Drilling operation control using multiple concurrent hydraulics models

Abstract

A control system for drilling a subterranean well can include multiple concurrently running hydraulics models, each of the hydraulics models outputting a pressure setpoint, in real time during a drilling operation. A method of controlling a drilling operation can comprise concurrently running multiple hydraulics models during the drilling operation, and switching between outputs of the multiple hydraulics models to control the drilling operation, the switching being performed during the drilling operation. Another method of controlling a drilling operation can include controlling operation of at least one flow control device, thereby maintaining a pressure at a pressure setpoint, and selecting the pressure setpoint from among outputs of multiple concurrently running hydraulics models.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.