Method of generating a drill hole sequence plan and drill hole sequence planning equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725484-B2
Application number	US-202117361454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2021
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Drill hole sequence planning equipment 14 includes a position determining module 18 for determining an initial location of a mobile drill rig 12. A selection module 24 selects a destination location for the drill rig 12. A corridor establishment module 26 establishes a corridor between the initial location of the drill rig 12 and its destination location, the corridor having a selected width. A processing unit 28 is responsive to the modules 18, 24 and 26 for selecting a hole location of each hole within the corridor to be drilled by the drill rig 12 sequentially as it moves from its initial location to its destination location.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a mobile drill rig, the method including:
providing, by a navigation unit, location information of the mobile drill rig to a position determining module;
determining, by the position determining module, an initial location of a mobile drill rig;
determining, by a corridor establishment module, an available area based on the initial location of the mobile drill rig and a destination location, a selected width of a corridor, and neighboring hole locations such that holes at certain locations are excluded from the available area based on the mobile drill rig requiring to undertake undesirable maneuvers to reach the hole locations;
establishing, by the corridor establishment module, the corridor based on the available area; and
selecting a hole location of each hole of a plurality of holes within the corridor to be drilled by the mobile drill rig sequentially as it moves from its initial location to its destination location;
generating a drill hole sequence plan based on the selected hole locations; and
providing the drill hole sequence plan to a controller of the mobile drill rig so that the controller, using the location information from the navigation unit, controls automated tramming of the mobile drill rig to the selected hole locations sequentially.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes an operator manually selecting a width of the corridor.

3. The method of claim 1 which includes performing a distance check to see if a hole location falls within, or within a configurable distance from, the corridor.

4. The method of claim 3 which includes configuring the corridor to cover hole locations along a tramming path of the mobile drill rig from its initial location to its destination location.

5. The method of claim 1 which includes selecting an end hole location as the destination location of the mobile drill rig.

6. The method of claim 1 which includes generating a start position of the corridor at a location which is spaced from the initial location of the mobile drill rig.

7. The method of claim 1 including the further step of
causing the mobile drill rig, which is responsive to the drill rig controller, to drill a hole automatically at each hole location sequentially along a tramming path as the mobile drill rig traverses the corridor.

8. Drill hole sequence planning equipment which includes
a navigation unit which receives data from various input devices and which generates location information of a mobile drill rig;
a processing unit in communication with the navigation unit and responsive to the location information to determine an initial location of the mobile drill rig;
a corridor establishment module for determining an available area based on the initial location of the mobile drill rig and a destination location, a selected width of a corridor, and neighboring hole locations such that holes at certain locations are excluded from the available area based on the mobile drill rig requiring to undertake undesirable maneuvers to reach the hole locations, the corridor establishment module establishing the corridor based on the available area;
a user interface in communication with the navigation unit, the processing unit, and the corridor establishment module, via which a hole location of each hole of a plurality of holes is selected within the corridor to be drilled by the mobile drill rig sequentially as it moves from the initial location to the destination location, the processing unit further generating a drill hole sequence plan based on the selected hole locations; and
a communications link to provide the drill hole sequence plan to a controller of the mobile drill rig so that the controller, using the location information from the navigation unit, controls automated tramming of the mobile drill rig to the selected hole locations sequentially.

9. The method of claim 1 further including selecting the destination location based on a pre-loaded drill hole pattern.

Assignees

• Tech Resources Pty Ltd
• Tech Resources Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Oppolzer Florian

Classifications

• E21B41/00 Primary

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• E21B7/02

  Drilling rigs characterised by means for land transport {with their own drive}, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting · CPC title

• E21B7/022

  Control of the drilling operation; Hydraulic or pneumatic means for activation or operation (control circuits for drilling masts E21B15/045) · CPC title

• E21B43/30 Primary

  Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells · 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