Case Study: Louisiana's Haynesville Operating Company drills Haynesville shale 19% faster with SLB's next-generation Spear PDC bit

Next-Generation Spear Bit Drills Haynesville Shale 19% Faster

SLB worked with Louisiana's Haynesville Operating Company to drill 6¾-in. curve and lateral sections in the Haynesville shale, where bit balling, nozzle plugging, poor toolface control, and low ROP were limiting performance. The company needed to reach at least 6,400 ft efficiently in a difficult shale formation using a low-power rig and high mud weights.

SLB recommended its SDi611UPX six-blade next-generation Spear shale-optimized steel-body PDC drill bit to improve hydraulic cleaning and directional control. The bit drilled 6,420 ft with no nozzle plugging or bit balling, maintained good toolface control, and increased ROP to 33.2 ft/h, a 19% improvement versus offsets, while exiting in excellent dull condition and avoiding extra bit trips.