Electro-magnetic measurement while drilling system. Source: Koltek, LLCKoltek Energy Services Sceptre electromagnetic measurement while drilling (EM MWD) tool successfully transmitted well data at total vertical well depths of over 10,600 ft in eastern Wyoming's Powder River Basin (PRB) without the use of a drop antenna.

According to a Jan. 9 Koltek press release, their Sceptre EM MWD tool has developed a proven track record in the PRB. The tool is able to effectively deliver well data while drilling. Other EM MWD tools require a drop antenna in an adjacent well; however, the Spectre EM MWD tool has effectively performed at total vertical depths over 10,600 ft deep without a drop antenna due to its advanced filtering system that decodes data transmissions.

Koltek EM MWD systems provide data transmissions at depths greater than 14,000 ft in favorable conditions. The company claims that their tools are four times faster than conventional MWD systems while providing increased reliability and faster survey times.

Drilling for oil in the Powder River Basin is a recent development. The PRB is one of the largest coal mining regions in the United States, but despite increased activity during a coal-bed methane boom, drilling activity in the PRB has been stale. Bloomberg reported that only seven oil and gas rigs were operating in Wyoming in the summer of 2016.

Drilling activity has steadily increased since then. The number of drill rigs operating in Wyoming climbed to 30 by the summer of 2018. One of the region’s largest producers, EOG Resources, re-evaluated their resource potential in PRB, estimating that it holds more than 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent that accounts for 17% of their premium prospects inventory.

The increased resource potential comes with its share of complications. The PRB is traditionally seen as a complex play since it contains multiple oil-producing geological formations. Bloomberg stated that the basin is attractive to larger service companies using sophisticated drilling and completion techniques.