Methods and systems for drilling boreholes

• US 9,194,183 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flanders Electric Motor Service, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flanders Electric Motor Service, Inc.
• Inventors: Stacy, Edward Curtis II, Garcia, Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomar, Shane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Wei
• Application Number:
  US14/045,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20140027181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 175/57, 175/24, 175/25, 175/50, 175/27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 44/04 in response to the torque of the drive ; Measuring drilling torque E21B44/06 takes precedence; measuring stresses in a well bore pipe E21B47/007
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/00 Special methods or apparatus for drilling

Abstract

A system for drilling a borehole according to the present invention includes a control system and a drill rig, including a water injection system and an air injection system. The control system receives information from the drill rig that relates to at least one drill parameter. The control system processes information relating to the drill parameter, determines whether to implement a hole defect mitigation routine, including a drilling phase defect mitigation routine or a retraction phase defect mitigation routine following completion of the drilling phase. The control system determines whether the drill parameter is within a predetermined specification for the monitored drill parameter, chooses a hole defect mitigation routine based on the monitored drill parameter when the monitored drill parameter is outside the predetermined specification, and controls the drill rig to implement the chosen hole defect mitigation routine.

Claims

1. A system for drilling a borehole, comprising:

a drill rig comprising a drill including a drill bit, an air injection system, and a water injection system; and

a control system operatively associated with said drill rig, said control system;

monitoring drill parameters comprising drill rotational speed, drill torque, drill depth, hoist speed and number of drill retractions;

receiving information from said drill rig relating to at least one drill parameter,

controlling each of said drill, said air injection system and said water injection system,

storing program steps for program control, and processing data; and

said control system processing information relating to the drill parameter, determining whether the drill parameter is within a predetermined specification for at least one monitored drill parameter for a drilling phase or a retraction phase, the retraction phase following completion of the drilling phase, choosing a hole defect mitigation routine based on the at least one monitored drill parameter when the at least one drill parameter is outside the predetermined specification, said hole defect mitigation routine comprising at least one drilling phase defect mitigation routine for implementation during the drilling phase, said drilling phase defect mitigation routine comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of rotary stall protection, end-of-hole spin-out, and end-of-hole water control, and at least one retraction phase mitigation routine for implementation during the retraction phase, said control system controlling said drill rig to implement said rotary stall protection routine when for a predetermined period of time one or both of said monitored drill rotational speed is outside a predetermined specification for rotational speed and said drill torque is outside a predetermined specification for drill torque, said rotary stall protection routine comprising;

retracting the drill bit;

rotating the drill bit; and

resuming the drilling phase with of at least a reduced down-force until drill penetration rate stops changing.

2. A system for drilling a borehole, comprising:

a drill rig comprising a drill including a drill bit, an air injection system, and a water injection system; and

a control system operatively associated with said drill rig, said control system;

monitoring drill parameters comprising drill rotational speed, drill torque, drill depth, hoist speed and number of drill retractions;

receiving information from said drill rig relating to at least one drill parameter,

controlling each of said drill, said air injection system and said water injection system,

storing program steps for program control, and processing data; and

said control system processing information relating to the drill parameter by determining whether the drill parameter is within a predetermined specification for at least one monitored drill parameter for a drilling phase or a retraction phase, the retraction phase following completion of the drilling phase, choosing a hole defect mitigation routine based on the at least one monitored drill parameter when the at least one drill parameter is outside the predetermined specification, said hole defect mitigation routine comprising at least one drilling phase defect mitigation routine for implementation during the drilling phase, said drilling phase defect mitigation routine comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of rotary stall protection, end-of-hole spin-out, and end-of-hole water control, and at least one retraction phase mitigation routine for implementation during the retraction phase, said control system controlling said drill rig to implement said end-of-hole spin-out routine after the borehole has been drilled when said monitored number of drill retractions during the drilling phase is outside a predetermined specification for number of drill retractions, said end-of-hole spin-out routine comprising;

retracting the drill bit to a position above a bottom of the borehole;

after the retracting, rotating the drill bit at the position for a spin-out period if the drill bit was retracted two or fewer times during the drilling phase;

after the retracting, rotating the drill bit at the position for a product of the spin-out period and the number of drill retractions if the drill bit was retracted three or more times during the drilling phase; and

retracting the drill bit from the borehole.

3. A system for drilling a borehole, comprising:

a drill rig comprising a drill including a drill bit, an air injection system, and a water injection system; and

a control system operatively associated with said drill rig, said control system;

monitoring drill parameters comprising drill rotational speed, drill torque, drill depth, hoist speed and number of drill retractions;

receiving information from said drill rig relating to at least one drill parameter,

controlling each of said drill, said air injection system and said water injection system,

storing program steps for program control, and processing data; and

said control system processing information relating to the drill parameter, determining whether the drill parameter is within a predetermined specification for at least one monitored drill parameter for a drilling phase or a retraction phase, the retraction phase following completion of the drilling phase, choosing a hole defect mitigation routine based on the at least one monitored drill parameter when the at least one drill parameter is outside the predetermined specification, said hole defect mitigation routine comprising at least one drilling phase defect mitigation routine for implementation during the drilling phase and at least one retraction phase mitigation routine for implementation during the retraction phase, said refraction phase mitigation routine comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of drill bit hang-up protection, torque monitoring and hole clean-out, said control system controlling said drill rig to implement said hole clean-out routine when one or more of said monitored drill retractions is outside a predetermined specification for drill retractions, said monitored hoist speed is outside a predetermined specification for hoist speed, and said drill torque is outside a predetermined specification for drill torque, said hole clean-out routine, comprising;

lowering the drill bit to a position above a bottom of the borehole;

rotating the drill bit for a spin-out period if the drill bit was retracted two or fewer times during the drilling phase;

rotating the drill bit for a product of the spin-out period and the number of drill retractions if the drill bit was retracted at least 3 times during the drilling phase; and

retracting the drill bit from the borehole.

4. A method for drilling a borehole, comprising:

monitoring one or more drill parameters comprising drill rotational speed, drill depth, hoist speed or number of drill retractions during a drilling phase and a retraction phase, the retraction phase beginning after the borehole has been drilled or after performing an end-of-hole measurement routine, said end-of-hole measurement routine being performed when said monitored drill depth meets a predetermined borehole depth and comprising;

lowering a drill bit to a position above a bottom of the borehole;

rotating the drill bit for a spin-out period if the drill bit was retracted two or fewer times during the drilling phase;

rotating the drill bit for a product of the spin-out period and the number of drill retractions if the drill bit was retracted at least 3 times during the drilling phase; and

retracting the drill bit from the borehole;

using the monitored drill parameter to draw a conclusion about a borehole characteristic;

choosing a defect mitigation routine based on the borehole characteristic; and

implementing the defect mitigation routine.