DISTRIBUTED INTELLIGENCE FOR ENHANCED MONITORING AND CONTROL OF OILFIELD PROCESSES

• US 20080035375A1
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: M-I LLC (SLB)
• Original Assignee: M-I LLC (SLB)
• Inventors: Burkhard, Alan Wayne, Zamora, Mario
• Granted Patent: US 7,828,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/40
• 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

Abstract

A method for controlling a peripheral drilling operation involves obtaining a first property of a first drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation, via a wireless network, obtaining a second property of a second drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation, generating a control signal for the first drilling operation component, based on the first property and the second property, and communicating the control signal to the first drilling operation component, via the wireless network, where the first drilling operation component is adjusted, based on the control signal, to control the peripheral drilling operation.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a peripheral drilling operation, comprising:

obtaining a first property of a first drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation, via a wireless network;

obtaining a second property of a second drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation;

generating a control signal for the first drilling operation component, based on the first property and the second property; and

communicating the control signal to the first drilling operation component, via the wireless network,

wherein the first drilling operation component is adjusted, based on the control signal, to control the peripheral drilling operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the second property is performed via the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to approve or reject communicating the control signal to the first drilling operation component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is associated with an oilfield drilling operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is selected from the group consisting of waste management, cuttings management, fluid creation, fluid treatment, and mud re-injection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a mesh network.

7. A system for controlling a peripheral drilling operation, comprising:

a first microcontroller configured to;

obtain a first property of a first drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation, and

communicate the first property to a system administration module, via a wireless network; and

the system administration module configured to;

determine a control signal for the first drilling operation component, based on the first property and a second property of a second drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation, and

communicate the control signal to the first microcontroller, via the wireless network,

wherein the first drilling operation component is adjusted, based on the control signal, to control the peripheral drilling operation.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a second microcontroller configured to;

obtain the second property, and

communicate the second property to the system administration module via the wireless network.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the system administration module is further configured to:

prompt a user to approve or reject communicating the control signal to the first drilling operation component.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is associated with an oilfield drilling operation.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is selected from the group consisting of waste management, cuttings management, fluid creation, fluid treatment, and mud re-injection.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless network comprises a mesh network.

13. A method for controlling a peripheral drilling operation, comprising:

obtaining a first property of a first drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation;

obtaining a second property of a second drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation;

communicating the first property to a microcontroller associated with the second drilling operation component, via a wireless network; and

adjusting the second drilling operation component, based on the first property and the second property, to control the peripheral drilling operation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prompting a user to approve or reject adjusting the second drilling operation component.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is associated with an oilfield drilling operation.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is selected from the group consisting of waste management, cuttings management, fluid creation, fluid treatment, and mud re-injection.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless network comprises a mesh network.

18. A system for controlling a peripheral drilling operation, comprising:

a first microcontroller configured to;

obtain a first property of a first drilling operation component associated with the peripheral drilling operation, and

communicate the first property to a second microcontroller, via a wireless network; and

the second microcontroller configured to;

obtain a second property of a second drilling operation component associated with the drilling process, and

adjust the second drilling operation component, based on the first property and the second property.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second microcontroller is further configured to:

prompt a user to approve or reject adjusting the second drilling operation component.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is associated with an oilfield drilling operation.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the peripheral drilling operation is selected from the group consisting of waste management, cuttings management, fluid creation, fluid treatment, and mud re-injection.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless network comprises a mesh network.