When a major Norwegian operator required a solution to decrease tripping time and shorten open hole exposure time during a drilling campaign, our Churchill TopJet was deployed to address the issue.
The operator’s current process meant each time the liner or completions assemblies were run in hole on a 5” drill pipe, the closed-ended string had to be top filled every 10 stands. This was time-consuming and created a rig floor safety hazard due to mud spillage incurred when it was pumped from the top drive positioned directly above the pipe.
The Churchill TopJet provides operators with a quick and safe method of top-filling pipe when running in-hole. It also eliminates make-up time during fill-up and simultaneously enables faster pump-in flow rates by allowing mud injection.
The tool was deployed with coupling compatible with 5” drill pipe. Before each top-filling interval, the tool was simply placed on top of the pipe set in slips before lowering and resting the top drive on top. Mud was jetted through the coupling at ~185gpm each time, providing venting of air at the same time, and filling the pipe in under five minutes. The same process was repeated on the subsequent well’s liner and completion setting runs with similar jetting rates.
When compared to traditional methods, the TopJet saved the operators more than 10 minutes per top-fill interval. This resulted in more than six hours total rig-time savings across the three wells in the campaign, delivering significant project efficiencies.
Results:
- More than six hours rig-time saving across three wells
- Eliminated rig floor spillage, increasing safety
- Reduced open hole exposure time, minimizing risk of section collapse
