote vision feedback from a system of high-resolution cameras.