Dynamic friction drill string oscillation systems and methods

• US 10,378,282 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nabors Drillling Technologies USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nabors Drilling Technologies USA, Inc. (Nabors Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hadi, Mahmoud, White, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akakpo, Dany E
• Application Number:
  US15/456,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20180258750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/04 in response to the torque of the drive ; Measuring drilling torque E21B44/06 takes precedence; measuring stresses in a well bore pipe E21B47/007
• 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 7/04 Directional drilling

Abstract

Systems and methods for slide drilling are described. The system includes a controller and a drive system. The controller is configured to determine a resonant frequency of a drill string, generate a rotational acceleration profile having a frequency at least substantially similar to the determined resonant frequency, and provide one or more operational control signals to oscillate the drill string based on the generated rotational acceleration profile. The drive system is configured to receive the one or more operational control signals from the controller, and oscillate the drill string based on the generated rotational acceleration profile so that the drill string oscillates at a frequency substantially similar to the determined resonant frequency while slide drilling.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a controller configured to;

determine a resonant frequency of a drill string,

generate a rotational acceleration profile having a frequency at least substantially similar to the determined resonant frequency,

impose the generated rotational acceleration profile over a first acceleration profile to generate a modified acceleration profile, wherein the first acceleration profile rocks the drill string back and forth so as to maintain a desired toolface orientation; and

instruct a drive system to oscillate the drill string according to the modified acceleration profile; and

the drive system configured to;

receive instructions from the controller, and

oscillate the drill string according to the modified acceleration profile so that the drill string oscillates at a frequency substantially similar to the determined resonant frequency while slide drilling.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated rotational acceleration profile comprises a sine wave.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sine wave comprises an oscillation amplitude of less than or equal to about 5 rotations per minute (RPM).

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first acceleration profile comprises a generally triangular rotational acceleration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein oscillating the drill string based on the modified acceleration profile comprises oscillating a whole length of the drill string.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the desired toolface orientation while oscillating during slide drilling.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to change the toolface orientation to a desired toolface orientation while oscillating during slide drilling.

8. A method of oscillating a drill string while slide drilling, which comprises:

calculating, by a controller, a resonant frequency of the drill string using an effective torsional spring constant (K_f) of the drill string and moment of inertia (I) of a top drive;

generating, by the controller, a rotational acceleration profile having the calculated resonant frequency;

imposing, by the controller, the generated rotational acceleration profile over a first acceleration profile to generate a modified acceleration profile, wherein the first acceleration profile rocks the drill string back and forth so as to maintain a desired toolface orientation; and

instructing the top drive, by the controller, to oscillate the drill string according to the modified acceleration profile so that the drill string oscillates at about the calculated resonant frequency while slide drilling.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generated acceleration profile comprises a sine wave.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sine wave comprises an oscillation amplitude of less than or equal to about 5 rotations per minute (RPM).

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first acceleration profile comprises a triangular rotational acceleration profile.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein instructing the top drive to oscillate the drill string according to the modified acceleration profile comprises instructing the top drive to oscillate a whole length of the drill string.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations that, when executed, comprise:

determining a resonant frequency of a drill string;

generating a rotational acceleration profile comprising a sine wave having a frequency at least substantially similar to the determined resonant frequency;

imposing the generated rotational acceleration profile over a first acceleration profile to generate a modified acceleration profile, wherein the first acceleration profile rocks the drill string back and forth so as to maintain a desired toolface orientation;

instructing a top drive to oscillate the drill string according to the modified acceleration profile so that the drill string oscillates at a frequency substantially similar to the calculated resonant frequency while slide drilling; and

maintaining the desired toolface orientation while slide drilling.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the sine wave comprises an oscillation amplitude of less than or equal to about 5 rotations per minute (RPM).

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first acceleration profile comprises a triangular rotational acceleration profile.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein instructing the top drive to oscillate the drill string comprises instructing the top drive to oscillate a whole length of the drill string.

17. A method of oscillating a drill string while slide drilling, which comprises:

calculating, by a controller, a resonant frequency of the drill string using a torsional stiffness of a drill pipe and a moment of inertia of a bottom hole assembly;

generating, by the controller, a rotational acceleration profile having the calculated resonant frequency;

imposing, by the controller, the generated rotational acceleration profile over a first acceleration profile to generate a modified acceleration profile, wherein the first acceleration profile rocks the drill string back and forth so as to maintain a desired toolface orientation; and

instructing a top drive, by the controller, to oscillate the drill string according to the modified acceleration profile so that the drill string oscillates at a frequency substantially similar to the calculated resonant frequency while slide drilling.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the generated rotational acceleration profile comprises a sine wave having an oscillation amplitude of less than or equal to about 5 rotations per minute (RPM).

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first acceleration profile comprises a triangular rotational acceleration profile.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising maintaining the desired toolface orientation while oscillating during slide drilling.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising changing a toolface orientation to the desired toolface orientation while oscillating during slide drilling.