Reduced Drill Pipe Wear with WWT Non-Rotating Protectors in Lateral Wells

Operator Concerns
The operator observed significantly worn drill pipe while drilling their 2-mile lateral Permian wells. The majority of drill pipe in open hole was downgraded or required re-hardbanding. For subsequent wells, WWT’s Non-Rotating Protectors (NRPs) were deployed as a solution to prevent drill pipe wear by eliminating steel-to-formation contact between the tool joint and the open hole wellbore, while reducing torque and allowing WOB to be maintained.

NRP Performance 
Standard NRP placement in laterals and open hole applications is to place NRP’s mid-span of the drill pipe 
tube to provide a centralizing effect for buckling mitigation. However, for this application WWT installed 
258 4-1/2’’ SS3 model NRPs 4ft above the tool joint to provide standoff to eliminate tool joint wear. Since the 
NRPs were near the tool joint, pipe body contact became a concern because gravity would sink the middle of the pipe while laying horizontally in the lateral. WWT analyzed the pipe body contact loads to be less than 200lbf, as the NRPs would endure most of the force per joint. After reaching TD, the joints were inspected at mid span due to observing some polishing. However, as WWT predicted, no wear occurredand the exact nominal value was measured. Furthermore, 100% of the NRP protected joints were in good condition after 
drilling the well. The unprotected pipe resulted in polished/smeared tool joints requiring re-hardbanding. 

WWT NRPs will be continually utilized to prevent pipe wear for similar wells going forward. The cost 
associated with NRPs were a fraction of the cost compared to damage charges and re-hardbandingtool 
joints. In addition, NRPs provided supplementary torque, drag, and vibration reduction benefits.