US 12,078,063 B2Granted

System for drilling a directional well

AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation

InventorsOlivia Reagan, Adrien Chassard, Cesar Pena, Jinsoo Kim, Rodney Ewing, James Foley, Conie Chiock, Ginger Hildebrand, Jason Bryant, Chunling Gu Coffman

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Abstract

Methods, drilling systems, and computer-readable media for evaluating candidate correctional trajectories for a directional drilling well. If the user wishes to investigate alternatives trajectories or trajectories to get a BHA back to a planned trajectory, the computing system allows the user to enter one or more intermediate targets. The computing system generates drilling parameters for the alternative targets and displays them to the user. The user can adjust parameters and intermediate targets, as well as drilling parameters, to investigate a range of possible solutions before selecting an update to the planned trajectory.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A drilling system comprising:

a drillstring comprising a bottom hole assembly at one end of the drillstring for drilling a well;
a computing system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory unit, the computing system configured to:
prior to commencing drilling, receive a directional drilling well plan for the well, the well plan comprising:
a set of instructions to reach a target location for the well using the drilling system;
and
a planned trajectory to reach the target location;
receive bottom hole assembly position data from one or more sensors during construction of the well, the bottom hole assembly position data comprising one or more of survey data for the bottom hole assembly and continuous position data for the bottom hole assembly;
determine a current position of the bottom hole assembly using the bottom hole assembly position data;
compare the current position of the bottom hole assembly to the planned trajectory;
in response to determining that the current position of the bottom hole assembly is off the planned trajectory by a threshold amount:
receiving, from a user, an intermediate target;
creating a candidate correctional trajectory that passes through the intermediate target specified by the user, the candidate correctional trajectory further comprising one or more drilling parameters to reach the intermediate target;
presenting the one or more drilling parameters for the candidate correctional trajectory to the user in editable format;
in response to receiving one or more edits to the one or more drilling parameters for the candidate correctional trajectory, calculating an updated position for the intermediate target using the edited drilling parameters and displaying the updated position to the user;
providing the user an option to select the candidate correctional trajectory;
and
updating the well plan using the selected candidate correctional trajectory.

14 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a well plan for a well to be directionally drilled, the well plan including one or more target locations;
receiving positional data for a bottom hole assembly during construction of the well;
receiving, from a user, an intermediate target;
creating a candidate correctional trajectory that passes through the intermediate target specified by the user, the candidate correctional trajectory further comprising one or more drilling parameters to reach the intermediate target;
presenting the one or more drilling parameters for the candidate correctional trajectory to the user in editable format;
in response to receiving one or more edits to the one or more drilling parameters for the candidate correctional trajectory, calculating an updated position for the intermediate target using the edited drilling parameters and displaying the updated position to the user;
providing the user an option to select the candidate correctional trajectory;
and
updating the well plan using the selected candidate correctional trajectory.

6 more elements

A method for updating a well plan for a directional well, the method comprising:

receiving a well plan for a well to be directionally drilled, the well plan including one or more target locations;
receiving positional data for a bottom hole assembly during construction of the well;
receiving, from a user, an intermediate target;
creating a candidate correctional trajectory that passes through the intermediate target specified by the user, the candidate correctional trajectory further comprising one or more drilling parameters to reach the intermediate target;
presenting the one or more drilling parameters for the candidate correctional trajectory to the user in editable format;
in response to receiving one or more edits to the one or more drilling parameters for the candidate correctional trajectory, calculating an updated position for the intermediate target using the edited drilling parameters and displaying the updated position to the user;
providing the user an option to select the candidate correctional trajectory;
and
updating the well plan using the selected candidate correctional trajectory.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/754,485Filed 2 Oct 2020 · us provisional application
Priority: 2 Oct 2019
Published: US 2023/0279727 A17 Sep 2023
Granted: 3 Sep 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

E21B 7/04
Special methods or apparatus for drilling: directional drilling
E21B 47/024
Determining slope or direction: of devices in the borehole
E21B 44/00
Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which
E21B 47/02
Survey of boreholes or wells: determining slope or direction