Method of drilling a wellbore to a target
AssigneeMagnetic Variation Services, LLC
InventorsStefan MAUS, Marc Ernest WILLERTH, Jarrod Shawn DEVERSE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of drilling a wellbore to a target includes measuring attitudes at two adjacent survey stations along a wellbore using a downhole surveying tool. An actual change in wellbore position over a survey leg linking the two survey stations is determined. Corrections are applied to the measured attitude at one or both of the survey stations such that a modeled well path joining the survey stations reflects the determined actual change in wellbore positon between the two survey stations.
Claims21
A method of drilling a wellbore to a target, comprising:
- measuring attitudes at two adjacent survey stations along a wellbore using a downhole surveying tool;
- determining an actual change in wellbore position over a survey leg linking the two survey stations;
- and
- applying corrections to the measured attitude at one or both of the survey stations such that a modeled well path joining the survey stations reflects the determined actual change in wellbore position between the two survey stations.
The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the modeled well path joining the two survey stations is a circular arc computed by a minimum curvature method.
A method of drilling a wellbore to a target, comprising:
- measuring attitudes at two adjacent survey stations along a wellbore using a downhole surveying tool;
- determining an actual change in wellbore position over a survey leg linking the two adjacent survey stations;
- and
- interpolating a notional survey station between the two adjacent survey stations, the interpolating comprising computing an attitude of the notional survey station such that two modeled well paths linking the two adjacent survey stations and notional survey station reflect the determined actual change in wellbore position over the survey leg.
A method of drilling a wellbore to a target, comprising:
- measuring attitudes at least at two of consecutive first, second, and third survey stations along a wellbore using a downhole surveying tool;
- determining an actual change in wellbore position between the first and third survey stations;
- and
- applying corrections to the attitude at the second survey station such that two modeled well paths linking the three consecutive survey stations reflect the determined actual change in wellbore position between the first and third survey stations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.