Case Study: North Sea Operating Company achieves successful TD drilling through a narrow hydraulic window with SLB’s RheGuard System and MicroBar additive

RheGuard System with MicroBar Additive Exceeds KPIs, Enables Drilling to TD through Narrow Hydraulic Window

SLB worked with North Sea Operating Company on a sidetrack in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, where the team needed to drill through a narrow hydraulic window in a mature offshore field. The challenge was to improve sag stability and lower equivalent circulating density while still maintaining enough hole-cleaning performance to safely reach total depth.

SLB deployed the RheGuard flat rheology drilling fluid system with MicroBar micronized weighting additive to keep rheology low and stable during drilling. The field trial exceeded all KPIs: the sidetrack was drilled to TD, the 7¾-in liner was run and cemented without losses, and the system stayed within the narrow hydraulic window while maintaining excellent hole cleaning and optimized rheology.