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US 10,294,774 B2Granted
Well trajectory planning using bounding box scan for anti-collision analysis
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsDarren Lee Aklestad, Chun Wang, Lu Jiang, Nannan Zhang
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Abstract
A method for evaluating a planned well trajectory for avoidance of collision with an existing wellbore includes constructing a bounding box about the planned well trajectory and a bounding box for a trajectory of at least one existing wellbore. If there is no intersection between the bounding boxes, the planned well trajectory is used for drilling a well.
Claims21
A method for evaluating a planned well trajectory for avoidance of collision with an existing wellbore, comprising:
- using a processor, constructing a bounding box about the planned well trajectory and a bounding box for a trajectory of an existing wellbore, the trajectory for the existing well being constructed from survey data obtained from the existing well;
- determining, using the processor, whether there is an intersection between the bounding boxes, wherein determining comprises:
- determining that the bounding box of the planned well trajectory intersects a bounding box of a selected geographic area;
- and
- in response to determining that the bounding box of the planned trajectory intersects the bounding box of the selected geographic area:
- selecting a subset of a plurality of well trajectories associated with the selected geographic area, wherein the trajectory for the existing well and one or more other well trajectories are part of the subset;
- obtaining a boundary box encompassing the subset;
- determining that the bounding box for the planned well trajectory intersects the bounding box encompassing the subset;
- and
- in response to determining that the bounding box for the planned well trajectory intersects the bounding box encompassing the subset, determining whether the bounding box for the planned well trajectory intersects the bounding box of the trajectory;
- and
- using the planned well trajectory for drilling a well if no intersection exists, and taking a corrective action otherwise.
9 more elements
A method for directionally drilling a well, comprising:
- operating a directional drilling system to cause a well to follow a planned well trajectory;
- at selected length intervals during operating the directional drilling system, stopping drilling and obtaining a directional survey at a point of the stopping;
- determining a well trajectory from the directional survey and any prior directional surveys;
- constructing a bounding box about the determined well trajectory and a bounding box for a trajectory of an existing wellbore;
- determining that the bounding box of the determined well trajectory intersects a bounding box of a selected geographic area;
- in response to determining that the bounding box of the determined trajectory intersects the bounding box of the selected geographic area:
- selecting a subset of a plurality of well trajectories associated with the selected geographic area, wherein the trajectory for the existing well and one or more other well trajectories are part of the subset;
- obtaining a boundary box encompassing the subset;
- determining that the bounding box for the determined well trajectory intersects the bounding box encompassing the subset;
- and
- in response to determining that the bounding box for the determined well trajectory intersects the bounding box encompassing the subset, determining whether the bounding box for the planned well trajectory intersects the bounding box of the trajectory;
- and
- if there is no intersection between the bounding boxes of the determined well trajectory and the planned well trajectory, continuing drilling the well along the planned well trajectory.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.