Downhole toolstring spacer placement systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10408697-B2
Application number	US-201615392615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

Techniques for improving implementation of a downhole tool string to be deployed in a borehole formed in a sub-surface formation. In some embodiments, a design device determines a model that describes expected relationship between properties of the downhole tool string, the borehole, the sub-surface formation, and mud cake expected to be formed in the borehole; determines calibration locations along the borehole based on properties of the borehole; determines candidate spacer configurations based on contact force expected to occur at contact points between the downhole tool string and the mud cake when deployed with each of the candidate spacer configuration via the model; and determines a final spacer configuration to be used to attach one or more spacers along the downhole tool string based on expected head tension to move the downhole tool string when deployed in the borehole with each of the candidate spacer configurations via the model.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing system used to implement one or more spacers along a downhole tool string to be deployed in a borehole formed in a sub-surface formation, comprising:
a manufacturing tool configured to attach the one or more spacers along the downhole tool string based at least in part on a final spacer configuration; and
a design device configured to:
determine a model that describes an expected relationship between properties of the downhole tool string, properties of the borehole, properties of the sub-surface formation, and properties of mud cake expected to be formed on a surface of the borehole;
determine a plurality of calibration locations along the borehole based at least in part on the properties of the borehole;
determine a plurality of candidate spacer configurations based at least in part on a contact force expected to occur at contact points between the downhole tool string and the mud cake when the downhole tool string is deployed with each of the plurality of candidate spacer configurations via the model; and
determine the final spacer configuration based at least in part on an expected head tension to move the downhole tool string along the borehole when the downhole tool string is deployed with each of the plurality of candidate spacer configurations via the model.

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein, to determine the plurality of calibration locations, the design device is configured to:
determine a first calibration location at a first depth in the borehole based at least in part on first properties of the borehole expected to be present at the first calibration location; and
determine a second calibration location at a second depth in the borehole based at least in part on second properties of the borehole expected to be present at the second calibration location.

3. The manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein, to determine the second calibration location, the design device is configured to:
determine a first deviation of the borehole indicated by the first properties of the borehole;
determine a second deviation of the borehole indicated by the second properties of the borehole;
determine a distance between the first calibration location and a candidate location; and
select the candidate location as the second calibration location when the first deviation and the second deviation differ by more than an angle threshold or the distance between the first calibration location and the candidate location is greater than a distance threshold.

4. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein, to determine the plurality of candidate spacer configurations, the design device is configured to:
determine a first candidate spacer configuration based at least in part on a first contact force profile output from the model, wherein the first contact force profile indicates the contact force expected to occur at a first one or more contact points between the downhole tool string and the mud cake when the downhole tool string is deployed at a first calibration location of the plurality of calibration locations in the borehole with the first candidate spacer configuration implemented;
determine a second candidate spacer configuration based at least in part on a second contact force profile output from the model, wherein the second contact force profile indicates the contact force expected to occur at a second one or more contact points between the downhole tool string and the mud cake when the downhole tool string is deployed at a second calibration location of the plurality of calibration locations in the borehole with the second candidate spacer configuration implemented.

5. The manufacturing system of claim 4 , wherein, to determine the first candidate spacer configuration, the design device is configured to:
determine an initial spacer configuration;
determine a contact force profile output from the model, wherein the contact force profile indicates the contact force expected to occur at one or more contact points between the downhole tool string and the mud cake when the downhole tool string is deployed at the first calibration location in the borehole with the initial spacer configuration implemented;
set the initial spacer configuration as the first candidate spacer configuration when at least one of:
contact parameters determined based at least in part on the contact force profile meet contact parameter thresholds; and
the one or more spacers included in the initial spacer configuration are available to be implemented on the downhole tool string; and

when the initial spacer configuration is not selected as the first candidate spacer configuration:
adjust the initial spacer configuration by adding a first spacer to the initial spacer configuration, removing a second spacer from the initial spacer configuration, changing a location of a third spacer in the initial spacer configuration, or any combination thereof; and
re-determine the contact force profile.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein, to determine the final spacer configuration, the design device is configured to:
determine a first expected head tension output from the model, wherein the first expected head tension indicates a first force expected to be used to move the downhole tool string along the borehole at a first calibration location of the plurality of calibration locations with a first candidate spacer configuration of the plurality of candidate spacer configurations implemented;
determine a second expected head tension output from the model, wherein the second expected head tension indicates a second force expected to be used to move the downhole tool string along the borehole at a second calibration location of the plurality of calibration locations with the first candidate spacer configuration implemented;
determine a third expected head tension output from the model, wherein the third expected head tension indicates force expected to be used to move the downhole tool string along the borehole at the first calibration location with a second candidate spacer configuration of the plurality of candidate spacer configurations implemented;
determine a fourth expected head tension output from the model, wherein the fourth expected head tension indicates force expected to be used to move the downhole tool string along the borehole at the second calibration location with the second candidate spacer configuration implemented; and
set the final spacer configuration as one of the first candidate spacer configuration and the second candidate spacer configuration based at least in part on the first expected head tension, the second expected head tension, the third expected head tension, and the fourth expected head tension.

7. The manufacturing system of claim 6 , wherein, to determine the final spacer configuration, the design device is configured to:
determine a first maximum head tension associated with the first candidate spacer configuration based at least in part on the first expected head tension and the second expected head tension;
determine a second maximum head tension associated with the second candidate spacer configuration based at least in part on the third expected head tension and the fourth expected head tension; and
select the first candidate spacer configuration as the final spacer configuration when the first maximum head tension is less than the second maximum head tension.

8. The manufacturing system of claim 6 , wherein, to determine the final spacer configuration, the design device is configured to:
determine a first available head tension that indicates a first force expected to be available to move the downhole tool string along the borehole when deployed at the first calibr

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Hsu Kai
• Cook Scott C
• Schulz Daniel
• Au Gregory
• Subbarao Samuel P
• Agarwal Abhishek
• Partouche Ashers

Classifications

• E21B17/00 Primary

  Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; {Cables;} Casings; Tubings · CPC title

• G01L5/04 Primary

  for measuring tension in flexible members, e.g. ropes, cables, wires, threads, belts or bands {(G01L5/0004 takes precedence)} · CPC title