Drilling noise categorization and analysis

• US 10,422,912 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Holtz, Stephen Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Mischita L
• Application Number:
  US15/503,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/50 the bit being of roller type
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/60 characterised by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluids for roller bits E21B10/18; for percussion drill bits E21B10/38
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/003 Bearing, sealing, lubricating details for roller bits E21B10/22
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/02 Fluid rotary type drives
• 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 49/003 by analysing drilling variables or conditions E21B49/005 takes precedence; systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions E21B44/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/04 Directional drilling
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/46 Data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/50 Analysing data
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2200/16 Measure-while-drilling or logging-while-drilling
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/1216 Drilling-related
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/1429 Subsurface, e.g. in borehole or below weathering layer or mud line
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/646 Fractures

Abstract

A system includes at least one processing unit and a bottomhole assembly (BHA) that includes or communicates with the at least one processing unit. The BHA includes at least one drilling component and at least one acoustic transducer to convert drilling noise into one or more electrical signals. The at least one processing unit analyzes the one or more electrical signals or related data to categorize different components of the drilling noise as rock contact noise and mechanical noise. The at least one processing unit derives a data log, a plan, or a control signal based on the categorized drilling noise components.

Claims

1. A system that comprises:

at least one processing unit; and

a bottomhole assembly (BHA) that includes or communicates with the at least one processing unit, the BHA comprising;

at least one drilling component; and

at least one acoustic transducer to convert drilling noise into one or more electrical signals;

wherein the at least one processing unit analyzes the one or more electrical signals or related data to categorize different components of the drilling noise as rock contact noise and mechanical noise,

wherein the at least one processing unit derives a data log, a plan, or a control signal based on the categorized drilling noise components to adjust drilling operations and adjust well completion plans.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit analyzes components categorized as rock contact noise to identify bit contact noise components and stabilizer contact noise components, and wherein the at least one processing unit derives the data log, the plan, or the control signal by estimating a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bit condition from the bit contact noise components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit analyzes components categorized as rock contact noise to identify bit contact noise components and stabilizer contact noise components, and wherein the at least one processing unit derives the data log, the plan, or the control signal by estimating a roller cone drill bit condition from the bit contact noise components.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit derives the data log, the plan, or the control signal by identifying natural fractures from components categorized as rock contact noise.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit derives the data log, the plan, or the control signal by estimating a mud motor condition from components categorized as mechanical noise.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit derives the data log, the plan, or the control signal by estimating a constant velocity assembly condition from components categorized as mechanical noise.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit derives the data log, the plan, or the control signal by estimating a bearing assembly condition from components categorized as mechanical noise.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit analyzes the one or more electrical signals or the related data to categorize different components of the drilling noise as fluid flow noise, wherein the at least one processing unit derives the data log, the plan, or the control signal by estimating a drill bit nozzle condition from components categorized as fluid flow noise.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one drilling component comprises a wired mud motor and a drill bit, wherein the at least one acoustic transducer is positioned between the wired mud motor and the drill bit, and wherein the wired mud motor conveys the one or more electrical signals from the at least one acoustic transducer to the downhole interface residing on an opposite side of the wired mud motor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one acoustic transducer comprises a plurality of spaced acoustic transducers, wherein the at least one processing unit analyzes a comparison of electrical signals or related data from at least two of the plurality of spaced acoustic transducers to categorize different components of the drilling noise as rock contact noise and mechanical noise.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the bottomhole assembly further comprises a steering component, and wherein the at least one processor directs the steering component to adjust steering based on a control signal derived using natural fracture trends identified from drilling noise components categorized as rock contact noise.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein electronics of the BHA are trained based on the categorized drilling noise components to convey only a sub-set of available drilling noise components to the at least one processing unit.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitor to display a data log or a plan derived based on the categorized drilling noise components.

14. A method that comprises:

drilling a borehole;

recording a drilling noise;

categorizing different components of the recorded drilling noise as rock contact noise and mechanical noise;

deriving a data log, a plan, or a control signal based on the categorized drilling noise components; and

adjusting drilling operations and well completion plans using the derived data log, plan, or control signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising analyzing components categorized as rock contact noise to identify bit contact noise components and stabilizer contact noise components, and analyzing the bit contact noise components to estimate a drill bit condition.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising analyzing components categorized as rock contact noise to identify natural fractures.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising analyzing components categorized as mechanical noise to estimate at least one of a mud motor condition, a constant velocity assembly condition, and a bearing assembly condition.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising categorizing different components of the recorded drilling noise as fluid flow noise and analyzing components categorized as fluid flow noise to estimate a drill bit nozzle condition.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein recording the drilling noise is performed using at least one acoustic transducer between a wired mud motor and a drill bit.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein recording the drilling noise is performed using a plurality of spaced acoustic transducers, and wherein said categorizing is based on a comparison of electrical signals or related data from at least two of the plurality of spaced acoustic transducers.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising steering a drill string based on natural fracture trends identified from drilling noise components categorized as rock contact noise.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the well completion plans identify plans identify fracture locations.