System and method for determining the location of a bottom hole assembly
AssigneeMotive Drilling Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTodd W. BENSON, Teddy C. CHEN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System and method for determining the location of a bottom hole assembly (BHA) during drilling of a well are provided. During drilling, a computer system determines an increase in measured depth during a time interval, and adjusts the determined measured depth to account for tensile and compressive forces, which may stretch or compress, respectively, the length of the drillstring. The computer system also determines a curvature projection of the drillstring responsive to a plane of arc and a build rate estimate, and uses the curvature projection to determine a position of the BHA.
Claims20
A system for determining a location of a bottom hole assembly (BHA), comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a plurality of instructions for execution by the processor, the plurality of instructions including:
- instructions for determining an increase in a measured depth of a wellbore being drilled during a time period;
- instructions for adjusting the measured depth of a drill string to account for a tension or a compression effect on a length of the drill string during the time period;
- instructions for receiving a toolface measurement from a sensor in a bottom hole assembly (BHA);
- instructions for deriving a plane of arc using the toolface measurement;
- instructions for determining a build rate estimate using an average rate of penetration during the time period;
- instructions for determining a curvature projection of the drill string responsive to the plane of arc and the build rate estimate;
- and
- instructions for determining an updated spatial estimate of a position of the BHA responsive to the curvature projection.
A method for drilling, comprising:
- determining an increase in a measured depth of a wellbore being drilled during a time period;
- adjusting the measured depth of a drill string to account for a tension or a compression effect on a length of the drill string during the time period;
- receiving a toolface measurement from a sensor in a bottom hole assembly (BHA);
- deriving a plane of arc using the toolface measurement;
- determining a build rate estimate using an average rate of penetration during the time period;
- determining a curvature projection of the drill string responsive to the plane of arc and the build rate estimate;
- determining an updated spatial estimate of a position of the BHA based responsive to the curvature projection;
- and
- modifying at least one drilling parameter to alter a drilling direction of the BHA responsive to the updated spatial estimate of the position of the BHA.
A method for determining a location of a bottom hole assembly (BHA), comprising:
- receiving a hookload measurement of a drill string comprising a BHA from a drilling rig;
- comparing the hookload measurement to a static weight of a drill string in a vertical section of a wellbore, wherein the static weight excludes a surface equipment mass;
- determining a tensile elastic deformation of a drill string component in the vertical section of the wellbore based at least on an average cross-section and mechanical properties of the drill string;
- determining a weight on bit;
- determining a compressive elastic deformation of the drill string component in a horizontal section of the wellbore based at least on average cross-section and mechanical properties;
- and
- determining a total drill string length dynamic offset from a total surface measured depth;
- and
- determining an updated spatial estimate of a bottom hole assembly position based in part on the total drill string length dynamic offset.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.