Weatherford collaborates with US Synthetic to optimize deepwater drilling reamer

At the 2017 Offshore Technology Conference, Weatherford International announced the commercial release of a premium version of the RipTide RFID drilling reamer that incorporates advanced cutter technology.

The RipTide RFID drilling reamer is a proven tool that has been deployed in deepwater fields throughout the world. After encountering especially abrasive formations in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Weatherford approached US Synthetic, a leading provider of polycrystalline diamond cutters for the oil and gas industry, to explore new solutions for reaming operations in these fields.

As a result of this collaboration, Weatherford and US Synthetic each developed innovative proprietary technologies. Weatherford developed the ReamSync borehole enlargement performance system, which includes a predictive cutter and formation interaction software used in the design of cutter blocks. Concurrently, US Synthetic developed Deep Diamond cutters with improved thermal stability. Applied together, these technologies yielded an enhanced RipTide reamer that has demonstrated improved performance in highly abrasive formations in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

“By combining our technical expertise with the knowledge of another technology leader in our industry, we are able to innovate with products that deliver maximum value to operators,” said Etienne Roux, Vice President of Drilling Services at Weatherford.

“This project presented a great opportunity for us to collaborate with a service company to optimize system design for a specific field application,” said Rob Galloway, CEO of US Synthetic. “We are pleased with the results of this collaboration. Working closely on specific needs in the field is the key to delivering real value.”