MODELING AND SIMULATION OF COMPLETE DRILL STRINGS

• US 20130054203A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Herbig, Christian, Reckmann, Hanno, Meyer-Heye, Bernhard, Schuberth, Frank, Spencer, Reed W., Jain, Jayesh Rameshlal, Hanson, Jonathan Mackey, El Hakam, Carmel Zouheir
• Granted Patent: US 10,227,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• 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 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 20/00 Geomodelling in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/66 Subsurface modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A method of predicting behavior of a drilling assembly includes: generating a mathematical representation of a geometry of each of a plurality of components of a drilling assembly, the plurality of components including a plurality of cutters and one or more additional components configured to at least one of: support the plurality of cutters and operably connect the plurality of cutters to the drill string, the one or more additional components including a drill bit crown; simulating one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly representation, and simulating an interaction between the plurality of components and an earth formation; and predicting physical responses of the drilling assembly representation to the one or more conditions.

Claims

1. A method of predicting behavior of a drilling assembly, comprising:

generating a mathematical representation of a geometry of each of a plurality of components of a drilling assembly, the plurality of components including a plurality of cutters and one or more additional components configured to at least one of;

support the plurality of cutters and operably connect the plurality of cutters to the drill string, the one or more additional components including a drill bit crown;

simulating one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly representation, and simulating an interaction between the plurality of components and an earth formation; and

predicting physical responses of the drilling assembly representation to the one or more conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the borehole environment includes at least one of borehole wall, a borehole casing, formation materials and borehole fluids.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mathematical representation is a finite element model, and generating the mathematical representation includes generating a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes representing the geometry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional components include components that contact the earth formation during a drilling operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional components includes at least one of a drill bit body, a connection between the drill bit and the drill string, and a reamer body.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the drill bit body includes at least one of a drill bit gage, a gage pad, a drill bit shank, a gage trimmer, a Tracblock, an ovoid and a wear knot.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating conditions includes at least one of a drilling parameter, a force, a load, a moment, and a torque.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction includes at least one of a rate of formation material removal of one or more of the plurality of components, forces due to contact between components and formation or borehole wall and friction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical responses include dynamic behavior of the drill string and drilling assembly, a static solution of the drill string and drilling assembly, a build-up rate of the drill string and drilling assembly in a formation due to the dynamic behavior, and a build-up rate of the drill string and drilling assembly in the formation due to the static solution.

10. A computer program product for predicting behavior of a drill string assembly, the computer program product including a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:

generating a mathematical representation of a geometry of each of a plurality of components of a drilling assembly, the plurality of components including a plurality of cutters and one or more additional components configured to at least one of;

support the plurality of cutters and operably connect the plurality of cutters to the drill string, the one or more additional components including a drill bit crown;

simulating one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly representation, and simulating an interaction between the plurality of components and an earth formation; and

predicting physical responses of the drilling assembly representation to the one or more conditions.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the mathematical representation is a finite element model and generating the mathematical representation includes generating a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes representing the geometry.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the one or more additional components include components that contact the earth formation during a drilling operation.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the one or more additional components includes at least one of a drill bit body, a connection between the drill bit and the drill string, and a reamer body.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the drill bit body includes at least one of a drill bit gage, a gage pad, a drill bit shank, a gage trimmer, a Tracblock, an ovoid and a wear knot.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the interaction includes a rate of formation material removal of one or more of the plurality of components, forces due to contact between components and formation or borehole wall and friction.

16. A system for estimating a behavior of a drilling assembly during a drilling operation, the system comprising:

a drilling assembly including at least a drill bit connected to a drill string, the drilling assembly configured to be disposed in a borehole;

a plurality of sensors operatively associated with the drilling assembly; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of sensors, the processor configured to;

generate a mathematical representation of a geometry of each of a plurality of components of a drilling assembly, the plurality of components including a plurality of cutters and one or more additional components configured to at least one of;

support the plurality of cutters and operably connect the plurality of cutters to the drill string, the one or more additional components including a drill bit crown;

simulate one or more operating conditions incident on the drilling assembly representation, and simulate an interaction between the plurality of components and a formation; and

predict physical responses of the drilling assembly representation to the one or more conditions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mathematical representation is a finite element model, and generating the mathematical representation includes generating a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes representing the geometry.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more additional components includes at least one of a drill bit body, a connection between the drill bit and the drill string, and a reamer body.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to measure downhole parameters associated with the drilling assembly, and the processor is configured to input the downhole parameters to simulate the physical responses of the drilling assembly representation.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to measure downhole parameters associated with the drilling assembly, and the processor is configured to receive the downhole parameters and compare the downhole parameters to the physical responses to validate the mathematical representation.