Automated spiraling detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11434694-B2
Application number	US-201816026670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

An embodiment of a method of detecting and correcting for spiraling in a downhole carrier includes: deploying the carrier in a borehole in an earth formation as part of a subterranean operation; acquiring time based data from at least one sensor disposed at the carrier; acquiring time and depth data, the time and depth data correlating time values with depths of the carrier; generating a depth based profile based on the time based data and the time and depth data; generating a frequency profile by transforming the depth based profile into the frequency domain; detecting a spiraling event based on an amplitude of the frequency profile; and taking corrective action based on detecting the spiraling event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of detecting and correcting for spiraling in a downhole carrier, the method comprising:
deploying the downhole carrier in a borehole in an earth formation as part of a subterranean operation;
collecting parameter data by measuring a parameter with at least one sensor disposed at the downhole carrier;
generating, from the parameter data, a spectrum;
analyzing the spectrum to detect a spiraling event in the downhole carrier by identifying a frequency having an amplitude within the spectrum that exceeds a threshold; and
taking a corrective action based on detecting the spiraling event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collected parameter data is depth based parameter data and the spectrum is generated from parameter data in a selected depth window.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectrum is generated by a Fourier Transformation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downhole carrier is a drill string and the subterranean operation is drilling into the earth formation, and detecting the spiraling event includes evaluating at least one of the frequency, a wavelength, and a wavenumber of the spectrum that corresponds to the identified amplitude.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one of the frequency, the wavelength and the wavenumber corresponds to a distance along the downhole carrier between a drill bit and a component that contacts a borehole wall during drilling.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a spectrogram, wherein the spectrogram comprises at least a first and a second spectrum.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude correlates with an energy value, and the threshold is based on a total energy of the spectrum.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corrective action is selected from at least one of alerting a user and changing an operational parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the spiraling event is performed while the downhole carrier is deployed in the borehole during the subterranean operation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter data is at least one of directional data and bending moment data.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating a deflection associated with the detected spiraling based on the parameter data.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a filter to the parameter data prior to generating the spectrum.

13. A system for detecting and correcting for spiraling in a downhole carrier, the system comprising:
the downhole carrier configured to be deployed in a borehole in an earth formation as part of a subterranean operation;
at least one sensor disposed at the downhole carrier, the at least one sensor configured to collect parameter data; and
a processor configured to perform:
generating from the parameter data a spectrum;
analyzing the spectrum to detect a spiraling event in the downhole carrier by identifying a frequency having an amplitude within the spectrum that exceeds a threshold; and
taking a corrective action based on detecting the spiraling event.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the collected parameter data is depth based parameter data and the spectrum is generated from parameter data in a selected depth window.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the downhole carrier is a drill string and the subterranean operation is drilling into the earth formation, and detecting the spiraling event includes evaluating at least one of the frequency, a wavelength, and a wavenumber of the spectrum that corresponds to the identified amplitude, the at least one frequency, wavelength, and wavenumber corresponding to a distance along the downhole carrier between a drill bit and a component that contacts a borehole wall during drilling.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the amplitude correlates with an energy value, and the threshold is based on a total energy of the spectrum.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to detect the spiraling event while the downhole carrier is deployed in the borehole during the subterranean operation.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the parameter data is at least one of directional data and bending moment data.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a deflection associated with the detected spiraling based on the parameter data.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to apply a filter to the parameter data prior to generating the spectrum.

Assignees

• Herbig Christian
• Reckmann Hanno
• Emmerich Wojciech
• Hoehn Oliver
• Linke Christian
• Bruns Jens Uwe
• Hohl Andreas
• Oueslati Hatem
• Forstner Ingo
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Herbig Christian
• Reckmann Hanno
• Emmerich Wojciech
• Hoehn Oliver
• Linke Christian
• Bruns Jens-Uwe
• Hohl Andreas
• Oueslati Hatem
• Forstner Ingo

Classifications

• E21B47/02

  Determining slope or direction · CPC title

• E21B44/00

  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

• E21B7/00 Primary

  Special methods or apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• G05B13/021

  in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance · CPC title

• E21B3/00

  Rotary drilling · CPC title