US 2024/0200429 A1 · TOPOLOGICAL WELLBORE DESIGN

Abstract

A method and system for finding and efficiently evaluating and selecting a wellbore path that accounts for placement rules and the presence of existing wells. A topological representation of the connected paths is created and managed. The topological representation may be generated as a pre-computed database of space information that represents the locations of existing wells and accounts for restrictions such as anti-collision and the parameters, including geological and drilling equipment parameters. Using such a representation, the design of a wellbore path may be completed quickly and more efficiently. The topology may represent all connected space for a section of the subsurface. This topological representation may be used to evaluate all possible paths from the starting point (surface location, tie-in point for a sidetrack, tie-in point for replanning, etc.) to the target and enable selecting the path that meets the conditions and is optimized for the existing constraints.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

a. generating a representation of a three-dimensional volume (“3D volume”) comprising a plurality of cells, wherein a portion of the 3D volume is below a surface;
b. identifying one or more existing wellbores within the 3D volume by listing as occupied cells those of the plurality of cells in the 3D volume which are associated with the existing wellbores;
c. computing an unoccupied envelope homology group, wherein the occupied cells are excluded from the unoccupied envelope homology group;
d. performing one or more topological deformation retractions to determine a 2D unoccupied envelope homologically equivalent to the unoccupied envelope homology group;
and
e. determining one or more candidate wellbore paths based at least partially upon the 2D unoccupied envelope.

3 more elements

A method, comprising:

a. generating a representation of a three-dimensional volume (“3D volume”) comprising a plurality of cells, wherein a portion of the 3D volume is below a surface, and data for each cell of the plurality of cells comprises a cell volume and a unique location of each cell within the 3D volume designated by three location parameters, wherein one of the location parameters represents a depth layer relative to the surface, and the other two parameters define a grid that divides the depth layer into two-dimensional pieces;
b. identifying one or more existing wellbores within the 3D volume by listing as occupied cells those of the plurality of cells in the 3D volume which are associated with the existing wellbores;
c. computing an unoccupied envelope homology group, wherein the occupied cells are excluded from the unoccupied envelope homology group;
d. performing a first topological deformation retraction to find a 2D unoccupied envelope in a 2D space homologically equivalent to the unoccupied envelope homology group in the 3D volume;
e. performing a deformation retraction of the unoccupied envelope homology group;
f. performing a second topological deformation retraction to get a simplified graph retract configured to be mapped back to the 3D volume;
and
g. determining one or more candidate wellbore paths utilizing the simplified graph retract.

5 more elements

A method, comprising:

a. generating a three-dimensional representation of a volume (“3D volume”), a portion of which is below a surface, comprising a plurality of cells and data for each cell of the plurality of cells comprising a cell volume and a unique location of each cell within the 3D volume designated by three location parameters;
b. identifying one or more existing wellbores within the 3D volume by listing as occupied cells those of the plurality of cells in the 3D volume associated with the existing wellbore;
c. assigning supplemental information to a portion of the plurality of cells in the 3D volume;
d. generating a 3D unoccupied envelope around and excluding the occupied cells with an initial size of cells;
c. discretizing each cell contained in the 3D unoccupied envelope into a set of cell sizes smaller than the initial size of the cells;
d. repeating the generation of the 3D unoccupied envelope until a resolution of the 3D unoccupied envelope satisfies a predetermined precision threshold;
e. performing a first topological deformation retraction to find a 2D unoccupied envelope in a 2D space homologically equivalent to the 3D unoccupied envelop;
f. performing a deformation retraction of the unoccupied envelope 3D volume based upon the first topological deformation retraction;
g. performing a second topological deformation retraction to obtain a simplified graph retract that is configured be mapped back to the 3D volume;
and
h. determining one or more candidate wellbore paths utilizing at least one of the simplified graph retract, data for the cells, existing wellbore data, candidate starting locations, candidate target locations, drilling equipment parameters, supplemental information and homology group.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Topological wellbore design

Life of this patent

Topological wellbore design

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20