After a decade of continuous application, casing while drilling has become a mainstream technique delivering consistent value across unconventional reservoirs and mature fields in Argentina. Throughout this journey, Tenaris has reinforced its role in the development of Vaca Muerta, one of the world’s largest shale gas reservoirs, expanding beyond tubular technologies to provide integrated oilfield services and drilling solutions. Today, the technology is applied in more than 80% of wells in Vaca Muerta, saving between 10 and 24 hours of drilling time per well.
To share these learnings with the industry, Dario Códega and Patricia Berrios from Tenaris’s technical team presented two papers at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference (LACPEC) in Rio de Janeiro in June 2026, drawing on 3.4 million meters drilled and 3,100 strings installed.
The first paper presents the first integrated review of a decade-long casing while drilling experience Tenaris has in Argentina, documenting the transition from early operational experimentation to digitalized, standardized factory drilling. At the heart of this evolution is Tenaris’s deep expertise in tubular design, connection technology and field execution, which has enabled the successful deployment of casing while drilling at scale. Leveraging the knowledge gained from thousands of wells, Tenaris has also incorporated AI-powered real-time monitoring for torque and vibration management, further enhancing risk mitigation and drilling performance.
The paper concludes that the future of casing while drilling depends on integrating digital intelligence with sound mechanical design, alongside standardized operating practices and AI-supported monitoring – a framework that can be applied to both conventional and unconventional developments worldwide.
“Presenting at SPE LACPEC was an opportunity to share with the industry the insights gained from a decade of casing while drilling at scale,” said Fabian Benedetto, Technical Sales Regional Director at Tenaris. “Argentina has been a pioneer in the adoption of this technology, and the lessons learned provide a roadmap for further efficiency gains and risk reduction in both conventional and unconventional drilling worldwide. The collaboration with YPF in the Lajas project is a strong example of how advanced tubular engineering, fieldexpertise and AI-powered digital tools can work together to solve complex drilling challenges in real time.”
The second paper, developed in collaboration with YPF, focuses on the Lajas project, which is part of the Loma La Lata, Sierra Barrosa concession, one of Argentina's most prolific fields with decades of drilling activity. The geological complexity of the area, with pressure differentials that frequently cause total losses while drilling, made casing drilling the most suitable technique for the development of this field.
Drawing on its extensive expertise as a designer and supplier of tubular technologies, Tenaris introduced a vibration monitor which combines high-frequency sensors with an AI model trained on historical well data to identify hazardous conditions for the casing string in real time. Data is processed on-site on a high-capacity computer and displayed in the cloud via satellite internet, enabling remote access and immediate parameter adjustments by the operating team.
Since its implementation in the Lajas project, the tool has been deployed across 35 wells with no casing failures recorded to date. The system's real-time monitoring and data analytics capabilities have been key to this success, supporting proactive interventions and maintaining consistent drilling performance.
Learn more about Tenaris’s portfolio for drilling and completion operations.
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