Method and apparatus for rescaling measurements while drilling in different environments
First Claim
1. A method for determining an orientation of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the method comprising:
- providing a survey system comprising at least one sensor within the drilling system, the survey system operable to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a plurality of resolution levels;
operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface; and
operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface, the second distance larger than the first distance, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for determining an orientation of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface. The method includes providing a survey system including at least one sensor within the drilling system. The sensor is configured to provide orientation information. The survey system is operable at a plurality of resolution levels. The method further includes operating the survey system at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface. The method further includes operating the survey system at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface. The second distance is larger than the first distance. The second resolution level is higher than the first resolution level.
34 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for determining an orientation of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the method comprising:
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providing a survey system comprising at least one sensor within the drilling system, the survey system operable to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a plurality of resolution levels; operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface; and operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface, the second distance larger than the first distance, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for determining an orientation of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the method comprising:
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providing a survey system comprising at least one sensor within the drilling system, wherein the sensor comprises a gyroscopic sensor and is configured to provide orientation information, the survey system operable at a plurality of resolution levels; operating the survey system at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface, wherein the first resolution level has a corresponding range of rotation rate measurements of approximately zero to approximately 3600 degrees/hour; and operating the survey system at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface, the second distance larger than the first distance, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method for determining an orientation of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the method comprising:
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providing a survey system comprising at least one sensor within the drilling system, wherein the sensor comprises a gyroscopic sensor and is configured to provide orientation information, the survey system operable at a plurality of resolution levels; operating the survey system at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface, wherein the first resolution level has a corresponding range of rotation rate measurements of approximately zero to approximately 3600 degrees/hour; operating the survey system at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface, the second distance larger than the first distance, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level, wherein the second resolution level has a corresponding range of rotation rate measurements of approximately zero to approximately 200 degrees/hour; and operating the survey system at a third resolution level while the drilling tool is a third distance relative to the surface, the third distance larger than the second distance, the third resolution level higher than the second resolution level, wherein the third resolution level has a corresponding range of rotation rate measurements of approximately zero to approximately 15 degrees/hour.
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15. A method for determining an orientation of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the method comprising:
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providing a survey system comprising at least one sensor within the drilling system, the sensor configured to provide orientation information, the survey system operable at a plurality of resolution levels; operating the survey system at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface; operating the survey system at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface, the second distance larger than the first distance, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level; and changing from the first resolution level to the second resolution level in response to a data signal from the sensor, wherein changing from the first resolution level to the second resolution level is performed once a magnitude of the data signal does not saturate a corresponding data word.
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16. A method for determining a location of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the method comprising:
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providing a survey system comprising at least one sensor within the drilling system, the survey system operable to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a plurality of resolution levels; operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface; operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface, the second distance larger than the first distance, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level; and calculating the location of the drilling tool using the information provided at the first resolution level and the information provided at the second resolution level. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for determining either an orientation or a location of a drilling tool of a drilling system configured to drill a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the method comprising:
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providing a survey system comprising at least one sensor within the drilling system, the survey system operable to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a plurality of resolution levels; operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is at a first location relative to the surface; operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is at a second location relative to the surface, the second location farther from the surface than is the first location, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level; and calculating the orientation or the location of the drilling tool using the orientation information provided at the first resolution level and the orientation information provided at the second resolution level. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of operating a sensor of a system for drilling a borehole, the method comprising:
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configuring the sensor to provide information having a first resolution level regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth, the information having the first resolution level provided while the sensor is at a first position relative to a surface location; and configuring the sensor to provide information having a second resolution level regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level, the information having the second resolution level provided while the sensor is at a second position relative to the surface location. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of operating a sensor of a drilling system comprising a drill string, the method comprising:
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configuring the sensor to provide orientation information having a first resolution level while the drill string has a length less than a predetermined length; and configuring the sensor to provide orientation information having a second resolution level higher than the first resolution level while the drill string has a length greater than the predetermined length.
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33. A drilling system for drilling a borehole into the Earth'"'"'s surface, the system comprising:
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a drilling tool; and a survey system configured to be operable to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a plurality of resolution levels, the survey system comprising; at least one sensor within the drilling system, the sensor configured to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth; and a controller coupled to the sensor, the controller configured to operate to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a first resolution level while the drilling tool is a first distance relative to the surface and to operate to provide information regarding the orientation of the drilling tool relative to the Earth at a second resolution level while the drilling tool is a second distance relative to the surface, the second distance larger than the first distance, the second resolution level higher than the first resolution level. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification