Case Study: Irkutsk Oil Company achieves record-length lateral drilling in Eastern Siberia with SLB's integrated BHA and MWD/RSS technologies

Combination of AxeBlade bit, PowerDrive X6 RSS, and ImPulse platform enable record-length lateral while simultaneously acquiring additional exploration data

SLB worked with Irkutsk Oil Company’s INK-Services in the Irkutsk region to address the challenges of drilling a very long horizontal section in eastern Siberia, where difficult geology created risks of shock and vibration, mud losses, gas kicks, high torque, and buckling-related weight-on-bit transfer issues. Traditional PDM-based drilling had limited the directional drilling index and capped achievable depth.

SLB recommended a combined bottomhole assembly using an AxeBlade ridged diamond element bit, PowerDrive X6 rotary steerable system, and ImPulse integrated MWD telemetry. The solution enabled INK-Services to drill a record-length lateral to 5,542 m TD while maintaining full target zone contact and collecting real-time gamma ray and resistivity data for exploration, exceeding the prior 4,700 m depth limit and confirming the reservoir targets were closer to the surface than expected.

Irkutsk Oil Company