SLB launches Stream high-speed intelligent telemetry for drilling complex wells

Global energy technology company SLB has launched Stream high-speed intelligent telemetry that increases drilling confidence and performance for complex wells.

Designed to overcome the bottlenecks and limitations of conventional mud pulse telemetry, Stream combines proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms with SLB’s TruLink definitive dynamic survey-while-drilling service. This provides uninterrupted, high-speed, high-fidelity real-time subsurface measurements with no data limitations, regardless of depth, in even the most challenging conditions.

“Stream is another example of the step change that digital technologies are bringing to our industry, tantamount to going from dial-up to broadband internet,” said Jesus Lamas, President, Well Construction at SLB.

“For complex well profiles, transmission has been a huge bottleneck for the data volumes being generated downhole, often constraining drillers to work with a limited picture of the reservoir. Capitalising on advanced AI algorithms in telemetry eliminates these restrictions — enabling optimal drilling decisions for more consistent, higher-performing wells,” Lamas added.

Stream has already been deployed in 14 countries, with more than 370 runs and more than 1.5 million feet drilled. In the Middle East, Stream telemetry helped a major operator overcome difficulty in geo-steering operations caused by harsh drilling conditions and poor signal quality. Using Stream, the operator was able to receive high-quality data at depths in excess of 50,000 feet — resulting in one of the longest offshore extended reach wells ever drilled.