Auto Trak

Baker Hughes INTEQ
AutoTrak
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A
May 1998
Confidental
Baker Hughes INTEQ

Technical Communications
P.O. Box 670968
Houston, TX 77267-0968
USA
713-625-4694
This manual is provided without any warranty of any kind,

either expressed or implied. The information in this document
is believed to be accurate; however, Baker Hughes INTEQ
will not be liable for any damages, whether direct or indirect,
which results from the use of any information contained
herein.
1998 Baker Hughes Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Preface
Preface
This manual is the first part of a series of manuals that exist
or will exist.
Note pages are located in the back of each Chapter. If you
should find a discrepancy or if additional information is
needed, please write this on the Notes pages and either
copy them to Technical Services - Drilling Systems in
Celle Germany or e:mail me a full description of where and
what needs to be changed. These notes will then be
transported to the new edition.
Baker Hughes INTEQ

Technical Services - Drilling Systems
Celle, Germany
FAX +49-5141-203362
Baker Hughes INTEQ
Technical Publications
attn. Gary Foster
2001 Rankin Road
Houston, Texas 77073
TEL (713) 625-4694
FAX (713) 625-5694
Reference Guide
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
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Confidential
AutoTrak
Preface
Notes
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Baker Hughes INTEQ

Confidential
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
Table of Contents
Preface
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction
History of Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Rotary Steering Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Chapter 2
6 AutoTrak Pilot Series
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
General Tool Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Sensor Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Component Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Steering Sleeve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
ATI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Nearbit Actuator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Hydraulic Valves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Turbine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Pulser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Oil Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Alternator/Voltage Regulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Hydrostatic Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Downlink Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Pulser Driver Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Memory Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Vibration Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Reservoir Navigation Sub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Master Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Directional Attitude Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Electrical Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
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Table of Contents
AutoTrak
Steering Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Steer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hold Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ribs Off Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2-18
2-18
2-19
2-20
Chapter 3
Surface Systems
Bypass Actuator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bypass Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjustable Nozzle/Sub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjustable Nozzle Unit Functional Description . . . . . . . . . . . .
Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nozzle Sub Functional Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Handling - To Change out a nozzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3-1
3-2
3-4
3-5
3-5
3-6
3-6
3-6
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Bypass System Rig Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Operational Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Basket Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
DrillByte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
System Set-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Veritas Plotter Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
BPC Port Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
SvyMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
LF Conversion Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Database Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Telemetry Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
MWDParams Set-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Copying to/from UNIX/DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Backup/Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Tool Communication Rig-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
RIBox Tool Comms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
PowerComms
To be included in a later release. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
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Confidential
Baker Hughes INTEQ

750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
AutoTrak
Table of Contents
Chapter 4
Pilot Series Tool Programming
Tool Set-up Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Steering Set-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Module Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Telemetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Telemetry Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FE Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Programmable Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Telemetry Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making a .TEL File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modules ON/OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AT_103 Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4-1
4-1
4-1
4-2
4-2
4-3
4-3
4-3
4-6
4-7
4-7
4-8
Chapter 5
Operating the AutoTrak Tool
Tool Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Deck Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
D-Series Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Drill String Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Rig Floor Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Memory Dumping Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Post Run Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Preparing a Log of Memory Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Veritas Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Chapter 6
Downlinking
Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wakeup Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Header Byte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checksum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pilot Series Downlinks Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Steer Mode (Command 0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Hold Mode (Command 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Table of Contents
AutoTrak
Steering Direction (Command 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Steering Force (Command 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Target Inclination (Command 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Walk Force (Command 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Build Force (Command 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use Programmable Survey (Command 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Gamma Select (Command 9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Phase Select (Command 10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set Attenuation Select (Command 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control Method (Command 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Set ATI Command Ext. (Command 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Module ON/OFF (Command 14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pulse Rate (Command 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Timing and Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6-4
6-4
6-5
6-5
6-5
6-5
6-6
6-6
6-6
6-7
6-7
6-7
6-8
6-9
Chapter 7
Directional Drilling With The AutoTrak Tool
Pre Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Well Planning Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Bottom Hole Assembly Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Drill Bit Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Directional Drilling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Modes of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Steer Mode: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Hold Mode: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Ribs Off: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Relationship Between Modes and Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Dog Leg Gradient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Rib Force Relationship to Dog Leg Severity . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Dog Leg Gradient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Directional Drilling Thought Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Tool Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Running In Hole Without Downhole Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Running In Hole With Downhole Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Surface Testing Of The Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11

Backreaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Drilling Cement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Kicking Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
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Baker Hughes INTEQ

750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
AutoTrak
Table of Contents
Open Hole Side-tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Motor Specific Drilling Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tool Idiosyncrasies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Effects on Dog Leg Gradient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Effects of Overgauge Hole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7-15
7-16
7-17
7-17
7-17
Chapter 8
AutoTrak Reporting
MWD FSE Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Downlink Analysis and Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MWD Run Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AutoTrak Diary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard MWD FE Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Directional Driller Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drilling Parameter Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Daily Drilling Report and BHA Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Directional Drilling Recap or Section Summary . . . . . . . . . . . .
AutoTrak Diary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
End Of Well Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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8-4
8-4
8-4
8-4
8-5
8-5
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Notes
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Baker Hughes INTEQ

750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
Chapter
Introduction
Chapter 1 describes the history and

theory of the AutoTrak tool.
History of Development
The AutoTrak tool was developed from the existing
successful technologies of SDD (Straight Hole Drilling
Device), RNT (Reservoir Navigation Tool), Calimero,
Probe MWD and DrillByte Surface Logging System.
Development was assisted by AGIP SpA, who had a
requirement for a high temperature rotary steering device.
Over the course of prototype development, the high
temperature requirement was dropped and a low
temperature version was pursued (as a consequence of this,
you may see some references to the LTM or Low Temp.
Master). Field testing of the first prototypes began in the
summer of 1995 and continued until spring 1997 when the
launch of the Pilot series tools began.
Rotary Steering Tools

The benefits of a tool, capable of steering while rotating,
are immense, and with increasingly challenging well plans,
a well may (in some cases) only be possible with a rotary
system. The AutoTrak system offers the potential to drill
longer horizontal sections, faster and more safely.
Sliding rates of penetration are generally 50% less than
while rotary drilling, thus a rotary steering system can
deliver substantially higher overall ROP. This combined,
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AutoTrak
Introduction
with the fact that no time is wasted orienting the toolface

prior to drilling, will increase overall ROP in comparison
with conventional steerable systems, especially in
extended reach and horizontal applications where orienting
is particularly difficult. By eliminating the necessity to
steer by orienting and sliding, drag on the drillstring can be
significantly reduced allowing a constant application of
WOB, reducing axial shock and vibration, and improving
drilling dynamics.
Studies have shown that drillstring rotation helps keep
cuttings suspended, positively affecting hole cleaning and
minimizing drillpipe-to-borehole friction. This results in
fewer wiper trips and circulating operations, fewer stuck
pipe incidents, fewer washout conditions and a lower, more
constant ECD.
In conventional directional drilling, bit selection is often
dictated by the need to slide, resulting in a choice of a less
aggressive PDC bit, or in the worst case, a Roller Cone bit,
reducing ROP and in the latter case, increasing the number
of bit trips required. Using a rotary steerable system allows
drill bits to be selected on the basis of Penetration Rate
rather than steerability.
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Chapter
This chapter describes the overview,

description and specifications of the
AutoTrak tool.
Overview
The
AutoTrak
tool is a rotary
steering
system which
uses three
independent
ribs mounted
on an
uncoupled
sleeve behind
the bit to
apply steering
forces in the desired direction to achieve a steering action.
As can be seen from the diagram, the sleeve, ribs and drive
shaft distribute the hydraulic pressure correctly (a force
which may be applied in any direction with a magnitude of
up to 18.6 kN. The magnitude of the Dogleg Severity
should be proportional to the magnitude of the resultant
force exerted by the three ribs. Electronics in the uncoupled
sleeve are able to sense the orientation of the sleeve and
thus the orientation of the ribs. With this information, the
sleeve electronics can distribute hydraulic pressure
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Confidential
AutoTrak
generated by a pump in the collar, to the three ribs by

means of three proportional valves. As the sleeve rotates
(slowly by comparison to the drillstring rotation, 1-12
revolutions per hour would be an acceptable range), the
electronics in the sleeve will calculate the new orientation
and redistribute the pressures accordingly.
In order to adjust the steering settings (among other things)
we have the ability to communicate with the tool by means
of flow rate modulation at surface. This process is referred
to as downlinking. Flow rate modulation is achieved by
mounting an automatic valve on the standpipe manifold
which, when opened, diverts a proportion of the flow back
to the return system. The operator can send commands
from his surface system (DrillByte or MSS2/3), via an
interface box, to the valve while drilling or off bottom.
General Description
The diagram of the AutoTrak tool, shows the layout of the
major components of the tool from the bit box (on the left)
to the top of the flex sub (on the right). A brief description
of the components and their function follows. Externally,
the tool consists of three main sections:
The steering section comprises the upper and lower drive
shafts which run through the uncoupled sleeve, the pulser/
alternator sub and the upper stabilizer.
The RNT section, directly above the upper stabilizer, is a
standard Reservoir Navigation sub which provides dual
frequency phase and attenuation resistivity measurements
and Natural Gamma measurement by two scintillation
counters. The RNT sub is connected at the top to the flex
joint, using an RNT crossover.
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AutoTrak
The third section is the non magnetic flex joint, which

uncouples the tool from any bending moments in the
drillstring above.
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AutoTrak
General Tool Specifications

General Tool Specifications
Borehole Size:
Sensor Specifications
8-1/2 standard
Propagation Resistivity
8-3/8 - 9-7/8 on order
Distance From Bit
Build Rate:
0 - 6.5 /100ft (30 m)
2 MHz Resistivity
Tool OD:
6-3/4
Steerable Stabiliser 7-3/4
Phase Difference
Range: 0.1 - 3000 ohm-m

Accuracy:
1% (0.1 - 50 ohm-m),
0.5 mmho/m (>50 ohm-m)
Attenuation
Range: 0.1 - 500 ohm-m Accuracy:

2% (0.1 - 25 ohm-m),
Vertical Resolution
8" (20cm) for 90% response

in conductive beds
Length:
38.7 ft (11.8 m)
Weight:
3,400 lb (1550 Kg)
Connections:
NC50 Box Up
4-1/2 API Reg Box Down
Operating Specifications and Limits

Flow Rate:
370 - 630 GPM

1,400 - 2,380 l/min
Flow Rate For Downlink

Operation
490 - 630 GPM

1,850 - 2,380 l/min
Maximum WOB:
55,000 lbs
250 kN
Maximum Tool Rotation:
18.0 ft (5.5 m)
400 kHz Resistivity

Phase Difference
Range: 0.1 - 1000 ohm-m

Accuracy:
1% (0.1 - 25 ohm-m),
250 rpm
Attenuation
Maximum Drilling Torque:

(at the Bit)
14,500 ft.lbs
20 kNm
Range: 0.1 - 200 ohm-m Accuracy:

5% (0.1 - 10 ohm-m),
Vertical Resolution
Maximum Torque To Failure:
22,000 ft.lbs
30 kNm
12" (30 cm) for 90% response in

conductive beds
Maximum Overpull
(Continued Operation):
109,000 lbs
487 kN
Gamma Ray
Maximum Overpull To Failure:
578,000 lbs
2,620 kN
Sensor Type
Scintillation (x2)
Max. Temperature: Operating

Survival*
300 F (150 C)
311 F (155 C)
Measurement
API GR
Maximum Hydrostatic Pressure:
20,000 psi
1,380 bar
Maximum Bit Pressure Drop:
2,000 psi
138 bar
Maximum DLS For Tool

Passage:
With Rotation: 9 /100ft

Without Rotation: 11 /100ft
Distance From Bit
16.7 ft (5.1 m)
Range
0 - 250 API
Accuracy
3% of full scale
Statistical Repeatability
3 API @ 100 API and

ROP = 60 ft/hr (18.3 m/hr)
Vertical Resolution
6 (15.3 cm)
Near Bit Inclination
Surface Unit - Bypass Actuator Unit
Distance From Bit
3.0 ft (0.9 m)
Weight:
900 lbs
400 Kg
Sensor Type
Tri-axial Accelerometer
Dimensions:
1.6 m x 0.6 m x 0.9 m
Directional
Maximum Standpipe Pressure:
7,100 psi
500 bar
Distance From Bit
32.8 ft (10.0 m)
Sensor Type
Required Air Supply:
90 - 130 psi @ 630 l/min.
Hammer Union Connections at

Unit:
HP Mud Line In:

2 Fig.1502 Box
LP Mud Line Out:
2 Fig.1502 Pin
Tri-axial Flux Gate

Vibration
Distance From Bit
21.7 ft (6.6 m)
Sensor Type
*Tool must not be exposed to either static or circulating temperatures

which exceed 160 C due to limits on lithium battery component in the
system.
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AutoTrak
Sensor Offsets
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
2-5
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AutoTrak
Component Overview
Steering Sleeve
The heart of the AutoTrak tool is the uncoupled sleeve or
non rotating sleeve. The sleeve is electrically connected to
the collar by a pair of rotating brush connections and
hydraulically by a system of high pressure seals. Mud is
prevented from contaminating the oil in the space between
the drive shaft and the sleeve by two sets of mud/oil seals,
at either end of the sleeve. Two electronic modules, the
ATI (AutoTrak Inclination) and NBA (Near Bit Actuator),
are mounted in slots between the steering ribs. These
modules calculate the pressure to be applied to the ribs and
control the valves which physically distribute the pressures
to the ribs.
The picture above shows a schematic of the sleeve. The

upper and lower drive shafts are inserted at either end and
meet at a thread connection in the middle of the sleeve.
This connection is torqued to 20 kNm (15 kft-lbs) in the
workshop. It is possible that this connection could be
backed off if tongs are placed on the upper drive shaft when
breaking of the bit.
Care should be taken to ensure that this connection is
not backed off or over torqued. To this end, it is not
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AutoTrak
considered advisable to have the tool made up to the

topdrive when making up the bit, rather having it hanging
in the elevators, free to rotate.
The sleeve has three ribs mounted 120 apart. Behind each
rib is a hatch containing a hydraulic valve which
distributes the pressure produced by the hydraulic pump to
its rib. Behind the proportional valve hatch for ribs 2 & 3,
there is a hatch for access to the rotating brush connection.
None of these hatches should be removed in the field. The
only hatch to be removed in the field is the Readout Port
behind the proportional valve of rib 1. The readout port is
held in its slot by two bolts (It is the ONLY hatch on the
sleeve with 2 bolts). When replacing the hatch, ensure that
the O-ring is in good condition and lightly lubricated with
silicone grease. Ensure that the O-ring is correctly in
position before torquing the bolts, otherwise it will be
damaged and will not seal properly. This could lead to
contamination of the oil system and subsequent tool
failure. After cleaning the bolts with Loctite cleaner spray
(acetone) and allowing this to dry, Loctite 243 should be
applied and the bolts torqued to 23 Nm (17 ft-lbs).
ATI
The ATI module is mounted in one of the three slots in the
uncoupled sleeve. It contains three orthogonally mounted
accelerometers. Its function being to provide sleeve
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
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AutoTrak
orientation, near bit inclination and temperature data.

Temperature data is required for correction of the
accelerometers and the hydraulic valves. The sensor
inclination is derived from all three accelerometers, unlike
the Navigator which has the facility to transmit a Gz value
only. Thus, when the sleeve is rotating out of control,
erroneous nearbit inclination values will be transmitted.
The ATI inclination value is also slightly affected by
vibration, which will produce a sinusoidal variation with
sleeve orientation. Bearing these points in mind, the ATI
inclination measurement should be interpreted over a range
of values and not on the basis of a single measurement.
Ideally, a reading should be derived from observation over
a complete rotation of the sleeve, or by comparing AT
inclinations from similar sleeve orientations. It is
important, when looking at AT inclinations, to have a well
presented graphical record in the form of a time based plot
and a depth based plot.
Data from the ATI module is acquired by the master every
5 seconds (this is definable in the AutoTrak
communications software, but is set to 5 seconds as a
default). The value sent to the master is an average taken
over a period defined by the ATI Command Extension,
which will be set to 2 seconds as a default, but may be
changed by downlink. Historically, the ATI command
extension was an important parameter which could
seriously affect the tools performance during periods of
fast sleeve rotation, due to the time over which it acquired
sleeve orientation data. With data now acquired using the
above method, reducing the ATI command extension by
one second will make little difference, however the facility
does exist to change this parameter.
The slot for the ATI module has an angular offset to RIB 1,
which is used as the highside reference. Furthermore, the
module is mounted in the slot with a rotation relative to the
surface of the sleeve. The combination of these offsets,
means that the direction which the module considers to be
up is actually 115 to 130 to the left of RIB 1. The
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AutoTrak
correct offset will be measured during calibration in the

workshop and inserted as the ATI GTF Offset. In the
downhole tool software, a default value of 125 has been
set, thus if the calibration in the tool is lost, the tool will
still function normally. This should, however, be checked
in the tool programming software prior to running in hole.
Nearbit Actuator
Having acquired data from the ATI module, the master
then sends the data back to the Nearbit Actuator (NBA)
module. The NBA can then apply this data to the current
steering commands in order to calculate the required rib
pressures. The NBA module holds the current steering
commands in its memory. These commands are:
Mode
Steer (mode 0) / Hold (mode 1) / Ribs Off

(mode 3)
Steer Force
The force applied in steer mode, adjustable
from 0 - 18.6 kN in 0.6 kN steps.
Steer Direction
The direction relative to highside reference in
which to apply the steer force. Adjustable
through 360 in 1.5 increments.
Build Force
Force applied vertically up or down in hold
mode adjustable from 0 - 18.6 kN in 0.6 kN
steps.
Walk Force
Force applied to the left or right in hold mode,
adjustable from -18.6 (Left) - +18.6 kN
(Right) in 0.6 kN steps.
Target Inclination
Programmable inclination to which the tool
will build or drop by applying the current
build force. Inclination is adjusted from 0 to
128 in 0.125 increments.
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AutoTrak
All five parameters and the mode are stored in the NBA
memory, regardless of the mode the tool is in. The current
mode will only define the parameters that are used by the
NBA. Knowing the force and steering direction or build
force, walk force and target inclination required by the
operator, and knowing the orientation of the sleeve and the
ATI inclination, the NBA can calculate the pressure
required on each rib to produce that force. Having
recalculated the pressures required, the NBA can then
directly adjust the hydraulic valves that control the
individual rib pressures.
Hydraulic Valves
Behind each of the three ribs on the sleeve, there is a hatch
housing and a hydraulic valve. These three valves
distribute the hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic
pump to their respective ribs. These valves are calibrated in
the workshop flow-loop prior to shipping the tools.
Turbine
The turbine in the tool consists of a rotor with a single stage
of blades. The mud is channelled by a fixed spiral guide
wheel (or stator) to strike the rotor blades at the correct
angle. The rotor drives the alternator and the oil pump,
providing the tool with electrical and hydraulic power. A
typical turbine RPM for 2000 L/min (528 gal/min) would
be 55 rev/sec (3300 rpm).
Alternator
The alternator of AutoTrak serves as the power supply for
the complete downhole electronics including all added
Triple Combo and Modular Dynamics and Pressure Subs.
The alternator is driven by a mud turbine via a magneto
coupling, sometimes referred to as a magnetic clutch,
which seals the drilling mud from the oil reservoir inside
the alternator. The alternator drive shaft is also connected
to the oil pump of the hydraulic system. The operating
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AutoTrak
range of the turbine / alternator unit is 1400 L/min (369.8

gal/min) to 2400 L/min (634 gal/min) resulting in a voltage
range of the alternator of 40 VDC to 83 VDC. The voltage
will be transformed to 33 VDC continuous by the
Alternator Voltage Regulator. The alternator will have to
supply 105 Watts peak power when AutoTrak is run with
the Triple Combo Addition. With a maximum power
output of 200 Watts, the alternator will be capable of
achieving this.
Pulser
The pulser, in the
AutoTrak tool, uses
differential
pressure caused by
mud flowing
through a
restriction to
produce a pressure
pulse. The diagram
shows the pulser
assembly mounted
in the pulser
housing. As mud
flows through the
tool, there will be a
pressure drop over
the restriction.
Thus, the pressure
at A will be higher than the pressure at B.
A small portion of the flow will go through the pulser
mesh, and follow the dark arrows, since there is a pressure
differential between the two ends of the flow path. If we
now activate the solenoid and push the Control Valve
upwards to close off this flow path, we will increase the
pressure in area C until it is the same as in area A. The
high pressure area C is surrounded by the relatively low
pressure area B, and will attempt to expand. In order for
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
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Confidential
AutoTrak
area C to expand its volume, the valve body must now

move upwards. This will reduce the clearance between the
Valve Body and the Restriction, increasing standpipe
pressure, and thus creating a pulse. The position of the
Control Valve is determined by the Pulser Driver Board
which in turn is controlled directly by the master CPU.
Oil Pump
The hydraulic pump, mounted below the alternator, uses a
cylindrical housing containing five spring mounted
pistons, rotated below a fixed eccentric cam plate. As the
pistons are pressed inward by the cam plate, they pass over
a fixed, grooved base plate that acts as an inlet/outlet valve.
With the cylinder rotating between 2000 and 3500 rpm, the
pump output needs to be regulated to a constant pressure.
This is achieved by sending the output through a relief
valve which regulates the pump output pressure to
nominally 140 bars (2030 psi).
Alternator/Voltage Regulator
The three phase AC alternator output is converted to a 33
VDC supply by the AVR (Alternator/Voltage Regulator).
It also provides a digital value of alternator RPM (and
hence the turbine RPM) by analyzing the frequency of one
of the phases of the alternator output. This value is then
passed on to the Downlink Controller (DLC). The AVR is
housed in the first probe above the pulser along with the
Pulser Driver Board and the Downlink Controller Board.
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AutoTrak
Hydrostatic Compensation
If the hydraulic system was completely isolated, producing

140 bars (2030 psi) at atmospheric pressure, as we increase
hydrostatic pressure, the relative pressure difference
between the hydraulic system and its surrounding
environment will decrease, and thus the force applied by
the steering ribs will decrease. To counter this effect, the
hydraulic system is hydrostatically compensated. A rubber
bellows inside the alternator/pulser housing acts as a
flexible barrier between the oil reservoir and the mud
system in the annulus.
Mud from the annulus can enter via the compensation
ports, and compensate the hydraulic oil in the reservoir
between the support and the bellows. Thus, the oil on the
low pressure side of the system is already at hydrostatic
pressure before it goes through the hydraulic pump, and oil
in the high pressure system will be at hydrostatic pressure
plus 140 bars (2030 psi) relative to atmospheric pressure.
Downlink Controller
The DLC constantly monitors the digital turbine RPM
value from the AVR, and decides when a downlink is
being sent. It will inform the master that a downlink is in
progress and after the downlink, will inform the master of
the content and status of the downlink.
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AutoTrak
Pulser Driver Board

The master module produces a 0 - 5 V digital signal to
control the pulser. This is transmitted down the Pulse
Control Line to the Pulser Driver Board (PDB). The PDB
will amplify the signal and provide the current control
required to operate the pulser solenoid. When a pulse is
initiated, a relatively high current is required to accelerate
the pulser control valve, however the current can be
reduced slightly when the control valve has closed off the
port in the valve body. Thus, when looking at the current
draw during deck testing of the tools, a short lived current
peak followed by a short drop will be seen. The regulation
of this current is performed by the PDB.
Memory Module
The tools memory is a 2 Mbyte probe mounted M30
memory. With the tool set in the default configuration, the
memory will last about 100 hours. After this time, the
memory will not wrap.
Vibration Module
The vibration module (VMM) is mounted in the probe
adjacent to the RNT M30 crossover, providing it with a
more rigid mount than would be achieved using rubber
probe centralizers. The module contains three orthogonal
accelerometers. Three transmitted values are provided by
the tool.
EGYZX
Axial energy level, transmitted as a value

between 0 and 7.
The maximum value corresponding to an
acceleration greater than 13g.
EGYXYX Lateral energy level, transmitted as a value

between 0 and 7.
The maximum value corresponding to an
acceleration greater than 13g.
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AutoTrak
HFSNAP High frequency axial acceleration transmitted

as a value between 0 and 31.
Data from the VMM gives no stick slip information, and its
interpretation is not well understood. As a guideline, if
EGYZX and/or EGYXYX reach 3, the drilling parameters
should be modified to reduce vibration. With the
introduction of the modified master module, it is hoped to
replace the VMM with a VSS (Vibration Stick Slip) type
sensor.
Reservoir Navigation Sub

A standard Reservoir Navigation Sub (RNT) is mounted
above the upper stabilizer, and is connected to the M30 line
via a branch passed through a crossover at the top of the
sub. Although there is an inclination sensor as a standard
in the NBIG module of the RNT, its output is only stored
in memory. The transmitted Nearbit Inclination is acquired
from the ATI module in the Sleeve.
Battery
The battery is required to provide power ONLY after the
tool is powered down for the duration of the static delay (or
flow off time). It provides power ONLY for the master and
directional packages. It will not power the M-30 line,
having a direct connection to the Master/DAS.
The battery is a high temperature NaviTrak battery, with a
maximum temperature of 160C (320F). It should be
noted that there is a danger of explosion if this
temperature is exceeded. The tool as a complete system
is rated to a maximum operating temperature of 150C
(302F).
Master Module
In the early stages of AutoTrak development, the tool was
specified as a high temperature tool, however the need for
a high temperature version has diminished and a low
Operations Manual
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AutoTrak
temperature version capable of operating at 150C (302F)

was produced. You may therefore hear the Master being
referred to as the Low Temperature Master (LTM). The
master module has overall control of the tool. All
communications between modules are carried out on the
M30 line via the master. For example, data from the ATI
module that is required by its close neighbor, the NBA does
not go directly from one module to the other. First the
master requests the individual items of data, the sleeve
orientation for example, from the ATI. The ATI sends the
master the sleeve orientation, and then the master sends the
same information to the NBA. The only method of module
to module communication throughout the tool is M30, with
the exception of the connection between the battery and the
Master/Directional modules. There is no ADAM bus in the
tool (ADAM is a fast communication method used in collar
based tools for communication within the directional
collar). The master will poll the various modules for data at
intervals defined by the user in the tool programming
software, however the default setting is as follows:
5 sec
5 sec
10 sec
30 sec
Acquire DLC
Acquire ATI
Acquire Gamma / Res.
Acquire Vibration
It is possible to increase these acquisition rates, however

excessive increases could lead to bus contention, so if you
deviate from the defaults, thoroughly test the tool on deck
prior to picking up the tool.
Directional Attitude Sensor

The tools directional sensor (DAS) is, in essence, a
standard NaviTrak DAS module with three orthogonal
accelerometers and three orthogonal magnetometers.
However, the NaviTrak DAS contains its own master
which is completely different to the AutoTrak Low
Temperature Master.
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AutoTrak
Electrical Schematic
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
2-17
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AutoTrak
Steering Control
In order to control the tool, we must establish a method of
communicating our desired steering options to the tool. We
do this with a combination of MODES and associated
PARAMETERS. For drilling, there are two main modes,
steer mode and hold mode. While tripping and drilling out
ratholes, a third mode, Ribs Off, may be used. Five
parameters are used in conjunction with the modes. These
parameters and modes are held in the NBA memory, to be
used in its calculation of the necessary rib pressures. These
modes and parameters can be pre-programmed at surface
using the tool communications software or may be changed
downhole using downlinks.
Steer Mode
Using an analogy
with conventional
steerable systems,
steer mode uses a
toolface and a
predicted dogleg. In
AutoTrak
nomenclature,
however, we give
the tool a Direction
and a Steer Force.
The tool will apply
that force in the
given direction
relative to its
highside reference.
Steer mode is of use
to us when a three
dimensional profile such as a combined build and turn is
required with a constant dogleg but with regular changes in
toolface. It does not have a target inclination and will
continue to apply the steer force in the specified direction
until changed by downlink.
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AutoTrak
Steer Mode is referred to as Mode 0 and uses the

parameters Direction and Steer Force.
The use of modes and parameters is discussed further in
Relationship Between Modes and Forces on page 7-6.
Hold Mode
Hold mode
allows us to
apply forces up/
down and left/
right in order to
achieve our
objective. The
parameter Build
Force is applied
up or down and
the parameter
Walk Force is
applied to the left
(-ve) or right
(+ve). The most
useful aspect of
hold mode is that
the tool will build or drop using the Build Force to a preprogrammed Target Inclination. Thus, if the ATI
Inclination is below the target inclination, the tool will
build using the Build Force to the target inclination and
then hold angle. Conversely, if the ATI Inclination is
above the target inclination, the tool will attempt to drop.
A constant force to the left or right may be applied to either
counter a walking tendency or to induce a planned turn. In
hold mode, the NBA calculates the effective direction and
force to achieve the Build and Walk programmed (i.e. the
tool THINKS in steer mode). In the situation where the
vector sum of the Build and Walk Forces exceeds the tools
maximum force of 18.6kN, the NBA will apply the
maximum force in the correct direction, thus both Build
and Walk will be less than expected.
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AutoTrak
Hold Mode is referred to as Mode 1 and uses the

parameters Build Force, Walk Force and Target
Inclination.
The use of modes and parameters is discussed further in
Relationship Between Modes and Forces on page 7-6.
Ribs Off Mode

In steer and hold modes, when the tool is powered by the
turbine, there will always be pressure applied to the pistons
behind the ribs. If the tool is set to steer mode with a steer
force of 0 kN, there will still be 70 Bars (1015 psi) on each
rib. Even after circulation has stopped, there will be oil in
the pistons, and a considerable force is required to bleed the
oil back from the pistons to the low pressure system. If the
oil is forced back by the rib being forced into the closed
position, the seals on the piston may be damaged,
rendering the rib useless. Thus, care must be taken when
passing through changes in hole diameter.
When drilling out a casing shoe with steer force of 0 kN,
when the ribs come out of the 12 casing shoe into a
possibly washed out rat hole, the ribs will expand to their
maximum extent of 9-3/16. As the bit drills a new 8
the ribs may hang up on the ledge between the old hole and
the new hole. A possible solution is to set the tool to a mode
which applies no pressure to the pistons, and therefore
allows the ribs to collapse to the closed position. This is the
function of Ribs Off Mode. If Ribs Off Mode is used, care
must be taken while rotating. If there is no rib contact with
the bore hole wall, the sleeve will rotate with the drillstring.
If for any reason the ribs do grip the bore hole, the sleeve
rotation will drop from the tool RPM to zero almost
instantaneously, possibly damaging the sleeve. As such it
is recommended that tool rotation be kept below 60 rpm in
Ribs Off Mode. Further discussion of Ribs Off Mode can
be found in the Directional Drilling Section. The use of
modes and parameters is discussed further in Relationship
Between Modes and Forces on page 7-6. and the use of
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AutoTrak
Ribs Off Mode is discussed in detail in Tool Operation

on page 7-10.
There are no parameters associated with Ribs Off Mode.
Operations Manual
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AutoTrak
Notes
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750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
Chapter
Surface Systems
Chapter 3 describes the Surface System

components.
Bypass Actuator
The downlinking process relies on our ability to modulate
flow rate at the surface in order to provide a variation in
flow rate downhole which is decodeable by the DLC. To
this end, we must install a bypass actuator (BPA) valve on
the standpipe manifold to divert flow back to the return
mud system. The BPA, shown below, consists of a
solenoid controlled air motor capable of rotating a diamond
disc through 90. This disc has two holes in it, as does a
second disc mounted hard up against the first. In the closed
position the holes lie at 90 from each other, however,
when the first disc is rotated 90, the holes line up and
allow flow to pass from the standpipe to the outlet. Current
certification requires that the BPA be maintained onshore
after no more than 3 hours of bypass flow or 1000 valve
actuations, whichever is reached first. The outlet side of
the PBA should be inspected regularly, for signs of
washing.
The operation of the BPA is controlled by an electrical
signal from the Bypass Controller box (BPC).
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
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AutoTrak
Surface Systems
Bypass Controller
The BPC can be instructed, either by DrillByte or by a 4x4
keypad on its front panel, to send a command with an
associated set of parameters to the AutoTrak tool. It is the
BPCs job to convert this command into a sequence of
valve openings and closings, i.e. it will encode the
command and electrically send the encoded command to
the BPA solenoid valve.
The BPC operation panel consists of a power switch,

power supply (three LEDs), solenoid driver (one LED red/
green) and LC display (This may have a reset button. The
reset button is not available on all BPCs. If a BPC appears
to react strangely simply cycle power using the power
switch). In addition, the power supply board may contain
three trim pots to readjust the output voltages. Do not
readjust any of these. If in doubt, request a new power
supply for replacement. After turning power on, all three
LEDs on the power supply will light up. If one LED does
not work, replace the power supply. If the BPC is powered
up properly, you will see the following or similar start up
message.
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AutoTrak
Surface Systems
Bypass Controller Version 3.29 or

Bypass Controller Version 3.40
The LED on the solenoid driver should not light up until a
transmission has been initiated. It will show a green light
when the output driver is activated. If it shows a red light,
there is most likely a problem with the connection to the
Bypass Actuator solenoid valve. Check the cabling and
connections and try again.
The BPC should not need any servicing under normal
conditions. If there is a malfunction observed, replace the
whole unit. If the solenoid driver card does not work,
dismount it and check the fuse before sending the unit
back. See below on how to dismount and re-mount the
solenoid driver card. Double check the rating when
replacing any blown fuses. Do not replace the fuse with
other ratings than 315 mA (fast response). The power
supply and solenoid driver card can be replaced by
following these steps:
1.
Turn the BPC off and disconnect it from the main

power.
2.
Unscrew the visible screws which hold the solenoid

driver (two screws) or power supply (four screws) in
place using an appropriate screwdriver.
3.
After all screws have been unscrewed, pull the unit

gently out of the frame. Be especially careful with
the solenoid driver, as it has no extra case.
4.
Insert the new unit.
5.
Tighten the screws.
6.
Reconnect main power, turn the BPC on and observe

the start-up message.
Should you need to send a downlink using the keypad,

press the Menu key (M). The LCD displays:
Enter Pulse Length
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AutoTrak
Surface Systems
Use the left/right arrow keys to set the pulse length to 8, 12

or 16 seconds and press Enter.
To select the desired command, use the left/right arrow
keys. Once the desired command is selected, press Enter.
You will now be prompted to enter the parameters
associated with that command. Different types of
parameters must be entered differently. Directions and
Inclinations should be entered numerically, all other
parameters can be adjusted using the left/right arrow keys.
Once you have entered the correct parameter, press enter
(if there are two parameters associated with the command,
repeat the parameter entry process and press Enter). The
LCD should now read:
Transmit
Yes/No
When you are ready to send the downlink, highlight yes

and press Enter. You may abort the downlink by pressing
the cancel key (C). The LCD should now read:
Abort Transmission
Yes/No
Highlight yes and press Enter.

Detailed instructions on downlinking using the keypad can
be found in the BYPASS CONTROLLER MANUAL,
however it is recommended that the Survey Monitor is
used to downlink from DrillByte.
Adjustable Nozzle/Sub
In order to control the amount of flow bypassed, a nozzle
is installed on the outlet side of the BPA. This may be in
the form of an adjustable nozzle assembly or a short sub
with two fixed nozzle carriers. The nozzle or nozzle
equivalent opening must be adjusted for the particular
hydraulic conditions of the well, however as a general rule
a 12/32 nozzle will be satisfactory. In a well with a
particularly high standpipe pressure, a smaller nozzle may
be required to limit the bypass flow, and conversely, a
larger nozzle may be required with lower standpipe
pressures.
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Adjustable Nozzle Unit Functional

Description
The adjustment of the Nozzle Unit will define the ratio of
borehole flow and the by pass flow back to the pit. Turning
the handwheel of the unit will adjust the position of the
internal valve disc and, with it, the total opening of the
unit.
Turning the handwheel clockwise will enlarge the opening
and with it the by pass flow, which will reduce the
standpipe pressure while the BPA Valve is open. Turning
the handwheel counterclockwise will reduce the opening
and with it the by pass flow which will increase the
standpipe pressure while the BPA Valve is open.
Table 3-1:
Shaft
Position
Equivalent
nozzle /32
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
9
10.2
10.8
11.5
12.0
12.6
13.2
13.7
14.2
14.7
15.1
15.6
16.0
16.5
16.9
17.3
17.5
17.7
Handling
For 6-3/4 tools set the ANU shaft position to 2.5,
equivalent to 12/32, prior to operation. The position can
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be corrected during operations until the required by pass

flow has been reached.
A comparison between Shaft Position and the equivalent
Nozzle Size is given on the table.
Inspection
The Adjustable Nozzle Unit will not be inspected or
maintained at the rig side, however if serious damage is
detected, the BPA basket should be shipped back to the
shop.
Current certification requires that the ANU be maintained
onshore after no more than 3 hours of bypass flow or
1000 valve actuations, whichever is reached first.
Nozzle Sub Functional Description

The nozzle size of the one or two nozzles inside the Nozzle
Sub will define the ratio of borehole flow and the by pass
flow back to the pit.
The Nozzle Sub will be shipped to the rig site assembled
with one 12/32 nozzle.
By using the software program (NozzleCalc.XLS), or by
analyzing the results of previous downlinks, the nozzles
can be changed on the rig site.
Handling - To Change out a nozzle

1.
Close the Plug Valve connecting the Standpipe with

the BPA.
2.
Remove the Nozzle Sub out of the basket by

breaking the hammer union connectors on both ends
of the sub and unscrew the bolts of the shells
supporting the Sub in the basket.
3.
Remove the Nozzle Holder by using the T-Handle.
4.
Replace the nozzle.
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5.
Be sure that the O-Rings are not damaged. If they

are, replace them.
6.
Screw Nozzle Holder into the Nozzle Sub

(handtight).
7.
Replace the Nozzle Sub and make up the hammer

union connectors.
8.
Fix the Sub with the shells inside the basket.
9. Open the Plug Valve.

Note: If only one nozzle is used, place this nozzle
at the flow in side of the Nozzle Sub.
Inspection
The Nozzle Sub will not be inspected or maintained at the
rig side, however if damage to the nozzle sub is detected,
the BPA basket should be returned to the workshop.
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Bypass System Rig Up

The BPA acts as a valve controlling a high pressure line.
As such, your primary concern during the rig up of this
equipment should be safety. When rigging on the
standpipe, always ensure that the person responsible for
that area, normally the driller, is aware of your intentions
and deems the work you are about to do to be safe. Check
for yourself that there is no pressure on the standpipe.
By forcing mud at high pressure through a small nozzle, we
create an extremely high velocity jet of mud. This is
capable of cutting through steel very quickly in extreme
cases. In the early field tests, this lead to chicksan and
flexible hoses washing out. The suggested solution to the
problem was to direct the jet at a sacrificial blind plug, the
thinking being that the plug would take longer to wash out
and could be replaced easily. What seems to happen is that
when the mud enters the dead end created by the blind
plug, an area of high pressure mud is created that dissipates
the energy of the jet. Experience has shown that over the
course of 50 downlinks, less than 1mm of wear was seen
on the plug.
After rigging up the bypass system, get the rig personnel
responsible for the area to inspect and check your
installation. They will have more experience of chicksan
than you do!
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Operational Limits
The wear on the Adjustable Nozzle Sub and the BPA
should be monitored carefully during the duration of the
job. A record of bypass actuator and adjustable nozzle use
should include the amount of time in the open position
with mud being bypassed through the system, and also a
running total of the number of valve actuations (openings
or closings) produced by the actuator. An extra column
should be inserted into the downlink record sheet for this
purpose, if a modified sheet is not available. These figures
form a part of the certification for these components. It is
specified in the certification of the Bypass Actuator that it
shall not exceed 3 hours of bypass flow or 1000 valve
actuations, without a complete service. The Adjustable
Nozzle Unit (ANU) is also certified for 3 hours bypass
flow or 1000 actuations. Having reached their certified
endurance limits, these components should be returned to
the shop for maintenance.
Basket Unit
The by-pass unit will normally arrive at the rigsite, readily
assembled in the basket. The components mounted in the
basket are shown below:
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Rated operating
Working Pressure:
Temperature:
Service:
500 bar (7252 psi)

-29 to 82 C (18 to 180F)
Standard (for H2S only on request)
Documentation
For traceability, the following data have to be recorded on
the Downlink Analysis and Tracking sheet:
equivalent nozzle size of the Adjustable Nozzle

Unit or used nozzle size inside the Nozzle Sub
standpipe pressure (BPA closed)
standpipe pressure (BPA open)
flow rate of the mud pumps (BPA closed)
flow time through the BPA
number of BPA activations
Inspection
The Blind Plug inside the T-Connector behind the
Adjustable Nozzle Unit or behind the Nozzle Sub has to be
checked for wash outs after 1.5 hours flow time through the
BPA. A wear up to 20% of the thickness is permitted.
All other components will not be inspected or maintained
at the rig site. Only if serious damage is detected should the
BPA basket be shipped back to the shop.
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AutoTrak
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DrillByte
DrillByte is currently the only surface software platform
on which AutoTrak is to be run. This will in due course be
replaced by MSS2/3. It is not within the scope of this
manual to give a detailed discussion of DrillByte/MSS2,
however some points pertinent to AutoTrak operations are
included below.
Since several extra plots may be running constantly while
drilling with AutoTrak, it is recommended that the Virtual
Windows Manager is run. If this is not already configured,
go to the file .xinitrc in the home directory, which will
most probably be /usr2/mwdfse. To enable the Virtual
Window Manager, change the line:
olwm -3 &
to:
olvwm -3 &
To register this change, you must exit and log in again.
System Set-up
Several changes may have to be made in the System Setup program in order to run the AutoTrak service. These
may already be in place on your system but they should,
nonetheless, be checked.
Veritas Plotter Configuration

Since the Veritas plotter is the only plotter used on the job,
it should be capable of operating with both DrillByte and
the off-line D-Series machine/MPLOT. To this end, it
must be fitted with a dip switch card and have firmware
version 1.1f. In future, Veritas Plotters will be available to
automatically detect the incoming signal.
The settings required for each input source are given in
Tool Verification on page 5-13.
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The Veritas Plotter should be set up in System Set-up,

Devices, as follows:
Device Name
Port Type
XGS Driver
Port/File
Size
Res.
Veritas
Parallel
Versatec
/dev/bpp0
x=0.0, y=0.0
x=0.0, y=0.0
When making plots in DrillByte, remember that there is

usually a filter in the .Xdefaults file in the home directory
(/usr2/mwdfse) which only shows the plot formats
beginning with MWD_ in the Plot program. Most
AutoTrak plot formats have the prefix RCLS_. Either
delete the line:
plot.filter: MWD_
which will give you ALL the available plot formats (a lot
of plot formats), or modify the line to read:
plot.filter: RCLS_
which will only show the plot formats specific to
AutoTrak.
BPC Port Configuration

If it does not already exist, a device must be created in
System Set-up, Devices, for the BPC as follows:
Device Name
Port Type
Port/File
Baud Rate
Parity
RCLSPORT
Serial
/dev/ttya
9600
8 Bits No Parity
SvyMonitor
In order to operate the Bypass Controller from DrillByte,
the program SvyMonitor has to be run with a switch, which
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will open the program with an RCLS button in the main

screen. The switch is set up as follows.
In System Set-up, log in as Administrator and press the
Programs button. Find the Survey Monitor in the lower
window of the pop-up screen and click on it. Below this,
the Execute Command should read SvyMonitor. In order
to run survey monitor with the BPC enhancement, modify
this command to:
SvyMonitor -mode RCLS
Now, when Survey Monitor is started in Launcher, the
survey monitor screen should appear with an additional
RCLS button which brings up the BPC control panel. If
the BPC is switched on and connected to the active Sparc,
SvyMonitor will interrogate the BPC to ascertain which
version of firmware it contains. If no BPC is connected or
it is not switched on, an error will occur and the button in
the lower right hand of the RCLS screen will give you the
option to Check BPC. After connecting or switching on
the BPC, by pressing the Check BPC button,
SvyMonitor will interrogate the BPC again for its
firmware version. No error should be given this time and
the Check BPC button should be replaced by the
Transmit button. The parameter options that now appear
with each command type should be compatible with the
BPC.
LF Conversion Factor
Since all of our AutoTrak forces are quoted in kN, we must
ensure that the DrillByte system is using the same units for
Load or Force (LF). This is changed in the System Setup initial screen. While in Administrator role, scroll down
to:
LF
Load or Force
and change the units to kN. Ensure that you save and
Make Active before exiting.
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Database Classes
Two additional database classes exist to store AutoTrak
specific data.
X_RAW_NB Contains:
act_innx1, the near bit inclination transmitted.
act_htfx, Sleeve Orientation transmitted
X_RAW_EL Contains:
egyzx, Axial energy level transmitted.
egyxyx, Lateral energy level transmitted.
hfsnap, High frequency bit signature vibration
transmitted.
Telemetry Files
Having made a telemetry file in the pre-run deck test (See
Making a .TEL File on page 4-7), it must be copied to the
/dbyte/ctl/mwd/uft/ directory. Also in this directory, you
must ensure that the file master.uft includes the name of
this telemetry format and also refers to the language
definition file 77249ud.ud5. This language definition
file does not contain words required for other service types
and is therefore only to be used with AutoTrak. Remember
to change the master.uft file back to the latest 77249 file if
AutoTrak should be replaced by another service.
MWDParams Set-up
The MWDParams version in DrillByte 2.3.1 TD does not
contain an AutoTrak option. To set up the tool and sensor
offsets, the tool may be considered similar to a modular
RNT or NaviGator tool. The tool may be divided into a
NaviGator, 6.0 m (19.7 ft) in length with sensor offsets as
follows: ATI 0.9 m (2.9 ft), Gamma 5.1 m (16.7 ft),
resistivity 5.5 m (18.0 ft), and a directional collar 5.3 m
(17.4 ft) in length, with directional sensor offset 4.0 m
(13.1 ft) from the bottom of the sub (giving a total
directional sensor offset from the bit box of 10.0 m (32.8
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ft). DrillByte version 2.3.1 TF contains an AutoTrak

option.
Copying to/from UNIX/DOS

Having plugged into the tool and programmed it using the
current tool communications software, you will have a
DOS format disk with the telemetry format to be used on
it. This needs to be copied into DrillByte (and PC-Raw).
Put the disk in the Sparc and from a command tool, do the
following:
mwdfse > dosmount -m
mwdfse > cd /pcfs
mwdfse > l (lists the files on the disk)
Go to the UFT directory, i.e.:
mwdfse > cd /dbyte/ctl/mwd/uft
mwdfse > dos2unix /pcfs/at_103.tel
AT_103.TEL
Now unmount and eject the floppy:
mwdfse > dosmount -ue
Check in File Manager that the file is there. Now you must
update the master.uft file by adding the name of the new
format to the file, and ensuring that the correct 77249 file
is present.
To copy a UFT file to disk:
mwdfse > dosmount -m
mwdfse > cd /dbyte/ctl/mwd/uft
mwdfse > unix2dos AT_103.TEL /pcfs/
AT_103.TEL
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Backup/Restore
A regular schedule of backups is essential, should it be
necessary to restore the database for any reason. During the
job, DrillByte backups should be created on a regular basis
as follows.
1.
In a command tool, log in as versant.
2.
Type DbArchive and press Enter on the command

line. Use the set-up button if necessary to connect to
the database to be backed up.
3.
Press the backup button and enter the device to be

backed up to, this will normally be the tape drive,
/dev/rst0
4.
Press the Backup Database button, a screen will

appear giving details of the backup and the progress
of the backup.
To Restore the Database from a DrillByte backup, the

procedure is as follows:
1.
In a command tool, log in as versant.
2.
Ensure the tape is not write protected and insert it in

the tape drive.
3.
Set the database to single user.

Type dbinfo -1 drillbyte
4.
Stop the database. Type

stopdb drillbyte.
If the database is in use, an error
(E7045: UT_ER_DB_INUSE:)
will appear. Type
stopdb -f drillbyte.
5.
To perform the restore. Type

vbackup -device /dev/rst0 -position 0 -restore
drillbyte
A display of the restoration progress should be displayed.

When complete, you may be asked if you wish to do
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another level of restoration. Answer NO. You may also be

asked if you wish to apply records from log file, again
say NO. If instead of the progress report, you were given
the error:
ERROR 7103 UT_ER_WRONG_DB wrong dbid,
perform the following steps:
a.
Type dbinfo -m drillbyte
b.
Type removedb drillbyte
c.
Type dbinfo -1 drillbyte
Now go back to step 4 and try again.

4.
Reset database to multiple user. Type

dbinfo -m drillbyte
5.
Restart database. Type

startdb drillbyte
This should complete the restore procedure

At the end of each job, a DrillByte backup should be
performed and in addition, an ASCII backup is
required. This will allow the importation of data to
different DrillByte versions.
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AutoTrak
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Tool Communication Rig-up

Two systems are currently in use to electrically
communicate with the AutoTrak tool. The current RIBox
method is considered to be unreliable over long cable runs
(over 8m (26 ft)), and is to be replaced by the
PowerComms system.
RIBox Tool Comms

The RIBox tool communication system is an M30 system
designed specifically for AutoTrak. The tool is connected
via an armoured coaxial cable to a RIBox, a box containing
a modem, and this in turn is connected to a PC.
This system provides a facility to connect the RIBox to the

TR700 decoding unit. The current draw fluctuation caused
by the activation of the pulser is converted to digital 0 - 5V
level and output from the BNC connector on the lower left
hand corner of the RIBox. By connecting to the Standpipe
In BNC connector on the TR700, the tool telemetry may
be checked at the surface. Before powering up the RIBox,
ensure that the switchable fuse is set to the correct voltage.
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PowerComms
To be included in a later release.
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Notes
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Chapter
This chapter describes the programming

for the AutoTrak tool.
Tool Set-up Guidelines

The most important section of the AT_103 program is the
Tool Set-up section. For instructions in the use of the
program, refer to the AutoTrak 150C System Reference
Manual. The following guidelines should be born in mind
before changing the tool set-up. Remember, after any
change is made in a set-up or configuration screen, the F2
button must be pressed to send the change to the tool.
Steering Set-up
Prior to running in hole, the steering set-up of the tool may
be pre-programmed, using steering set-up in AT_103.
Remember to move the cursor or press Enter after making
a change and prior to sending the new set-up to the tool,
otherwise the new value will not be sent to the tool.
Module Communications
This area of the communications program allows you to
select, which if any, of the modules (Memory, RNT or
Vibration) to switch off, and to define the rate at which the
master acquires data from the various modules. The default
data acquisition and storage rate has been tested to ensure
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reliable communication on the M30 bus. Any dramatic

increase in the acquisition rate of any module may
detrimentally affect bus communication and hence tool
operation. If a change is made to increase acquisition rates,
rigorously test the tool after the change to ensure bus
communication has not been affected.
Telemetry
The telemetry configuration of the tool is performed in
Tool Setup / MPT Setup in AT_103. This should be
checked if not changed prior to each run.
Parameters
Certain transmitted parameters are specific to the
AutoTrak tool.
DLCERRX
DLERRX
ATIM30ERRX
ACTM30ERRX
VMIM30ERRX
NBACNTLX
NBAVECTX
NBAFRCEX
NBAWALKX
NBABULDX
NBATARGX
ACTINNX
ACTHTFX
Downlink controller error status bit.

Downlink error status bit.
ATI communications status bit.
NBA communications status bit.
Vibration module communications
status bit.
Actuator control method. Mode,
0=Steer, 1=Hold, 3=Ribs off.
Actuator vector or Steering
Direction.
Actuator Force or Steer Force.
Actuator Walk Force.
Actuator Build Force.
Actuator Target Inclination
ATI Inclination.
Sleeve Orientation or the orientation
of rib 1 relative to highside reference.
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Telemetry Setup
Some basic variables need to be set up before running in
hole to aid decoding.
1.
The data rate must be set to a suitable rate for the

conditions. Its default value is x4.
2.
The time delay used between pumps on and pulsing,

the initial delay, can be adjusted from 40 seconds to
4 minutes. The default value is 60 seconds.
3.
The time required to take a survey, the Static Time or

Flow Off Time, can be adjusted from 40 seconds to 2
minutes. The default value is 60 seconds.
FE Setup
The default FE transmission provides real-time gamma
scintillation sensor #1, 2Mhz compensated phase and
400khz compensated low resolution attenuation data.
Should any variation from this be required, they may be
changed in MPT Set-up. Remember, any change in the tool
will require a corresponding change in the telemetry
format of the surface system. See Telemetry Formats on
page 4-6 for details.
Programmable Survey
Under some circumstances, a client may request a data
transmission sequence, which is not available as standard.
We can accommodate his request using the programmable
survey sequence. This allows us to produce a survey
sequence (FID 7, BNR).
These data items may be used in any combination,
repeated as often as required. Instructions on making the
Programmable survey can be found in the AutoTrak
150C System Manual. When making the format,
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remember that to run the tool, you will require a reasonable

number of sleeve orientation words, Nearbit Inclination
words and a set of error flags. Also, beware of making the
format too long, otherwise you may spend a long time
waiting for the tool to re-sync in poor decoding conditions.
Programmable Survey Data Elements Available are:
Raw Survey Data
GXBX1
GYBX1
GZBX
HXBX
HYBX
HZBX1
DAS Temperature Data
TCDX
VMM Vibration Data
EGYZX
EGYXYX
HFSNAP
RNT Gamma
GRBX1
GRBX2
GR1BX
GR2BX
(GR*BX for scintillator)
Downlink Response
Data
TRPMHIX
TRPMLOX
DLCCMDX
DLCDATAX
ATI Data
ACTHTFX
ACTINNX
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RNT DDS Data
GZBX
Status Bits
SYSERRX
ERRORFLAGS
will select 8 Errorflags
as there are:
SWWPERRX
DLCERRX
DLERRX
MEMERRX
MPRERRX
NBIM30ERX
NBAM30ER
X
VMMM30ER
X
Actuator Settings
NBACNTLX
NBAVECTX
NBAFRCEX
NBAWALKX
NBABULDX
NBATARGX
RNT Phase and

Attenuation Data
PDBCHX
PDBCLX
ATBCHX
ATBCLX
ATBCHX0
ATBCLX0
(0 denotes high resolution)
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Telemetry Formats
The AutoTrak tool currently has the capability to transmit
7 different survey sequences.
1.
RAW Survey (RAW FID 15)- Only sent after the

tool has powered up, providing the raw
accelerometer and magnetometer values currently
stored in the master memory, current NBA
Parameter/Mode steering set-up, temperature and a
set of 8 error flags.
Note:
This is the only temperature value

transmitted in a standard sequence.
2.
DEFAULT Survey (AR FID 10) - Sent as a

continuous loop regardless of whether the tool is or is
not rotating. It contains Near Bit Inclination, Sleeve
Orientation, FE and Vibration data, as well as the 8
standard error flags. This sequence will be sent
continuously until the tool power is cycled or a
downlink is sent.
3.
DOWNLINK RESPONSE Survey (ANR FID 6) Sent after a downlink, to confirm the downlinked
data was decoded correctly, repeat the current
Actuator Settings, and to give a minimum and
maximum Turbine RMP value seen by the DLC
during the downlink. (Maximum is measured after
the downlink has finished but before the tool starts
pulsing again).
If the facility to turn off a module is invoked (see Modules

ON/OFF on page 4-7), it will be wasteful to transmit null
values for that module, thus the tool will automatically
change to a survey sequence which does not contain
irrelevant data.
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4.
DEFAULT WITHOUT VIBRATION (BR FID

11)
5.
DEFAULT WITHOUT RNT (CR FID 12)
6.
DEFAULT WITHOUT VIBRATION AND RNT

(DR FID 13)
7.
PROGRAMMABLE Survey (BNR FID 7) - In the

tool communications software, it is possible to create
a user defined survey sequence to suit the
requirements of specific situations or clients. Details
of the Programmable Survey may be found in the
AutoTrak 150C System Manual and in FE Setup
on page 4-3 of this manual.
Making a .TEL File

A telemetry file is a file containing some of the
information your surface system will need to convert the
stream of 1s and 0s coming from the decoding unit, into
values for specific parameters. There is considerable
flexibility in the data transmission set up of the AutoTrak
tool, so much so that it was considered impractical to have
a collection of Telemetry (*.TEL) files to cope with every
possible permutation. To solve this problem, the tool
communications software has a very simple procedure for
making a .TEL file to match what is in the tool. If the
sequence of actions given in Deck Test on page 5-1,
under step 18 is followed, you can be sure that the
telemetry set ups in your surface system and the tool are
identical.
Modules ON/OFF
We have the facility to turn off three modules in the tool by
either programming at the surface or by downlinking.
These modules are the RNT sub, the Vibration module
and the Memory module. This may be done to conserve
memory, as no data will be written to the memory by a
node, while it is switched off, and no data will be written
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to the memory at all if the memory module is switched off.

Another reason for switching off the RNT of Vibration
modules would be to increase the transmission bandwidth
devoted to other data types, as discussed in Telemetry
Formats on page 4-6.
AT_103 Manual
The AutoTrak 150C System Manual provides
information on the tool communication program AT_103,
downlink definitions, telemetry formats and memory file
configurations. You should read it before you use AT_103.
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Notes
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Chapter
Chapter 5 describes the operations and

testing of the tool.
Tool Testing
Deck Test
The following should be carried out at the earliest
opportunity on arrival at the rig site. Prior to the electrical
test, the PC used to program the tool should be
synchronized with the DrillByte computer.
1.
Remove inspection port cover next to the name plate

on the non-rotating sleeve. It is the only cover that is
secured by two bolts. Accidental removal of any
other cover will render the tool inoperable.
2.
Connect the tool to the RIBox using the shortest

cable length possible.
3.
Connect the RIBox to the D-Series PC serial port and

to the TR700 standpipe in BNC connection.
4.
Ensure that the M30 power supply is off (Use the On/
Off labels on the switch rather than the confusing
labels on the box).
5.
Switch On the RIBox power supply.
6.
Switch On the M30 power supply from the RIBox.

The current draw should be 0.7A, increasing over a
few seconds to 0.9 A. After 1 minute, the tool
should start pulsing and the current draw should
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fluctuate to a peak of 1.5A. A continuous draw of >

2.0A is indicative of a fault on the M30 Bus.
7.
On the D-Series computer, run the Atrak software

AT_103.
Note:
When starting AT_103 with a shortcut from

the Windows 95 desktop, be sure it is NOT in
training mode. This will lead to problems
during Master assertion.
8.
Select M30 Monitor. This option does a Master

assertion and then reboots the Master, so the tool
should stop pulsing for 1 minute. Check that all the
values on the display are reasonable. Press F1 and
bus communication statistics should be displayed.
These should be in a range from 95 - 105%. Press
<Esc> to return to the main menu.
9.
Select Steering Control. Here, the tool can be

configured with job specific steering commands. The
control method selected with parameters entered will
be used on power up of the tool with pumps on. All
the control parameters will be held in memory. Press
F2 to send to the tool. Press <Esc> to return to the
main menu.
10. Select Memory Utilities. This will bring up the

Memory sub menu.
11. Select File Directory and check file size to ensure
that some data has been stored to memory during
testing. Press <Esc> to return to Memory sub menu.
12. Select Clear Memory Module and answer Yes to
clear memory. Press <Esc> to return to the Memory
sub menu.
13. Select Get Current Time and press <Enter> to
synchronize the tool time to the D-Series PC which
should have already been synchronized with the
DrillByte computer. Press F2 to send to the tool.
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Press <Enter> to confirm. Press <Esc> twice to

return to the main menu.
14. Use viewer to look at the .RPT file. First confirm
that the ID time is right for the Tool ID that is
required. Check that the configurations set up are
correct and that there are values in the calibration
data. Press <Esc> to return to the main menu.
15. Select Tool Setup to bring up the tool set up sub
menu.
16. Select Module Communications. Default values
are as follows:
Connect RNT ?
Connect VMM ?
Connect MEM ?
YES
YES
YES
Acquire DLC
Acquire ATI
Store ATI
Acquire Gamma / Res.
Store Gamma / Res.
Acquire Vibration
Store Vibration
5 sec
5 sec
60 sec
10 sec
10 sec
30 sec
90 sec
Memory Fill Time
99.9 h
Normal operation is to answer Yes to all modules

connected. Set the memory store times to give a reasonable
memory fill time of 100 hrs. To send the default or
changed configuration to the tool, press F2. Press <Esc> to
return to the tool set up sub menu.
17. Select MPT Setup. This is the menu where tool,
RNT and Telemetry format is set up. The software
also offers the operator the option to create their own
telemetry format using Make Survey (F4).
Default set up is as follows (By pressing F3 the defaults
will be entered):
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Pulse Rate
Flow Time
Static Time
Use Prog. Survey
4x
60 sec
60 sec
NO
Gamma Select
Gamma 1 Scint
Phase Select Trans.

Phase Select Freq.
Transmitter 1+2
Freq. 2.0 MHz
Atten Select Trans.

Atten Select Freq.
Transmitted Res.
Transmitter 1+2
Freq. 400 kHz
Low
The above is a standard set-up that can be used in most

situations. The only things that one would be likely to
change are pulse rate and Transmitted Resolution. Press F2
to send the default or personal configuration to the tool.
The telemetry format will now be sent to the AT_103
directory on the hard drive and to a floppy disc in A: drive.
Press F4 to Make Survey. A personal programmable
survey can be created or the default programmable survey
used. This telemetry format is only transmitted if it is
selected as Use Prog. Survey on the previous menu or if a
downlink is sent to transmit the programmable survey. The
programmable survey will replace the AR repeated
telemetry, if selected.
Press F2 to send to tool. At this stage, the telemetry format
from the previous (F2) will be pulled from the hard drive,
the programmable format added and the completed file
sent back to the hard drive and to the A: drive as
a:\AT_103.tel overwrites the previous file sent. Press
<Esc> three times to return to the main menu.
By using dos2unix and copying this file to the DrillByte
system as /dbyte/ctl/mwd/uft/AT_103.tel, you can be
certain that DrillByte will be set up for the same telemetry
format as the tool. Do not overwrite the old .tel file on
DrillByte, but rename it prior to loading the new format as
AT_103.old.
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18. Select Tool ID on the main menu. This will store

all the configuration and calibration data to a .report
file stored as c:\AT_103\ xxxx_406\xxxx__yy.rpt
where xxxx is the master serial # and yy is the report
number starting with 00 for the first report.
Example: 5005__01.rpt is the second report for the
tool with master # 5005.
19. Start up Surface Receiver and confirm telemetry
from the tool to the RIBox is being decoded by
DrillByte.
20. To enable the tool to be picked up and run straight in
hole without any electrical testing on the rig floor,
the RNT can be verified at this stage by picking the
tool clear of any conductive material with the crane
and a verification run.
21. To run the verification, press Exit Program to exit
the AT_103 software and run verification using DSeries, having entered the calibration and BHA data.
D-Series Setup
D-Series is currently the preferred method for dumping
memory from the tool and for running pre and post run
verifications. From the HPUTIL main menu, select DSeries RWD System. Since there is no option for
AutoTrak, the separate components should be added.
Drill String Components

Directional/MEM Subs - serial number (e.g. AT-11), size
(6-3/4), directional type (MTC), memory name (MEM).
Add also RNT DDS. Gamma sub. data: serial number,
GRAPICF, size, type (RNTGAMMA). Resistivity sub.
data: Serial number, size, type (RNT Res.). F1 allows you
to enter the RNT Resistivity Factors.
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Bottom Hole Assemblies: put in the assembly (tool setup)

for each run, including sensor offsets (no scribeline
correction is required), e.g.
Drill String Component
Dir.: Sub# AT-11
Res.: Sub# 1000
Gam: Sub# 1000
Dir.: Sub# AT-11
Sensor Offset
6 MTC (MEM) 32.81 ft

6 RNT Res. 18.04 ft
6 RNTGAMMA 16.73 ft
6 RNT DDS 3.08 ft
Remember to put in all the required Correction Factors;

e.g. Mud Resistivity and Total Grid Correction.
Once the above details have been entered, you can test the
tool as follows:
Utilities - Poll: this checks that you have communication
with the tool. The message Hardware is Being Initialized
appears. A screen showing if there is a response from the
relevant nodes then appears. F1 gives a display of the data.
Once you confirm that you have full communication with
each node, go to Tool Verification and select Pre-Run
Verification; you now get the screen Select Pre-Run
Bottom Hole Assembly. Type the relevant run (e.g. BHA)
number.
Once the verification is complete, the data will be saved in
D:\HPUTIL>VERIFY. It may be necessary at the start of
the job to check that there is indeed a VERIFY directory in
HPUTIL. If not, youll need to make this directory prior to
doing a verification.
Using Dump Memories, the verification data should be
dumped to Run99.
22. The power can now be switched Off on the RIBox,
the cable disconnected from the tool and the port
cover replaced.
23. When replacing the port cover prior to running in
hole, a new O-ring should be coated with O-lube and
fitted with new lock down bolts cleaned with Loctite
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cleaner 7063 and coated with Loctite 243. The make

up torque for the port cover bolts should be 23 Nm
(17 ft-lbs).
Note:
The O-ring has the tendency to jump out of

the groove.
24. If the verification has been carried out, the tool is

now ready to run in hole.
In the course of the deck test procedure, you will have
created a number of files and directories. They are added
to the root directory (normally c:\AT_103) in the following
structure. Those files or directories that have been created
are underlined.
AT_103 Directory Structure
The new directory [xxxx_403] is unique to the master ID

of the tool. In this case, the master ID is 5003, and the
directory name will always end _406. The memory
dump sub.-directory, prefixed with m, will take its name
from the date (DDMMYY) and will alphabetically
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increment the last letter according to the number of

memory dumps written to the sub.-directory that day.
Likewise for the ASCII directory (if created), but with the
prefix a.
Rig Floor Test

A drill floor test is only required if there has been no
opportunity to run the RNT verification on the crane. Prior
to a drill floor test, a deck test should have been carried out
where the tool will have been configured and the telemetry
format dumped and checked.
The drill floor test should be carried out in a similar way to
the deck test. Go through steps 1 to 8, followed by steps 21
to 24, using the D-Series verification notes as an aid.
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Memory Dumping Procedure

Post Run Test
The post run test is run to dump the memory data, check
tool functionality and dump a Tool ID. This should be
carried out on deck, if possible, to save rig time.
Again, the general procedure for plugging into the tool is
the same as the pre run deck test. Go through steps 1 to 8,
then using D-Series, dump the memory for processing
using conventional MWD techniques (see Preparing a log
of the Memory Data below). Next follow steps 18 to 20
and 22.
Preparing a Log of Memory Data

Having reached the end of an AutoTrak run, you should do
the following:
1.
Transfer all the real-time data using the script file/

export file procedure.
2.
Make an ASCII file of your ROP/WOB data for the

whole run (for Time Since Drilled calculation). This
is only needed if you intend to keep the real-time and
memory data in separate binary files.
3.
Create a spool file from the MWD_TIME file.
4.
Copy the real-time binary file to a suitably named

file, e.g. MWD03.*, then copy your memory data
from the previous runs to the binary file.
5.
Dump the data using D-Series, then process the data,

appending it to the binary file.
6.
Use imp2mplt to add ROP/WOB to the new binary

file.
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7.
Add time since drilled.

A) Transferring real-time data from DrillByte
On the database machine, start Launcher from the
workspace. Select Group: Database and run the
program Database Archive.
[Select Import/Export] and choose text.
Go to [Scripts] and select Load Scripts. A window
will appear with a series of script files. Highlight the
file
MWD_ALL.txtscr or MWD_ALL.fpstxtscr
and press load. Check that the hole id is correct by
going into DbEdit, selecting Drilldepth and noting
Hole_id.
In order to change the depth range (which is always
in meters) click on the right button and select Enable
Range Change. Type in the depth you want to begin
the transfer (again in meters) and with the right
button, select Apply Range Change.
The depth range you have selected has only been
applied to Drilldepth. In order to apply the depth
range to all other items, go to [Scripts] and select
Propagate Range. Once this is done, from the
[Scripts] menu select:
Run Scripts - Export.
The message, Warning: data file(s) included in this
script already exist appears. Press Continue.
If DrillByte and the off-line PC are networked, from
Launcher run Processing db2mplt which generates
the files 1,2,3,4, etc. along with a .bat file in /dbyte/
backup/mwd/xfer. FTP these to HPUTIL, run the
.bat file and use imp2mplt to import the files into
MPLOT.
If DrillByte and the off-line machine are not
networked, from the workspace, select [MWD
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Tools] and run

run exp_mwd_all script with the console open and a
disk in the machine.
Once the disk has been ejected, take it to the
HPUTIL machine and check the transfer disk files.
D:\HPUTIL>see a:\1 (and 3,4,5 etc.)
Once you confirm the data, import the files into
MPLOT using the following command:
D:\HPUTIL>imp2mplt
Youre then asked for the filename e.g. a:\1. Press
Enter then F1 to import the file and then repeat for
a:\2, a:\3, a:\4 etc.
B) Creating an ASCII File for the Whole Run
From the real-time binary file, an ASCII file of ROP/
WOB can be made using the Make Definition File
and LIS ASCII programs in HPUTIL.
Alternatively, once the real-time data has been saved
and the current memory files loaded into binary.*,
you can re-import Drilldepth for the entire run from
DrillByte and imp2mplt ROP and WOB.
C) MWD_TIME File: Creating Spool.fil
If DrillByte and the off-line PC are networked, from
Launcher run Processing spool.fil. This removes
the header and any -ve depths, and saves the data in /
dbyte/backup/mwd/xfer as spool.dat, along with a
.bat file. FTP these to HPUTIL and run the .bat file
to create the spool.fil.
If DrillByte and the off-line PC are not networked,
the MWD_TIME.txtscr file can be created in a
similar way to the MWD_ALL.fpstxtscr file
described above. Once the correct time range has
been loaded for the bit run, the MWD_TIME.txtscr
can be exported by clicking on [Scripts] and running
Run Script - Export.
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From File Manager, open up MWD_TIME.txtdat

and check that all the depths are sequential. If there
are any bad depth points, these will need to edited in
the database editor and the file loaded again.
From the workspace menu select [MWD Tools] and
run the program Run exp_MWD_TIME scripts...
with a disk in the machine and the console open.
Once the disk has been ejected, put it in the HPUTIL
machine and type the following:
D:\HPUTIL>surface feet
a:\mwd_time.txt (or meters,
according to your ASCII file)
The file spool.fil has now been created.
D) Backing Up Real-Time Data in HPUTIL
Once all the real-time data has been transferred to
HPUTIL, save the binary files to a suitably named
set of files
e.g.
D:\HPUTIL>copy binary.* mwd03.*
Now, copy the memory files from the previous run to
the binary file
e.g.
D:\HPUTIL>copy rwd02.* binary.*
This is only necessary if you are keeping the realtime data and memory data in separate binary files.
E) Dumping Memory Data Using D-Series
Having plugged into the tool and carried out the
appropriate electrical tests using the AT_103
software, go to D-Series and check that the details of
the tool and the run have been input correctly in
options 1 to 4. Now go through the following menus.
Utilities - POLL
Check that you have communication with the tool.
F1 will give you a display of the data; Here, you can
check the tool clock.
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Dump Memories
Inteq Run Number:
ComPort 1:
Baud Rate:
Handshake:
Method:
Echo Node:
3
COM1
19200
ON
SPEW
DISABLED
Once data has been dumped, escape out and look at

the memories in MemView.
Backup/Restore Data
- The data should be backed up to the hard drive.
Process Data
- Select the run and the following screen will appear.
Ensure that the following options are selected.
Handle Error Data
: DISCARD
Handle Backplotted data
: KEEP
Borehole Corrected Res.
: YES
Conductivity Rec.
: NO
Calc. Toolface for all Comps : NO
Gamma Ray Dark Current Corr. : BIAS ON
Average Data
: NO
Calc Near/Far Resistivity
: NO
CRIM Corrected Resistivity
: YES (dielectric)
Nuclear Processing
: P-Series 2.13
Bottom Hole Assemblies
- Add a BHA for the next run. If running the same
tool and assembly, simply copy the previous run.
Tool Verification
- Details of the verification procedure can be found
in Deck Test on page 5-1, step 15, but instead of
selecting Pre Run Verification, select Post-Run
Verification and plot this to the Gulton or Veritas.
The verification is saved in D:\HPUTIL\VERIFY>
as post3.
Dump Memories - the verification data should be
dumped to Run99.
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F) Add ROP/WOB Data

The surface data will not need to be re-imported into
HPUTIL if both the real-time and memory data are
being stored in the same binary file.
If the data are being stored in separate binary files,
the ROP/WOB ASCII file should be imported into
MPLOT using the imp2mplt command:
D:\HPUTIL>imp2mplt
Enter the file name e.g. a:\1, press Enter, then F1 to
import the file.
G) Adding Time Since Drilled
This can be done from the main HPUTIL menu or
from the DOS prompt.
e.g.
D:\HPUTIL>addtsd
select the RNT option, select Y for the RPCM option
and N for the two other options.
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Veritas Settings
At the time of writing, several versions of the Veritas
plotter exist. If your plotter has a Dip Switch Board
mounted on the left hand end, you may need to change its
configuration when changing from DrillByte plotting to
HPUTIL/MPLOT plotting. The required settings are listed
below.
DrillByte Setup:
Dip Switch #1:
Contrast:
Scanwidth:
Vert. Res.:
OFF
Normal (0%)
264 BYTE (no arrow)
200 DPI
MPLOT Setup:
Dip Switch #1:
Contrast:
Scanwidth:
Vert. Res.:
ON
30%
264->BYTE
200 BPI
On newer Veritas models, the capacity to automatically

detect the data source is being implemented.
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Notes
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Chapter
Downlinking
This chapter describes the

communication of the AutoTrak tool.
In order to communicate with the AutoTrak tool, a flow

rate modulation communication system (referred to as
downlinking) has been devised. The modulation is
achieved by diverting a portion of the mud flow, 10% 20%, from the standpipe back to the most convenient place
in the return system. The rig-up of the bypass valve or
Bypass Actuator (BPA) is discussed in Surface Systems
on page 3-1.
Structure
Similarly to the collar based tool telemetry systems
preamble and marker bit, when sending a downlink we
need to first tell the decoding unit, in this case the
Downlink Controller (DLC) in the tool, that we are sending
data and synchronize the sending and receiving units. This
is done by sending a Wakeup Sequence. Continuing the
analogy, the FID, giving information about the type and
duration of data to be sent, is replaced by the Header Byte.
After the header byte, the actual data is sent, followed by a
4 bit checksum completing the downlink. About 30
seconds after the downlink has finished, the tool will restart
pulsing with a downlink confirmation sequence (FID 6,
ANR). This will confirm the success or otherwise of the
downlink and provide turbine RPM information.
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Downlinking
Wakeup Sequence
The wakeup sequence gives a specific set of valve open
and closed periods, which the DLC should recognize as a
signal to stop pulsing and listen to the remainder of the
downlink. It will also give the DLC information about the
downlink data rate to be used for the remainder of the
downlink. The DLC will look for a sequence similar to that
below. The length of the two open and closed periods at the
start will define the data rate, in this case 8 seconds. The
options are 8, 12 and 16 seconds. Having seen the required
wakeup sequence, the AutoTrak tool will stop pulsing
towards the end of the 30 second valve open section. If the
tool has not stopped pulsing before the end of the last
closed period of the wakeup sequence, the downlink has
not been recognized.
8 8
30
C losed
T his Sequen ce w ill tell

the tool to decode th e
d ow n lin k at 8 secon d
d ata rate
O pen
W akeup
H ead er
Sequence
B yte
Header Byte
The type of data which will follow the header byte is
defined by the first four bits of the byte. This is referred to
as the command number. This will be a number between 0
and 15, which has been assigned to a specific command.
The functions of the different commands is discussed in
Pilot Series Downlinks Available on page 6-4. The next
three bits of the header, the Parameter size, define the
length of the data string to follow. To transmit a direction
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Downlinking
between 0 and 360 divided into increments of 1.5, a

total of 240 different options would normally require 8
bits. However if we tell the DLC that the data is a direction
word (command number 2), and is only 2 bits long, it will
know that the direction (with a value between 0 and 6)
we are about to send only requires two bits and will thus
allow us to shorten the downlink. The Parameter Size of a
particular length of data (Bit Count) is defined as follows:
Parameter Size = (Bit Count/2)-1,
The final bit of the eight bit header byte is an odd parity bit.
Data
The data transmitted in the downlink gives the value of the
parameter or parameters associated with the command
number. It will vary between 2 and 16 bits long. This,
along with the bit length, will define the duration of the
downlink.
Checksum
As a form of error detection, a four bit checksum is
included at the end of the downlink. Its value is dependent
on the total number of 1s in the header byte and data
sections of the downlink. If either the checksum or the
parity bit in the header byte is incorrect, the downlink will
be rejected and the DLERRX status bit in the subsequent
downlink response survey will be set to 1.
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Downlinking
Pilot Series Downlinks Available

The command number described above relates to a
particular command and a set of parameters which will be
transmitted in the data section of the downlink. An
explanation of the function of each possible command
follows.
Set Steer Mode (Command 0)

The Near Bit Actuator (NBA) will be set to Steer Mode
(Control Method 0). Two parameters will be sent in the
data section, a steer direction (up to 8 bits from 0 to 360
in 1.5 increments) and a steer force (up to 4 bits from 0kN
to +18.6kN in 0.6kN increments).
Set Hold Mode (Command 1)

The Near Bit Actuator (NBA) will be set to Hold Mode
(Control Method 1). Two parameters will be sent in the
data section, a Target Inclination (up to 10 bits from 0 to
128 in 0.125 increments) and a Walk Force (up to 6 bits
from -18.6kN to +18.6kN in 0.6kN increments.)
Steering Direction (Command 2)

Sends a Steering Direction (up to 8 bits from 0 to 360 in
1.5 increments). This parameter is stored in the NBA
memory and is only used in steer mode.
Steering Force (Command 3)

Sends a steering Force (up to 4 bits from 0kN to +18.6kN
in 0.6kN increments). This parameter is stored in the NBA
memory and is only used in steer mode.
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Downlinking
Target Inclination (Command 4)

Sends a Target Inclination (up to 10 bits from 0 to 128 in
0.125 increments). This parameter is stored in the NBA
memory and is only used in hold mode.
Walk Force (Command 5)

Sends a Walk Force (up to 6 bits from -18.6kN to +18.6kN
in 0.6kN increments). This parameter is stored in the NBA
Build Force (Command 7)

Sends a Build Force (up to 4 bits from 0kN to +18.6kN in
0.6kN increments). This parameter is stored in the NBA
Use Programmable Survey (Command 8)

As discussed in the AutoTrak Tool Communication
Software section, we have the option to create a user
definable survey sequence, or Programmable Survey, as
required by ourselves or at the request of a particular client.
As a default, the standard survey sequence (FID10 AR)
will be transmitted as a continuous loop, however this may
be replaced by a continuous loop of the programmable
survey sequence by sending the command:
Use Programmable Survey - YES.
We may revert back to the Default Survey by sending the
command:
Use Programmable Survey - NO
The data section of this downlink is either YES or NO but
is sent as two bits, the minimum length possible.
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AutoTrak
Downlinking
Set Gamma Select (Command 9)

The standard RNT sub in the AutoTrak tool has two
gamma sensors. These will in most circumstances be of the
scintillator type. It may be possible, though unlikely, that
the sensors are of the Geiger Mueller type. This command
allows the transmitted gamma value to be acquired from
either sensor #1 or sensor #2, scintillator or GM. This
would be of use if the default sensor (normally sensor #1)
failed. There are four possible values encoded as two bits
of data in the downlink.
Set Phase Select (Command 10)

The transmitted Phase Resistivity value can be configured
downhole to switch the frequency of the measurement
between 2MHz to 400KHz. We can also select the
transmitter combination used, either transmitter #1,
transmitter #2 or if the compensated measurement is
required, transmitter #1 and #2. The default setting is
2MHz transmitter #1 and #2. The six available options are
encoded as four bits of data. (The number of data bits must
be even.)
Set Attenuation Select (Command 11)

The transmitted attenuation value may be configured in a
similar fashion to the phase measurement, however in
addition we may configure the resolution of the transmitted
parameter from a 10 bit word (low resolution) to a 14 bit
word (high resolution). The default configuration is
400KHz transmitter #1 and #2, low resolution. The twelve
available options are encoded as four bits of data.
Note:
Any change in command numbers 9, 10 or

11 will require a change in the Telemetry
format (*.TEL) file in the surface system.
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AutoTrak
Downlinking
Control Method (Command 12)

The control method or Mode used by the NBA can be
changed to one of three options:
0 - Steer Mode
1 - Hold Mode
3 - Ribs Off Mode
Note that option 2 - Build Mode still exists in some surface
software but should not be used.
Set ATI Command Ext. (Command 13)

The rate that data is acquired from the AutoTrak
Inclination Module (ATI), will have a bearing on the speed
at which the force on the steering sleeve is updated.
Historically, the ATI command extension referred to the
number of acquisitions the ATI data (Sleeve orientation,
Near Bit Inclination and Temperature) was averaged over.
Thus, a high value for the ATI command extension could
give rise to a substantial time delay in adjusting the rib
pressures. In a situation where the sleeve was rotating
quickly, this could lead to a serious discrepancy between
the desired and actual steering directions.
The method of averaging has since been changed, the ATI
command extension now refers to the number of seconds
prior to acquisition by the master over which the ATI data
is averaged. The default value is set to two seconds. Thus,
any reduction in the ATI command extension will have a
very limited effect on the speed at which the rib forces are
updated, the minimum value being 0.
Module ON/OFF (Command 14)

The Vibration, RNT and Memory modules in the tool can
be switched OFF or ON by downlink. This may be
required to save on memory space, or to enhance the data
transmission of other parameters. If the Vibration module
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AutoTrak
Downlinking
is shut down, the tool will automatically change the default

survey sequence to a sequence without vibration data, thus
increasing the amount of RNT and ATI data transmitted.
By switching off a module, no data for that module will be
stored in memory.
Pulse Rate (Command 15)

The uplink data rate may be varied between x2 and x5
splitphase. After the downlink has been sent, the tool will
continue to transmit at the old data rate. Only after the
pumps have been cycled will the new data rate come into
effect.
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AutoTrak
Downlinking
Timing and Procedure

Certain periods should be avoided when trying to send a
downlink:
1.
Valve offs between surveys generate pressure drops

and then rises as pulsing starts again. In a slightly
compressible medium, these may be seen as flow
rate variations by the DLC causing interference with
an intentional downlink. Thus, the period 30 seconds
after and 60 seconds before a valve off should be
avoided.
2.
If the driller shuts down the pumps or alters the flow

rate, the downlink will be corrupted. Thus, during
periods close to stand down, the driller must be told
to maintain circulation until the downlink is
complete.
3.
Experience has shown that when drilling with a

motor, better results can be seen while on bottom.
The Sequence for a successful downlink should be as

follows:
1.
Inform the Driller. He will see a large drop in his

standpipe pressure and hear a fairly loud noise when
the BPA opens. Make sure the driller knows what
you are doing and the consequences.
2.
Open the Downlink control screen of the Survey

Monitor, select the downlink data rate, command
and set the parameter(s).
3.
Start the Downlink Pressure Scanner. This is a

real-time standpipe pressure trace on the Veritas,
used for downlink analysis both at the rigsite and in
the office. The trace is normally called
Downlink_Gulton_Modified.
4.
Wait for the right moment, i.e.30 seconds after the

valve off etc. and press the Transmit button.
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AutoTrak
Downlinking
The downlink should complete itself automatically. If the

tool continues to pulse after the end of the wakeup
sequence, the downlink has not been recognized and can be
aborted by pressing the Abort Transmission button or by
pressing C on the BPC and selecting:
Abort Transmission
Yes/No.
Assuming the downlink was recognized, the downlink

response survey should follow. Ensure that the DLERRX
status bit is 0, and that the parameters to be changed have
actually changed. This would then be considered as a
successfully decoded downlink.
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AutoTrak
Downlinking
Notes
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AutoTrak
Downlinking
Notes
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750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
Chapter
Directional Drilling With The

AutoTrak Tool
Chapter 7 describes assembly planning

for AutoTrak.
Pre Planning
Well Planning Considerations
AutoTrak is capable of producing 6.5/30m (100 ft)
dogleg severity, with a maximum force of 18.6 kN, in
medium strength formation. As with conventional
directional technology, it would be bad practice to plan a
well to the tools maximum capability. Thus, planned
doglegs of greater than 5/30m (100 ft) should be avoided.
The capability has been seen to be influenced by formation
strength, dropping to as low as 4/30m (100 ft) in very
soft formation. Formation strength and offset tool run
information should be considered prior to planning an
AutoTrak profile.
Unlike conventional techniques, where frequent tool face
changes are of no real significance, this is not the case with
AutoTrak. Which ever mode of operation the tool is in, it
will have a fixed effective toolface for any command.
Changing the effective toolface requires a downlink
message during which the real-time log is interrupted and
real-time data lost. The number of tool face changes should
be minimized on an AutoTrak profile.
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AutoTrak
The primary use of the tool is to drill a horizontal section

through the reservoir. In the past, long continuous curves,
with doglegs of less than 0.5/30m (100 ft) have been used
to achieve TVD changes. With AutoTrak, the most
effective way to make a TVD change is to use a higher
dogleg and tangent in the hold mode.
Well plans should not pass through zero inclination.
Sleeve orientation is calculated from the attitude of the
accelerometers in the ATI (AutoTrak Inclination) module
with reference to gravity highside. The rib forces are then
distributed with respect to the sleeve orientation to result in
the programmed steer vector. Due to loss of highside
resolution below 3, a minimum inclination of less than
5 should not be planned.
Bottom Hole Assembly Configurations

The standard assemblies used in horizontal applications are
as follows:
Motor
Rotary
8-1/2 PDC Bit
AutoTrak Tool
3 x 10m x 5 NMCSDP
3 x 5 HWDP
6-1/2 Jars
3 x 5 HWDP
5 Drillpipe
8-1/2 PDC Bit

AutoTrak Tool
2 x 10m x 5 NMCSDP
4-1/2IFPin to4-1/2
REG Pin X/O
6-3/4 Navidrill (Stabilized)
8-3/8 String Stabilizer
3 x 5 HWDP
6-1/2 Jars
3 x 5 HWDP
5 Drillpipe
Note:
i. As with all directional drilling assemblies,
a torque and drag analysis should be
carried out at the planning stage to avoid
critical buckling and establish theoretical
torque and drag trends for rotary drilling.
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AutoTrak
ii. For low inclination applications, the

NMCSDP and HWDP should be replaced
by non mag. and standard 6 drill
collars.
iii. Magnetic isolation requirement will be
dependent on latitude of the well being
drilled. PC Raw must be applied at all times
due to the proximity of the steel components
of the tool to the DAS.
vi. To avoid bending moments on the 4
Reg. connection on the bit box of the
Navidrill, the motor must be either fully
stabilized, both top and bottom, or run slick.
v. Consideration should be given to running
a float in the string to prevent solids ingress
to the tool, which could result in an internal
blockage. If a steel float sub is used, it must
not be run directly above the AutoTrak tool
due to the proximity of the directional
sensor to the top of the tool.
Drill Bit Selection

Drill bit selection for AutoTrak is based on performance
and not steerability, as with motor drilling applications.
Care must be made to avoid induced slip stick by over
aggressive bit choice for a specific formation type. Use of
a Navidrill to drive the system, will reduce the effects of
slip stick by delivering torque directly to the system, thus
acting as a torsional shock dampener.
Although little data derived from experience is available
on bit selection, it is currently believed that a bit with a
short gauge and some gauge cutting structure would
improve the steering performance of the tool.
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AutoTrak
Directional Drilling
Modes of Operation
The fundamental difference between conventional
steerable motor technology and AutoTrak is the way that
the hole curvature is produced. The steerable motor uses a
fixed bend to create bit offset and side forces. The
AutoTrak uses hydraulic force on the ribs to create a
bending force on the string.
There are four modes of operation that define the
directional control of the AutoTrak system. These modes
are the Steer, Hold, Build and Ribs Off. The Steer
and Hold modes are shown below. Build mode is never
used because the same result can be achieved by using
Hold mode and changing the target inclination to achieve a
build or drop. Ribs off shuts down the pressure to the ribs
and is used for open hole side-tracking, reaming in hole and
drilling from an over gauge rathole.
Steer Mode:
This mode uses the

steer force on a
vector direction
relative to gravity
highside. This can
be compared to
steering with a
motor on a toolface
relative to highside.
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AutoTrak
Hold Mode:
This mode uses
build force to either
build or drop to the
Target inclination.
Once the target
inclination has
been reached, the
build force will
alternate from + ve
to - ve to maintain
this inclination.
Walk force can be
applied to induce
or counter walk
tendencies.
Ribs Off:
The Ribs Off command shuts down the hydraulic pressure
to the ribs.
This command is used for open hole side-tracking and
other situations where zero rib pressure is required.
The choice of mode is dependent on the desired profile of
the well. Steer Mode is primarily used to drill three
dimensional profiles such as a build and turn. As well as
drilling a tangent section, the Hold Mode can be used to
build or drop a two dimensional profile to a desired
inclination at a rate determined by the build force.
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AutoTrak
Relationship Between Modes and Forces

The vector addition of the build and walk forces can be
expressed as an equivalent steer force.
Build Force
Resultant Steer Force if
Below Target Inclination
Walk Force
Resultant Steer Force if

Above Target Inclination
Build Force
The tool, in fact, calculates a steer force from the build and
walk components. This steer force is then applied by the
hydraulic ribs. The maximum steer force that can be
applied is 18.6 kN. This does not cause any confusion in
the Steer Mode where one force is being applied. In Hold
Mode, however, the vector sum of the build and walk
forces cannot exceed the 18.6 kN. If the vector sum of build
and walk forces exceeds this maximum of 18.6 kN, the
effective resultant Steer direction will be used, but the
force will be truncated to 18.6 kN.
To aid selection of build and walk forces, an Excel Force
Calculator program has been written. This can be used, not
only to select forces, but can be used to calculate the
theoretical resultant build and turn from any command. An
example of the display can be seen below and the
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AutoTrak
explanation of the new expression Dog Leg Gradient on

page 7-8.
Table 7-1
Dogleg
Gradient
/30 m/kN
0.35
deg
90
expected
Dogleg
/30 m
6.5
= steer force *dogleg

gradient
expected
Build rate
/30 m
6.5

gradient
*cos (steering direction)
expected
Walkrate
/30 m
0.7

gradient *sin (steering
direction)/sin
(inclination)
Actual Hole
Inclination
Steer Mode
Steerforce
kN
18.6
Steering
Direction
deg
Hold/Build Mode
Buildforce
kN
18.6
Resultant
Steer force
kN
18.6 = squareroot (build

force2+walk force2)
but maximum 18.6 kN
Walkforce
kN
Resultant
Direction
deg
0.0
= arctan (Walkforce/
Buildforce) if negative
Buildforce -> +180 deg
expected
Dogleg
/30 m
6.5
= resultant steer force

*dogleg gradient
expected
Build rate
/30 m
6.5
=resultant steer force

*dogleg gradient
*cos (resultant
direction)
expected
Walkrate
/30 m
0.0
= resultant steer force

*dogleg gradient
*sin (resultant
direction)/sin
(inclination)
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AutoTrak
Dog Leg Gradient

Rib Force Relationship to Dog Leg Severity
One useful relationship is that between the force magnitude
applied and the resulting Dog Leg Severity. With the force
magnitude applied (whether it be build, walk or steer) will
determine the resulting Dog Leg Severity produced. One
way of expressing this Dog Leg capability is to calculate a
Dog Leg Gradient.
Dog Leg Gradient

Dog Leg Gradient is defined thus:
Dog Leg Severity
Dog Leg Gradient = -----------------------------------------ForceApplied
The Dog Leg Gradient (DLG) will represent the expected

Dog Leg Severity produced by the tool, using an overall
force of 1 kN. If we now look at the case of a normal
6-3/4 AutoTrak tool with an expected maximum Dog Leg
Gradient of 6.5 deg/30m, by using the full available tool
capability of 18.6 kN, the theoretical DLG will be:
6.5 30 m
Theoretical Dog Leg Gradient = -------------------------18.6 kN
= 0.35
Of course, the theoretical DLG will not be valid for all

formations and drilling parameters. For any formation / bit
combination, the tool will have a specific Dog Leg
capability that has to be established in the field. The
theoretical gradient of 0.35 should be used to start drilling
until the actual gradient for this combination can be
established.
e.g.
Required Dog Leg Severity is 5.0/30m
Force Programmed should be = 5.0 / 0.35 = 14.3 kN
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AutoTrak
The DLG should be constantly monitored and re evaluated

as drilling progresses as a measure of the tools
performance and functionality.
Directional Drilling Thought Process

One mistake that can be made with AutoTrak is to consider
the tool a fully automatic steerable system. Experience in
the field, to date, has proven that directional decisions have
to be made very quickly with logical thought process for
the following reasons.
1.
The average ROP is faster than conventional

systems.
2.
Profiles tend to be more complex.
3.
The tool is used in critical sections of the well with

tight target tolerances.
The following should be considered/carried out to ensure

full directional control.
1.
EC* Trak must be used to carry out real-time revised

planning and forward projection.
2.
Near Bit Inclination should be monitored closely to

determine tool performance and to allow for
immediate reaction.
3.
A downlink command can take up to 8.5 minutes to

transmit, during which the tool will continue with the
current command in memory.
4.
Drilling parameters must be controlled and

supervised to ensure optimum tool performance.
5.
Dog Leg Gradient should be calculated and recorded

to evaluate tool capability and functionality.
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
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AutoTrak
Tool Operation
Subjects, such as surface test, are covered in detail
elsewhere in the manual due to the MWD specific content.
This section covers operational aspects of the tool below
rotary, that the directional driller should be aware of, and
be responsible for.
Running In Hole Without Downhole Motor

As with all systems, the mud displacement during the trip
should be monitored to ensure open end displacement. This
will be a more likely occurrence when the tool is run with
a Navidrill motor. To avoid ingress of solids to the tool, it
is recommended that circulation be broken at regular
intervals while tripping in hole. This will avoid internal
blockage of the tool components.
Care should be taken when passing through any internal
diameter changes in the hole, as the rib hydraulic system
can be damaged by the ribs hanging up on any restriction
or by the ribs being forced inwards rapidly. This
consideration is more critical when washing or reaming
into the hole with the hydraulic system activated, as the ribs
will expand to 9-3/16 if not restrained by casing or open
hole diameter. The tool should be programmed to Ribs
Off for washing or reaming in the hole, for the above
reason and to eliminate any unnecessary bending forces
and the chance of side-tracking. With the ribs shut down,
the sleeve will rotate. The rotation speed should be
restricted to minimize shocks on the sleeve.
Examples of such changes in internal diameter are:
BOP and wear bushing
Changes in casing diameter
Liner tops
Casing shoe and rathole
Stringers and washouts in open hole
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AutoTrak
To reduce the chance of system damage, washing or

reaming in hole should be avoided where at all possible.
Running In Hole With Downhole Motor

The following is mandatory:
Only Ultra Series XL NaviDrill Motors should be

run with AutoTrak.
Only the specifically designed Baker Hughes

INTEQ high strength crossover should be used for
this operation. This should be provided by the
District ex Celle.
The motor should either be run slick with no

stabilization above or, if stabilized at the upper
bearing housing, it must be run with either a clamp
on stabilizer on the stator OR with a stabilizer
immediately above the motor.
Surface Testing Of The Motor
Pick up the motor and check AKO torque, as per

normal procedure. Ensure that the AKO is set to
zero degrees tilt.
Rotate drive sub to the right by hand, using a chain

tong to feel for smooth running of bearing and
tightness of stator/rotor fit.
Check bearing play, as per normal procedure.
Make up top stabilizer (if motor stabilized at the

upper bearing housing as explained above) and two
joints of HWDP or as per BHA.
Flow test the motor to ensure rotation of the drive

sub.
Rack back the motor and two HWDP or as per

BHA.
Pick-up AutoTrak and ensure that the ribs are

collapsed using the Pushy Tool. If the ribs are in
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
7-11
Confidential
AutoTrak
the expanded position, problems may be

encountered running through the BOPs. AutoTrak
MUST be set for zero force to centralize bit and tool
in casing during testing.
Make up the bit, ensuring correct positioning of

tong wholly on the bit sub. It is recommended to
mark with chalk above and below the steering
sleeve from the aluminum shells to the rotating
drive sub and pulser housing prior to making up the
bit. This will indicate any torquing of the drive shaft
mid connection (under the steering sleeve), should
any of the bit make up torque be transferred to the
tool. Torquing of this connection will render the tool
inoperable. It is also likely that the bit breaker will
have to be used upside down as the handles tend to
interfere with correct positioning of the tong. If the
tool is tied back, using a tugger line when making
up the bit, ensure that the sling used to tie the tool
allows for rotation of the tool in the event that
torque is transferred while making up the bit.
Make up required NMCSDP above the AutoTrak.
Make up the pin / pin crossover for connection to

the motor.
Note:
ONLY the specifically designed Baker

Hughes INTEQ high strength crossover
should be used for this operation. This
should be provided by the District ex Celle.
Make up the motor.
Run in hole to below the BOPs and into the top of

the 9-5/8 casing. NOTE that on many ERD wells
the 9-5/8 casing may have been run as a liner. It is
not recommended to test the AutoTrak / Motor
BHA until inside the 9-5/8 string, as this will cause
rotation of the sleeve, non centralization of the tool
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750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
AutoTrak
in hole and possible impact damage to the hydraulic

system.
CAUTIOUSLY bring up the pumps to operating

flow rate and observe vibration at surface as the
motor begins to turn. The ribs will be expanded and
prevent unwanted sleeve rotation while also
preventing the bit from contacting the casing.
Observe pulsing of the AutoTrak tool, check

telemetry and downlink operation.
CAUTIOUSLY bring the pumps down to zero.

NOTE that although the ribs shall prevent contact
of the bit with the casing, it is recommended to
slowly reciprocate the pipe throughout this
operation to prevent contact of the bit with the same
section of casing in the event of a tool malfunction.
CAUTION:
Caution must always be exercised when bringing
the pumps up and down when running the AutoTrak
assembly on a motor, to prevent damage to the
motor. This must be explained and stressed to the
driller on shift. Failure to do so may cause backing
off of or over torquing of internal motor
connections or damage to the stator due to the high
inertia of the assembly below. It must also be stated
that use of motors under similar load conditions
(e.g. motor coring) is a regular operation.
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AutoTrak
Backreaming
Most operators like to backream out of hole, especially out
of a horizontal section. As with washing and reaming into
the hole, this can cause system damage if the hole ID varies
due to washed out sections and stringers. One other
consideration is that ribs may loose wall contact if the wash
out is larger than the maximum rib extension. The sleeve
would then rotate with the string, causing shocks to the
sleeve electronics and hydraulic control system.
For this reason, pumping out of hole is preferable to
backreaming. If backreaming is required, then the rotary
speed should be minimized. If hole wash outs or stringers
have been identified in a section, then particular care
should be taken. The tool should be pulled into the shoe
without pumps, due to the change of ID from the rathole to
the casing. The tool should be programmed to zero force
when backreaming to eliminate unnecessary bending
forces.
Drilling Cement
When drilling cement, plugs and casing shoe, the tool
should be programmed to zero force to avoid bending
forces on the tool. Zero force will distribute equal forces to
the ribs and consequently minimize the wear on Bit and
Casing. As with normal shoetrack drilling, the parameters
should be reduced to minimize wear on the casing and
shock loading on the drilling assembly. The zero force
command should be used until the bit is through the shoe.
The Rib pressure should then be shut down to clean out the
rathole and drill the first 2 m (6.5 ft) of formation, at which
point the ribs will be in the drilled hole diameter. Shut
down rib pressure can be achieved by downlinking to Ribs
Off or more simply by reducing the flow to below the
minimum flow for power up of the tool.
If reaming of the shoe track is necessary:
1.
Cut flowrate back to < 1100 L/min (290 gal/min)
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2.
Pull slowly into csg. Shoe
3.
Increase flowrate to normal and ream down
Kicking Off
As explained under Well Planning Considerations, the tool
is not capable of kicking off from vertical in a specific
direction. An inclination of 3 is required for the tool to
establish high side resolution. In case of clearance
problems where the profile has to execute at inclinations
below 5, a conventional motor and gyro has to be
available on site. Having said this, if a blind side-track is
acceptable, then the tool has shown the capability of
kicking off with theoretical dog legs from vertical.
Open Hole Side-tracking

With the Ribs Off command, this following procedure is
recommended when attempting an open hole side-track.
1.
The side-track must be carried out on the lowside of

the well, if possible in a section of the well where
there is a build up dog leg.
2.
With the tool set to Steer / 18.6 kN / 180 deg, a

section of 20m (65 ft) prior to the kick off point
should be reamed slowly several times to create a
ledge.
3.
At this stage, the rib pressure should be shut down by

either downlinking Ribs Off or by reducing flow to
below power up flow.
4.
With slow rotary, to prevent shocks to the sleeve, the

same section above the KOP should be reamed
several times slowly.
5.
The side-track should then be time drilled from the

KOP at an ROP dependent on the formation strength
with rotary speed as above and reduced flow.
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AutoTrak
6.
To evaluate the progress of the side-track, the rotary

should be shut down at regular intervals to obtain an
accurate ATI measurement.
7.
The sleeve must be well into new hole, with the bit
on bottom, before the ribs are re-activated to prevent
the hydraulic pressure from pushing the tool back
into the original hole.
8.
Any further pass through the side-track point should

be carried out with the pumps below 1000 L/min
(264 gal/min) or the rib pressure off.
Motor Specific Drilling Considerations

The tool has been used extensively with Navidrill mud
motors. There has been no evidence to date of any
detrimental effect on the two way communication with the
tool. Compared with conventional motor drilling, where
the motor drives a bit only, the motor has to drive a bit, the
AutoTrak tool and two 10m (32 ft) NMCSDP. This is a
mass of 3 tons and care should be taken when starting and
stopping the pumps, due to the increased momentum below
the drive sub, which in worst case could result in a back off.
Guidelines for running the AutoTrak on a Navidrill:
1.
Fill the pipe while running in hole.
2.
Bring up the pumps to drilling flowrate before

starting string rotation and going on bottom.
3.
Start and stop pumps smoothly (because of the mass

below the bit motor drive sub.)
4.
Minimize string rotation speed. The total tool RPM is

the sum of motor RPM and surface RPM.
5.
If motor stalls: Stop rotation, reduce pump rate, pick

up off bottom.
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AutoTrak
Tool Idiosyncrasies
Effects on Dog Leg Gradient
During the field tests, the following AutoTrak specific
behavior has been observed:
Dog Leg capability can be influenced by rate of

penetration.
The higher the ROP, the less the capability
Dog Leg capability can be influenced by

formation strength.
The softer the formation, the less the capability
Dog Leg capability can be influenced by Steer

Vector.
Higher DLG has been observed in turn than in build
The above are observations and may not be true in all areas
and formation types. As with conventional motor
techniques, the tool performance should be monitored
closely and trends noted.
Effects of Overgauge Hole

Overgauge hole can result in sleeve slippage and loss of
directional control. This should be identified from the
DrillByte real-time log of sleeve orientation. Reduced flow
rate and constant bit weight should be used to attempt to
eliminate the problem. Overgauge hole has not, however,
been seen to be a problem.
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
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AutoTrak
Notes
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750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
Chapter
AutoTrak Reporting
Chapter 8 describes the reporting

sequence of field personnel.
It is essential that job reporting is accurate, complete and

standardized. This will result in professional customer
reports, effective fault finding/troubleshooting and
accurate performance evaluation. At a minimum, a copy of
the Daily Drilling Report should be faxed to Technical
Services - Drilling Systems in Celle, Germany every
morning on number + 49-5141-203362 and to the local
co-ordinator. If it is not possible to send an international
fax from the rig site, then the report should be sent to the
local co-ordinator for forwarding. On a run-by-run basis,
further data such as drill parameters and downlink
information will need to be faxed. If an e-mail facility is
available at the rig-site, daily reports, downlink tracking
sheets and drill parameter record should be sent to the
following list daily:
Hartmut Gruenhagen
Detlef Ragnitz
Frank Wiese
Ray Newton
Region AT Co-Ordinator
Region DD Co-Ordinator
Region MWD Co-Ordinator
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
8-1
Confidential
AutoTrak
AutoTrak Reporting
MWD FSE Responsibility

The MWD FSE is responsible for the following
paperwork, as well as the standard DrillByte logs and data:
Downlink Analysis and Tracking
MWD Run Sheet
AutoTrak Diary
Standard MWD FE Report
Downlink Analysis and Tracking

The Downlink Analysis and Tracking Form is an Excel
spreadsheet, used for recording downlink data and
calculating the amount of flow diverted at the Bypass
Actuator from the pressure drops observed at surface. A
Veritas plot of stand pipe pressure is used to log the surface
pressure. Once the downlink is complete, the Maximum
and Minimum pressures for both long and short pulses
should be entered in the spread sheet, as well as the other
information requested. The sheet will then calculate the
percentage of diverted flow. 13 to 15% of flow, for the
short pulse, is desirable for successful downlinking. The
data can be entered in any units e.g. psi as the calculation
for percentage diverted flow uses a ratio. The percentage
bypass flow, as measured by the Max/Min turbine RPMs,
will also be recorded and calculated here. This sheet should
also be used to track BPA and Adjustable Nozzle use. A
new sheet should be used for each run.
MWD Run Sheet

The MWD run sheet is the standard run sheet used in a
particular region.
8-2
Baker Hughes INTEQ

Confidential
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
AutoTrak
AutoTrak Reporting
AutoTrak Diary
An AutoTrak Diary has been in use for all field tests and
has proven to be a valuable tool for post job analysis. Data
that should be recorded in the diary is:
Arrival, rig up, details and timings.
Surface test details and timings.
Trip in hole tests etc.
All down link details including depth and time.
Date and time of all connections and survey

stations.
As much information as possible regarding

suspected faults or failure.
Any unusual occurrences or rig problems.
No one will accuse you of writing too much in the diary!!!
Standard MWD FE Report

MWD FE Report as per local requirement. This will
complement the Directional Drillers run summary to form
the basis of the AutoTrak End of Well Report.
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
8-3
Confidential
AutoTrak
AutoTrak Reporting
Directional Driller Responsibility

The directional drilling paperwork has been found to vary
from region to region. To standardize the reporting
parameter, daily reports and BHA reports have been
created on Excel spreadsheets. The sheets accept text and
do not do any calculations.
The Directional Driller is responsible for the following
paperwork:
Drilling Parameter Sheet.
AutoTrak Daily Drilling Report.
AutoTrak BHA Report.
EC*Trak survey listing.
Standard Directional Drilling Recap.
Entry of any specific Directional Drilling data into

the diary.
Run summary sheet.
Drilling Parameter Sheet

A blank sheet should be used on the drillfloor as a
Directional Driller work sheet. The data will then have to
be entered into the Excel sheet.
Daily Drilling Report and BHA Report

Even if there is a local requirement to use DDS Lite, this
paperwork must be completed, in addition, as there are
specific AutoTrak details that should be recorded.
Directional Drilling Recap or Section

Summary
This is a section review of Directional Drillers
performance in words. This section will be used in
8-4
Baker Hughes INTEQ

Confidential
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
AutoTrak
AutoTrak Reporting
conjunction with the MWD FE Report to produce the

AutoTrak End of Well Report.
AutoTrak Diary
Log any useful additional information into the AutoTrak
diary.
End Of Well Requirements

For Each Run, the following Data is required
On Disc
Run Summary Sheet
Downlink Record Sheets
BHA Reports
Drilling Parameters Record
Tool ID Report In/Out
Deck/Surface test Protocol (*.PCL) Files
Hard Copy
Time based Parameter Log
Downlink Pressure Scans
MWD Run Sheets
For the Complete Job, the following data is Required
On Disc
Resistivity Correction Sheet
Gamma Correction Sheet
End of Well Report
Binary files
*.CFG files
Daily Drilling Reports
Hard Copy
EC*Trak Survey Listing
AutoTrak Diary
Memory Log
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
8-5
Confidential
AutoTrak
AutoTrak Reporting
Streamer Tape
DrillByte Backup
DrillByte ASCII Backup
8-6
Baker Hughes INTEQ

Confidential
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
AutoTrak
AutoTrak Reporting
Notes
Operations Manual
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998
8-7
Confidential
AutoTrak
AutoTrak Reporting
Notes
8-8
Baker Hughes INTEQ

Confidential
750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998

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What is the purpose of the AutoTrak Diary?

What is the purpose of the AutoTrak Diary?

What paperwork is the Directional Driller responsible for?

What paperwork is the Directional Driller responsible for?

Baker Hughes INTEQ

Baker Hughes INTEQ

This manual is provided without any warranty of any kind,

1998 Baker Hughes Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Baker Hughes INTEQ

Baker Hughes INTEQ

750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998

Baker Hughes INTEQ

Steering Direction (Command 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Surface Testing Of The Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11

Baker Hughes INTEQ

Open Hole Side-tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Baker Hughes INTEQ

Chapter 1 describes the history and

Rotary Steering Tools

with the fact that no time is wasted orienting the toolface

Baker Hughes INTEQ

750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998

6 AutoTrak Pilot Series

This chapter describes the overview,

6 AutoTrak Pilot Series

generated by a pump in the collar, to the three ribs by

Baker Hughes INTEQ

750-500-085 Rev. A / May 1998

6 AutoTrak Pilot Series

The third section is the non magnetic flex joint, which

6 AutoTrak Pilot Series

General Tool Specifications

8-3/8 - 9-7/8 on order

Distance From Bit

0 - 6.5 /100ft (30 m)

Range: 0.1 - 3000 ohm-m

Range: 0.1 - 500 ohm-m Accuracy:

8" (20cm) for 90% response

3,400 lb (1550 Kg)

Operating Specifications and Limits

370 - 630 GPM

Flow Rate For Downlink

490 - 630 GPM

Maximum Tool Rotation:

400 kHz Resistivity

Range: 0.1 - 1000 ohm-m

Maximum Drilling Torque:

Range: 0.1 - 200 ohm-m Accuracy:

Maximum Torque To Failure:

12" (30 cm) for 90% response in

Maximum Overpull To Failure:

Max. Temperature: Operating

Maximum Hydrostatic Pressure:

Maximum Bit Pressure Drop:

Maximum DLS For Tool

With Rotation: 9 /100ft

Distance From Bit

3 API @ 100 API and

Near Bit Inclination

Surface Unit - Bypass Actuator Unit