# US 11,029,444 B2 · Pipe tracking system for drilling rigs

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- Number: US 11,029,444 B2
- Document ID: US11029444B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/946,390
- Filed: 2015-11-19
- Published: 2016-10-06
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-30
- Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
- Applicants: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
- Inventors: Gokturk Tunc; Shunfeng Zheng; Vishwanathan Parmeshwar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029444B2

## CPC

- G01V 15/00: Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object (record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00)
- E21B 17/006: {Accessories for drilling pipes, e.g. cleaners (wear protectors E21B17/10; handling drilling pipes E21B19/00; thread protectors B65D59/00)}
- E21B 41/00: Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
- E21B 47/04: Measuring depth or liquid level
- E21B 7/04: Directional drilling
- E21B 21/08: Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10)
- E21B 44/00: Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
- E21B 44/02: Automatic control of the tool feed ({E21B44/005,} E21B44/10 take precedence)
- E21B 44/04: in response to the torque of the drive {; Measuring drilling torque (E21B44/06 takes precedence; measuring stresses in a well bore pipe E21B47/007)}
- G06K 19/00: Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

A system for a drilling rig, a computer-readable medium, and a method for tracking an oilfield tubular. The method includes applying a tag to the oilfield tubular, the tag including a readable tag identifier, determining a physical parameter of the oilfield tubular, storing data representing the physical parameter in association with the tag identifier in a database, reading the tag identifier from the tag applied to the oilfield tubular, prior to deploying the oilfield tubular into a wellbore, and generating a pipe tally comprising data representing a plurality of oilfield tubulars, including the oilfield tubular, connected together and deployed into the wellbore using a drilling rig.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for tracking an oilfield tubular, the method comprising:
applying a non-ruggedized tag to the oilfield tubular, the non-ruggedized tag comprising a first tag identifier;
determining a physical parameter of the oilfield tubular;
storing data representing the physical parameter in association with the first tag identifier in a database;
reading the first tag identifier from the non-ruggedized tag applied to the oilfield tubular, prior to deploying the oilfield tubular into a wellbore;
deploying the oilfield tubular into the wellbore;
generating a pipe tally comprising order data representing an order in which a plurality of oilfield tubulars, including the oilfield tubular, are connected together and deployed into the wellbore using a drilling fig;
removing the oilfield tubular from the wellbore;
applying a second tag to the oilfield tubular, after removing the oilfield tubular from the wellbore;
reading a second tag identifier from the second tag; and
replacing the first tag identifier with the second tag identifier in the database using the order data of the pipe tally.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein applying the non-ruggedized tag comprises applying the non-ruggedized tag as the oilfield tubular is being moved from a pipe rack to a top drive of the drilling rig.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
removing the non-ruggedized tag from the oilfield tubular after reading the first tag identifier; and
deploying the oilfield tubular into the wellbore, after removing the non-ruggedized tag.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein reading the first tag identifier comprises reading the first tag identifier prior to connecting the oilfield tubular to the plurality of oilfield tubulars deployed into the wellbore.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the non-ruggedized tag is rendered inoperative when the oilfield tubular is in the wellbore.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the non-ruggedized tag comprises a radiofrequency identification tag, and wherein applying the non-ruggedized tag comprises adhering the non-ruggedized tag to the oilfield tubular, prior to attaching the oilfield tubular to the plurality of oilfield tubulars.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein applying the non-ruggedized tag comprises painting, magnetizing, or engraving a portion of the oilfield tubular.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the oilfield tubular comprises a drill pipe.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a position of the oilfield tubular in the wellbore based on the order data of the pipe tally and a geometry of the wellbore, wherein the physical parameter comprises at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: fatigue life, running time in the wellbore, and a loading condition of the oilfield tubular in the wellbore.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the physical parameter comprises calculating the physical parameter based at least in part on the position of the oilfield tubular in the wellbore.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a respective order for the oilfield tubular in a subsequently formed drill string based on the fatigue life associated with the oilfield tubular.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
comparing the fatigue life to a threshold; and
retiring the oilfield tubular when the fatigue life exceeds the threshold.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
storing the oilfield tubular with the second tag;
reading the second identifier from the second tag while the second tag is applied to the oilfield tubular to identify the oilfield tubular and to access the data representing the physical parameter prior to deploying the oilfield tubular into a second wellbore;
determining a position for the oilfield tubular within the second wellbore based on the data representing the physical parameter;
deploying the oilfield tubular to the position within the second wellbore; and
generating a second pipe tally comprising respective order data indicative of a respective order in which a respective plurality of oilfield tubulars, including the oilfield tubular, are connected together and deployed into the second wellbore.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the physical parameter comprises a length, a diameter, a wall thickness, cylindricity, or a thread measurement.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising measuring the physical parameter as the oilfield tubular is moved from a pipe rack to a top drive, prior to deploying the oilfield tubular into the wellbore.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
remeasuring the physical parameter of the oilfield tubular after removing the oilfield tubular from the wellbore and prior to deploying the oilfield tubular into a second wellbore;
transmitting measurement data representing the remeasured physical parameter to the database; and
storing the second identifier in association with the transmitted measurement data in the database.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the replacing the first tag identifier with the second tag identifier in the database using the order data of the pipe tally comprises locating the data representing the physical parameter in the database using the order data of the pipe tally and then storing the data representing the physical parameters in association with the second tag identifier in the database.

### Claim 18

A method comprising:
applying a first tag on a pipe while moving the pipe from a pipe rack of a drilling rig to a catwalk of the drilling rig, wherein the first tag is configured to be rendered inoperative in a downhole environment of a well being constructed by the drilling rig; then
reading a first tag identifier from the first tag; then:
transmitting first tag data representing the read first tag identifier to a database;
storing the transmitted first tag data in the database;
measuring one or more physical parameters of the pipe;
transmitting measurement data representing the measured one or more physical parameters to the database; and
storing the transmitted measurement data in the database in association with the stored first tag data; then
automatically updating a pipe tally based on the stored first tag data and the stored measurement data associated with the stored first tag data, wherein the pipe tally comprises order data indicative of an order of the pipe and a plurality of additional pipes in the well; then
deploying the pipe into the downhole environment, thus rendering the first tag inoperable; then
performing an operation in the well while the pipe is in the downhole environment; then
removing the pipe from the well; then
applying a second tag on the pipe; then
reading a second tag identifier from the second tag; then
transmitting second tag data representing the read second tag identifier to the database; then
linking the transmitted second tag data to the stored measurement data that was previously associated with the first tag data based on the order data of the pipe tally; then
storing the transmitted second tag data in the database in association with the stored measurement data in the database.

### Claim 19

A method comprising:
obtaining:
an automated pipe tally of a plurality of pipes in a first pipe string in a first well, wherein the automated pipe tally comprises an order of the plurality of pipes in the first pipe string, measured physical parameters of each pipe of the plurality of pipes, and a plurality of first identifiers each unique to a corresponding pipe of the plurality of pipes and associated with the measured physical parameters of that pipe; and
characteristics of the first well, including geometry and drilling parameters of the first well;
then:
removing an oilfield tubular from the first pipe string, wherein the oilfield tubular is one of the pipes of the plurality of pipes;
applying a tag to the oilfield tubular after removing the oilfield tubular from the first pipe string, wherein the tag comprises a second identifier; and
reading the second identifier from the tag;
linking the second identifier with the measured physical parameters of the oilfield tubular based on the order of the plurality of pipes in the first pipe string;
storing the second identifier in association with the measured physical parameters of the oilfield tubular in a database; and
determining a remaining fatigue life of the oilfield tubular;
then, based on the determined remaining fatigue life, determining not to retire the oilfield tubular; and
then determining a position at which to include the oilfield tubular in a second pipe string to be used in a second well, wherein determining the position is based on characteristics of the second well and the determined remaining fatigue life.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the pipe tally is a first pipe tally and the method further comprises:
reading the second identifier from the tag while the tag is applied to the oilfield tubular to identify the oilfield tubular prior to deployment at the position in the second pipe string;
remeasuring at least one of the physical parameters of the oilfield tubular prior to the deployment at the position in the second pipe string;
transmitting measurement data representing the remeasured at least one of the physical parameters to the database; and
storing the second identifier in association with the transmitted measurement data in the database; then
deploying the oilfield tubular to place the oilfield tubular at the position in the second pipe string within the downhole environment;
automatically updating a second pipe tally based on the position in the second pipe string, the stored second identifier, and the stored measurement data.