8
Designing for Faster Drilling
(above)
Engineering tests in the laboratory translate
to better drilling performance in the well.
Technician Ryan Meng prepares to test a
polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC)
cutter design on a sample rock formation
at the Smith Bits Engineering Center in
Houston, Texas, USA. The results are used
to simulate the drilling mechanisms and
optimize the design of the bit.
Integrating Technology
(left)
Traditional product boundaries are being
broken as technology development moves
increasingly toward integration of the drilling
workflow. Engineers from Schlumberger,
Smith Neyrfor, and Extreme Engineering, a
company acquired by Schlumberger in 2008,
collaborate on the development of integrated
downhole technology to ensure the compati-
bility of bottomhole assembly components.
