Halliburton said a project offshore Guyana, carried out with ExxonMobil, Sekal, Noble Corporation, and other members of the Wells Alliance Guyana team, used digital well-construction technology to execute what it described as a “fully automated geological well placement.”
According to the global service company, the operation represents an industry first by combining algorithms and geological inversion to automate rig operations, subsurface interpretation, well placement, and real-time hydraulics.
Halliburton deployed its LOGIX platform, which includes automated geosteering, alongside its EarthStar ultradeep resistivity service. Automated drilling specialist Sekal deployed its DrillTronics technology, which uses a physics-based model to guide key drilling actions in real time.
Together, the technologies enabled a closed-loop drilling system that steered the drill bit within reservoir boundaries while autonomously controlling drilling and tripping operations.
Halliburton and Sekal said the technologies exceeded performance targets, drilling the reservoir section about 15% faster than planned, while automated tripping reduced time by about 33%. Halliburton believes the operation set a new benchmark for well construction performance, efficiency, and reservoir contact.
The combined system also maintained precise well placement under challenging conditions, placing approximately 470 m of the lateral within the reservoir with active automated geosteering and inclination corrections throughout the run.
The system relies on algorithms and geological inversion data to enable real-time automated rig control, hydraulics, and well placement. The workflow eliminates the traditional separation between subsurface interpretation and drilling operations.
“This breakthrough digital orchestration transforms execution efficiency and advances automated well construction from concept to field-proven results and sets the foundation for consistent well placement in the best rock every time,” Jim Collins, vice president for Halliburton’s Sperry Drilling unit, said in a statement.
Halliburton added that its teams were “highly integrated” with the Wells Alliance Guyana team.
Rod Henson, vice president of wells for ExxonMobil, said, “This achievement demonstrates how collaboration and advanced automation can transform well-construction efficiency and reliability.”
The Wells Alliance Guyana, established in 2024, includes ExxonMobil Guyana, Halliburton, SLB, Baker Hughes, Noble Corporation, and Stena Drilling. The group is not a legally binding partnership but instead operates through a collaborative model built on trust and transparency to support offshore operations in Guyana.