SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AND MONITORING A DRILLING OPERATION USING REFINED SOLUTIONS FROM A PANISTIC INVERSION

• US 20130025939A1
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Crary, Steven F., HELIOT, DENIS, Seydoux, Jean
• Granted Patent: US 9,045,967 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: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

During a drilling operation, measured data from the drilling operation may be received with a panistic inversion and risk estimate module. The panistic inversion and risk estimate module may generate a plurality of mathematical solutions from a panistic inversion that uses the measured data and one or more earth models. The one or more earth models having various parameters may be selected prior to drilling and/or while the drilling operation occurs. For each solution of the plurality of mathematical solutions generated from the panistic inversion, the panistic inversion and risk estimate module may determine if the measured data exceeds one or more probability risk thresholds associated with the drilling operation. If the measured data exceeds the probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation, then the panistic inversion and risk estimate module may generate an alert.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a drilling operation comprising:

receiving one or more parameters for defining a probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation;

receiving measured data from the drilling operation;

generating a plurality of mathematical solutions from a panistic inversion that uses the measured data and one or more earth models;

from the plurality of mathematical solutions from the panistic inversion, determining if the measured data exceeds the probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation; and

if the measured data exceeds the probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation, then generating an alert.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the plurality of mathematical solutions against data that is specific to a desired geographic region and associated with the drilling operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data that is specific to a desired geographic region comprises at least one of local geological knowledge about the desired geographic region, prior measurements of the desired geographic region being drilled, and geological physics.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising refining a number of the plurality of mathematical solutions by eliminating those solutions which are substantially outside of the data specific to the desired geographic region.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting the probability risk threshold based on the parameters associated with a drilling operation before the drilling operation has commenced.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the panistic inversion comprises a Monte-Carlo type inversion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises at least one of an audible and visual alert produced on a portable computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert relates to at least one of a geo-steering, geo-stopping, a geomechanical risk, and a directional drilling risk.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising if the measured data exceeds the probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation, then automatically activating a control event which impacts the drilling operation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control event relates to at least one of a geo-steering and geo-stopping.

11. A system for monitoring a drilling operation comprising:

means for receiving one or more parameters for defining a probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation;

means for receiving measured data from the drilling operation;

means for generating a plurality of mathematical solutions from a panistic inversion that uses the measured data and one or more earth models;

means for determining if the measured data exceeds the probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation; and

means for generating an alert if the measured data exceeds the probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for comparing the plurality of mathematical solutions against data that is specific to a desired geographic region and associated with the drilling operation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data that is specific to a desired geographic region comprises at least one of local geological knowledge about the desired geographic region, prior measurements of the desired geographic region being drilled, and geological physics.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for refining a number of the plurality of mathematical solutions by eliminating those solutions which are substantially outside of the data specific to the desired geographic region.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the alert comprises at least one of an audible and aural alert produced on a portable computing device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the alert relates to at least one of a geo-steering, geo-stopping, a geomechanical risk, and a directional drilling risk.

17. A system for monitoring and controlling a drilling operation comprising:

a drilling system, the drilling system comprising a logging and control module for tracking measured data; and

a controller coupled to the drilling system, the controller comprising a panistic inversion module, the panistic inversion module generating a plurality of mathematical solutions from a panistic inversion that uses the measured data and one or more earth models;

the panistic inversion module determining if the measured data exceeds a probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation for each solution of the plurality of mathematical solutions from the panistic inversion.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the panistic inversion module generating an alert if the measured data exceeds the probability risk threshold associated with the drilling operation.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the panistic inversion module uses a Monte-Carlo type inversion.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the alert relates to at least one of a geo-steering, geo-stopping, a geomechanical risk, and a directional drilling risk.