SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS WELLBORE SURVEY

• US 20160032709A1
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrodata Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gyrodata Incorporated
• Inventors: Ledroz, Adrin Guillermo, Weston, John Lionel
• Granted Patent: US 10,077,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/04 Directional drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/10 Correction of deflected boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/02 Rotary gyroscopes

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for producing a continuous survey of a previously drilled portion of a wellbore. The method includes receiving a plurality of stationary survey measurements taken at a corresponding plurality of locations along the portion of the wellbore. The method further includes receiving at least one continuous survey including a plurality of continuous survey measurements taken between a pair of stationary survey measurements of the plurality of stationary survey measurements. The method further includes combining the plurality of stationary survey measurements and the plurality of continuous survey measurements to produce the continuous survey of the portion of the wellbore.

Claims

1. A method for producing a continuous survey of a previously drilled portion of a wellbore, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of stationary survey measurements taken at a corresponding plurality of locations along the portion of the wellbore;

receiving at least one continuous survey comprising a plurality of continuous survey measurements taken between a pair of stationary survey measurements of the plurality of stationary survey measurements; and

combining the plurality of stationary survey measurements and the plurality of continuous survey measurements to produce the continuous survey of the portion of the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of stationary survey measurements comprises taking the plurality of stationary survey measurements using at least one survey tool.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one survey tool comprises a wireline survey tool, a slick line survey tool, or a drop survey tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one continuous survey comprises taking the at least one continuous survey using at least one survey tool.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one survey tool comprises a wireline survey tool, a slick line survey tool, or a drop survey tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the plurality of stationary survey measurements and the plurality of continuous survey measurements comprises using a computer system comprising at least one processor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pair of stationary survey measurements are spaced from one another by a distance along the wellbore in a range of 30 feet to 270 feet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one continuous survey spans across a location of at least one stationary survey measurements of the plurality of stationary survey measurements.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one continuous survey includes the locations of the pair of stationary survey measurements.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one continuous survey comprises a plurality of continuous surveys that at least partially overlap one another.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the plurality of stationary survey measurements and the plurality of continuous survey measurements comprises adjusting the continuous survey measurements to reduce a difference between at least one of the stationary survey measurements of the pair of stationary survey measurements and the continuous survey measurements at a depth of the at least one of the stationary survey measurements.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the continuous survey measurements comprises applying an offset to the continuous survey measurements.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the continuous survey measurements comprises determining bias errors at the locations of the pair of stationary survey measurements, calculating interpolated bias errors at locations between the pair of stationary survey measurements, and applying offsets to the continuous survey measurements to correct for the interpolated bias errors.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of stationary survey measurements comprises taking the plurality of stationary survey measurements during an outrun survey of the wellbore.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one continuous survey comprises taking the at least one continuous survey during an outrun survey of the wellbore.

31. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one survey tool comprises a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) survey tool.

16. A method for generating data for a continuous survey of a previously drilled portion of a wellbore, the method comprising:

taking a plurality of stationary survey measurements at a corresponding plurality of locations along the portion of the wellbore; and

taking at least one continuous survey comprising a plurality of continuous survey measurements between a pair of stationary survey measurements of the plurality of stationary survey measurements.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein taking the plurality of stationary survey measurements is performed using at least one survey tool and taking the at least one continuous survey is performed using the at least one survey tool.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one survey tool comprises a wireline survey tool, a slick line survey tool, or a drop survey tool.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one survey tool comprises at least one gyroscopic sensor module.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one gyroscopic sensor module comprises at least one gyroscopic sensor module dedicated to performing the plurality of stationary survey measurements and at least one gyroscopic sensor module dedicated to performing the at least one continuous survey.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein taking the plurality of stationary survey measurements comprises transmitting data from the plurality of stationary survey measurements to a computer system comprising at least one processor and taking the at least one continuous survey comprises transmitting data from the plurality of continuous survey measurements to the computer system.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein taking the plurality of stationary survey measurements and taking the at least one continuous survey are performed using at least one survey tool at sequential positions downward along the wellbore, sequential positions upward along the wellbore, or both

23. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of taking the plurality of stationary survey measurements and taking the plurality of continuous survey measurements is performed using at least one of the following survey tools:

a wireline survey tool, a slick line survey tool, and a drop survey tool.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of taking the plurality of stationary survey measurements and taking the plurality of continuous survey measurements is performed during an outrun survey of the wellbore.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one survey tool comprises a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) survey tool.

25. A wellbore survey system comprising:

at least one first survey tool configured to perform stationary survey measurements at a first level of performance; and

at least one second survey tool configured to perform continuous survey measurements at a second level of performance lower than the first level of performance.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one first survey tool comprises at least one first gyroscopic sensor module having measurement accuracy in a range from 0.01 to 0.05 degrees per hour.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one second survey tool comprises at least one second gyroscopic sensor module having a rate measurement bias stability in the range of 5 to 10 degrees per hour.

28. The system of claim 25, further comprising at least one processor configured to receive signals from the at least one first survey tool and the at least one second survey tool and is configured to produce a continuous survey in response to data from the stationary survey measurements and data from the continuous survey measurements.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one first survey tool comprises a survey tool selected from the group consisting of:

a wireline survey tool, a slick line survey tool, and a drop survey tool.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one second survey tool comprises a survey tool selected from the group consisting of:

a wireline survey tool, a slick line survey tool, and a drop survey tool.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one first survey tool comprises a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) survey tool.