APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR GUIDING TOOLFACE ORIENTATION

• US 20110024191A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nabors Drillling Technologies USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Canrig Drilling Technology Limited (Nabors Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Boone, Scott G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,528,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/45
• 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 7/04 Directional drilling

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for guiding a drilling operation are disclosed. The apparatus includes a drilling apparatus, a receiving apparatus, and a display apparatus. The drill apparatus includes a bit with a steerable motor having a toolface and a rotary drive adapted to steer the bit during the drilling operation. The receiving apparatus is adapted to receive electronic data on a recurring basis, wherein the electronic data comprises quill position data, at least one of actual gravity-based toolface orientation data and actual magnetic-based toolface orientation data, and recommended toolface orientation data. The display apparatus is adapted to display the electronic data on a user-viewable display in a historical format depicting data resulting from a recent measurement and a plurality of immediately prior measurements.

Claims

1. An apparatus for guiding a drilling operation comprising:

a drilling apparatus comprising a bit with a steerable motor having a toolface and a rotary drive adapted to steer the bit during the drilling operation;

a receiving apparatus adapted to receive electronic data on a recurring basis, wherein the electronic data comprises quill position data, at least one of actual gravity-based toolface orientation data and actual magnetic-based toolface orientation data, and recommended toolface orientation data; and

a display apparatus adapted to display the electronic data on a user-viewable display in a historical format depicting data resulting from a recent measurement and a plurality of immediately prior measurements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic data further comprises actual azimuth toolface orientation data or actual inclination toolface orientation data, or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a drilling operation parameter indicative of a difference between the actual toolface orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a recorder to record the difference between the actual toolface orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display apparatus is further adapted to display the recommended toolface orientation data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary drive includes a top drive or a kelly drive.

7. An apparatus for monitoring and guiding a drilling operation, comprising:

a drilling apparatus;

a human-machine interface adapted to facilitate monitoring the relationship between actual toolface orientation, quill position, and recommended toolface orientation of the drilling apparatus during a drilling operation; and

a sensor configured to detect a drilling operation parameter indicative of a difference between the actual toolface orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the actual toolface orientation and recommended toolface orientation each independently comprise gravity-based toolface orientation data, magnetic-based toolface orientation data, azimuth toolface orientation data, inclination toolface orientation data, or a combination thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a recorder to record the difference between the actual toolface orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the drilling apparatus comprises a bottom hole assembly and a rotary drive apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the quill position relates the actual orientation of a portion of the rotary drive apparatus to the toolface.

12. A method of directing a drilling operation in a wellbore comprising:

operating a drilling apparatus;

receiving and displaying electronic data, wherein the electronic data includes quill position data, actual toolface orientation data, and recommended toolface orientation data; and

adjusting the drilling apparatus to move the toolface toward the recommended toolface orientation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving and displaying electronic data is on a recurring basis.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising monitoring the difference between the actual toolface orientation and recommended toolface orientation.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising recording the difference between the actual toolface orientation and recommended toolface orientation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the recording occurs at regularly occurring length or depth intervals in the wellbore.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising scoring the difference between the actual toolface orientation and recommended toolface orientation.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the difference to an evaluator.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein adjusting the drilling apparatus comprises adjusting the quill.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the actual toolface orientation data and recommended toolface orientation data each independently comprises gravity-based toolface orientation data, magnetic-based toolface orientation data, azimuth toolface orientation data, inclination toolface orientation data, or a combination thereof.