METHODS FOR ANALYZING AND DESIGNING BOTTOM HOLE ASSEMBLIES

• US 20140309978A1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (SLB)
• Inventors: Harmer, Richard, Shen, Yuelin, Huang, Sujian, Chen, Wei, Dong, Yani
• Granted Patent: US 10,400,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/7
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/00 Drill bits specially adapted for deflecting the direction of boring E21B7/064; with means for collecting substances E21B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/00 Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
• 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: G06F 30/28 using fluid dynamics, e.g. using Navier-Stokes equations or computational fluid dynamics [CFD]

Abstract

A method for selecting a bottomhole assembly, including performing a first dynamic simulation of a first bottomhole assembly, performing at least a second dynamic simulation of the first bottomhole assembly, in which the at least a second dynamic simulation includes a different constraint than the first dynamic simulation, and outputting results for both the first dynamic simulation and the second dynamic simulation, in which the results include at least one output showing performance as a function of position along the bottomhole assembly.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a bottomhole assembly, comprising:

selecting a drilling criteria;

performing a dynamic simulation of a first bottomhole assembly that includes at least one drill bit, a measurement sensor, and a stabilizer;

outputting results predicting a performance of the first bottomhole assembly that are indicative of a measurement quality for the measurement sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the measurement quality of the first bottomhole assembly against a second bottomhole assembly.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing includes reviewing outputs relating to at least one of a collar deflection angle and a lateral displacement at the measurement sensor location.

4. A method for selecting a bottomhole assembly, comprising:

selecting a drilling criteria;

performing a dynamic simulation of a first bottomhole assembly that includes at least one drill bit, wherein the dynamic simulation comprises a dynamic input; and

outputting results predicting a performance of the first bottomhole assembly.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the dynamic input comprises revolutions per minute of the bottomhole assembly.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the dynamic input comprises weight on bit.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the dynamic input comprises rate of penetration.

8. A method for selecting a bottomhole assembly, comprising:

performing a first dynamic simulation of a first bottomhole assembly;

performing at least a second dynamic simulation of the first bottomhole assembly, wherein the at least a second dynamic simulation comprises a different constraint than the first dynamic simulation; and

outputting results for both the first dynamic simulation and the second dynamic simulation, wherein the results comprise at least one output showing performance as a function of position along the bottomhole assembly.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising calculating a stick-slip index for the first bottomhole assembly.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing the first dynamic simulation with at least a second bottomhole assembly;

performing the at least a second dynamic simulation with the at least a second bottomhole assembly;

outputting results for the at least a second bottomhole assembly; and

comparing the results of the first dynamic simulation and the at least a second dynamic simulation for the first bottomhole assembly and the at least a second bottomhole assembly; and

selecting a bottomhole assembly based on the comparing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparing the results comprises automatically generating a preselected series of reports indicating performance of the first bottomhole assembly and the at least a second bottomhole assembly.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparing the results includes reviewing a stick-slip index of the first bottomhole assembly and the at least a second bottomhole assembly.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparing comprises reviewing at least one of a steerability, robustness, measurement quality, and stability of the first bottomhole assembly and the at least a second bottomhole assembly.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the second dynamic simulation comprises a scenario selected from the group of high frictional force, RPM ramping while drilling, RPM ramping with bit not drilling, interbedded formation, inhomogeneous formation, eccentric bottomhole assembly, and directional drilling.

15. A system for selecting a bottomhole assembly (BHA), comprising:

a computing device comprising a computing processor executing instructions to perform;

executing a first simulation of a first BHA that includes at least one drill bit, a measurement sensor, and a stabilizer, the first simulation generating a first set of performance data, and

the computing device comprising a graphical user interface executing on the computer processor with functionality to perform;

inputting a selected drilling criteria,

presenting, on the graphical user interface, the first set of performance data from the first simulation, and

selecting a BHA based on a comparison of the first set of performance data and the selected drilling criteria.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device further comprises the computing processor executing instructions to perform:

executing a second simulation of a second BHA that includes at least one drill bit, a measurement sensor, and a stabilizer, the second simulation generating a second set of performance data, and

wherein the computing device further comprises the graphical user interface executing on the computer processor with functionality to perform;

modifying, based on the first set of performance data, at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of BHA parameters, wellbore parameters, and the drilling operating parameters, wherein modifying involves changing a value of the at least one parameter to obtain a modified parameter,

presenting, on the graphical user interface, the second set of performance data from the second simulation, the second simulation based on the modified parameter, and

selecting a BHA based on the first set of performance data, the second set of performance data, and the selected drilling criteria.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein presenting further comprises:

visualizing, on the graphical user interface, at least one selected from the group consisting of the first set of performance data and the second set of performance data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second sets of performance data comprise performance results of the first BHA indicative of at least one selected from the group consisting of a measurement quality for the measurement sensor, steerability of the BHA, stability of the BHA, and robustness of the BHA.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein steerability of the BHA comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of buildup rate and dogleg severity.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein stability of the BHA comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of axial, lateral, and rotational vibrations.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein robustness of the BHA comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of bending moments, torques, axial force, stress, vibrations, contact forces, and buckling.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions selecting a BHA, the executable instructions comprising functionality to:

input, using a graphical user interface, a selected drilling criteria;

perform a dynamic simulation of a first bottomhole assembly that includes at least one drill bit, a measurement sensor, and a stabilizer; and

output, on the graphical user interface, results predicting a performance of the first bottomhole assembly that are indicative of a measurement quality for the measurement sensor.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions selecting a BHA, the executable instructions comprising functionality to:

input, using a graphical user interface, a selected drilling criteria;

perform a dynamic simulation of a first bottomhole assembly that includes at least one drill bit, wherein the dynamic simulation comprises a dynamic input; and

output, on the graphical user interface, results predicting a performance of the first bottomhole assembly.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions selecting a BHA, the executable instructions comprising functionality to:

perform a dynamic simulation of a first bottomhole assembly;

perform at least a second dynamic simulation of the first bottomhole assembly, wherein the at least a second dynamic simulation comprises a different constraint than the first dynamic simulation; and

output, on the graphical user interface, results for both the first dynamic simulation and the second dynamic simulation, wherein the results comprise at least one output showing performance as a function of position along the bottomhole assembly.