Case Study: a leading North Dakota operating company sets a Bakken drilling record with SLB's Stinger PDC bit

PDC Bit with Stinger Element Drills More Than 9,600 Feet in One Run in Bakken Shale

SLB worked with a leading North Dakota operating company drilling Bakken shale horizontals in the Williston basin, where conventional PDC drill bits were limiting rate of penetration and requiring frequent course corrections to stay within a very narrow target zone. The company needed to cut drilling time and costs while improving both ROP and directional control.

SLB added its Stinger conical diamond element to a six-bladed PDC bit to extend bit life and improve performance. The solution drilled a 9,544-ft lateral in one run at 97.4 ft/h and a second 9,631-ft lateral in one run at 83.4 ft/h, setting and then breaking the operator’s fastest-lateral record while reducing sliding to one slide every 850 ft versus 250 ft with conventional bits.