Methods for Operating Wellbore Drilling Equipment Based on Wellbore Conditions

• US 20170122047A1
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Veeningen, Daan, Turner, Rebekah
• Granted Patent: US 10,711,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/16 Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints E21B19/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/082 Dual gradient systems, i.e. using two hydrostatic gradients or drilling fluid densities
• 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 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling

Abstract

A method, comprising acquiring annular pressure data from a wellbore where the annular pressure data is acquired over a time interval and at least a portion of the annular pressure data is acquired during a pumps-off period. At least first and second values are identified from the annular pressure data and the variation between the first and second values are compared to a first threshold. Drilling equipment is operated based on the comparison with the first threshold.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

acquiring annular pressure data from a wellbore, wherein the annular pressure data is acquired over a time interval and at least a portion of the annular pressure data is acquired during a pumps-off period;

identifying at least first and second values from the annular pressure data;

comparing the variation between first and second values to a first threshold; and

operating drilling equipment based on the comparison with the first threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the annular pressure data comprise at least one of equivalent densities and normalized equivalent densities.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the variation between the first and second values to a second threshold;

and operating the drilling equipment based on the comparison with the second threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first threshold is indicative of uneconomical performance and the second threshold is indicative of high performance.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first threshold is indicative of low risk and the second threshold is indicative of high risk.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second values are identified from the annular pressure data measured during the pumps-off period, wherein the first value is identified prior to making a drill pipe connection and the second value is identified after making the drill pipe connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a pumping rate is determined based on comparing the variation to the threshold, and wherein a drilling fluid circulation pump is operated at the determined pumping rate during a pump ramp-up or slow-down period subsequent a drill pipe connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a pumping duration is determined based on comparing the variation to the threshold, and wherein a drilling fluid circulation pump is operated for the determined pumping duration during a pump ramp-up or slow-down period subsequent a drill pipe connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein operating drilling equipment based on the comparison with the first threshold comprises controlling at least one of circulation rate, weight on bit, drill string rotation speed, drill string hoisting speed, and drill string hoisting acceleration.

10. A method, comprising:

acquiring annular pressure data from a wellbore, wherein the annular pressure data is acquired over a time interval and at least a portion of the annular pressure data is acquired during a pumps-off period;

computing equivalent densities based upon the acquired annular pressure data;

determining a first threshold by correlating the equivalent densities to drilling efficiency, wherein the first threshold is indicative of uneconomical performance; and

determining a second threshold by correlating the equivalent densities to drilling efficiency, wherein the second threshold is indicative of high performance;

measuring annular pressure data within the wellbore;

identifying at least first and second values from the measured annular pressure data;

comparing the variation between first and second values to the first threshold and the second threshold; and

operating drilling equipment based on the comparison with the first threshold and the second threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least first and second values are identified from the annular pressure data measured during the pumps-off period, wherein the first value is identified prior to making a drill pipe connection and the second value is identified after making the drill pipe connection.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a pumping rate is determined based on comparing the variation to the threshold, and wherein a drilling fluid circulation pump is operated at the determined pumping rate during a pump ramp-up or slow-down period subsequent a drill pipe connection.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a pumping duration is determined based on comparing the variation to the threshold, and wherein a drilling fluid circulation pump is operated for the determined pumping duration during a pump ramp-up or slow-down period subsequent a drill pipe connection.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein operating drilling equipment based on the comparison with the first threshold comprises controlling at least one of circulation rate, weight on bit, drill string rotation speed, drill string hoisting speed, and drill string hoisting acceleration.

15. A method comprising:

determining an equivalent density of a drilling fluid at a plurality of locations within a wellbore;

correlating the equivalent densities to drilling efficiency so as to determine a first threshold;

acquiring annular pressure data from a location within the wellbore, wherein the annular pressure data is acquired over a time interval and at least a portion of the annular pressure data is acquired during a pumps-off period;

identifying at least first and second values from the annular pressure data;

comparing the variation between first and second values to the first threshold; and

operating drilling equipment based on the comparison with the first threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

correlating the equivalent densities to drilling efficiency so as to determine a second threshold;

comparing the variation between the first and second values to the second threshold; and

operating the drilling equipment based on the comparison with the second threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first threshold is indicative of uneconomical performance and the second threshold is indicative of high performance.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first threshold is indicative of low risk and the second threshold is indicative of high risk.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least first and second values are identified from the annular pressure data measured during the pumps-off period, wherein the first value is identified prior to making a drill pipe connection and the second value is identified after making the drill pipe connection.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein operating the drilling equipment comprises controlling at least one of pump ramp-up, pump slow-down, circulation rate, weight on bit, drill string rotation speed, drill string hoisting speed, and drill string hoisting acceleration.