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Mezintel Gamma features three LWD log header styles with variation in format, bit run holding capacity, and content (e.g. emphasis on either casings info or mud properties).
A brief summary of these three headers is as follows:
Basic header for logs with 6 bit runs maximum.
The standard header is a brief, suitable for short jobs with a maximum of six bit runs. This header includes all baseline info for an MWD/LWD drilling job as shown here.
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You can connect Mezintel Gamma to EDR depth tracking systems or MWD decoding systems via two modes:
The “Conductivity Deep” plot is derived from the “Res Deep” using (1/Resistivity Deep) * 1000
Recommended: First read a brief background and the benefits of handling IFR surveys in Mezintel Gamma.
Exporting surveys for IFR correction is now even simpler in Mezintel Gamma.
As of version 22.20.129, an IFR Express Export feature combines 3 steps of the export process into one:
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The job templates in Mezintel Gamma software are preconfigured to understand appropriate data formats for each MWD platform / system.
So for example, if you choose the XXT Template then your job will only understand incoming MWD data in the form Tag data (i.e. qTalk):
Gamma = Value
This configuration is correct if your Mezintel Gamma PC is receiving data directly from the XXT device, but if the data is coming from an XXT PC then that data is actually WITS data.
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In-Field Referencing (IFR) technology has been applied in directional drilling since at least the early 2000s. Being particularly useful for drilling tightly spaced lateral wellbores, there’s a been a recent surge in demand for this technology, hence requiring more MWD service providers to work with IFR surveys.
IFR surveys has been supported in Mezintel Gamma logging software since 2013, so customers have been able to handle this demand fine. And with increased usage came requests for features and improvements. This article provides an overview of these improvements, but before doing so… what are IFR surveys?
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MWD operators often need to match surveys to particular points in a run. A common example of this is during ‘check survey’, which is recommended to be done near the last MWD survey on the previous run. For check survey, finding the last survey on the previous run is fairly straightforward since that survey is probably the very last survey done.
But how about when you need to identify survey locations beyond that, on preceding runs?
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Mezintel Gamma has new tools and features for ECD Calculation!
Illustrated below, are the new features and tools to help you get the job done:
This new tool will allow you to generate the exact values that you need to show in the Mezintel Gamma program. This tool can be used in the shop to test ECD calculation without having the decoder or depth tracking system attached.
The below screen shot illustrates how to deploy this tool. After the window opens, you can send any data that you want to Mezintel Gamma software.
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There are two ways to annotate charts in Mezintel Gamma.
1. You can enter comments in EDIT PLOT window
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With Mezintel Gamma version 22.33.128, users have access to a utility for auto printing reports that enables the input of default minor and major increments. Please note that minor and major increments must be inputted and saved with each new job. The below figure demonstrates utilization of this utility to input default minor and major increments for a job.
Alternatively, this can also be achieved utilizing manual printing.
Mezintel Gamma can automatically generate and email predefined MWD reports — a collection that includes
Often MWD operators and tool engineers need to simulate WITS data for depth. Depth simulation may be needed for training or shop testing where a depth tracking system (DTS) is not available, or for troubleshooting communication with a present DTS or EDR.
Mezintel Gamma software offers in-app simulation for both MWD and depth data, and this feature may suffice for training and testing purposes. However, how about in certain testing or troubleshooting scenarios when there’s need to simulate data as well as its transmission via a communications port — as would be with a depth tracking system or EDR?
In such cases, a dedicated WITS simulator application is very useful.
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While drilling, you may not want to log bad values for a particular sample (e.g. points that are too high or too low). In Mezintel Gamma (version 22.17.127 [1]), you can filter out such unwanted values from being logged while drilling.
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User Manual version 22.00 – current revision
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Mezintel Depth Tracker streams out ASCII data every 4 seconds via a 9-pin RS-232 male serial port. This data is in WITS format.
WITS (Wellsite Information Transfer Specification) is a 20 year old worldwide oil and gas industry standard that specifies how to format text-based (ASCII) drilling data for transmission between two devices connected by serial ports (RS-232) or by an Ethernet link.
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In drilling, there are two are two main ways to interpret the rate of penetration (ROP): Instantaneous and Average. Here are good definitions of the two:
Instantaneous ROP is measured over a finite time or distance, while drilling is still in progress. It gives a snapshot perspective of how a particular formation is being drilled or how the drilling system is functioning under specific operational conditions.
Average ROP is measured over the total interval drilled by a respective BHA from trip-in-hole (TIH) to pull-out-of-hole (POOH).
— G. Mensa-Wilmot and Y. Harjadi
Average ROP is important because it’s a key factor to consider when discussing drilling efficiency, plus it produces a cleaner plot than instantaneous ROP.
Averaging points produces a cleaner plot.
Join Mezintel at one of the world’s largest oil & gas shows! Come and chat with us at Booth 5209 in the lower level of the Big Four.
We will be showing all of our directional drilling products.
The chart section and survey table in Mezintel Gamma (version 22.00.085 [1]) now feature right-click menus.
Just right-click anywhere on the chart or on the surveys for a pop-up menu which contains the same items in the Choose Command drop-down menus for these sections.
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Mezintel Gamma has a debug window which is commonly used for diagnosing serial port communication issues. One of our customers suggested that this feature would be even more useful if it can be accessed before actually loading a gamma job — instead of only from within a job.
Good idea! So we implemented his suggestion…[1]
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You can specify a gamma scale factor for each bit run in Mezintel Gamma (version 22.00.061 [1]) using a new built-in tool that helps you derive scale factors.
You can enter a scaling factor if you know it, otherwise, if you are unsure then you can calculate or find it from the Bit Runs window:
You may also click the … button to open up Get Scale Factor window.
Have you ever edited a log plot header to meet a requirement only to find yourself (or your colleagues) re-editing it several times to meet different requirements?
To make your work easier, you can now save multiple plot headers for the same job in Mezintel Gamma!
In Mezintel Gamma, samples points logged when the drill bit is ‘off-bottom’ are not shown on the plot. This is useful because it allows you to safely remove points from the plot by manually setting them to be off-bottom. This hides the points rather than delete them. The hidden points can be revealed again by reverting them back to be ‘on-bottom’.
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Mezintel Gamma allows you to customize the timestamp format in you LAS export. You may need to do this in order to meet a requirement for another software or the LAS file format preferred by a client.
As of version 22.00.038 [1], when exporting an LAS file you can choose how date & time is displayed in the LAS.
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Mezintel Gamma continuously sends out data to depth tracking EDR providers such as Pason and RigSense (NOV).
On a regular basis, about every 5 seconds, WITS data packets are sent out as several lines of plain text (ASCII) that are usually comprised of Toolface, Surveys, and Gamma data.
As of version 22.00.031 [1], you have more control over the structure of the data packet.
An example of a packet of lines of WITS data as seen on the Captured Data view in Mezintel Gamma
Notice that a packet of WITS data starts with the symbols && and ends with the symbol !!
As you know, sometimes MWD sample data may go missing for an extended interval of time while drilling continues. In such cases, there is a gap in the sample plot for the depth interval where data went missing.
Up until now Mezintel Gamma used to fill-in (or close) the gap with a straight line. However, some users wanted to control whether or not to show such gaps, so we have provided you with a new option to do just that.
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Depending on your computer’s specs, Mezintel Gamma can start to run slow if you have accumulated about 5 or more jobs in addition to the default job templates. Some processes may even fail to complete when you have too many jobs. For example:
Some geologists require well logs to be produced as one seamless image file, usually as TIFF.
Up until now, Mezintel Gamma exported logs only as PDFs with pages that print seamlessly from log printers. We referred users who need TIFF well logs to 3rd-party software; but this feature is now available from Mezintel Gamma software!
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Mezintel Gamma has been improved to generate completely vector-based PDF well logs, with these benefits*:
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In order to successfully run a Mezintel program, you must run it as administrator. Mezintel software that is not running as administrator will encounter errors as some point of being used.
If the UAC dialog does not pop up when you try to run a Mezintel program, then it is not set to run as administrator.
When you try to run a Mezintel program as administrator, the User Account Control (UAC) dialog will pop-up by default.[1]
A Mezintel Gamma licence key allows your computer to interface with other MWD equipment and continuously log data for however much licensed time is on the key.
If you are running Mezintel Gamma with a dongle (i.e. licence key), the software will notify you 3 days before your licensed time is used up.
Mezintel Gamma warns you by flashing a notification in the top section of the window in 5 – 10 seconds intervals.
