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US 10,036,678 B2Granted
Automated control of toolface while slide drilling
AssigneeNabors Drilling Technologies USA, Inc.
InventorsGary Verdean Fisher, Jr., Graham Hunter, Mahmoud Hadi, Carlos Rolong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatuses, systems, and methods for controlling slide drilling on a drilling rig are described. The methods include detecting current differential pressure of a mud motor and/or weight on bit (WOB) at a surface of a borehole, predicting current reactive torque of the mud motor based on the current differential pressure and/or WOB, and automatically adjusting surface torque and/or angular offset of a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current reactive torque and to keep the mud motor at a desired toolface orientation in the borehole.
Claims27
A method of slide drilling, which method comprises:
- determining, with a controller, using surface readings obtained adjacent a surface of a borehole, current differential pressure of a mud motor determined by calculating a difference between a measured off-bottom surface standpipe pressure and a measured on-bottom surface standpipe pressure, weight on bit (WOB) determined by a surface WOB sensor, or both;
- predicting, with the controller, using the surface readings obtained adjacent the surface of the borehole, current downhole reactive torque of the mud motor based on a first predetermined relationship with either the determined current differential pressure, the WOB, or both, wherein the current downhole reactive torque is generated by sliding and causes a change in toolface orientation from a desired toolface orientation;
- determining, with the controller, a downhole length of the tubular string;
- determining, with the controller, based on a second predetermined relationship with the predicted current downhole reactive torque, the downhole length of the tubular string and a change of friction in the tubular string, a specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to apply to a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current downhole reactive torque to correct for the change in toolface orientation caused by the current downhole reactive torque and to position the mud motor at the desired toolface orientation in the borehole;
- generating and sending, with the controller, a control signal to a top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular;
- and
- controlling, via the control signal, the top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular.
4 more elements
A method of slide drilling, which method comprises:
- determining, with a controller using surface readings obtained adjacent a surface of a borehole to reduce lag time between receiving sensed or calculated data and adjusting a drilling toolface, current differential pressure of a mud motor determined by calculating a difference between a measured off-bottom surface standpipe pressure and a measured on-bottom surface standpipe pressure, weight on bit (WOB) determined by a surface WOB sensor, or both;
- predicting, within the controller using the surface readings obtained adjacent the surface of the borehole, current downhole reactive torque of the mud motor based on a first predetermined relationship with either the determined current differential pressure, the WOB, or both, wherein the current downhole reactive torque is generated by sliding and causes a change in toolface orientation from a desired toolface orientation;
- determining, with the controller, a downhole length of the tubular string;
- determining, with the controller, based on a second predetermined relationship with the predicted current downhole reactive torque, the downhole length of the tubular string and a change of friction in the tubular string, a specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both, to apply to of a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current downhole reactive torque to correct for the change in toolface orientation caused by the current downhole reactive torque and to position the mud motor at the desired toolface orientation in the borehole;
- generating and sending, with the controller, a control signal to a top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular;
- and
- controlling, via the control signal, the top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular.
4 more elements
A control system configured to perform slide drilling comprising:
- a computer system configured to predict, using surface readings obtained adjacent a surface of a borehole, current downhole reactive torque of a mud motor based on a first predetermined relationship with current differential pressure determined by calculating a difference between a measured off-bottom surface standpipe pressure and a measured on-bottom surface standpipe pressure, weight on bit (WOB) values determined by a surface WOB sensor, or both, wherein the current downhole reactive torque is generated by sliding and causes a change in toolface orientation from a desired toolface orientation;
- a sensor engine in communication with the computer system, the sensor engine being configured to sense the surface readings of the current differential pressure, WOB, or both, adjacent the surface of the borehole;
- and
- an operational equipment engine in communication with the computer system, the operational equipment engine being configured to receive input from the computer system to:
- determine, with a controller, a downhole length of the tubular string;
- determine, based on a second predetermined relationship with the predicted current downhole reactive torque, the downhole length of the tubular string and a change of friction in the tubular string, a specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both, of a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current downhole reactive torque to correct for the change in toolface orientation caused by the current downhole reactive torque and to position the mud motor at the desired toolface orientation in the borehole;
- generate and send a control signal to a top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular;
- and
- control, via the control signal, the top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular.
6 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to extend a borehole with a rig comprising a plurality of computer-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform a method which comprises:
- predicting, using surface readings measured adjacent a surface of a borehole, current downhole reactive torque of a mud motor based on a first predetermined relationship with current differential pressure determined by calculating a difference between a measured off-bottom surface standpipe pressure and a measured on-bottom surface standpipe pressure, weight on bit (WOB) determined by a surface WOB sensor, or both, wherein the current downhole reactive torque is generated by sliding and causes a change in toolface orientation from a desired toolface orientation;
- determining, with a controller, a downhole length of the tubular string;
- determining, based on a second predetermined relationship with the predicted current downhole reactive torque, the downhole length of the tubular string and a change of friction in the tubular string, a specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to apply to of a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current downhole reactive torque to correct for the change in toolface orientation caused by the current downhole reactive torque and to position the mud motor at the desired toolface orientation in the borehole;
- generating and sending a control signal to a top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular;
- and
- controlling, via the control signal, the top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.