Halliburton, Eni Deploy First Closed-Loop Rig Automation in Deepwater

Deepwater Milestone Combines Multiple Automation Systems

Halliburton and Eni have completed what they describe as the industry's first integrated deployment of closed-loop rig automation and managed pressure drilling (MPD) on a deepwater exploration well offshore Indonesia. The project marks the first application of the combined technology in the Asia-Pacific region.

The deployment integrated Halliburton's LOGIX automation platform with MPD systems to create a unified control environment spanning rig surface equipment, automated well placement, downhole hydraulics, and pressure management. According to Halliburton, the integrated system improved drilling efficiency by more than 15% while maintaining pressure control throughout operations.

Why it matters

Deepwater wells with narrow drilling margins—where the difference between formation pressure and fracture pressure is small—require precise control to avoid costly incidents. Traditionally, drilling execution and pressure management have operated as separate systems requiring manual coordination. By closing this gap with automation, operators can potentially reduce non-productive time and improve safety in technically demanding offshore environments where margins for error are minimal.

Unified Workflow Eliminates Traditional Separation

The LOGIX Orchestration service coordinated drilling and tripping operations through a single workflow, eliminating what Halliburton described as the traditional separation between drilling execution and pressure management. The system integrated drill floor controls, subsurface automation, and pressure management into one operating platform.

"When we integrate rig automation with MPD, we close a critical gap and give operators better control, consistency and performance in complex wells," said Jim Collins, vice president of Sperry Drilling at Halliburton. "This deployment proves the model scales in a deepwater environment."

Broader Industry Shift Toward Real-Time Execution

The Indonesian project represents part of Halliburton's larger effort to expand closed-loop drilling automation beyond decision-support applications into real-time drilling execution, particularly in challenging offshore environments. The company noted that growing operator demand for automated well construction technologies is driving increased adoption of integrated drilling systems for deepwater developments globally.

Halliburton credited Eni's operational expertise as a key factor in successfully integrating the multiple automation technologies into a cohesive system for the deepwater application.

The details were first reported by World Oil.