Wellhead alignment systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11954840-B2
Application number	US-202217659724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2022
Priority date	Apr 19, 2022
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A wellhead alignment system includes a visual marker configured to be placed at a wellhead and a camera configured to capture an image that includes the visual marker. The wellhead alignment system also includes one or more processors configured to apply computer vision algorithms to identify the visual marker in the image and to calculate an offset between the wellhead and a drilling rig based on a position of the visual marker in the image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wellhead alignment system, comprising:
a visual marker configured to be placed at a wellhead positioned at a sea floor;
a camera configured to capture an image that includes the visual marker, the camera fastened to a top drive of an offshore drilling rig or centered above a rotary table of the offshore drilling rig, the offshore drilling rig at least partially positioned at or above a sea surface; and
one or more processors configured to apply computer vision algorithms to identify the visual marker in the image and to calculate an offset between the wellhead and the offshore drilling rig based on a position of the visual marker in the image.

2. The wellhead alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the visual marker comprises a plate fastened to an end of the wellhead.

3. The wellhead alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the visual marker comprises a colored plate, a colored circle on a plate, a retroreflective marker, a visual fiducial tag, or any combination thereof.

4. The wellhead alignment system of claim 1 , comprising a light emitter, wherein the visual marker comprises a light emitted by the light emitter.

5. The wellhead alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
identify a center of the visual marker in the image;
determine the position of the center of the visual marker in the image in terms of pixel coordinates relative to a field of view central axis of the camera; and
calculate the offset between the wellhead and the offshore drilling rig based on the position of the center of the visual marker in the image.

6. The wellhead alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
generate a graphical user interface with the image having an indicator overlaid onto the image, wherein the indicator represents a result of the computer vision algorithms to identify the visual marker in the image; and
output the graphical user interface on a display screen for visualization by an operator.

7. The wellhead alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to provide an output in response to the offset between the wellhead and the offshore drilling rig exceeding a tolerance.

8. The wellhead alignment system of claim 7 , wherein the output comprises a graphical user interface with an indication of the offset on a display screen for visualization by an operator.

9. The wellhead alignment system of claim 1 , comprising an additional visual marker configured to be placed at the wellhead, wherein the camera is configured to capture the image that includes the additional visual marker, and the one or more processors are configured to apply the computer vision algorithms to identify the additional visual marker in the image and to calculate the offset between the wellhead and the offshore drilling rig based on the position of the visual marker in the image and a respective position of the additional visual marker in the image.

10. A drilling system, comprising:
a wellhead positioned at a sea floor;
a drilling rig at least partially positioned at or above a sea surface;
a visual marker coupled to the wellhead;
a camera fastened to a top drive of the drilling rig or centered above a rotary table of the drilling rig, the camera configured to capture an image that includes the visual marker; and
one or more processors configured to apply computer vision algorithms to identify the visual marker in the image and calculate an offset between the wellhead and the drilling rig based on a position of the visual marker in the image.

11. The drilling system of claim 10 , wherein the visual marker comprises a plate fastened to an end of the wellhead.

12. The drilling system of claim 10 , wherein the visual marker comprises a colored plate, a colored circle on a plate, a retroreflective marker, or a visual fiducial tag, or any combination thereof.

13. The drilling system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
identify a center of the visual marker in the image;
determine a position of the center of the visual marker in the image in terms of pixel coordinates relative to a field of view central axis of the camera; and
calculate the offset between the wellhead and the drilling rig based on the position of the center of the visual marker in the image.

14. A method of operating a wellhead alignment system, the method comprising:
receiving, at one or more processors, a first image captured by a camera fastened to a drilling rig, wherein the camera captures the first image a first field of view;
applying, using the one or more processors, computer vision algorithms to identify a position of a center of a visual marker coupled to a wellhead in the first image;
calculating, using the one or more processors, a first offset between the drilling rig and the wellhead based on the position of the center of the visual marker in the first image;
moving the drilling rig based on the first offset;
receiving, at the one or more processors, a second image captured by the camera at a second field of view that is narrower than the first field of view;
applying, using the one or more processors, computer vision algorithms to identify a position of a center of the visual marker in the second image; and
calculating, using the one or more processors, a second offset between the drilling rig and the wellhead based on the position of the center of the visual marker in the second image.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising providing, using the one or more processors, an output in response to the first offset between the wellhead and the drilling rig exceeding a tolerance.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the output comprises a graphical user interface with an indication of the first offset on a display screen for visualization by an operator.

17. The method of claim 14 , moving the drilling rig based on the second offset.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Davis Alan
• Su Tianxiang

Classifications

• G06T7/0004 Primary

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• E21B33/035

  specially adapted for underwater installations (E21B33/043, E21B33/064, E21B33/076 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• G06T11/00 Primary

  Two-dimensional [2D] image generation · CPC title

• G06V10/245

  by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning · CPC title