APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR AT-BIT RESISTIVITY MEASUREMENTS FOR AN EARTH-BORING DRILLING TOOL

• US 20130270008A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: DiGiovanni, Anthony A., Scott, Danny E., Georgi, Daniel T., Khokhar, Rashid W., DiFoggio, Rocco, Curry, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,394,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/40
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/001 Cutting tools, earth boring or grinding tool other than table ware
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/005 Article surface comprising protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/06 of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools B22F7/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 26/00 Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/567 with preformed cutting elements mounted on a distinct support, e.g. polycrystalline inserts
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/62 characterised by parts, e.g. cutting elements, which are detachable or adjustable E21B10/64 takes precedence; for roller bits E21B10/20; for augers E21B10/44
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/013 Devices specially adapted for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits
• 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: G01V 3/20 operating with propagation of electric current

Abstract

A cutting element for an earth-boring drilling tool comprises a cutting body having a cutting surface thereon, and a sensor coupled with the cutting surface, the sensor configured to determine resistivity of a contacting formation. An earth-boring drilling tool comprises a bit body and an instrumented cutting element coupled with the bit body. The cutting element includes a cutting body having a cutting surface thereon, and at least one sensor located proximate the cutting surface. The at least one sensor is oriented and configured to determine resistivity of a contacting formation. A method of determining resistivity of a subterranean formation during a drilling operation comprises energizing a sensor of an instrumented cutting element of a drill bit, sensing a return signal flowing on or through the subterranean formation through the instrumented cutting element, and determining a resistivity of the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the return signal.

Claims

1. A cutting element for an earth-boring drilling tool, the cutting element comprising:

a cutting element body having a cutting surface thereon; and

at least one sensor located proximate the cutting surface, the at least one sensor oriented and configured to determine resistivity of one of a contacting formation and the cutting element.

2. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of electrodes coupled with a control circuit.

3. The cutting element of claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes two terminals configured as voltage electrodes, and two terminals configured as current electrodes.

4. The cutting element of claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes an outer electrode extending around an inner electrode.

5. The cutting element of claim 4, wherein the outer electrode has a ring shape.

6. The cutting element of claim 5, wherein the sensor and at least a portion of the cutting surface are not coplanar.

7. The cutting element of claim 6, wherein an outer periphery of the cutting surface protrudes beyond the outer electrode in a direction orthogonal to a plane including the ring shape.

8. The cutting element of claim 6, wherein an inner region of the cutting surface between the outer electrode and the inner electrode is a recessed region.

9. An earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:

a bit body; and

an instrumented cutting element coupled with the bit body, the cutting element including a cutting body having a cutting surface thereon, and at least one sensor located proximate the cutting surface, wherein the at least one sensor is oriented and configured to determine resistivity of one of a contacting formation and the instrumented cutting element.

10. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 9, further comprising a control circuit operably coupled with the at least one sensor, the control circuit configured to energize the at least one sensor and detect a return signal from the at least one sensor.

11. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 10, wherein the cutting body includes a diamond table disposed on a substrate, and wherein a conduit passes through the diamond table and the substrate coupling the at least one sensor to the control circuit.

12. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 11, wherein the bit body includes:

a pocket in which the instrumented cutting element is disposed; and

wiring passing through the pocket coupling the instrumented cutting element and the control circuit.

13. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 10, further comprising at least one non-instrumented cutting element coupled with the bit body.

14. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of electrodes configured to sense at least one of a voltage and a current.

15. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of instrumented cutting elements, each of the instrumented cutting elements configured as a single terminal device.

16. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 15, wherein the instrumented cutting elements of the plurality are grouped such that a first group of instrumented cutting elements are arranged on at least one of a gauge and shoulder of the bit body, and a second group of instrumented cutting elements are arranged on at least one of a nose and cone of the bit body.

17. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 15, wherein at least two single terminal devices form a circuit with the control circuitry.

18. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 10, further comprising another instrumented element coupled with the drill bit at a location that actively engages the subterranean formation if the drilling operation is in a dragging mode or rubbing mode.

19. A method of determining resistivity of a subterranean formation during a drilling operation, the method comprising:

energizing a sensor of an instrumented element of a drill bit;

sensing a return signal flowing on or through the subterranean formation; and

determining a resistivity of the subterranean formation based, at least in part, on the return signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein energizing the sensor includes at least one of applying a voltage to the sensor and injecting a current into the subterranean formation through the sensor, and sensing the return signal occurs through the sensor of an instrumented cutting element.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein energizing the sensor and sensing the return signal includes generating current flowing between an instrumented cutting element and another instrumented cutting element.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein generating current flowing between the instrumented cutting element and another instrumented cutting element includes generating current flowing between the instrumented cutting element and the another instrumented cutting element positioned at a location on one of a drill string and a surface of the subterranean formation.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein determining a resistivity of the subterranean formation includes determining a horizontal resistivity and a vertical resistivity of the subterranean formation.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining porosity of the subterranean formation using the determined horizontal resistivity and vertical resistivity.