Web-based Technologies for Real-time Directional Survey Quality Improvement

Directional surveys acquired by Measurement While Drilling (MWD) are subject to many errors that are not easily recognized by traditional Quality Control (QC) procedures. This commonly leads to inaccurate wellbore placement and greater positional uncertainty. Common sources of MWD survey error are inaccurate geomagnetic references, localized distortions in the natural magnetic field, poor instrument calibration, random sensor noise, magnetic mud, and human error.
Often times, such errors go unrecognized due to limitations in traditional single-station QC tests. This is a significant problem because wellbore collision avoidance, geological modeling, and reservoir drainage are all greatly affected by wellbore placement accuracy. Fortunately, most sources of MWD error can now easily be identified and corrected through implementation of robust independent survey quality control processes. By using web-based systems to facilitate this process, drillers can benefit from the most powerful quality assurance practices which can be standardized across the industry regardless of service provider or vendor specific technologies.