At-Bit Inclination That Keeps You Drilling

A West Texas horizontal well was experiencing repeated Rotary Steerable System (RSS) failures, driving non-productive time and putting the wellbore trajectory at risk. The operator’s directional drilling team needed a way to maintain precise trajectory control without adding complexity or cost.

Customer called MWD Downhole Drilling Tools to provide at-bit inclination and gamma measurements while drilling.

We deployed our 5.00" At-Bit GeoTracker® tools with wireless communication to the surface MWD system. Installed directly between the downhole motor and the bit, the GeoTracker delivered continuous real-time inclination updates within 16 inches of the bit.

The Results

✅ Completed the well without RSS failure

✅ Stayed on bottom drilling

✅ Locked in wellbore trajectory

✅ Continuous real-time inclination and gamma at the bit

📉 47.5% reduction in average DLS

📍 Improved directional response where it matters most — at the bit

The system not only solved the immediate reliability issue, it did so at a fraction of the cost of more complex and expensive alternatives — without compromising data quality or drilling performance.

The client maintained full control of the wellbore while eliminating the operational risks and failures previously associated with RSS use.

Value Delivered

• High-resolution at-bit data without system complexity

• Improved drilling reliability

• Reduced NPT

• Lower total well cost

• Fraction of the cost of traditional RSS-based solutions

Conclusion

By deploying the GeoTracker® At-Bit Inclination system, the client achieved reliable trajectory control, eliminated RSS failures, and completed the well efficiently — proving that simple, robust at-bit measurements can outperform more complex and costly alternatives.

Simple. Reliable. At-bit intelligence when you need it most.