System and method for determining incremental progression between survey points while drilling

• US 10,196,889 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motive Drilling Technologies Inc. (Helmerich & Payne Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Motive Drilling Technologies Inc. (Helmerich & Payne Incorporated)
• Inventors: Benson, Todd W., Chen, Teddy
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener, Blake E
• Application Number:
  US15/161,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20160265336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 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 45/00 Measuring the drilling time or rate of penetration
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/024 of devices in the borehole determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/026 of penetrated ground layers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/04 Measuring depth or liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/18 through the well fluid , e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/04 Directional drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/06 Deflecting the direction of boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/10 Correction of deflected boreholes

Abstract

A system and method for surface steerable drilling are provided. In one example, the system receives toolface information for a bottom hole assembly (BHA) and non-survey sensor information corresponding to a location of the BHA in a borehole. The system calculates an amount of incremental progress made by the BHA based on the non-survey sensor information and calculates an estimate of the location based on the toolface information and the amount of incremental progress. The system repeats the steps of receiving toolface information and non-survey sensor information and calculating an amount of incremental progress to calculate an estimate of a plurality of locations representing a path of the BHA from a first survey point towards a second sequential survey point.

Claims

1. A surface steerable system for use with a drilling rig, comprising:

a network interface;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

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 receiving, by a surface steerable system, toolface information from a bottom hole assembly (BHA) located in a borehole, wherein the toolface information comprises toolface orientation of the BHA, and wherein the toolface information is received between a first survey point along the borehole and a second survey point along the borehole;

instructions for receiving, by the surface steerable system, first non-survey sensor information obtained while drilling, wherein the first non-survey sensor information is received between the first survey point and the second survey point;

instructions for calculating, responsive to at least the first non-survey sensor information, a first amount of incremental progress made by the BHA along the borehole from the first survey point;

instructions for estimating, responsive to at least the toolface information and the first amount of incremental progress, a first location of the BHA, wherein the first location of the BHA specifies at least one of a current borehole position, a drill bit position along the borehole, and a trajectory of the borehole;

instructions for calculating, by the surface steerable system, responsive to at least the first location of the BHA, a first build rate of the BHA between the first survey point and the first location; and

instructions for determining, by the surface steerable system, whether survey data has been received for the second survey point, and, if so, using the survey data for the second survey point to update the estimated first location of the BHA, and if survey data for the second survey point has not been received, then receiving second non-survey sensor information obtained while drilling, wherein the second non-survey information is received between the first survey point and the second survey point, calculating, responsive to at least the second non-survey information, a second amount of incremental progress made by the BHA along the borehole from the first estimated position, and estimating, responsive to at least the toolface information and the second amount of incremental progress, a second location of the BHA, wherein the second location of the BHA specifies at least one of a current borehole position, a drill bit position along the borehole, and a trajectory of the borehole.

2. The surface steerable system of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for calibrating, by the surface steerable system, the first location of the BHA and the first build rate based on the survey data obtained for the second survey point.

3. The surface steerable system of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for modifying, by the surface steerable system, a drilling parameter to cause the surface steerable system to alter a drilling direction of the BHA based on the first location of the BHA and the first build rate.

4. The surface steerable system of claim 3, wherein the drilling parameter comprises at least one of a weight on bit (WOB), a flow rate of mud, a toolface orientation, and an equipment selection.

5. The surface steerable system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for estimating the first location of the BHA include instructions for estimating a vector specifying a three-dimensional first location and a three-dimensional orientation of the drill bit.

6. The surface steerable system of claim 1, wherein the toolface information is obtained at a plurality of pre-defined time intervals.

7. The surface steerable system of claim 1, wherein the second amount of incremental progress indicates a distance that the drill bit has drilled since the first survey point.

8. A system for drilling a borehole, comprising:

a network interface;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

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 receiving toolface information from a bottom hole assembly (BHA) located in a borehole, wherein the toolface information comprises toolface orientation of the BHA, and wherein the toolface information is received between a first survey point along the borehole and a second survey point along the borehole;

instructions for receiving first non-survey sensor information obtained while drilling, wherein the first non-survey sensor information is received between the first survey point and the second survey point;

instructions for calculating, responsive to at least the first non-survey sensor information, a first amount of incremental progress made by the BHA along the borehole from the first survey point;

instructions for estimating, responsive to at least the toolface information and the first amount of incremental progress, a first location of the BHA, wherein the first location of the BHA specifies at least one of a current borehole position, a drill bit position along the borehole, and a trajectory of the borehole;

instructions for calculating, responsive to at least the first location of the BHA, a first build rate of the BHA between the first survey point and the first location;

instructions for determining whether survey data has been received for the second survey point, and, if so, using the survey data for the second survey point to update the estimated first location of the BHA, and if survey data for the second survey point has not been received, then receiving second non-survey sensor information obtained while drilling, wherein the second non-survey information is received between the first survey point and the second survey point, calculating, responsive to at least the second non-survey information, a second amount of incremental progress made by the BHA along the borehole from the first estimated position, and estimating, responsive to at least the toolface information and the second amount of incremental progress, a second location of the BHA, wherein the second location of the BHA specifies at least one of a current borehole position, a drill bit position along the borehole, and a trajectory of the borehole;

instructions for modifying a drilling parameter to alter a direction of the BHA based on the first location or the second location of the BHA and based on at least one of the first build rate and the second build rate; and

instructions for transmitting the modified drilling parameter to a control system for a drilling rig coupled to the BHA.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions for determining a second build rate of the BHA between the first survey point or the first location and the second location.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising instructions for determining an effective build rate of the BHA.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions for determining a build rate prediction for a portion of the borehole to be drilled based on one or more of the first build rate, the second build rate, and the effective build rate.

12. A method for drilling a borehole, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, toolface information from a bottom hole assembly (BHA) located in a borehole, wherein the toolface information comprises toolface orientation of the BHA, and wherein the toolface information is received between a first survey point along the borehole and a second survey point along the borehole;

receiving, by the computer system, first non-survey sensor information obtained while drilling, wherein the first non-survey sensor information is received between the first survey point and the second survey point;

calculating, responsive to at least the first non-survey sensor information, a first amount of incremental progress made by the BHA along the borehole from the first survey point;

estimating, responsive to at least the toolface information and the first amount of incremental progress, a first location of the BHA, wherein the first location of the BHA specifies at least one of a current borehole position, a drill bit position along the borehole, and a trajectory of the borehole;

calculating, by the computer system, responsive to at least the first location of the BHA, a first build rate of the BHA between the first survey point and the first location; and

determining, by the computer system, whether survey data has been received for the second survey point, and, if so, using the survey data for the second survey point to update the estimated first location of the BHA, and if survey data for the second survey point has not been received, then receiving second non-survey sensor information obtained while drilling, wherein the second non-survey information is received between the first survey point and the second survey point, calculating, responsive to at least the second non-survey information, a second amount of incremental progress made by the BHA along the borehole from the first estimated position, and estimating, responsive to at least the toolface information and the second amount of incremental progress, a second location of the BHA, wherein the second location of the BHA specifies at least one of a current borehole position, a drill bit position along the borehole, and a trajectory of the borehole.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising modifying, by the computer system, a drilling parameter to alter a drilling direction of the BHA based on the first location of the BHA and the first build rate.