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US 12,742,378 B2Granted
Controlling a drilling operation based on stored torque in a drill string
AssigneePason Systems Corp.
InventorAdam Chase Neufeldt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling drilling of a wellbore includes obtaining, during oscillation of a drill string, one or more measured torque values at one or more rotational positions of the drill string, wherein the oscillation alternates the drill string's rotation in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. A torsional compliance of the drill string is determined based on physical or operational parameters. Using the measured torque values and the torsional compliance, a stored torque in the drill string is calculated. The drilling operation is then controlled by adjusting one or more drilling parameters based on the determined stored torque to maintain operational stability and toolface orientation.
Claims30
A method of using one or more computer processors to control drilling of a wellbore, comprising:
- obtaining, during oscillating of a drill string, one or more measured torque values at one or more rotational positions of the drill string, wherein during the oscillating the drill string is alternately rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, wherein the one or more rotational positions comprise a clockwise oscillation peak and a counter-clockwise oscillation peak;
- determining a torsional compliance of the drill string;
- determining a stored torque using the one or more measured torque values at the one or more rotational positions and using the torsional compliance, wherein determining the stored torque comprises determining the stored torque using respective measured torque values at the clockwise and counter-clockwise oscillation peaks and using the torsional compliance;
- and
- controlling the drilling of the wellbore based on the stored torque.
2 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program code configured when executed by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform a method of controlling drilling of a wellbore, comprising:
- obtaining, during oscillating of a drill string, one or more measured torque values at one or more rotational positions of the drill string, wherein during the oscillating the drill string is alternately rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, wherein the one or more rotational positions comprise a clockwise oscillation peak and a counter-clockwise oscillation peak;
- determining a torsional compliance of the drill string;
- determining a stored torque using the one or more measured torque values at the one or more rotational positions and using the torsional compliance, wherein determining the stored torque comprises determining the stored torque using respective measured torque values at the clockwise and counter-clockwise oscillation peaks and using the torsional compliance;
- and
- controlling the drilling of the wellbore based on the stored torque.
2 more elements
A drilling rig comprising:
- a drill string having a drill bit at end thereof for drilling a wellbore;
- one or more sensors for measuring rotational position of the drill string and torque of the drill bit, wherein the rotational position is indicative of an angular displacement of a topdrive connected to the drill string;
- and
- one or more processors configured to receive as inputs real-time measurements of the rotational position and the torque obtained by the one or more sensors, and configured to:
- obtain, during oscillating of a drill string, one or more measured torque values at one or more rotational positions of the drill string, wherein during the oscillating the drill string is alternately rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, wherein the one or more rotational positions comprise a clockwise oscillation peak and a counter-clockwise oscillation peak;
- determine a torsional compliance of the drill string;
- determine a stored torque using the one or more measured torque values at the one or more rotational positions and using the torsional compliance, wherein the stored torque is determined using respective measured torque values at the clockwise and counter-clockwise oscillation peaks and using the torsional compliance;
- and
- control the drilling of the wellbore based on the stored torque.
6 more elements
A method of using one or more computer processors to control drilling of a wellbore, comprising:
- obtaining, during oscillating of a drill string, one or more measured torque values at one or more rotational positions of the drill string, wherein during the oscillating the drill string is alternately rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, wherein the one or more rotational positions comprise one or more intermediate rotational positions;
- determining a torsional compliance of the drill string;
- determining a stored torque using the one or more measured torque values at the one or more rotational positions and using the torsional compliance, wherein determining the stored torque comprises determining the stored torque using the one or more measured torque values obtained when the drill string is at the one or more intermediate rotational positions and using the torsional compliance;
- and
- controlling the drilling of the wellbore based on the stored torque.
2 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program code configured when executed by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform a method of controlling drilling of a wellbore, comprising:
- obtaining, during oscillating of a drill string, one or more measured torque values at one or more rotational positions of the drill string, wherein during the oscillating the drill string is alternately rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, wherein the one or more rotational positions comprise one or more intermediate rotational positions;
- determining a torsional compliance of the drill string;
- determining a stored torque using the one or more measured torque values at the one or more rotational positions and using the torsional compliance, wherein determining the stored torque comprises determining the stored torque using the one or more measured torque values obtained when the drill string is at the one or more intermediate rotational positions and using the torsional compliance;
- and
- controlling the drilling of the wellbore based on the stored torque.
2 more elements
A drilling rig comprising:
- a drill string having a drill bit at end thereof for drilling a wellbore;
- one or more sensors for measuring rotational position of the drill string and torque of the drill bit, wherein the rotational position is indicative of an angular displacement of a topdrive connected to the drill string;
- and
- one or more processors configured to receive as inputs real-time measurements of the rotational position and the torque obtained by the one or more sensors, and configured to:
- obtain, during oscillating of a drill string, one or more measured torque values at one or more rotational positions of the drill string, wherein during the oscillating the drill string is alternately rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, wherein the one or more rotational positions comprise one or more intermediate rotational positions;
- determine a torsional compliance of the drill string;
- determine a stored torque using the one or more measured torque values at the one or more rotational positions and using the torsional compliance, wherein the stored torque is determined using the one or more measured torque values obtained when the drill string is at the one or more intermediate rotational positions and using the torsional compliance;
- and
- control the drilling of the wellbore based on the stored torque.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.