Methods for selecting bits and drilling tool assemblies

• US 9,765,571 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (SLB)
• Inventors: Huang, Sujian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez Rivas, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLL, NITHYA JANAKIRAMAN
• Application Number:
  US11/495,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,071 Days
• Field of Search: 703 1, 703 7, 175 39, 175266, 175327
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/00 Drill bits specially adapted for deflecting the direction of boring E21B7/064; with means for collecting substances E21B27/00

Abstract

A method for selecting a drill bit, the method including selecting a first drill bit design, simulating the first drill bit design drilling an earth formation under selected conditions, graphically displaying at least a portion of the simulating, analyzing results of the simulating, wherein the analyzing comprises reviewing a steerability of the first bit design, selecting a second drill bit design, simulating the second drill bit design drilling an earth formation under selected conditions, graphically displaying at least a portion of the simulating, analyzing results of the simulating, wherein the analyzing comprises reviewing a steerability of the second bit design and selecting, based upon the analyzing, a bit design is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a drill bit, the method comprising:

selecting a first drill bit design;

simulating the first drill bit design drilling an earth formation under selected conditions;

graphically displaying at least a portion of the simulating, wherein at least a portion of a first resultant graphical display comprises a display of a path of the first drill bit design;

analyzing results of the simulating the first drill bit design, wherein the analyzing comprises reviewing a steerability of the first drill bit design;

selecting a second drill bit design;

simulating the second drill bit design drilling an earth formation under selected conditions;

graphically displaying at least a portion of the simulating, wherein at least a portion of a second resultant graphical display comprises

a display of a path of the first bit design and a display of a path of the second drill bit design;

analyzing results of the simulating the second drill bit design, wherein the analyzing comprises reviewing a steerability of the second bit design;

selecting, based upon the analyzing the results of the simulating the first and second drill bit designs, a bit design from among the first and second drill bit designs; and

manufacturing the drill bit having the selected bit design.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the drill bit to drill a well.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reviewing a steerability comprises reviewing at least one of lateral vibration data, lateral force data, a walk rate, and a force imbalance for the selected drill bit design.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphically displaying comprises displaying at least one of lateral vibration, axial vibration, torsional vibration, force on a component, rate of penetration, torque, and weight on bit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting a bit design comprises:

selecting a drill bit that has an improved rate of penetration during a building section of a wellbore.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first resultant graphical display and second resultant graphical display is three dimensional.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first resultant graphical display and second resultant graphical display is four dimensional.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing results of the simulating the second drill bit design comprises:

comparing a build angle of the first drill bit to a build angle of the second drill bit.

9. A method of selecting a drill bit, comprising:

simulating a first bit design;

assigning a first steerability factor to the first bit design, wherein the assigning comprises reviewing at least one of lateral vibration data, lateral force data, walk rate, and a force imbalance for the first bit design and assigning a relative value to the first bit design based on the simulating;

simulating a second bit design, wherein the simulating of the second bit design comprises graphically displaying a path of the first bit design and the second bit design;

assigning a second steerability factor to the second bit design;

selecting a bit design based on the first and second steerability factors; and

manufacturing the drill bit having the selected bit design.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising graphically displaying at least one of lateral vibration, axial vibration, torsional vibration, force on a component, rate of penetration, torque, weight on bit, and path of the drill bit.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first steerability factor and second steerability factor is defined in terms of qualitative and quantitative data.

12. A method for predicting steerability of a bit design, comprising:

performing a drilling simulation of a drilling tool assembly, including a first bit design and at least one section of drill pipe, to simulate a drilling operation under selected conditions, wherein the simulation comprises graphically displaying a path of the first bit design;

outputting data representative of a steerability of the first bit design;

adjusting the first bit design to create an adjusted bit design;

performing a drilling simulation of the drilling tool assembly with the adjusted bit design, wherein the simulation comprises graphically displaying the path of the first bit design and a path of the adjusted bit design;

selecting a bit design having greater steerability, from among the first bit design and the adjusted bit design; and

manufacturing the drill bit having the selected bit design.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

adjusting a location of at least one component in the drilling tool assembly to create an adjusted drilling tool assembly;

performing a drilling simulation of the adjusted drilling tool assembly; and

outputting data representative of the steerability of the bit design selected when selecting the bit design having greater steerability.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

changing at least one of RPM and WOB for the drilling simulation; and

performing a new drilling simulation.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

adjusting a component on a drill string, the drill string comprising the at least one section of drill pipe and the drill bit.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one of moving a location of a component on a drill string relative to other components, adding a component on the drill string, adding drill pipe, and removing drill pipe; and

performing a second simulation; and

outputting data representative of the steerability of the drill bit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data representative of the steerability of the drill bit is displayed graphically.