Automated drilling optimization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539001-B2
Application number	US-201715820919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A method for drilling a borehole penetrating the earth includes: inputting drilling parameters as a function of depth used to drill one or more offset boreholes and rate of penetration using the drilling parameters, any drilling dysfunctions that occurred using the drilling parameters, and one or more lithologies as a function of depth for the one or more offset boreholes. The method also includes identifying those drilling parameters that correspond to a rate of penetration (ROP) that meets or exceeds an ROP threshold for each input lithology and a minimum number of drilling dysfunctions or minimum magnitude of a drilling dysfunction to provide identified drilling parameters; correlating a borehole plan comprising a borehole path and one or more assumed lithologies as a function of depth to the one or more lithologies of the one or more offset boreholes; and drilling the borehole with the drill rig using the identified drilling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for drilling a borehole penetrating the earth using a drill rig that operates a drill string, the method comprising:
inputting into a processor (i) drilling parameters as a function of depth used to drill one or more offset boreholes, (ii) rate of penetration using the drilling parameters for the one or more offset boreholes, (iii) any drilling dysfunctions that occurred using the drilling parameters for the one or more offset boreholes, and (iv) one or more lithologies as a function of depth for the one or more offset boreholes;
identifying, using the processor, those drilling parameters that correspond to at least one of (v) a rate of penetration (ROP) that meets or exceeds a selected ROP threshold for each input lithology and (vi) a minimum number of drilling dysfunctions or minimum magnitude of a drilling dysfunction to provide identified drilling parameters;
correlating a borehole plan comprising a borehole path to be drilled and one or more assumed lithologies as a function of depth to the one or more lithologies of the one or more offset boreholes;
receiving borehole survey information from a borehole survey sensor disposed on the drill string, the survey information comprising a borehole trajectory including depth of the borehole being drilled;
cross-checking the lithology assumed in the drilling parameters with the survey information based on depth; and
drilling the borehole with the drill rig using the identified drilling parameters that provide at least one of the ROP that meets or exceeds the selected ROP threshold for each of the one or more assumed lithologies in the borehole plan and the minimum number of drilling dysfunctions or the minimum magnitude of a drilling dysfunction.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sensing a drilling performance indicator using a drilling performance sensor.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the drilling performance indicator comprises at least one of axial vibration, lateral vibration, torsional vibration, abnormal drill bit motion, gas detection, and borehole pressure.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising displaying the drilling performance indicator to a user in response to the drilling performance indicator exceeding a threshold value.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selected ROP threshold is a maximum of all ROPs for at least one of the lithologies in the one or more offset boreholes.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the drilling parameters comprise at least one of torque applied to a drill string operated by the drill rig, weight on bit, drilling fluid flow rate, and drill string rotational speed.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the depth is true vertical depth.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising automatically transmitting identified drilling parameters to a drill rig controller for a change in lithology when a depth is reached signifying the beginning of an interval of the changed lithology according to the borehole plan.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying a lithology currently being drilled using a downhole sensor disposed on a drill string drilling the borehole and updating the borehole plan using the lithology identified by the downhole sensor.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying a location of the drill string drilling the borehole using a sensor disposed on the drill string and updating the borehole plan using the identified location.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein drilling dysfunctions comprise at least one of vibrations of a drill string operated by the drill rig exceeding a threshold value, torque applied to the drill string exceeding a threshold value, and borehole pressure exceeding a threshold value.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising updating the drilling parameters based on the survey information.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising comparing the rate of penetration (ROP) assumed by the identified drilling parameters to the actual ROP sensed by a drill rig sensor and updating the drilling parameters being used when a difference between the assumed ROP and the actual ROP exceeds a threshold value, wherein the updated drilling parameters are based on a lithology different from the lithology assumed in the borehole plan.

14. An apparatus for drilling a borehole penetrating the earth, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive (i) drilling parameters as a function of depth used to drill one or more offset boreholes, (ii) rate of penetration using the drilling parameters for the one or more offset boreholes, (iii) any drilling dysfunctions that occurred using the drilling parameters for the one or more offset boreholes, and (iv) one or more lithologies as a function of depth for the one or more offset boreholes;
identify those drilling parameters that correspond to at least one of (v) a rate of penetration (ROP) that meets or exceeds a selected ROP threshold for each input lithology and (vi) a minimum number of drilling dysfunctions or minimum magnitude of a drilling dysfunction to provide identified drilling parameters;
correlate a borehole plan comprising a borehole path to be drilled and one or more assumed lithologies as a function of depth to the one or more lithologies of the one or more offset boreholes;
a borehole survey sensor disposed at the drill string and configured to sense a location of the borehole being drilled including depth of the borehole, wherein the processor is further configured to update the borehole plan with as-drilled borehole location information sensed by the borehole survey sensor; and
a drill rig configured to operate a drill string to drill the borehole according to the borehole path using the identified drilling parameters that provide at least one of the ROP that meets or exceeds the selected ROP threshold for each of the one or more assumed lithologies in the borehole plan and the minimum number of drilling dysfunctions or the minimum magnitude of a drilling dysfunction.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a drilling performance sensor configured to measure a drilling performance indicator, wherein the processor is further configured to at least one of compare the drilling performance sensor to a threshold and display the drilling performance indicator to a user.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the drilling performance indicator comprises at least one of axial vibration, lateral vibration, torsional vibration, abnormal drill bit motion, gas detection, and borehole pressure.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a lithology sensor disposed on the drill string and configured to sense a formation lithology, wherein the processor is further configured to update the borehole plan with a lithology sensed by the lithology sensor.

Assignees

• Kpetehoto Franck T
• Hood James Albert
• Carey Stephen
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Kpetehoto Franck T
• Hood James Albert
• Carey Stephen

Classifications

• E21B44/02 Primary

  Automatic control of the tool feed ({E21B44/005,} E21B44/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02P90/70

  Combining sequestration of CO2 and exploitation of hydrocarbons by injecting CO2 or carbonated water in oil wells · CPC title