Continuous locating while drilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10400581-B2
Application number	US-201415532054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Locating while drilling systems and methods are disclosed. Some method embodiments include drilling a borehole with a bottom-hole assembly (BHA attached to a drill bit, pausing the drilling to determine a survey position of the bit, obtaining measurements with BHA sensors while drilling, processing the BHA sensor measurements with a model while drilling to track a current position of the bit relative to the survey position, the model accounting for deformation of the BHA, and steering the BHA based on the current position of the bit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of continuous location while drilling that comprises:
drilling a borehole with a bottom-hole assembly (BHA) attached to a drill bit;
determining a survey position of the bit;
obtaining measurements with BHA sensors while the drill bit is turning;
processing the BHA sensor measurements with a model while drilling to track a current position of the bit relative to the survey position, the model accounting for deformation of the BHA; and
training the model to use the BHA sensor measurements for dead-reckoning current positions of the bit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the model models the BHA as a plurality of rigid bodies and calculates a set of local coordinates for each rigid body in the plurality.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the model determines a bit status vector during drilling.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a tool arrangement that enables the BHA sensors to fully characterize kinematics of the BHA while accounting for BHA deformation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BHA sensors include strain sensors, accelerometers, magnetometers, and gyroscopes.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a deviation, while drilling, between the current position of the bit and a desired position of the bit; and
triggering, based on the deviation, a survey to be performed during the next pause in drilling.

7. A locating while drilling system that comprises:
a BHA, attached to a drill bit, comprising BHA sensors; and
a processing unit configured to:
receive measurement while drilling (MWD) measurements from the BHA sensors;
employ the measurements in a model to track a current position of the bit relative to a survey position, the model accounting for deformation of the BHA; and
train the model to use the MWD measurements for dead reckoning current positions of the bit.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein processing unit causes the current position to be displayed.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is downhole.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the BHA includes a steering mechanism that compares the current position to a desired position.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the model models the BHA as a plurality of rigid bodies and calculates a set of local coordinates for each rigid body in the plurality.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the model determines a bit velocity vector during drilling.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the BHA is assembled with a tool arrangement that enables the BHA sensors to fully characterize kinematics of the BHA while accounting for BHA deformation.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the BHA sensors include strain sensors, accelerometers, magnetometers, and gyroscopes.

15. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processing unit detects a deviation, while drilling, between the current position of the bit and a desired position of the bit, and triggers, based on the deviation, a survey to be performed during the next pause in drilling.

16. A method of continuous location while drilling that comprises:
obtaining measurements with BHA sensors while a drill bit is turning;
processing the BHA sensor measurements with a model while drilling to track a current position of the bit relative to a survey position, the model accounting for deformation of the BHA;
steering the BHA automatically based on the current position of the bit; and
training the model to use the BHA sensor measurements for dead-reckoning current positions of the bit.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the model models the BHA as a plurality of rigid bodies and calculates a set of local coordinates for each rigid body in the plurality.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Dykstra Jason D
• Xue Yuzhen
• Bu Fanping

Classifications

• E21B7/10

  Correction of deflected boreholes · CPC title

• E21B47/09 Primary

  Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes · CPC title

• E21B7/04

  Directional drilling · CPC title

• E21B49/00

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title

• E21B47/024 Primary

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