Stochastic control method for mud circulation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10738548-B2
Application number	US-201615776757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A stochastic control method includes measuring a fluid property of a drilling fluid circulating within a mud circulation system and identifying a mud circulation model that dictates operation of the mud circulation system. The mud circulation model is based on one or more models of one or more uncertainties encountered during a wellbore drilling operation. The method further includes determining an accuracy of the mud circulation model based on a residue between the measured fluid property of the drilling fluid and a fluid property of the drilling fluid as provided by the mud circulation model, and programming a controller of the mud circulation system based on the mud circulation model to modify operation of the mud circulation system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
measuring a fluid property of a drilling fluid circulating within a mud circulation system;
identifying a mud circulation model that dictates operation of the mud circulation system, the mud circulation model being based on one or more models of one or more uncertainties encountered during a wellbore drilling operation;
determining an accuracy of the mud circulation model based on a residue between the measured fluid property of the drilling fluid and a fluid property of the drilling fluid as provided by the mud circulation model; and
programming a controller of the mud circulation system based on the mud circulation model to modify operation of the mud circulation system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the drilling fluid at one or more locations in the mud circulation system to measure the fluid property.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an optimal value of the fluid property of the drilling fluid for use in the mud circulation system; and
controlling the mud circulation system based on the optimal value of the fluid property.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the mud circulation model when the residue is greater than a predetermined threshold value; and
programming the controller based on the updated mud circulation model.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the mud circulation model when the residue is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a plurality of sampled models, each sampled model being based on the mud circulation model and an uncertainty model of the one or more uncertainties; and
programming the controller to modify operation of the mud circulation system based on the plurality of sampled models.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the accuracy of the mud circulation model using one or more desired statistical test methods.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the mud circulation model to operate the mud circulation system based on the measured fluid property.

9. A system, comprising:
a mud circulation system for a wellbore drilling operation;
a primary controller that controls operation of the mud circulation system;
a secondary controller that programs the primary controller; and
a computer system including a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer system being communicatively coupled to the mud circulation system, the primary controller, and the secondary controller and the computer readable medium storing a computer readable program code that when executed by the processor causes the computer system to actuate the secondary controller to:
measure a fluid property of a drilling fluid circulating within the mud circulation system;
identify a mud circulation model that dictates operation of the mud circulation system, the mud circulation model being based on one or more models of one or more uncertainties encountered during the wellbore drilling operation;
determine an accuracy of the mud circulation model based on a residue between the measured fluid property of the drilling fluid and a fluid property of the drilling fluid as provided by the mud circulation model; and
program the primary controller based on the mud circulation model to modify operation of the mud circulation system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein executing the program code further causes the computer system to provide the measured fluid property obtained via monitoring the drilling fluid at one or more locations in the mud circulation system to the secondary controller.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system further comprises a supervisory controller superordinate to the primary controller and the secondary controller and executing the program code further causes the computer system to:
actuate the supervisory controller to determine an optimal value of the fluid property of the drilling fluid for use in the mud circulation system; and
control the mud circulation system based on the optimal value of the fluid property.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein executing the program code further causes the computer system to actuate the secondary controller to:
update the mud circulation model when the residue is greater than a predetermined threshold value; and
program the primary controller based on the updated mud circulation model.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein executing the program code further causes the computer system to actuate the secondary controller to maintain the mud circulation model when the residue is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein executing the program code further causes the computer system to actuate the secondary controller to:
generate a plurality of sampled models, each sampled model being based on the mud circulation model and an uncertainty model of the one or more uncertainties; and
program the primary controller to modify operation of the mud circulation system based on the plurality of sampled models.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein executing the program code further causes the computer system to actuate the secondary controller to determine the accuracy of the mud circulation model using one or more desired statistical test methods.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein executing the program code further causes the computer system to actuate the secondary controller to identify the mud circulation model to operate the mud circulation system based on the measured fluid property.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Xue Yuzhen
• Dykstra Jason D
• Ge Xiaoqing

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

• E21B21/085

  Underbalanced techniques, i.e. where borehole fluid pressure is below formation pressure · CPC title

• E21B21/01 Primary

  Arrangements for handling drilling fluids or cuttings outside the borehole, e.g. mud boxes · CPC title

• E21B21/06

  Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B21/062

  by mixing components · CPC title