Case Study: a leading drilling operating company optimizes sidetrack placement and saves 24 hours with SLB seismicVISION

First-Ever Dual Seismic LWD Configuration Optimizes Trajectory of Sidetrack, Saves Operator 24 Hours

SLB worked with a leading drilling operating company drilling a development well in the Sarawak field offshore Malaysia, where highly deviated well conditions made it difficult to confirm the true depths of key targets for a planned sidetrack. The company needed a full vertical seismic profile image in an 8½-in pilot hole section, but a wireline VSP was not feasible because of the 60° inclination.

SLB recommended a dual seismicVISION seismic-while-drilling configuration, with two tools spaced 15 m apart and supported by the SWINGS seismic navigation and positioning system, and also suggested EcoScope for formation evaluation. The solution delivered a high-resolution VSP image that confirmed actual target depths, improved well placement, and allowed the operator to adjust the sidetrack trajectory by several hundred meters to maximize reservoir contact. SLB also helped save 24 hours of rig time by avoiding a wireline run.