U.S. patent application number 16/353949 was filed with the patent office on 2019-08-01 for drilling control and information system.
The applicant listed for this patent is National Oilwell Varco, L.P.. Invention is credited to Robert Eugene Mebane, III.
Application Number | 20190234145 16/353949 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48143374 |
Filed Date | 2019-08-01 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190234145 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mebane, III; Robert Eugene |
August 1, 2019 |
DRILLING CONTROL AND INFORMATION SYSTEM
Abstract
A drilling control and information system comprising: a rig site
network including a drilling equipment controller and a drilling
parameter sensor; a downhole sensor communicatively coupled to the
rig site network; a data center communicatively coupled to the rig
site network; a remote access site communicatively coupled to the
data center; and an application communicatively coupled to the rig
site network, wherein the application receives data from the
drilling parameter sensor and the downhole sensor and issues an
operating instruction to the drilling equipment controller.
Inventors: |
Mebane, III; Robert Eugene;
(Austin, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
National Oilwell Varco, L.P. |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48143374 |
Appl. No.: |
16/353949 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14389482 |
Sep 30, 2014 |
10273752 |
|
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PCT/US2013/035071 |
Apr 3, 2013 |
|
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16353949 |
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61619500 |
Apr 3, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 7/24 20130101; E21B
21/00 20130101; E21B 28/00 20130101; E21B 47/06 20130101; E21B
44/02 20130101; E21B 7/00 20130101; E21B 47/00 20130101; E21B 47/12
20130101; E21B 21/08 20130101; E21B 12/02 20130101; E21B 45/00
20130101; E21B 44/00 20130101; E21B 43/003 20130101; E21B 44/005
20130101 |
International
Class: |
E21B 7/00 20060101
E21B007/00; E21B 12/02 20060101 E21B012/02; E21B 7/24 20060101
E21B007/24; E21B 47/12 20060101 E21B047/12; E21B 44/02 20060101
E21B044/02; E21B 43/00 20060101 E21B043/00; E21B 44/00 20060101
E21B044/00; E21B 21/08 20060101 E21B021/08; E21B 47/06 20060101
E21B047/06; E21B 45/00 20060101 E21B045/00; E21B 28/00 20060101
E21B028/00 |
Claims
1. A system for drilling control and information, comprising: a rig
site network including a drilling equipment controller; a downhole
sensor coupled to a drill sting and communicatively coupled to the
rig site network; a data center communicatively coupled to the rig
site network; a remote access site communicatively coupled to the
data center; and a drilling application communicatively coupled to
the rig site network, wherein the drilling application receives
data from the downhole sensor and determines position of the drill
string.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the downhole sensor measures
downhole pressure.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the drilling application is
operable to calculate a true vertical depth using the measured
downhole pressure.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the downhole sensor provides data
indicating performance of a downhole directional drilling tool.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the drilling application is
operable to evaluate the data received from the downhole sensor
against a well plan.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the well plan is stored in the
data center, the remote access site, and/or the rig site
network.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the drilling application is
operable to generate an operating instruction based on the
evaluation of the data against the well plan.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the downhole sensor is
communicatively coupled to the rig site network via wired drill
pipe.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the downhole sensor is
communicatively coupled to the rig site network via wireless
communication.
10. A method for determining position of a drill string in a
wellbore comprising: integrating a drilling application into a rig
site network that is communicatively coupled to a downhole sensor,
a drilling equipment controller, and a drilling parameter sensor;
communicatively coupling the rig site network to a data center and
to a remote access site; transmitting data from the downhole sensor
to the drilling application; and analyzing the data transmitted by
the downhole sensor with the drilling application to determine the
position of the drill string within the wellbore.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the downhole sensor measures
downhole pressure.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the drilling application is
operable to calculate a true vertical depth using the measured
downhole pressure.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the downhole sensor provides
data indicating performance of a downhole directional drilling
tool.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the drilling application
evaluates the data received from the downhole sensor against a well
plan.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the well plan is stored in the
data center, the remote access site, and/or the rig site
network.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the drilling application
generates an operating instruction based on the evaluation of the
data against the well plan.
17. A method for drilling comprising: integrating a drilling
application into a rig site network that is communicatively coupled
to a downhole sensor, a drilling equipment controller, and a
drilling parameter sensor; communicatively coupling the rig site
network to a data center and to a remote access site; disposing a
drill string into a wellbore, wherein the downhole sensor is
coupled to the drill string; transmitting downhole data from the
downhole sensor to the drilling application; and processing the
downhole data with the drilling application to generate an
operating instruction.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the operating instruction
provides a true vertical depth of the drill string within the
wellbore.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the downhole sensor provides
data indicating performance of a downhole directional drilling tool
and the drilling application evaluates the data received from the
downhole sensor against a well plan.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the operating instruction is
based on the evaluation of the data against the well plan.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 14/389,482 filed Sep. 30, 2014, which is a national stage entry
of International Application No. PCT/US2013/035071, filed Apr. 3,
2013, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 61/619,500 filed on Apr. 3, 2012. PCT
Application No. PCT/US2013/035071, U.S. application Ser. No.
14/389,482 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/619,500 are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus
for drilling control and information systems. More specifically,
this disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for providing
drilling control and information systems that may interface with a
plurality of control and information applications to support a
variety of control and information functions through a common
infrastructure. The common control infrastructure may be configured
to acquire data from multiple sources, communicate that data with a
plurality of control modules or information interfaces, and provide
operating instructions to multiple drilling components.
[0003] To recover hydrocarbons from subterranean formations, wells
are generally constructed by drilling into the formation using a
rotating drill bit attached to a drill string. A fluid, commonly
known as drilling mud, is circulated down through the drill string
to lubricate the drill bit and carry cuttings out of the well as
the fluid returns to the surface. The particular methods and
equipment used to construct a particular well may vary extensively
based on the environment and formation in which the well is being
drilled. Many different types of equipment and systems are used in
the construction of wells including, but not limited to, rotating
equipment for rotating the drill bit, hoisting equipment for
lifting the drill string, pipe handling systems for handling
tubulars used in construction of the well, including the pipe that
makes up the drill string, pressure control equipment for
controlling wellbore pressure, mud pumps and mud cleaning equipment
for handling the drilling mud, directional drilling systems, and
various downhole tools.
[0004] The overall efficiency of constructing a well generally
depends on all of these systems operating together efficiently and
in concert with the requirements in the well to effectively drill
any given formation. One issue faced in the construction of wells
is that maximizing the efficiency of one system may have
undesirable effects on other systems. For example, increasing the
weight acting on the drill bit, known as weight on bit (WOB), may
often result in an increased rate of penetration (ROP) and faster
drilling but may also decrease the life of the drill bit, which may
increase drilling time due to having to more frequently replace the
drill bit. Therefore, the performance of each system being used in
constructing a well must be considered as part of the entire system
in order to safely and efficiently construct the well.
[0005] Many conventional automated drilling systems are "closed
loop" systems that attempt to improve the drilling process by
sensing a limited number of conditions and adjusting system
performance, manually or automatically, based upon the sensed
conditions. Often these closed loop systems don't have the ability
to monitor or consider the performance of all of the other systems
being used or adjust the performance of multiple systems
simultaneously. It is therefore left to human intervention to
ensure that the entire system operates
efficiently/satisfactorily.
[0006] Relying on human intervention may become complicated due to
the fact that multiple parties are often involved in well
construction. For example, constructing a single well will often
involve the owner of the well, a drilling contractor tasked with
drilling well, and a multitude of other companies that provide
specialized tools and services for the construction of the well.
Because of the significant coordination and cooperation that is
required to integrate multiple systems from multiple companies,
significant human intervention is required for efficient operation.
Integrating multiple systems and companies becomes increasingly
problematic as drilling processes advance in complexity.
[0007] Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for methods and
apparatus for controlling drilling processes that overcome these
and other limitations of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] Herein disclosed is a drilling control and information
system comprising: a rig site network including a drilling
equipment controller and a drilling parameter sensor; a downhole
sensor communicatively coupled to the rig site network; a data
center communicatively coupled to the rig site network; a remote
access site communicatively coupled to the data center; and a
pressure management application communicatively coupled to the rig
site network, wherein the pressure management application receives
pressure data from the drilling parameter sensor and the downhole
sensor and issues an operating instruction to the drilling
equipment controller.
[0009] In some embodiments, the drilling parameter sensor measures
pump pressure. In some embodiments, the downhole sensor measures
downhole pressure at a downhole sensor sub, and the downhole sensor
is disposed along a drill string. In some embodiments, the drilling
equipment controller issues an operating instruction to a mud pump
or a choke. In some embodiments, the drilling equipment controller
issues an operating instruction to control hoisting of a drill
pipe. In some embodiments, the drilling equipment controller issues
an operating instruction to a downhole control valve. In some
embodiments, the downhole sensor is communicatively coupled to the
rig site network via wired drill pipe. In some embodiments, the
downhole sensor is communicatively coupled to the rig site network
via wireless communication.
[0010] Herein also is disclosed a method for controlling pressure
in a wellbore comprising: integrating a pressure management
application into a rig site network that is communicatively coupled
to a downhole sensor, a drilling equipment controller, and a
drilling parameter sensor; communicatively coupling the rig site
network to a data center and to a remote access site; transmitting
pressure data from the downhole sensor and the drilling parameter
sensor to the pressure management application; and issuing an
operating instruction generated by the pressure management
application to the drilling equipment controller, wherein the
operating instruction is based on pressure data received from at
least one of the downhole sensor or the drilling parameter
sensor.
[0011] In some embodiments, the drilling parameter sensor measures
pump pressure. In some embodiments, the downhole sensor measures
downhole pressure at a downhole sensor sub. In some embodiments,
the downhole sensor is disposed along a drill string. In some
embodiments, the method further comprises issuing the operating
instruction from the drilling equipment controller to a mud pump
and/or a choke. In some embodiments, the method further comprises
issuing the operating instruction from the drilling equipment
controller to a downhole control valve. In some embodiments, the
method further comprises issuing the operating instruction from the
drilling equipment controller to hoisting equipment. In some
embodiments, pressure data is transmitted from the downhole sensor
to the rig site network via wired drill pipe or wireless
communication.
[0012] Herein also is disclosed a method for controlling pressure
in a wellbore comprising: integrating a pressure management
application into a rig site network that is communicatively coupled
to a downhole sensor, a drilling equipment controller, and a
drilling parameter sensor; communicatively coupling the rig site
network to a data center and to a remote access site; transmitting
pump pressure data from the drilling parameter sensor to the
pressure management application; transmitting downhole pressure
data from the downhole sensor to the pressure management
application; and processing the pump pressure data and the downhole
pressure data with the pressure management application to generate
an operating instruction; and issuing the operating instruction to
the drilling equipment controller.
[0013] In some embodiments, the method further comprises issuing
the operating instruction from the drilling equipment controller to
a mud pump and/or a choke. In some embodiments, the method further
comprises issuing the operating instruction from the drilling
equipment controller to a downhole control valve.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] For a more detailed description of the embodiments of the
present disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying
drawings.
[0015] FIGS. 1A and 1B are simplified schematic diagrams of a
drilling control and information network.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a pump pressure
management application.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including an alternative
pump pressure management application.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a surge/swab
management application.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including an alternative
surge swab management application.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a managed
pressure drilling application.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a dual gradient
drilling application.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a directional
drilling application.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a wellbore
visualization application.
[0024] FIG. 10 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a drilling
oscillation application.
[0025] FIG. 11 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a total
vertical depth application.
[0026] FIG. 12 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including a geology and
geophysics application.
[0027] FIG. 13 is a simplified schematic diagram of the drilling
control and information network of FIG. 1 including an equipment
health application.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] It is to be understood that the following disclosure
describes several exemplary embodiments for implementing different
features, structures, or functions of the invention. Exemplary
embodiments of components, arrangements, and configurations are
described below to simplify the present disclosure; however, these
exemplary embodiments are provided merely as examples and are not
intended to limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, the
present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in
the various exemplary embodiments and across the Figures provided
herein. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and
clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the
various exemplary embodiments and/or configurations discussed in
the various Figures. Moreover, the formation of a first feature
over or on a second feature in the description that follows may
include embodiments in which the first and second features are
formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which
additional features may be formed interposing the first and second
features, such that the first and second features may not be in
direct contact. Finally, the exemplary embodiments presented below
may be combined in any combination of ways, i.e., any element from
one exemplary embodiment may be used in any other exemplary
embodiment, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
[0029] Additionally, certain terms are used throughout the
following description and claims to refer to particular components.
As one skilled in the art will appreciate, various entities may
refer to the same component by different names, and as such, the
naming convention for the elements described herein is not intended
to limit the scope of the invention, unless otherwise specifically
defined herein. Further, the naming convention used herein is not
intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but
not function. Additionally, in the following discussion and in the
claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an
open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean
"including, but not limited to." All numerical values in this
disclosure may be exact or approximate values unless otherwise
specifically stated. Accordingly, various embodiments of the
disclosure may deviate from the numbers, values, and ranges
disclosed herein without departing from the intended scope.
Furthermore, as it is used in the claims or specification, the term
"or" is intended to encompass both exclusive and inclusive cases,
i.e., "A or B" is intended to be synonymous with "at least one of A
and B," unless otherwise expressly specified herein. For the
purposes of this application, the term "real-time" means without
significant delay.
[0030] Referring initially to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a drilling control
and information network 100 may include a rig site network 102, a
data center 104, and a remote access site 106. The rig site network
102 and the remote access site 106 are communicatively coupled to
the data center 104 via secure, high-speed communication systems
that may provide real-time transmission of data. For example, if
the rig site is located offshore, the rig site network 102 may be
coupled to the data center 104 via a satellite-based communication
system 108. The remote access site 106 may be communicatively
coupled to the data center 104 over the Internet 110.
[0031] The rig site network 102 is located on a drilling rig 103
and provides connectivity among rig mounted drilling equipment 105,
drilling equipment 107 at the seafloor 109, and downhole tools 119
in the wellbore 111. Although illustrated for use with an offshore
drilling rig 103 it is understood that the network described herein
is equally applicable to land-based drilling rigs. The rig site
network 102 may provide information on the performance of the rig
and the ability to control the drilling processes taking place. To
provide this connectivity, the rig site network 102 may include
drilling equipment controllers 112, drilling process controllers
114, drilling parameter sensors 116, downhole sensors 118 and tools
119, and drilling information systems 120. An exemplary rig site
network is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,547, which is
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
[0032] The drilling equipment controllers 112 may include the
control systems and sub-networks that are operable to directly
control various drilling components, including, but not limited to,
mud pumps, top drives, draw works, pressure control equipment, pipe
handling systems, iron roughnecks, chokes, rotary tables, and
motion compensation equipment.
[0033] The drilling process controllers 114 include systems that
analyze the performance of the drilling system and automatically
issue instructions to one or more drilling components so that the
drilling system operates within acceptable parameters. The drilling
information systems 120 include systems that monitor ongoing
drilling processes and provide information as to the performance of
the drilling system. This information may be in the form or raw
data or may be processed and/or converted by the drilling
information systems 120. The information provided by the drilling
information systems 120 may be provided to the drilling process
controllers 114, may be visually presented for evaluation by rig
personnel, or may be accessed and utilized by other processes, such
as those that will be discussed in detail to follow.
[0034] The drilling parameter sensors 116 may include, but are not
limited to, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, position
indicators, mud pit monitors, tachometers, and load sensors. The
downhole sensors 118 and tools 119 may include sensors mounted at
or near the bottom-hole-assembly or at selected points along the
drill string. In certain embodiments, multiple sensors may be
integrated into a "sensor sub" that may measure temperature,
pressure, inclination, rotation, acceleration, tension,
compression, and other properties at a selected location in the
drill string. The downhole sensors 118 and tools 119 may
communicate with the rig site network via wired or wireless
communication, which will be discussed in detail to follow.
[0035] The rig site network 102 allows data to be collected from
the drilling equipment controllers 112, drilling parameter sensors
116, and downhole sensors 118 and tools 119. That data may then
processed by the drilling process controllers 114 and/or the
drilling information systems 120. Thus, the rig site network 102
may be configured to automatically issue operating instructions to
the drilling equipment controllers 112 and/or the downhole tools
119 to control the drilling processes.
[0036] The rig site network 102 also allows data to be presented to
operations personnel at the rig site by the drilling information
systems 120 as well as transmitted in real-time over the network
100 to the data center 104 and remote access sites 106. The data
may be analyzed at any or all of these locations to evaluate the
performance of the drilling rig and drilling processes. Because
high speed communication allows the remote access sites 106 to have
real-time communication with the rig site network 102 and real-time
visualization of the drilling process, the drilling control and
communication network 100 also allows control inputs to be made
from the remote access sites 106.
[0037] As previously discussed, the data center 104 may be
communicatively coupled a rig site network 102 via a secure,
high-speed communications system, such as satellite communication
system 108. The data center 104 may include one or more rig site
information systems 122 and one or more rig site visualization and
control systems 124. The rig site information systems 122 may
include systems that store data gathered by the rig site network
102 and allow users to access that data to evaluate information
including, but not limited to, rig performance, costs, and
maintenance needs. The rig site visualization and control systems
124 may include systems that receive data from the rig site network
102 and allow for uses not physically on the rig to monitor the
activity on the rig in real-time and issue operating instructions
directly to equipment located on the rig. The data center 104 may
be communicatively coupled to a plurality of rig site networks 102
so as to enable the monitoring of a plurality of rigs from a
central location.
[0038] Remote access site 106 may include remote access clients 126
and/or remote process controllers 136 that may access data from the
data center 104 or directly from the rig site network 102. The
remote access clients 126 and remote process controllers 136 may
provide users with the ability to remotely monitor and adjust rig
performance. As previously discussed, remote access site 106 may
access data center 104, and therefore rig site network 102, over
the network 100 from any location.
[0039] Providing a real-time data connection between downhole
sensors 118 and tools 119 and the rig site network 102 may further
enhance the monitoring and management of drilling processes and
drilling rigs via drilling control and information network 100.
Downhole sensors 118 and tools 119 may provide information
regarding downhole conditions and system performance that has been
previously unavailable in real-time. In certain embodiments, data
from downhole sensors 118 and tools 119 may be transmitted to the
surface through wired drill pipe, such as described in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,670,880, which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety. Wired drill pipe includes conductors coupled to the drill
pipe that provide a direct link between the surface and the
downhole sensors 118 and tools 119. The drill pipe may include
electrical conductors, fiber optic conductors, other signal
conductors, and combinations thereof. Wired drill pipe systems may
include a downhole communication hub that gathers information from
one or more downhole tools and then transmits that data along the
conductors to a surface communication hub 128 that receives the
data and communicates with the rig site network 102. Wired drill
pipe may support communication in both directions allowing
transmission of data from downhole sensors 118 and tools 119 to the
rig site network 102 and transmission of operating instructions
from the rig site network to one or more downhole sensors 118 and
tools 119.
[0040] In other embodiments, data from downhole sensors 118 and
tools 119 may be transmitted wirelessly to the surface through
signals such as pressure pulse transmitted through the drilling
fluid, wireless electromagnetic signals, acoustic signals, or other
wireless communication protocols. Tools that may transmit signals
through pressure pulses may be configured to transmit pressure
pulses continuously or at selected intervals, such as when the
pumps are shut off. One embodiment of a downhole tool that is
operable to transmit pressure pulses is described in U.S. Published
Patent Application 2011/0169655, which is incorporated by reference
herein in its entirety.
[0041] Wireless communication systems may include a downhole
communication hub that gathers information from one or more
downhole tools and then transmits that data to a surface
communication hub 130 that receives the data and communicates with
the rig site network 102. Wireless communication systems may
support communication in both directions allowing transmission of
data from downhole sensors 118 and tools 119 to the rig site
network 102 and transmission of operating instructions from the rig
site network to one or more downhole sensors 118 and tools 119.
[0042] By supporting communication with downhole sensors 118 and
tools 119, the drilling control and information network 100 thus
allows visualization and communication between downhole sensors
118, the rig site network 102, the data center 104, and remote
access sites 106. The drilling control and information network 100
provides an infrastructure that allows for the utilization
information found in the network to control the drilling process or
provide enhanced visualization of the drilling process. To support
this activity, the drilling control and information network 100
provides an interface that allows various specialized drilling
applications to be integrated into the rig site network 102, the
data center 104, and/or at remote offices 106 to provide enhanced
visualization of the drilling process or allow for autonomous or
remote control of certain aspects of the drilling process.
[0043] In one or more embodiments, drilling control and information
network 100 may include drilling applications designed to monitor
one or more sensors and provide operating instructions to one or
more components to manage drilling operations. In certain
embodiments, the applications may be stand-alone components that
are coupled to the rig site network 102, data center 104, or remote
access site 106. In other embodiments, the drilling applications
may be integrated into one of the components of the network, such
as drilling information system 120, rig site visualization and
control system 124, and/or remote process controllers 136. Drilling
applications may also be designed to operate autonomously or with
operator input. The drilling applications may be designed to
operate with one or more tools, operations, processes, and/or
external interfaces. Many different drilling processes and types of
drilling information can be managed by drilling applications,
including, but not limited to wellbore pressure management, kick
detection and mitigation, drilling control and optimization,
wellbore monitoring, equipment monitoring, and wellbore
visualization.
[0044] Managing pressure within the wellbore is critical for many
aspects of well construction, including, but not limited to, rate
of penetration (ROP), hole cleaning, and management of formation
pressures and fracture gradients. The hydrostatic pressure within a
wellbore is determined by the depth of the wellbore, the weight of
the drilling fluid, the dynamic pressure generated by the mud
pumps, and, in certain operations, backpressure applied by a choke.
The downhole sensors 118 and tools 119 of the rig site network 102
may be used to collect real-time pressure data from one or more
locations within a wellbore. This pressure data may then be
analyzed by one or more applications integrated into the drilling
control and information network 100 to adjust one or more of the
variables that may affect wellbore pressure.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 2, a pump pressure management
application 200 is communicatively coupled to the rig site network
102. By controlling the fluid pressure being pumped into the
wellbore and the monitoring the pressure returning to the surface
at the drillstring, the choke/kill lines, or at another desired
location, pressure variations may be used to evaluate hole
cleaning, wellbore stability, and other flow issues. The pump
pressure management application 200 receives downhole pressure data
from downhole sensors 202 located along the drill string and pump
pressure data from drilling information system 120. Application 200
may be configured to issue operating instructions to the mud pumps
(not shown) via a drilling equipment controller 112 and/or drilling
process controller 114 so as to regulate pressure to a
predetermined set-point either at selected location at the surface
or in the wellbore. Application 200 may also be configured to
regulate the mud pumps during pump start-up, or ramping, so that
pressure is increased in a controlled manner. In some embodiments,
application 200 may analyze the pressure data from surface and
downhole sensors in order to make additional adjustments or provide
an indication of wellbore conditions such as hole cleaning and kick
detection. For example, application 200 may monitor the correlation
between pump pressure, surface pressure, and downhole pressure
during a series of pump starts to provide an indication of wellbore
conditions. The pressure data received by application 200 may be
archived, and an algorithm built into the application 200 may
analyze changes to the pressure data over time to identify trends
and anomalies that may indicate the status of the well. Drilling
control and information network 100 may also allow remote
monitoring and adjustment of the pump pressure management
application 200 from data center 104 and/or remote site access
106.
[0046] Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative pump pressure
management application 300 is communicatively coupled to the rig
site network 102 and may be used to manage mud pump start
pressures. Similar to pump pressure management application 200,
application 300 receives downhole pressure data from downhole
sensors 202 located along the drill string and pump pressure data
from drilling information system 120. Application 300 activates the
mud pumps via a drilling equipment controller 112 and/or drilling
process controller 114 and issues control commands to a downhole
flow valve 302 that may be used to precisely manage the flow of
fluid from the drillpipe into the wellbore so that pressure enters
the wellbore in a smooth, consistent manner and dampens pressure
spikes that may result from activating the mud pumps. The pressure
data received by application 300 may be archived, and an algorithm
built into the application 300 may analyze changes to the pressure
data over time to identify trends and anomalies that may indicate
the status of the well. Drilling control and information network
100 also allows remote monitoring and adjustment of the pump
pressure management application 300 from data center 104 and/or
remote site access 106.
[0047] As previously discussed, the downhole flow valve 302 may be
similar to the valve disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application
2011/0169655, which is incorporated by reference herein for all
purposes. The downhole valve 302 may also be used to facilitate
wireless communication with rig site network 102 by transmitting
pressure pulses to the surface that carry information collected by
one or more downhole dynamic sensors, such as acceleration, RPM,
pressure, etc. This data may be used to determine bit whirl,
stick/slip. The downhole valve may be operated in different modes
to transmit various data on each connection. This near real-time
data may be used to modify drilling parameters.
[0048] Referring now to FIG. 4, a surge/swab management application
400 is communicatively coupled to the rig site network 102. Surge
pressures and swab pressures are pressures generated in a wellbore
from the movement of drill pipe. Surge pressures are increased
wellbore pressures generated when additional pipe is inserted into
a wellbore while swab pressures are decreased wellbore pressures
resulting from the removal of drill pipe from a wellbore. Surge and
swab pressures may lead to kicks and to wellbore stability problems
if not properly managed. Application 400 receives downhole pressure
data from a downhole sensor sub 402, drill string mounted sensors
202, and drill pipe position data from drilling information system
120. As the drill pipe is moved, the surge/swab management
application 400 may adjust the operation of the pumps via a
drilling equipment controller 112 and/or drilling process
controller 114 to compensate for movement of the drill pipe. For
example, when hoisting, the surge/swab management application 400
may increase pumping rate so that a pulse of mud is transmitted in
a manner that offsets the pressure wave associated with the
hoisting process. The pumps may be slowed when drill pipe is run
into the wellbore. Application 400 may also modulate the speed at
which drill pipe is run into or out of the wellbore in response to
pressure data received from the downhole sensor sub 402. Drilling
control and information network 100 also allows remote monitoring
and adjustment of the application 400 from data center 104 and/or
remote site access 106.
[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative surge/swab management
application 500 that is communicatively coupled to the rig site
network 102 and utilizes a downhole valve 302 to control surge and
swab pressure variations. Application 500 may issue operating
instructions to the downhole valve 302 so as to increase or
decrease the fluid entering the wellbore so as to manage pressure
spikes to minimize effects of pressure spikes from pump startup,
and pressure surge and swab during hoisting operations. Application
500 may also be configured to issue operating instructions to the
mud pumps and/or hoisting equipment via drilling equipment
controller 112 and/or drilling process controller 114 to further
control downhole wellbore pressures. Drilling control and
information network 100 also allows remote monitoring and
adjustment of the application 500 from data center 104 and/or
remote site access 106.
[0050] FIG. 6 illustrates a managed pressure drilling (MPD)
application 600 that is communicatively coupled to the rig site
network 102. In managed pressure drilling, the pressure within the
wellbore is maintained in an unbalanced state where pressure in the
formation is greater than the pressure within the wellbore.
Drilling in an underbalanced state increases drilling rates but
also requires a heightened state of control of wellbore pressures
so as to prevent kicks or other pressure control situations. The
MPD application 600 may receive real-time pressure data from sensor
sub 402 and drill string mounted pressure sensors 202 to monitor
the pressure within the wellbore. Because the rig site network 102
allows for real time pressure measurement from within the wellbore,
the MPD application 600 may be configured to issue operating
instructions to drilling equipment, such as a choke, a continuous
circulating sub, mud pumps, and other pressure control equipment,
via a drilling equipment controller 112 and/or drilling process
controller 114 so as to maintain the wellbore pressure within a
desired range. Drilling control and information network 100 also
allows remote monitoring and adjustment of the MPD application 600
from data center 104 and/or remote site access 106.
[0051] FIG. 7 illustrates a dual gradient (DG) drilling application
700 that is communicatively coupled to the rig site network 102 and
is configured for use in dual gradient drilling operations. Dual
gradient drilling is used in offshore drilling operations to reduce
the wellbore pressure by introducing a lower density fluid into the
column of drilling fluid. This is often accomplished by injecting a
lower density drilling fluid, or seawater, into the riser above the
wellhead. The DG drilling application 700 may receive real-time
pressure data from sensor sub 402 and drill string mounted pressure
sensors 202 to monitor the pressure within the wellbore. The
application 700 may also monitor pump and standpipe pressures and
flow rates via drilling information system 120. DG drilling
application 700 may be configured to monitor these pressure and
flow rate data and issue operating instructions to drilling
equipment, such as chokes, mud pumps, mud cleaning equipment,
and/or other pressure control equipment, via a drilling equipment
controller 112 and/or drilling process controller 114 so as to
maintain the wellbore pressure within a desired range. Drilling
control and information network 100 also allows remote monitoring
and adjustment of the DG drilling application 700 from data center
104 and/or remote site access 106.
[0052] FIG. 8 illustrates a directional drilling application 800
that is communicatively coupled to the rig site network 102 and may
be configured to automate directional drilling operations. In
directional drilling operations, the drill string is guided along a
non-vertical path to reach a very specific target zone. In
operation, downhole directional drilling tools 802, such as rotary
steerable tools, provide data to the rig site network 102 that
indicates the performance of the downhole tools. The directional
drilling application 800 evaluates the performance of the downhole
tools against the well plan that the application either stores in
local memory or may access through the rig site network 102. The
application 800 compares the position and performance of the
directional drilling tools against the well plan, which includes
the path the well should be following and the expected performance
parameters. The application 800 may then provide operating
instructions to the downhole direction drilling tools 802 or to
surface equipment, such as the top drive, via drilling equipment
controllers 112 so as to bring the position and performance of the
directional drilling tools 802 into compliance with the drilling
plan. The application 800 may continuously monitor the performance
of the directional drilling tools 802 to make further adjustments
as the performance of the tools comes into compliance with the
drilling plan. Real time well data management allows communication
with a remote directional drilling application 804 at the remote
access site 106 so that personnel located away from the rig site
may make other inputs and adjustments in reaction to the
performance of the system.
[0053] FIG. 9 illustrates a wellbore visualization application 900
that is communicatively coupled to the rig site network 102.
Wellbore visualization may provide users with important information
regarding the wellbore being constructed and give early indications
of potential problems with the wellbore. The wellbore visualization
application 900 is operable to provide real-time wellbore
visualization by acquiring real-time measurements of depth, hole
size, pressure, orientation, etc. from drill string sensors 202, a
downhole sensor sub 402, logging while drilling tools 902, and
drilling parameter sensors 116 via drilling information system 120.
The wellbore visualization application 900 takes the acquired data
and generates a three-dimensional simulation of the wellbore that
may be compared to the intended well plan and/or provide early
indications of wellbore stability problems that may then be
addressed using other control components to vary drilling
parameters, such as mud weight, pressure, and weight on bit, via
drilling equipment controllers 112. The wellbore visualization
application 900 allows communication with a remote visualization
application 904 at the remote access site 106 so that personnel
located away from the rig site may make other inputs and
adjustments in reaction to the performance of the system.
[0054] In certain embodiments, the wellbore visualization
application 900 may be used in conjunction with downhole
operations, such as underreaming. For example, bottom hole assembly
including a downhole sensor sub 402 could also include an
underreamer. As the downhole sensor sub 402 travels through the
wellbore, it can transmit real-time measurements of the depth and
hoe size to the wellbore visualization application 900. The
wellbore visualization application 900 may be configured to compare
the measured depth and hole size to a predetermined well plan so
that if the hole size is smaller than planned, the underreamer can
be deployed to increase the size of the wellbore.
[0055] FIG. 10 illustrates a drilling oscillation application 1000
that is communicatively coupled to the rig site network 102. As is
discussed in International Publication No. WO 2011/035280, which is
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. The efficiency
of a number of drilling processes may be negatively impacted by
steady state conditions. For example, pumping at a constant rate
may create flow conditions that inhibit hole cleaning, while
varying pump rate within a narrow range may reduce these problems.
In order to address this problem, the drilling oscillation
application 1000 monitors drilling process data acquired by drill
string sensors 102, downhole sensor sub 402, and drilling parameter
sensors 116 via drilling information system 120. The application
1000 is operable to provide control inputs to drilling equipment
controllers 112 to oscillate set points for RPM, pressure, and WOB.
This oscillation helps decrease problems associated with steady
state conditions.
[0056] FIG. 11 illustrates a true vertical depth (TVD) application
1100 that is communicatively coupled to the rig site network 102.
Determining the true vertical depth of the bottom hole assembly is
very important, especially in directional wells and shale plays
where the production zone may be relatively narrow. The depth of
the bottom hole assembly is conventionally calculated by tracking
the length of drill string that has been run into the wellbore.
Because the drill string is not rigid, there is inherent error
built into this calculation. The TVD application 1100 receives
pressure measurements from drill string sensors 202 and/or a
downhole sensor sub 404 and drilling fluid density measurements
from the drilling parameter sensors 116 via drilling information
system 120. The TVD application 1100 calculates the true vertical
depth based on the measured density and pressure data. Acquiring
pressure data both with the pumps on and off may enhance the
accuracy of the determination of true vertical depth.
[0057] FIG. 12 illustrates a geology and geophysics (G&G)
application 1200 that is communicatively coupled to rig sit network
102. The G&G application 1200 may communicate with a remote
G&G package 1202 connected to remote access site 106 to
integrate geology and geophysical databases into a well plan to
determine drilling envelope. The G&G application 1200 may
provide feedback and control instructions to well equipment
controllers 112 based on parameters drawn from the geology and
geophysical databases. The G&G application 1200 may also
acquire formation data from a downhole sensor sub 402 and drilling
parameter sensors 116 that may be communicated to the G&G
package and used to update the geology and geophysical databases.
This formation data may also be stored and analyzed by rig site
information systems 122 and rig site visualization and control
systems 124 at the data center 104 so that the information may be
integrated into updated well plans.
[0058] FIG. 13 illustrates an equipment health monitoring system
1300 that is communicatively coupled to the rig site network 102.
An exemplary health monitoring system for use with surface
equipment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,907,375, which is
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. The equipment
health monitoring system 1300 is operable to receive real-time
downhole tool performance and health data from downhole tools and
sensors 118, which may be used to determine when a replacement is
needed. The equipment health monitoring system 1300 may communicate
this performance and data to a service center 1302 at the data
center 104 and to an external portal 1304 at the remote access site
106 to allow supply chain to get spare parts and/or new tools to
the rig site.
[0059] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications
and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by
way of example in the drawings and description. It should be
understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description
thereto are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular
form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all
modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the
spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
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