Method of and system for drilling information management and resource planning

• US 10,316,624 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• 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., Richardson, Randy, Koontz, Robert, Schumacher, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US15/970,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20180252077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/00 Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
• 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 47/022 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 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• 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 disclosure 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, to a computer, the drilling-project data;

uploading, to the computer, equipment information;

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

transferring, from the computer to a wireless data transmission assembly, the calibration data;

executing, via the wireless data transmission assembly, the directional-drilling project;

recording, via the 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;

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

transmitting, via an antenna, drilling data from the wireless data transmission assembly to the computer.

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the survey information includes at least one plot of focused gamma readings at a horizontal survey depth.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising utilizing the at least one plot to determine relative placement within a coal seam.

5. The method of claim 2, 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.

6. 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.