蘑菇传媒

Innovative at-bit data for high-resolution borehole images

Retina™ at-bit imaging system converts high-frequency cutter force data, captured at the drill bit, into high-resolution borehole images. The sensors sit in the cutting structure of the drill bit itself, so operators see formation detail as the bit cuts rock, rather than waiting for a separate logging run after the section is drilled.

The Retina system captures bedding dips, thin beds, fractures, and textural variations while drilling. Because the sensors are integrated into the bit face, drilling fluid type does not affect image quality, so the system performs consistently across oil-based, water-based, and synthetic mud systems.

Unlike imaging tools that log after the bit has passed, Retina generates images before borehole enlargement or washout can degrade formation detail. Operators use the resulting images for formation characterization, geological model updates, and well planning, without adding a run or changing the bottomhole assembly (BHA).

Where operators apply at-bit imaging across the well

• When you evaluate formations onshore or offshore, Retina delivers borehole images without an additional logging run.
• When you drill with any mud type, Retina delivers full-resolution images because sensor performance is unaffected by drilling fluid composition.
• When you plan a horizontal or geologically complex well, Retina delivers fracture and bedding data that supports well planning and field development—hydraulic frac design.
• When you run any BHA, rotary steerable system (RSS), motor, or drive system, Retina delivers imaging without changing your BHA configuration.

Field results from operators using Retina system

Operators in the Midland Basin, East Texas, and onshore Ecuador have used Retina to characterize formations that conventional imaging tools could not reach.

Engineering behind consistent at-bit image quality

Retina measures high-frequency cutting forces against azimuth using sensors built into the cutting structure of the polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit. The bit architecture is optimized for both data collection and sensor reliability, and the system builds the borehole image after the run for formation interpretation and geological model updates.

• Patent-pending sensor technique generates at-bit borehole images directly from cutter force data, so operators get imaging without a dedicated logging run.
• High-resolution imaging performs consistently in any drilling fluid composition, including oil-based, water-based, and synthetic muds as well as any borehole size and any BHA.
• The PDC bit is tailored with sensors for at-bit force measurement, keeping the cutting structure intact for standard drilling performance.
• Output aligns with the workflows geologists, geophysicists, and completion teams already use for formation analysis.