METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MITIGATING DRILLING VIBRATIONS

• US 20110077924A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Gupta, Vishwas, Bangaru, Narasimha-Rao V., Biediger, Erika A.O., Sundararaman, Shankar, Bailey, Jeffrey R., Ertas, Mehmet Deniz, Bangaru, Swarupa Soma
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/00 Special methods or apparatus for drilling

Abstract

Methods and systems of reducing drilling vibrations include generation a vibration performance index using at least one frequency-domain model having a velocity-dependent friction relationship. The vibration performance index may be used to aid in the design or manufacture of a drill tool assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the vibration performance index may inform drilling operations to reduce vibrations.

Claims

1. A method of designing a drill tool assembly for use in a drilling operation, the method comprising:

obtaining drilling operations parameters regarding a drilling operation;

obtaining drill tool assembly data regarding one or more potential drill tool assembly designs;

calculating a baseline solution for the drill tool assembly using the drilling operations parameters and the drill tool assembly data;

constructing one or more linear frequency-domain models as a perturbation to the baseline solution;

wherein one or more of the frequency-domain models includes a damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution;

utilizing one or more of the linear frequency-domain models to transform the obtained drilling operations parameters and the obtained drill tool assembly data into one or more vibrational indices characterizing an excitation response of at least one potential drill tool assembly design;

utilizing the one or more vibrational indices to evaluate the suitability of the one or more potential drill tool assembly designs for the drilling operation; and

selecting a preferred drill tool assembly design based at least in part on the one or more vibrational indices of the one or more potential drill tool assembly designs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution incorporate at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects has a distinct dependence on the frequency of excitation, drilling operations parameters and drill tool assembly data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency-domain model incorporates effects associated with a complex borehole trajectory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vibrational indices comprises at least one of comparative indices and absolute indices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the excitation response of at least one potential drill tool assembly design is primarily torsional.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the excitation response of at least one potential drill tool assembly design is primarily axial.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the obtained drilling operations parameters relates to borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one frequency-domain model is a function of borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the one or more vibrational indices characterizes one or more dynamic vibration responses as affected by the borehole trajectory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vibrational indices are combined into a composite index characterizing at least two responses of a drill tool assembly during drilling operations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the two or more vibrational indices are mathematically combined.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the two or more vibrational indices are graphically combined.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtained drilling operations parameters comprises data regarding a range of suitable drilling operating conditions for at least one operational variable during drilling operations in a well in which the selected drill tool assembly design may be implemented.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

utilizing the one or more vibrational indices to identify drilling operating conditions from the drilling operations parameters that are adapted to mitigate vibrations, and

developing a drilling plan based at least in part on the identified drilling operating conditions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the vibrational indices is determined for at least one resonant frequency of a drill tool assembly.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the vibrational indices is functionally dependent on one or more of:

rotary speed, mud pump speed, a friction factor, bit depth, and weight on bit.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vibrational indices comprises at least one of a forced-displacement bit bounce index, a regenerative chatter bit bounce index, a forced torsional vibration index, a bit-induced stick-slip index, and a stored elastic energy index.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency-domain model incorporates tool joint effects.

17. A drill tool assembly for use in a drilling operation, the drill tool assembly comprising:

at least one downhole component;

wherein the at least one downhole component is selected to provide the drill tool assembly with a preferred vibrational index, wherein the vibrational index characterizes an excitation response of the at least one tubular member based at least in part on drilling operations parameters and drill tool assembly data, wherein the drill tool assembly'"'"'s vibrational index is determined using one or more frequency-domain models, wherein at least one of the frequency-domain models is constructed as a perturbation to a baseline solution, wherein the baseline solution incorporates drilling operations parameters and drill tool assembly data, and wherein the at least one frequency-domain model includes a damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution.

18. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the damping coefficients that depend on the baseline solution incorporates at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects has a distinct dependence on the frequency of excitation, drilling operations parameters, and drill tool assembly data.

19. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the frequency-domain model incorporates effects associated with a complex borehole trajectory.

20. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the one or more vibrational indices comprises at least one of comparative indices and absolute indices.

21. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the excitation response of the at least one tubular member is primarily torsional.

22. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the excitation response of the at least one tubular member is primarily axial.

23. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the one or more vibrational indices are combined into a composite index characterizing at least two responses of the drill tool assembly during drilling operations.

24. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the drilling operations parameters comprises data regarding a range of suitable drilling operating conditions for at least one operational variable during drilling operations in a well in which the drill tool assembly may be implemented.

25. The drill tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the frequency-domain model incorporates tool joint effects.

26. A method of drilling a wellbore, the method comprising:

obtaining drilling operations parameters regarding a drilling operation;

obtaining drill tool assembly data regarding a drill tool assembly design to be used in the drilling operation;

calculating a baseline solution for the drill tool assembly design using the drilling operations parameters and the drill tool assembly data;

constructing one or more linear frequency-domain models as a perturbation to the baseline solution;

wherein one or more of the frequency-domain models includes a damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution;

utilizing one or more of the linear frequency-domain models to transform the obtained drilling operations parameters and the obtained drill tool assembly data into one or more vibrational indices characterizing an excitation response of the drill tool assembly design under a range of available drilling operating conditions;

determining preferred drilling operating conditions to mitigate vibrations based at least in part on one or more of the vibrational indices;

drilling a wellbore using the drill tool assembly while monitoring drilling operating conditions; and

adjusting drilling operations to maintain drilling operating conditions at least substantially within a range of the preferred drilling operating conditions.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the damping coefficients that depend on the baseline solution incorporates at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects has a distinct dependence on the frequency of excitation, drilling operations parameters, and drill tool assembly data.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the frequency-domain model incorporates effects associated with a complex borehole trajectory.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the frequency-domain model incorporates tool joint effects.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more vibrational indices comprises at least one of comparative indices and absolute indices.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the excitation response of at least one potential drill tool assembly design is primarily torsional.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the excitation response of at least one potential drill tool assembly design is primarily axial.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the obtained drilling operations parameters relates to borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one frequency-domain model is a function of borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the one or more vibrational indices characterizes one or more dynamic vibration responses as affected by the borehole trajectory.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more vibrational indices are combined into a composite index characterizing at least two responses of a drill tool assembly during drilling operations.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the range of available drilling operating conditions comprises ranges of available conditions for at least one drilling operations parameters selected from the group consisting of weight on bit, rotary speed, rate of penetration, mud properties, mud flow rate, bit depth, mud pump speed, MSE, and any combination thereof.

36. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing the wellbore in hydrocarbon-production related operations.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising producing hydrocarbons from the wellbore.

38. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing the wellbore in one or more applications selected from geothermal-related operations, water injection operations, waste injection operations, and carbon sequestration operations.

39. A method of mitigating drill tool assembly vibrations that occur during drilling operations, the method comprising:

obtaining data regarding a plurality of drilling parameters related to one or more drilling operations;

calculating a baseline solution for the drilling operations using the obtained data regarding drilling parameters;

constructing one or more linear frequency-domain models as a perturbation to the baseline solution;

wherein one or more of the frequency-domain models includes damping coefficients that depend on the baseline solution.

utilizing one or more linear frequency-domain models to transform the obtained drilling parameter data into one or more vibrational indices characterizing an excitation response of at least one drill tool assembly;

utilizing one or more vibrational indices to identify at least one drilling parameter change to mitigate drill tool assembly vibrations; and

adjusting one or more drilling parameters based at least in part on at least one of the one or more vibrational indices and the identified at least one drilling parameter change.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the excitation response of at least one potential drill tool assembly design is primarily torsional.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the excitation response of at least one potential drill tool assembly design is primarily axial.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein at least one of the obtained drilling parameters relates to borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one frequency-domain model is a function of borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the one or more vibrational indices characterizes one or more dynamic vibration responses as affected by the borehole trajectory.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the damping coefficients that depend on the baseline solution incorporate at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects has a distinct dependence on the frequency of excitation and the obtained data regarding drilling parameters.

44-60. -60. (canceled)