Heave compensated managed pressure drilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10323474-B2
Application number	US-201515574391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2015
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, system and methods for controlling borehole pressure in a MPD system to compensate for heave effects on a drilling rig are provided. The systems and method described herein involve calculating and implementing set points for two or more MPD system components in real time. These MPD components that are controlled via the dynamic set points may include a choke, a backpressure pump (BPP), a rig pump diverter (RPD), a continuous circulation device, one or more mud pumps, a pressure relief system, or some combination thereof. By calculating and providing these set points in real-time during various well and drilling operations, non-productive time, well control events, and costs to remedy issues resulting from improper pressure levels within the borehole may be mitigated or avoided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a processor, input variables associated with characteristics of a well system during a first time period, wherein the well system comprises a floating platform that is subject to heave, wherein at least one of the input variables comprises a tension or weight on a riser/tensioner used to direct a tubular string from a floating platform to a subsea wellhead, and wherein at least one of the input variables comprises a pressure measurement at a surface of the well system;
calculating a first choke set point based on one or more of the input variables received during the first time period;
determining whether the first choke set point is valid based on a predetermined expected range of choke set points for the well system; and
transmitting the first choke set point to a choke controller associated with a choke manifold of a managed pressure drilling (MPD) system, when the first choke set point is determined to be valid.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating a first backpressure pump or rig pump diverter (BPP/RPD) set point by determining an expected change in fluid volume in a borehole brought on by heave of the well system based on the measured tension or weight on the riser/tensioner, and determining a flow rate of fluid to be output through the BPP/RPD component to directly counteract the expected change in fluid volume;
determining whether the first BPP/RPD set point is valid based on a predetermined expected range of BPP/RPD set points for the well system;
transmitting the first BPP/RPD set point to a BPP/RPD controller for controlling a flow rate of fluid through a BPP/RPD component of the MPD system, when the first BPP/RPD set point is determined to be valid; and
calculating the first choke set point by comparing the detected pressure measurement at the surface of the well system to a predetermined surface pressure set point and determining a first choke position to directly counteract any deviation of the pressure measurement from the surface pressure set point.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
tracking a wave pattern over time via the processor based on the detected tension or weight on the riser/tensioner taken over time; and
predicting one or more additional BPP/RPD set points based on the first BPP/RPD set point and based on the wave pattern.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining whether the well system is operating in a connection mode where a tubular string is hanging in slips from the floating platform; and
calculating the first BPP/RPD set point based on the detected tension or weight on the riser/tensioner only if the well system is operating in the connection mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating a first continuous circulation set point by determining an expected change in fluid volume in a borehole brought on by heave of the well system based on the measured tension or weight on the riser/tensioner, and determining a flow rate of fluid to be output through the continuous circulation device to directly counteract the expected change in fluid volume;
determining whether the first continuous circulation set point is valid based on a predetermined expected range of continuous circulation set points for the well system;
transmitting the first continuous circulation set point to a continuous circulation controller for controlling a flow rate of fluid through a continuous circulation device, when the first continuous circulation set point is determined to be valid; and
calculating the first choke set point by comparing the detected pressure measurement at the surface of the well system to a predetermined surface pressure set point and determining a first choke position to directly counteract any deviation of the pressure measurement from the surface pressure set point.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
tracking a wave pattern over time via the processor based on the detected tension or weight on the riser/tensioner taken over time; and
predicting one or more additional continuous circulation set points based on the first continuous circulation set point and based on the wave pattern.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining whether the well system is operating in a connection mode where a tubular string is hanging in slips from the floating platform; and
calculating the first continuous circulation set point based on the detected tension or weight on the riser/tensioner only if the well system is operating in the connection mode.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input variables further comprise at least one of a roll, pitch, or heave of a drilling rig as sensed via a rig dynamic positioning system.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, when the first choke set point is determined to be invalid, whether an input variable value of one of the input variables is out of variance with a predetermined range of acceptable input variable values;
recalculating, when the input variable value corresponding to the one of the input variables is determined to be out of variance, the first choke set point based on the model of the well system utilizing a default value for the one of the one or more input variables; and
transmitting the first choke set point to the choke controller when the first choke set point is determined to be valid.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the processor, input variables associated with one or more characteristics of the well system during a second time period different than the first time period;
calculating a second choke set point based on the input variables received during the second time period;
determining whether the second choke set point is valid based on a predetermined expected range of choke set points for the well system; and
transmitting the second choke set point to the choke controller when the second choke set point is determined to be valid.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising predicting one or more additional choke set points based on the first choke set point and the second choke set point.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating the first choke set point based on a model of the well system utilizing the input variables received during the first time period.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MPD system is operating in a connection mode during the first time period.

14. A well system, comprising:
a blowout preventer (BOP) stack;
a choke manifold operatively coupled to the BOP stack;
a backpressure pump or rig pump diverter (BPP/RPD) component operatively coupled to the choke manifold; and
a computer system that includes a processor and memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive one or more input variables associated with one or more characteristics of the well system, wherein at least one of the one or more input variables comprises a tension, movement, or weight on a riser/tensioner used to direct a tubular string from a floating platform to the BOP stack, and wherein at least one of the one or more input variables comprises a pressure measurement at a surface of the well system;
calculate one or more BPP/RPD set points by determining an expected change in fluid volume in a borehole brought on by heave of the well system based on the measured tension, movement, or weight on the riser/tensioner, and determining a flow rate of fluid to be output through the BPP/RPD to directly counteract the expected change in fluid volume;
determine wh

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Olsen Karl Kristian
• Tonnessen Tim Rohne

Classifications

• E21B21/08 Primary

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title

• E21B21/001

  specially adapted for underwater drilling (dual gradient drilling E21B21/082) · CPC title

• E21B33/064

  specially adapted for underwater well heads · CPC title

• E21B44/00

  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 title

• E21B34/04

  in underwater well heads · CPC title