Best practices for shoe track drillout – 5 things to consider

Effective shoe track drillout is crucial for minimizing nonproductive operations and resuming drilling new holes swiftly after casing runs. According to a Google search, several factors influence the efficiency of shoe track drillout. These include the type and style of PDC bit, drilling procedures like WOB, RPM, and flow rate, cuttings transport, and the materials being drilled.

The shoe track is the section between the float or guide shoe and the landing seat of the cementing wiper plugs. Its primary role is to ensure the casing shoe is encased in high-quality cement, to prevent the end of the cement from mixing with drilling fluid, and to provide a pressure indication via plug bump that the cement displacement is complete.

Key Factors for Effective Shoe Track Drillout

1. Left Hand Torque and Thread Lock Systems

Passing through the shoe track imposes left hand torque on threaded connections. Using a reliable thread lock system, like our Lok-N-Load™ product, prevents casing joints from loosening, replacing the need for welding which can weaken connections and consume rig time.

2. Importance of Competent Cement Jobs

Quality cement jobs are vital to ensure shoe track components remain stationary during the drilling process. PDC bits, especially fixed cutter designs, perform better on non-rotating targets. Using anti-rotation components and ensuring high-quality cement can achieve this.

3. Optimal WOB and RPM Settings

To maximize ROP, finding the right WOB and RPM is key. Lower RPM can keep shoe track components static and assist in removing debris. A low WOB allows the PDC bit to effectively cut through the shoe track components while maintaining small cuttings for better transport.

4. Drilling with Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS)

RSS is increasingly used in horizontal shale wells. Coupled with aggressive PDC bits, it can produce larger cuttings that, along with RSS's larger tool diameters, might cause plugging and bridging in the annulus. This issue can reduce ROP by impacting weight transfer to the bit.

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5. Efficient Cuttings Transport

Effective transport of cuttings hinges on factors like cuttings size, flow rate, hole inclination, fluid properties, and RPM. Using commercial cuttings transport software to model these parameters can help achieve optimal transport.

Conclusion

In conclusion, efficient shoe track drillout depends on understanding and optimizing several factors:

• Type and style of PDC bit – cutter size, angle, blade layout, and bit profile
• Drilling procedures – including WOB, RPM, and flow rate
• Cuttings transport – using software simulations to understand cutting size, flow rate, and hole cleaning
• Materials being drilled – drillable, non-rotating components are ideal

With a thorough understanding of these parameters, along with some experimentation and modeling, you can design and implement a consistent, repeatable shoe track drilling program.

Some content for this article was derived from technical papers available at www.onepetro.com.

References:

• Rogers et al., 2009. Costly Shoe-Track Drilling Practices Using Conventional and Rotary Steerable Systems Evaluated. SPE/IADC 124368
• Wiktorski et al., 2016. Shoe Track Drillout Analysis: Factors Affecting Drilling Efficiency. SPE-180011-MS

For more information on float equipment and other drillable shoe track products, email us at info@casingequipment.com

The quality control of casing connections is essential to ensure their integrity and functionality throughout the well life cycle. Inspect and test the casing connections before, during, and after installation. Check dimensions, threads, seals, coatings, and markings against manufacturer specifications and API standards. Apply the correct make-up torque and verify connection tightness and alignment. Monitor connection performance during drilling, cementing, and completion operations, looking for signs of leakage, damage, or failure. Use tools like torque wrenches, calipers, gauges, and ultrasonic devices to perform these tasks.

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