SMART SYSTEM FOR SELECTION OF WELLBORE DRILLING FLUID LOSS CIRCULATION MATERIAL
First Claim
1. A wellbore drilling system comprising:
- a plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers, each particulate size distribution analyzer configured to determine a size distribution of particulates in a wellbore drilling fluid circulated through the wellbore drilling system, each particulate size distribution analyzer coupled to a respective wellbore drilling fluid flow pathway, the particulates comprising lost circulation material (LCM) configured to reduce loss of the wellbore drilling fluid into a geologic formation in which the wellbore is being drilled;
a particulates reservoir coupled to the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers, the particulates reservoir configured to carry particulates of different physical properties, the particulates reservoir configured to release certain particulates into a drilling fluid tank of the wellbore drilling system to be mixed with the wellbore drilling fluid circulated through the drilling fluid tank; and
a processing system coupled to the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers and to the particulates reservoir, the processing system configured to perform operations while drilling the wellbore, the operations comprising;
receiving drilling parameters identifying wellbore drilling conditions of the wellbore drilling system;
receiving size distributions of particulates in the wellbore drilling fluid from the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers; and
controlling the particulates reservoir to release the certain particulates into the drilling fluid tank based, in part, on the received drilling parameters and the received size distributions of the particulates.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A smart system for circulating LCM can implement a method. While a wellbore is being drilled in a geologic formation, drilling parameters identifying wellbore drilling conditions of a wellbore drilling system drilling the wellbore are received. The wellbore drilling system flows a wellbore drilling fluid including particulates of different size distributions. The particulates operate as LCM to reduce loss of the wellbore drilling fluid in the geologic formation. Size distributions of the particulates in the wellbore drilling fluid flowing through multiple different wellbore fluid flow pathways of the wellbore drilling system are received. The size distributions represent a concentration of the particulates in the wellbore drilling fluid. A release of certain particulates into the wellbore drilling fluid is controlled based, in part, on the received drilling parameters and the received size distributions of the particulates.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wellbore drilling system comprising:
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a plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers, each particulate size distribution analyzer configured to determine a size distribution of particulates in a wellbore drilling fluid circulated through the wellbore drilling system, each particulate size distribution analyzer coupled to a respective wellbore drilling fluid flow pathway, the particulates comprising lost circulation material (LCM) configured to reduce loss of the wellbore drilling fluid into a geologic formation in which the wellbore is being drilled; a particulates reservoir coupled to the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers, the particulates reservoir configured to carry particulates of different physical properties, the particulates reservoir configured to release certain particulates into a drilling fluid tank of the wellbore drilling system to be mixed with the wellbore drilling fluid circulated through the drilling fluid tank; and a processing system coupled to the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers and to the particulates reservoir, the processing system configured to perform operations while drilling the wellbore, the operations comprising; receiving drilling parameters identifying wellbore drilling conditions of the wellbore drilling system; receiving size distributions of particulates in the wellbore drilling fluid from the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers; and controlling the particulates reservoir to release the certain particulates into the drilling fluid tank based, in part, on the received drilling parameters and the received size distributions of the particulates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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while a wellbore is being drilled in a geologic formation, receiving drilling parameters identifying wellbore drilling conditions of a wellbore drilling system drilling the wellbore, the wellbore drilling system flowing a wellbore drilling fluid comprising particulates of different size distributions, the particulates operating as lost circulation material (LCM) to reduce loss of the wellbore drilling fluid in the geologic formation; receiving size distributions of the particulates in the wellbore drilling fluid flowing through a plurality of different wellbore drilling fluid flow pathways of the wellbore drilling system, the size distributions representing a concentration of the particulates in the wellbore drilling fluid; and controlling a release of certain particulates into the wellbore drilling fluid based, in part, on the received drilling parameters and the received size distributions of the particulates. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wellbore drilling system comprising:
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a drilling fluid tank configured to carry wellbore drilling fluid; a wellbore pump configured to pump the wellbore drilling fluid during a wellbore drilling operation; a wellbore drilling rig configured to support wellbore drilling equipment configured to drill the wellbore in a geologic formation during the wellbore drilling operation; a shaker system configured to remove cuttings carried by the wellbore drilling fluid during the wellbore drilling operation; a plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers, each particulate size distribution analyzer configured to determine a size distribution of particulates in a wellbore drilling fluid circulated through the wellbore drilling system, each particulate size distribution analyzer coupled to a respective wellbore drilling fluid flow pathway through which the wellbore drilling fluid is flowed, the particulates comprising lost circulation material (LCM) configured to reduce loss of the wellbore drilling fluid into the geologic formation in which the wellbore is being drilled; and a processing system coupled to the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers, the processing system configured to perform operations while drilling the wellbore, the operations comprising; receiving drilling parameters identifying wellbore drilling conditions of the wellbore drilling system; receiving size distributions of particulates in the wellbore drilling fluid from the plurality of particulate size distribution analyzers; and releasing the certain particulates into the drilling fluid tank based, in part, on the received drilling parameters and the received size distributions of the particulates. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification