Downhole rate of penetration measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028685-B2
Application number	US-201816025956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A method for determining a rate of penetration of a drill bit during an earth drilling operation may comprise first urging an element to extend out from a working face of the drill bit. As drilling progresses, this extended element may then be forced back into the drill bit by an internal surface of a borehole being formed. A rate at which the element retracts back into the working face may be measured to aid in estimating a rate of penetration of the drill bit into the earth.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining a rate of penetration of a downhole drilling operation, comprising:
urging an element to extend from a working face of a drill bit, wherein urging the element to extend is performed once a specific retraction displacement of the element is reached, and the element is free to rotate relative to the working face of the drill bit; and
measuring a rate of retraction of the element into the working face due to force from an internal surface of a borehole.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeatedly alternating between urging and measuring.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein urging the element to extend is performed at intervals selected to increase a rate of penetration of the drill bit.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising detecting variation in a maximum extension of the element.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
altering a force urging the element to extend;
comparing the measured rate of retraction during application of different urging forces; and
projecting the compared measured rates to a point of zero rate to estimate a weight on bit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein urging the element to extend displaces a portion of the internal surface.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein displacing the portion of the internal surface increases a rate of penetration of the drill bit.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein displacing the portion of the internal surface comprises crushing the portion.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising independently measuring the time spent urging and measuring.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising projecting the measured rate of retraction onto the time spent urging to estimate a rate of penetration of the drill bit.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising estimating a depth of the drill bit based on the estimated rate of penetration.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein projecting the measured rate of retraction onto the time spent urging comprises accounting for a change in rate of penetration due to a force of the urging.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring an azimuth and inclination of the drill bit during the measuring of the rate of retraction; and
estimating a radius of curvature traveled by the drill bit based on the measured azimuth, inclination and rate of retraction.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising comparing the estimated radius of curvature to a target radius of curvature and adjusting a steering process based thereon.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein urging the element to extend comprises translating the element along a rotational axis of the working face.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the element comprises an axially symmetrical geometry where it makes contact with the internal surface, and the element extends from the working face at the rotational axis of the drill bit.

17. A method for determining a rate of penetration of a downhole drilling operation, comprising:
urging an element to extend from a working face at a rotational axis of a drill bit;
measuring a rate of retraction of the element into the working face due to force from an internal surface of a borehole;
measuring an azimuth and inclination of the drill bit during the measuring of the rate of retraction; and
estimating a radius of curvature traveled by the drill bit based on the measured azimuth, inclination and rate of retraction.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein urging the element to extend is performed once a specific retraction displacement of the element is reached.

19. A method for determining a rate of penetration of a downhole drilling operation, comprising:
urging an element to extend from a working face of a drill bit, wherein the element is free to rotate relative to the working face of the drill bit; and
measuring a rate of retraction of the element into the working face due to force from an internal surface of a borehole.

Assignees

• Novatek Ip Llc
• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Taylor Malcolm
• Woolston Scott R
• Marshall Jonathan D
• Hoyle David

Classifications

• E21B10/42

  Rotary drag type drill bits with teeth, blades or like cutting elements, e.g. fork-type bits, fish tail bits (characterised by wear resisting parts E21B10/46; by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluid E21B10/60; by detachable or adjustable parts E21B10/62) · CPC title

• E21B45/00 Primary

  Measuring the drilling time or rate of penetration · CPC title

• E21B47/024

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

• E21B7/04

  Directional drilling · CPC title

• E21B47/09

  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