Real-time calibration of excitation ranging for tracking wellbore drilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11603750-B2
Application number	US-201916342187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Mar 5, 2019
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

A method includes generating a ranging model of a drilling wellbore to be drilled and generating a predicted signal along measured depths of the drilling wellbore based on the ranging model. The method includes performing the following operations until the drilling wellbore has been drilled to a defined depth. The following operations include drilling, with a drill string, the drilling wellbore to an increment of the defined depth and detecting, by a sensor positioned on the drill string, an electromagnetic field emanating from a target wellbore. The following operations include determining ranging measurements to the target wellbore at the increment based on the electromagnetic field and calibrating the predicted signal based on the ranging measurements. The following operations include determining ranging accuracy for all deeper depths in the wellbore and making drilling decisions or adjusting drilling operations based on the predicted ranging accuracy for deeper depths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
simulating a ranging model of a ranging system that includes a drilling wellbore to be drilled, a target wellbore, and surrounding wellbores;
simulating a predicted signal along measured depths of the drilling wellbore based on the ranging model;
performing the following operations until the drilling wellbore has been drilled to a defined depth,
drilling, with a drill string, the drilling wellbore to an increment of the defined depth;
detecting, by a sensor positioned on the drill string, an electromagnetic field emanating from the target wellbore;
determining ranging measurements to the target wellbore at the increment of the defined depth based on the electromagnetic field;
recording at least one background noise measurement in the drilling wellbore;
generating a random noise based on the at least one background noise measurement;
calibrating the predicted signal for deeper depths in the wellbore based on the ranging measurements and the random noise, wherein the random noise is imposed on a the predicted signal;
determining ranging accuracy for deeper depths based on the calibrated predicted signal; and
modifying the drilling of the drilling wellbore or adjusting drilling operations based on the determined ranging accuracy for deeper depths.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the following operations comprises:
detecting a real-time ranging signal in the drilling wellbore with excitation on; and
recording the at least one background noise measurement in the drilling wellbore with excitation off, wherein calibrating the predicted signal comprises calibrating the predicted signal based on the real-time ranging signal and adding the random noise to the calibrated predicted signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the following operations comprises:
comparing calculated ranging distance and direction from the calibrated predicted signal to an intended distance and an intended direction at deeper depths,
wherein modifying the drilling of the drilling wellbore or adjusting drilling operations comprises increasing an excitation signal or changing a grounding option or stopping the drilling if the calibrated predicted signal is lower than a requirement.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein calibrating the predicted signal comprises:
determining a scaling factor based on the ranging measurements;
applying the scaling factor to the ranging model to create an updated ranging model; and
calibrate the predicted signal based on the updated ranging model.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calibrating the predicted signal comprises:
creating a simplified ranging model;
improving, based on the ranging measurements, the simplified ranging model having a homogenous formation resistivity;
updating the homogeneous formation resistivity based on the ranging measurements; and
calibrating the predicted signal based on the updated homogeneous formation resistivity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein calibrating the predicted signal comprises:
determining attenuation of the electromagnetic field from two ranging measurements;
updating the ranging model based on the attenuation; and
calibrating the predicted signal based on the updated ranging model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein calibrating the predicted signal comprises:
generating an updated resistivity profile based on an inversion of the ranging measurements;
updating the ranging model based on the updated resistivity profile; and
calibrating the predicted signal based on the updated ranging model.

8. A system comprising:
a drill string having a drill bit to drill a drilling wellbore, the drill string having a sensor;
a processor; and
a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to,
simulate a ranging model of the drilling wellbore to be drilled, a target wellbore, and surrounding wellbores;
simulate a predicted signal along measured depths of the drilling wellbore based on the ranging model;
perform the following operations at an increment of a defined depth at which the drilling wellbore is to be drilled until the drilling wellbore has been drilled to the defined depth,
detect, by the sensor, an electromagnetic field emanating from the target wellbore;
determine ranging measurements to the target wellbore at the increment of the defined depth based on the electromagnetic field;
record at least one background noise measurement in the drilling wellbore;
generate a random noise based on the at least one background noise measurement;
calibrate the predicted signal based on the ranging measurements and the random noise, wherein the random noise is imposed on a the predicted signal;
determine ranging accuracy for deeper depth in the wellbore based on the calibrated predicted signal; and
modify the drilling of the drilling wellbore or adjust drilling operations based on the determined ranging accuracy for deeper depths.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the following operations comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
detect a real-time ranging signal in the drilling wellbore with excitation on; and
record the at least one background noise measurement in the drilling wellbore with excitation off,
wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause to the processor to calibrate the predicted signal comprise instructions executable by the processor to cause to the processor to calibrate the predicted signal based on the real-time ranging signal and add the random noise to the calibrated predicted signal.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the following operations comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
compare calculated distance and direction from calibrated predicted signal to an intended distance and an intended direction at deeper depths,
wherein modifying the drilling of the drilling wellbore or adjusting drilling operations comprises increasing an excitation signal or changing a grounding option or stopping the drilling if the calibrated predicted signal is lower than a requirement.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to calibrate the predicted signal comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
determine a scaling factor based on the ranging measurements;
apply the scaling factor to the ranging model to create an updated ranging model; and
calibrate the predicted signal based on the updated ranging model.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to calibrate the predicted signal comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
create a simplified ranging model;
improve, based on the ranging measurements, a simplified ranging model having a homogenous formation resistivity;
update the homogeneous formation resistivity based on the ranging measurements; and
calibrate the predicted signal based on the updated homogeneous formation resistivity.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to calibrate the predicted signal comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
determine attenuation of the electromagnetic field from two ranging measurements;
update the ranging model bas

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Fan Yijing
• Wu Hsu-Hsiang
• Pan Li

Classifications

• E21B47/0228 Primary

  using electromagnetic energy or detectors therefor · CPC title

• E21B47/04

  Measuring depth or liquid level · CPC title

• E21B7/046

  horizontal drilling (drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003) · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

  Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits · CPC title

• G01V3/30

  operating with electromagnetic waves · CPC title