Methods and systems for mitigating drilling vibrations

• US 8,589,136 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Ertas, Mehmet Deniz, Biediger, Erika A. O., Sundararaman, Shankar, Bailey, Jeffrey R., Gupta, Vishwas, Bangaru, Narasimha-Rao V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLE, ANGEL J.
• Application Number:
  US12/989,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/10, 166/369
• US Class Current: 703/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/00 Special methods or apparatus for drilling

Abstract

Methods and systems of reducing drilling vibrations include generation a vibration performance index using at least one frequency-domain model having a velocity-dependent friction relationship. The vibration performance index may be used to aid in the design or manufacture of a drill tool assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the vibration performance index may inform drilling operations to reduce vibrations.

Claims

1. A method of designing a drill tool assembly for use in a drilling operation, the method comprising:

obtaining drilling operations parameters regarding a drilling operation;

obtaining drill tool assembly data regarding at least one drill tool assembly design;

calculating a baseline solution of the at least one drill tool assembly design rotating at a uniform rotation speed in an absence of vibration using the obtained drilling operations parameters and the obtained drill tool assembly data;

constructing one or more linear frequency-domain models as a perturbation to the baseline solution;

wherein at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models includes a damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution;

utilizing the at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models to calculate one or more vibrational indices characterizing an excitation response of the at least one drill tool assembly design for the obtained drilling operations parameters and the obtained drill tool assembly data;

utilizing the calculated one or more vibrational indices to evaluate a suitability of the at least one drill tool assembly design for the drilling operation; and

selecting a preferred drill tool assembly design from the at least one drill tool assembly design based at least in part on the calculated one or more vibrational indices of the at least one drill tool assembly design.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution incorporates at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects depends on a frequency of excitation, the obtained drilling operations parameters and the obtained drill tool assembly data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more linear frequency-domain models incorporates effects associated with a complex borehole trajectory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated one or more vibrational indices comprises at least one of comparative indices and absolute indices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the excitation response of the at least one drill tool assembly design is primarily torsional.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the excitation response of the at least one drill tool assembly design is primarily axial.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the obtained drilling operations parameters relates to borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models is a function of borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the calculated one or more vibrational indices characterizes one or more dynamic vibration responses as affected by the borehole trajectory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated one or more vibrational indices are combined into a composite index characterizing at least two responses of a drill tool assembly design during drilling operations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein two or more vibrational indices of the calculated one or more vibrational indices are mathematically combined.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein two or more vibrational indices of the calculated one or more vibrational indices are graphically combined.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtained drilling operations parameters comprises data regarding a range of suitable drilling operating conditions for at least one operational variable during drilling operations in a well in which the selected preferred drill tool assembly design may be implemented.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

utilizing the calculated one or more vibrational indices to identify drilling operating conditions from the obtained drilling operations parameters that are adapted to mitigate vibrations, and

developing a drilling plan based at least in part on the identified drilling operating conditions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the calculated one or more vibrational indices is determined for at least one resonant frequency of a drill tool assembly design.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the calculated one or more vibrational indices is functionally dependent on one or more of:

rotary speed, mud pump speed, a friction factor, bit depth, and weight on bit.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated one or more vibrational indices comprises at least one of a forced-displacement bit bounce index, a regenerative chatter bit bounce index, a forced torsional vibration index, a bit-induced stick-slip index, and a stored elastic energy index.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models incorporates tool joint effects.

17. A drill tool assembly design for use in a drilling operation, the drill tool assembly design comprising:

at least one downhole component;

wherein the at least one downhole component is selected to provide the drill tool assembly design with a preferred vibrational index, wherein the preferred vibrational index characterizes an excitation response of at least one tubular member based at least in part on drilling operations parameters and drill tool assembly data, wherein the preferred vibrational index is determined using one or more frequency-domain models, wherein at least one of the one or more frequency-domain models is constructed as a perturbation to a baseline solution of the drill tool assembly design rotating at a uniform rotation speed in an absence of vibration, wherein the baseline solution incorporates the drilling operations parameters and the drill tool assembly data, and wherein the at least one of the one or more frequency-domain models includes a damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution.

18. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein the damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution incorporates at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects depends on a frequency of excitation, the drilling operations parameters, and the drill tool assembly data.

19. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein at least one of the one or more frequency-domain models incorporates effects associated with a complex borehole trajectory.

20. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein the preferred vibrational index comprises at least one of comparative indices and absolute indices.

21. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein the excitation response of the at least one tubular member is primarily torsional.

22. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein the excitation response of the at least one tubular member is primarily axial.

23. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein the preferred vibrational index comprises a composite index characterizing at least two responses of the drill tool assembly design during drilling operations.

24. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein the drilling operations parameters comprises data regarding a range of suitable drilling operating conditions for at least one operational variable during drilling operations in a well in which the drill tool assembly design may be implemented.

25. The drill tool assembly design of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more frequency-domain models incorporates tool joint effects.

26. A method of drilling a wellbore, the method comprising:

obtaining drilling operations parameters regarding a drilling operation;

obtaining drill tool assembly data regarding a drill tool assembly design to be used in the drilling operation;

calculating a baseline solution of the drill tool assembly design rotating at a uniform rotation speed in an absence of vibration using the obtained drilling operations parameters and the obtained drill tool assembly data;

constructing one or more linear frequency-domain models as a perturbation to the baseline solution;

wherein at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models includes a damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution;

utilizing at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models to calculate one or more vibrational indices characterizing an excitation response of the drill tool assembly design under a range of available operating conditions for the obtained drilling operations parameters and the obtained drill tool assembly data;

determining preferred drilling operating conditions to mitigate vibrations based at least in part on the calculated one or more of the vibrational indices;

drilling a wellbore using the drill tool assembly design while monitoring drilling operating conditions; and

adjusting drilling operations to maintain drilling operating conditions at least substantially within a range of the determined preferred drilling operating conditions.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the damping coefficient that depends on the baseline solution incorporates at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects depends on a frequency of excitation, the obtained drilling operations parameters, and the obtained drill tool assembly data.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models incorporates effects associated with a complex borehole trajectory.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models incorporates tool joint effects.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the calculated one or more vibrational indices comprises at least one of comparative indices and absolute indices.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the excitation response of the drill tool assembly design is primarily torsional.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the excitation response of the drill tool assembly design is primarily axial.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the obtained drilling operations parameters relates to borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models is a function of borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the calculated one or more vibrational indices characterizes one or more dynamic vibration responses as affected by the borehole trajectory.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the calculated one or more vibrational indices are combined into a composite index characterizing at least two responses of a drill tool assembly during drilling operations.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein a range of available drilling operating conditions comprises ranges of available conditions for at least one drilling operations parameters selected from the group consisting of weight on bit, rotary speed, rate of penetration, mud properties, mud flow rate, bit depth, mud pump speed, MSE, and any combination thereof.

36. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing the wellbore in hydrocarbon-production related operations.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising producing hydrocarbons from the wellbore.

38. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing the wellbore in one or more applications selected from geothermal-related operations, water injection operations, waste injection operations, and carbon sequestration operations.

39. A method of mitigating drill tool assembly vibrations that occur during drilling operations, the method comprising:

obtaining data regarding drilling parameters related to one or more drilling operations;

calculating a baseline solution for the one or more drilling operations of a drill tool assembly design rotating at a uniform speed in an absence of vibration using the obtained data regarding drilling parameters;

constructing one or more linear frequency-domain models as a perturbation to the baseline solution;

wherein at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models includes damping coefficients that depend on the baseline solution;

utilizing the at least one of the one or more linear frequency-domain models to calculate one or more vibrational indices characterizing an excitation response of the drill tool assembly design for the obtained data regarding drilling parameters;

utilizing the calculated one or more vibrational indices to identify at least one drilling parameter change to mitigate drill tool assembly vibrations; and

adjusting one or more drilling parameters based at least in part on at least one of the calculated one or more vibrational indices and the identified at least one drilling parameter change.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the excitation response of the drill tool assembly design is primarily torsional.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the excitation response of the drill tool assembly design is primarily axial.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein at least one of the obtained data regarding drilling parameters relates to borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the one or more frequency-domain models is a function of borehole trajectory, and wherein at least one of the calculated one or more vibrational indices characterizes one or more dynamic vibration responses as affected by the borehole trajectory.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the damping coefficients that depend on the baseline solution incorporate at least one of:

borehole friction effects, mud viscosity effects and mud inertia effects, and wherein each of the effects depends on a frequency of excitation and the obtained data regarding drilling parameters.