Automated control of toolface while slide drilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036678-B2
Application number	US-201314059215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for controlling slide drilling on a drilling rig are described. The methods include detecting current differential pressure of a mud motor and/or weight on bit (WOB) at a surface of a borehole, predicting current reactive torque of the mud motor based on the current differential pressure and/or WOB, and automatically adjusting surface torque and/or angular offset of a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current reactive torque and to keep the mud motor at a desired toolface orientation in the borehole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of slide drilling, which method comprises:
determining, with a controller, using surface readings obtained adjacent a surface of a borehole, current differential pressure of a mud motor determined by calculating a difference between a measured off-bottom surface standpipe pressure and a measured on-bottom surface standpipe pressure, weight on bit (WOB) determined by a surface WOB sensor, or both;
predicting, with the controller, using the surface readings obtained adjacent the surface of the borehole, current downhole reactive torque of the mud motor based on a first predetermined relationship with either the determined current differential pressure, the WOB, or both, wherein the current downhole reactive torque is generated by sliding and causes a change in toolface orientation from a desired toolface orientation;
determining, with the controller, a downhole length of the tubular string;
determining, with the controller, based on a second predetermined relationship with the predicted current downhole reactive torque, the downhole length of the tubular string and a change of friction in the tubular string, a specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to apply to a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current downhole reactive torque to correct for the change in toolface orientation caused by the current downhole reactive torque and to position the mud motor at the desired toolface orientation in the borehole;
generating and sending, with the controller, a control signal to a top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular; and
controlling, via the control signal, the top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined relationship differs in response to a mud motor used, formation drilled, drill bit used, or combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined relationship is determined by fitting data points to a curve.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the predicting the current downhole reactive torque further comprises using the curve to interpolate or extrapolate the current downhole reactive torque based on the current differential pressure, WOB, or both.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising selecting a specific first predetermined relationship from a plurality of predetermined relationships in response to the formation drilled, drill bit used, mud motor used, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of predetermined relationships are determined by fitting measured differential pressure data, WOB, or both and reactive torque data to a curve for each of the different formations, drill bits, mud motors, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the current differential pressure, WOB, or both further comprises measuring surface standpipe pressure, WOB, or both, at predetermined time intervals.

8. A method of slide drilling, which method comprises:
determining, with a controller using surface readings obtained adjacent a surface of a borehole to reduce lag time between receiving sensed or calculated data and adjusting a drilling toolface, current differential pressure of a mud motor determined by calculating a difference between a measured off-bottom surface standpipe pressure and a measured on-bottom surface standpipe pressure, weight on bit (WOB) determined by a surface WOB sensor, or both;
predicting, within the controller using the surface readings obtained adjacent the surface of the borehole, current downhole reactive torque of the mud motor based on a first predetermined relationship with either the determined current differential pressure, the WOB, or both, wherein the current downhole reactive torque is generated by sliding and causes a change in toolface orientation from a desired toolface orientation;
determining, with the controller, a downhole length of the tubular string;
determining, with the controller, based on a second predetermined relationship with the predicted current downhole reactive torque, the downhole length of the tubular string and a change of friction in the tubular string, a specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both, to apply to of a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current downhole reactive torque to correct for the change in toolface orientation caused by the current downhole reactive torque and to position the mud motor at the desired toolface orientation in the borehole;
generating and sending, with the controller, a control signal to a top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular; and
controlling, via the control signal, the top drive to apply the specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both to the tubular.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first predetermined relationship differs in response to a mud motor used, formation drilled, drill bit used, or combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising selecting a specific first predetermined relationship from a plurality of predetermined relationships in response to the formation drilled, drill bit used, mud motor used, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of first predetermined relationships are determined by fitting measured differential pressure data, WOB, or both and reactive torque data to a curve for each of the different formations, drill bits, mud motors, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first predetermined relationship is determined by fitting data points to a curve.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the predicting the current downhole reactive torque further comprises using the curve to interpolate or extrapolate the current downhole reactive torque based on the current differential pressure, WOB, or both.

14. A control system configured to perform slide drilling comprising:
a computer system configured to predict, using surface readings obtained adjacent a surface of a borehole, current downhole reactive torque of a mud motor based on a first predetermined relationship with current differential pressure determined by calculating a difference between a measured off-bottom surface standpipe pressure and a measured on-bottom surface standpipe pressure, weight on bit (WOB) values determined by a surface WOB sensor, or both, wherein the current downhole reactive torque is generated by sliding and causes a change in toolface orientation from a desired toolface orientation;
a sensor engine in communication with the computer system, the sensor engine being configured to sense the surface readings of the current differential pressure, WOB, or both, adjacent the surface of the borehole; and
an operational equipment engine in communication with the computer system, the operational equipment engine being configured to receive input from the computer system to:
determine, with a controller, a downhole length of the tubular string;
determine, based on a second predetermined relationship with the predicted current downhole reactive torque, the downhole length of the tubular string and a change of friction in the tubular string, a specific amount of surface torque, angular offset, or both, of a tubular adjacent the surface to counteract the current downhole reactive torque to correct for the change in toolface orientation caused by the current downhole reactive torque and to position the mud motor at the desired toolface orientation in the borehole;
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Assignees

• Ryan Directional Services
• Nabors Drilling Tech Usa Inc

Inventors

• Fisher Jr Gary Verdean
• Hunter Graham
• Hadi Mahmoud
• Rolong Carlos

Classifications

• G01L5/0004 Primary

  Force transducers adapted for mounting in a bore of the force receiving structure (G01L5/0009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B7/068

  drilled by a down-hole drilling motor (down-hole drives per se E21B4/00, E21B7/067 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B49/003

  by analysing drilling variables or conditions (E21B49/005 takes precedence; systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions E21B44/00) · CPC title

• E21B44/005 Primary

  Below-ground automatic control systems · CPC title

• E21B47/024

  of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022) · CPC title