Method for drilling wellbores utilizing a drill string assembly optimized for stick-slip vibration conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10851639-B2
Application number	US-201815938821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of drilling operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods for drilling wells utilizing drilling equipment, more particularly drill string assemblies, and predicting modified drilling operation conditions based on proposed changes to the drill string configuration and/or the drilling parameters. Included are methods for drilling wells utilizing a method for the selection of modified drill string assemblies and/or modified drilling parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation, comprising:
a) obtaining initial drilling parameters characterizing an initial drilling operation using an initial drill string that was used to drill a portion of a wellbore or a different wellbore;
b) determining an initial Torsional Severity Estimate (TSE init ) for at least a portion of the drilling operation;
c) determining a reference value for a theoretical specific surface torque swing at full stick-slip per RPM for the initial drill string (ΔTQS ref,init ) for the initial drilling operation;
d) determining at least one modified drill string wherein the modified drill string is different from the initial drill string, at least one modified drilling parameter wherein the modified drilling parameter is different from the initial drilling parameter, or a combination thereof, for a modified drilling operation;
e) determining a reference value for a theoretical specific surface torque swing at full stick-slip per RPM for the modified drill string (ΔTQS ref,mod ) for the modified drilling operation;
f) calculating a Torsional Severity Estimate (TSE mod ) for the modified drilling operation using the at least one modified drill string, the at least one modified drilling parameter, or a combination thereof, using at least one of:
i) a ratio of theoretical specific surface torque swing at full stick-slip per RPM for the initial drill string (ΔTQS ref,init ) and the modified drill string (ΔTQS ref,mod );
ii) a ratio of surface rotary speed (SRPM) for the initial drilling operation and the modified drilling operation; or
iii) a ratio of downhole torque (DTOR) values for the initial drilling operation and the modified drilling operation;

g) selecting one of the following:
i) the initial drill string and at least one modified drilling parameter,
ii) the at least one modified drill string, or
iii) the at least one modified drill string and at least one modified drilling parameter; and

h) drilling the wellbore in a subterranean formation using a drilling system comprising the selection from step (g).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the TSE init determined in step (b) is calculated from the surface torque data for the initial drilling operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the TSE init determined in step (b) is calculated from the bit rotational speed data for the initial drilling operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference ΔTQS ref,init determined in step (c) is calculated from a dynamic model of the initial drill string.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference ΔTQS ref,init determined in step (c) is calculated from the data recorded during the initial drilling operation with the initial drill string.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference ΔTQS ref,mod determined in step (e) is calculated from a dynamic model of the modified drill string.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein criteria in the selection process of step (g) includes a P-value of a cumulative distribution exceeding TSE mod =1, such that the P-value is less than 10%.

8. A method for drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation, comprising:
a) obtaining initial drilling parameters characterizing a drilling operation using an initial drill string, wherein the initial drilling parameters include surface torque-swing (ΔTQ), drill string surface rotary speed (SRPM), measured depth (MD), and a theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) for the initial drill string and for a modified drill string;
b) calculating a distribution of specific surface torque-swing per RPM (ΔTQS) for at least a portion of the drilling operation using the initial drill string and the initial drilling parameters;
c) determining a distribution of specific surface torque-swing per RPM (ΔTQS) for the drilling operation using the initial drill string and modified drilling parameters;
d) determining a distribution of specific surface torque-swing per RPM (ΔTQS) for the drilling operation using the modified drill string and the initial drilling parameters;
e) determining a distribution of specific surface torque-swing per RPM (ΔTQS) for the drilling operation using the modified drill string and the modified drilling parameters;
f) selecting one of the following as the selected drill string and the selected drilling parameters: the initial drill string and the initial drilling parameters from (a and b); the initial drill string with the modified drilling parameters from (c); the modified drill string with the initial drilling parameters from (d); or the modified drill string with the modified drilling parameters from (e), where the selection is based on the distribution of the specific surface torque swing per RPM (ΔTQS) for each of the four cases; and
g) drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation using a drilling system comprising the selected drill string and the selected drilling parameters from step f).

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selected drill string and selected drilling parameters in step f) are selected such that less than 10% of the specific surface torque-swing distribution per RPM (ΔTQS) is greater than the theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) of the selected drill string.

10. A method for drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation, comprising:
a) obtaining drilling parameters characterizing a drilling operation using an initial drill string, wherein the drilling parameters include surface torque-swing, drill string surface rotary speed, measured depth, and a theoretical surface torque swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) of the initial drill string;
b) calculating a distribution of the specific surface torque-swing per RPM (ΔTQS) for at least a portion of the drilling operation using the initial drill string;
c) selecting a desired value for a theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) for the drilling operation for a modified drill string design based on the overall distribution of specific surface torque swing data per RPM (ΔTQS) for the drilling operation using the initial drill string;
d) designing a modified drill string based on the desired value for the theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) for the drilling operation;
e) selecting drilling parameters to operate the modified drill string; and
f) drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation using a drilling system comprising the modified drill string.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the modified drill string is designed such that less than 10% of an overall theoretical specific surface torque-swing per RPM (ΔTQS) distribution of the modified drill string is greater than the theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) of the modified drill string.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the designing a modified drill string based on the desired value for the theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) for the drilling operation in step d) is determined at a different average surface rotary speed (SRPM) and bit depth (MD) of the drill string than was obtained in step a).

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the actual value for the theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM (ΔTQS ref ) for the drilling operation of the modified drill string is within ±10% of the desired value for the theoretical specific surface torque-swing at full stick-slip per RPM for the drilling operation.

14. A method for drilling a

Assignees

• Bailey Jeffrey R
• Payette Gregory S
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Bailey Jeffrey R
• Payette Gregory S

Classifications

• E21B44/00 Primary

  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

• E21B45/00

  Measuring the drilling time or rate of penetration · CPC title

• E21B44/04 Primary

  in response to the torque of the drive {; Measuring drilling torque (E21B44/06 takes precedence; measuring stresses in a well bore pipe E21B47/007)} · CPC title