US 11,237,295 B1Granted

Method for intelligent automatic rock fragments depth determination while drilling

AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company

InventorsKlemens Katterbauer, Alberto Marsala, Nouf Jabri, Shitong Sherry Zhu, Martin E. Poitzsch

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Abstract

A method for depth determination of drilled rock cuttings is disclosed. The taggant is injected and transported downhole along the mud stream and attaches to the rock cuttings. Taggant impregnated cuttings are detected at the surface based on molecular weight, emission wavelengths or radio frequency characteristics for encoding the taggant. The identification code identifies the depth of the drill bit when the particular batch of the taggant is released into the mud. The detection data, in addition to mud properties, flow rates, drill volume and penetration rates, formation characteristics, and well specifications are transferred to and analyzed by a taggant analysis and control engine. The taggant analysis and control engine controls an IoT controller that adapts the parameters of the taggant injection pump to achieve an intelligent controlled release to optimize the depth characterization process.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for rock cutting depth determination during a drilling operation in a subterranean formation, the method comprising:

releasing, using a taggant injection pump throughout a first time window during the drilling operation, a first batch of taggant into a drilling fluid, wherein the first batch of taggant are transported downhole by the drilling fluid to impregnate a first batch of rock cuttings as the first batch of cuttings are produced by a drill bit;
detecting, using a taggant detector at a surface location, a first time-dependent signal from the first batch of taggant upon surface arrival of the first batch of rock cuttings, wherein the first batch of taggant are transported up-hole by the drilling fluid subsequent to impregnating the first batch of rock cuttings;
releasing, using the taggant injection pump throughout a second time window during the drilling operation, a second batch of taggant into the drilling fluid, wherein the second batch of taggant are transported downhole by the drilling fluid to impregnate a second batch of rock cuttings as the second batch of cuttings are produced by drill bit;
detecting, using the taggant detector at the surface location, a second time-dependent signal from the second batch of taggant upon surface arrival of the second batch of rock cuttings, wherein the second batch of taggant are transported up-hole by the drilling fluid subsequent to impregnating the second batch of rock cuttings;
analyzing, using a taggant analysis and control engine, an overlap of the first time-dependent signal and the second time-dependent signal with respect to injection parameters of the taggant injection pump during the first time period and the second time period to generate an injection profile;
and
adjusting, based on the injection profile, the injection parameters of the taggant injection pump to improve a quality of the rock cutting depth determination,
wherein mud logging is performed based on an improved quality of the rock cutting depth determination.

5 more elements

A system for rock cutting depth determination, comprising:

a computer processor;
and
memory storing instructions, when executed by the computer processor, comprising functionality for:
releasing, using a taggant injection pump throughout a first time window during the drilling operation, a first batch of taggant into a drilling fluid, wherein the first batch of taggant are transported downhole by the drilling fluid to impregnate a first batch of rock cuttings as the first batch of cuttings are produced by a drill bit;
detecting, using a taggant detector at a surface location, a first time-dependent signal from the first batch of taggant upon surface arrival of the first batch of rock cuttings, wherein the first batch of taggant are transported up-hole by the drilling fluid subsequent to impregnating the first batch of rock cuttings;
releasing, using the taggant injection pump throughout a second time window during the drilling operation, a second batch of taggant into the drilling fluid, wherein the second batch of taggant are transported downhole by the drilling fluid to impregnate a second batch of rock cuttings as the second batch of cuttings are produced by drill bit;
detecting, using the taggant detector at the surface location, a second time-dependent signal from the second batch of taggant upon surface arrival of the second batch of rock cuttings, wherein the second batch of taggant are transported up-hole by the drilling fluid subsequent to impregnating the second batch of rock cuttings;
analyzing, using a taggant analysis and control engine, an overlap of the first time-dependent signal and the second time-dependent signal with respect to injection parameters of the taggant injection pump during the first time period and the second time period to generate an injection profile;
and
adjusting, based on the injection profile, the injection parameters of the taggant injection pump to improve a quality of the rock cutting depth determination,
wherein mud logging is performed based on an improved quality of the rock cutting depth determination.

8 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer processor for rock cutting depth determination, the instructions, when executed, comprising functionality for:

releasing, using a taggant injection pump throughout a first time window during the drilling operation, a first batch of taggant into a drilling fluid, wherein the first batch of taggant are transported downhole by the drilling fluid to impregnate a first batch of rock cuttings as the first batch of cuttings are produced by a drill bit;
detecting, using a taggant detector at a surface location, a first time-dependent signal from the first batch of taggant upon surface arrival of the first batch of rock cuttings, wherein the first batch of taggant are transported up-hole by the drilling fluid subsequent to impregnating the first batch of rock cuttings;
releasing, using the taggant injection pump throughout a second time window during the drilling operation, a second batch of taggant into the drilling fluid, wherein the second batch of taggant are transported downhole by the drilling fluid to impregnate a second batch of rock cuttings as the second batch of cuttings are produced by drill bit;
detecting, using the taggant detector at the surface location, a second time-dependent signal from the second batch of taggant upon surface arrival of the second batch of rock cuttings, wherein the second batch of taggant are transported up-hole by the drilling fluid subsequent to impregnating the second batch of rock cuttings;
analyzing, using a taggant analysis and control engine, an overlap of the first time-dependent signal and the second time-dependent signal with respect to injection parameters of the taggant injection pump during the first time period and the second time period to generate an injection profile;
and
adjusting, based on the injection profile, the injection parameters of the taggant injection pump to improve a quality of the rock cutting depth determination,
wherein mud logging is performed based on an improved quality of the rock cutting depth determination.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.