# US 10,119,385 B2 · Formation dip geo-steering method

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- Number: US 10,119,385 B2
- Document ID: US10119385B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/461,213
- Filed: 2017-03-16
- Published: 2017-06-29
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2004-10-28
- Applicants: Danny T. Williams
- Inventors: Danny T. Williams
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119385B2

## CPC

- E21B 44/005: {Below-ground automatic control systems}
- E21B 4/02: Fluid rotary type drives
- E21B 7/04: Directional drilling
- E21B 45/00: Measuring the drilling time or rate of penetration
- E21B 47/026: of penetrated ground layers
- E21B 47/06: Measuring temperature or pressure
- E21B 49/003: {by analysing drilling variables or conditions (E21B49/005 takes precedence; systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions E21B44/00)}
- E21B 47/12: Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A geo-steering method for drilling a formation penetrated by multiple wells. The method comprises computing a stratigraphic target formation window, computing a target line utilizing an instantaneous formation dip angle correlated to offset well data from an offset well. The method further comprises calculating a target window from actual drilling data overlaying the target window over the stratigraphic target formation window to drill on the target line, identifying target deviation from target line using overlaid windows, generating a target deviation flag when the overlaid results differ above or below the stratigraphic target formation window or user inputted target deviation flag parameters, wherein the target deviation flag stops drilling by the rig. The method performs another actual survey, creating a new window, starting drilling, creating a new target window, overlaying the two windows and monitoring for target deviations, repeating the process until target depth is reached.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for drilling a formation penetrated by multiple wells, the method comprising:
a) computing by a processor, a formation dip angle in degrees;
b) obtaining with the processor actual survey data using a logging while drilling tool while drilling in a well;
c) transmitting with the processor the actual survey data to a third party collection and formatting tool;
d) formatting with the third party collection and formatting tool the actual survey data into WITS, WITS, ML, or LAS, and transmitting the actual survey data in WITS, WITSML, or LAS formats to the processor;
e) computing with the processor a stratigraphic target formation window using the WITS, WITSML, or LAS formatted actual survey data;
f) computing a target line with the processor that generates a top and a bottom of the formation utilizing an instantaneous formation dip angle (ifdip) calculated by the processor using the WITS, WITSML, or LAS formatted actual survey data correlated to offset well data from an offset well;
g) calculating a target window with the processor from actual drilling data to geosteer a drill bit and correct a well path to stay within the stratigraphic target formation window;
h) identifying a target deviation with the processor from the WITS, WITSML, or LAS formatted actual drilling data by overlaying with the processor the target window over the stratigraphic target formation window;
i) generating a target deviation flag when the overlaying results differs within +/−2TVD to +/−4TVD above or below the stratigraphic target formation window or a user inputted target deviation flag parameter; and
j) automatically adjusting the drill bit based on the target deviation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising after receiving the target deviation flag, analytically computing and processing the additional data and the actual survey data with the actual drilling data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the additional data includes weight on bit (WOB), rotary speed, drill pump output, tool face, distance slid, distance rotated, mud motor build rate, mud motor turn rate, and drill bit's past and current deviation tendencies.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising using the drill bit's past and current deviation tendencies, and the additional data to compute and process the necessary distance and orientation of the drill bit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising collecting additional actual drilling data calculating a second target window with the processor, overlaying the second target window over the stratigraphic target formation window using the processor to perform directed geo-steering, and when the overlaying results differs within +/−2TVD to +/−4TVD above or below the stratigraphic target formation window or the user inputted target deviation flag parameter; transmitting the target deviation flag with the processor simultaneously to the at least one client device to stop drilling by the rig.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the processor communicates with a controller to automatically adjust drill bit steering.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising drilling the well with the logging while drilling (LWD) tool and obtaining additional actual survey data representative of the characteristics of the reservoir; collecting information from the logging while drilling (LWD) tool at the well surface; transmitting collected information to a remote control unit; calculating a revised target line that creates a top and bottom of the formation utilizing the ifdip; and calculating a second stratigraphic target formation window for drilling the well.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the offset well data includes data from electric line logs.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the actual survey data includes data from the logging while drilling (LWD) tool including a resistivity log.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising completing the well for production.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, with the logging while drilling tool data analyzed by the processor including data for weight on the drill bit, revolutions per minute of the drill bit, downhole annulus pressure, gas, differential pressure, pump rate, rate of penetration and other drill site data acquired during collection of actual survey data or during collection of actual drilling data.