Method of and system for drilling information management and resource planning

• US 10,066,464 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: REI Corporation
• Original Assignee: REI Corporation
• Inventors: Schumacher, Forrest Paul, Schwoebel, Jeffrey J., Hardin, Michael J., Brunner, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US15/370,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20170081946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/00 Survey of boreholes or wells monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/024 of devices in the borehole determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/07 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/00 Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/04 Directional drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/06 Deflecting the direction of boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45129 Boring, drilling

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a drilling-information-management system. The drilling-information management system includes a probe assembly disposed on a drill rod, a first computer interoperably coupled to the probe assembly via a conductor disposed in a drill rod, and a second computer in communication with the first computer. The second computer includes a barcode scanner. The drilling-information management system includes a database in communication with the second computer. Drilling-project data is transferred from the database to the second computer and calibration data is transferred from the second computer to the first computer. The first computer executes a drilling plan according to the drilling-project data.

Claims

1. A method for executing a directional-drilling project, the method comprising:

storing, on a database, drilling-project data;

transferring, via a wireless protocol, the drilling-project data to a hand-held second computer;

uploading, via a barcode scanner on the second computer, equipment information to the hand-held second computer;

determining, via the second computer, calibration data, the calibration data comprising a difference between a magnetic azimuth and a grid azimuth;

transferring, via the wireless protocol, the calibration data from the hand-held second computer to a first computer;

executing, via the first computer, the directional-drilling project;

recording, via the second computer, parameters related to the directional-drilling project, the parameters comprising at least one of consumables used, equipment service time, activities during a shift, a notification of equipment problems, and a notification of drilling problems; and

utilizing the parameters to determine at least one of diagnostic information, borehole design assistance, drilling problem assistance, and equipment problem assistance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drilling-project data comprises at least one of a borehole plan, tool-calibration information, inventory levels, and software updates.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring, from a probe assembly to the first computer, survey information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the survey information includes at least one plot of focused gamma readings at a horizontal survey depth.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising utilizing the at least one plot to determine relative placement within a coal seam.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the survey information comprises at least one of a borehole name, a shot number, an amount of left-right deviation, an amount of up-down deviation, a tool azimuth, a tool pitch, a gamma-polygon plot, and a measurement of shock and vibration as a function of depth.

7. A method of managing a drilling project, the method comprising:

storing, on a database, drilling-project data;

compiling, via the database, drilling-requirements data;

transferring, via a wireless protocol, the drilling-requirements data to a drilling-management entity;

transferring the drilling-project data to a hand-held second computer via the wireless protocol;

uploading, via a barcode scanner on the hand-held second computer, equipment information to the hand-held second computer;

determining, via the second computer, calibration data, the calibration data comprising a difference between a magnetic azimuth and a grid azimuth;

transferring, via the wireless protocol, the calibration data from the hand-held second computer to a first computer;

executing, via the first computer, a drilling plan utilizing the drilling-project data;

recording, via the second computer, parameters related to the directional-drilling project, the parameters comprising at least one of consumables used, equipment service time, a list of activities performed during a shift, a notification of equipment problems, and a notification of drilling problems; and

utilizing the parameters to determine at least one of diagnostic information, borehole design assistance, drilling problem assistance, and equipment problem assistance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the drilling-requirements data comprises at least one of an equipment requirements forecast, a consumables requirements forecast, a projected project budget, a projected time to completion, a current inventory level, and ordering needs.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending, from the first computer to a probe assembly, a request to collect drilling data;

acquiring, via the probe assembly, the drilling data;

transferring the drilling data from the probe assembly to the first computer;

retrieving, via the hand-held second computer, the drilling data from the first computer;

generating, via the hand-held second computer, at least one of consumption data and operational data from the drilling data; and

transferring, via the wireless protocol, at least one of the drilling data, the consumption data, and the operational data to the database.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising utilizing at least one of the drilling data, the consumption data, and the operational data to generate at least one of management data and operational-variance data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the management data comprises at least one of equipment ordering information, consumable ordering information, equipment delivery information, consumable delivery information, customer-invoicing information, and performance-to-budget information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the operational-variance data comprises at least one of cost variance relative to budget, consumable variance relative to forecasted requirements, and project duration variance relative to forecasted completion time.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the drilling data comprises at least one of geophysical data, directional data, and environmental data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the geophysical data comprises at least one of gamma count and gamma tool face;

the directional data comprises at least one of a tool azimuth, a tool pitch, and a tool orientation; and

the environmental data comprises at least one of a downhole temperature, a downhole magnetic field, a magnetic field dip, and a measurement of downhole vibration.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising utilizing the geophysical data to create at least one plot of focused gamma readings at a horizontal survey depth.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising utilizing the at least one plot to determine relative placement within a coal seam.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the drilling data.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the consumption data comprises at least one of a quantity of consumables used, a list of parts used, a list of drilling activities, and a list of materials required.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the operational data comprises at least one of an equipment operational time, a delay period length, component wear, and equipment maintenance needs.

20. A drilling-information-management system comprising:

a probe assembly disposed on a drill string;

a first computer interoperably coupled to the probe assembly via the drill string, the drill string comprising a drill rod;

a conductor disposed within the drill rod, wherein electrical signals are transmitted between the probe assembly and the first computer via the conductor;

a hand-held second computer in communication with the first computer, the second computer comprising a barcode scanner and operable to store calibration data, wherein calibration data is transferred from the second computer to the first computer via a wireless protocol;

a database interoperably coupled with the second computer via the wireless protocol, wherein drilling-project data is transferred from the database to the second computer via the wireless protocol; and

wherein the first computer executes a drilling plan according to the drilling-project data.