Holistic approach to hole cleaning for use in subsurface formation exploration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11959360-B2
Application number	US-202017095355-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2020
Priority date	Nov 11, 2019
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems for performing cleaning operations in boreholes penetrating earth formations are described. The methods include obtaining parameter information related to one or more angles of inclination, comparing the obtained parameter information to one or more criteria associated with each respective obtained parameter, generating a cuttings bed model based on the obtained parameter information, obtaining additional parameter information related to the one or more angles of inclination, updating the cuttings bed model in a pseudo-transient manner, determining that a hole cleaning operation is necessary, and at least one of (i) generating an indication that a hole cleaning operation is to be performed and (ii) automatically performing a hole cleaning operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing a cleaning operation in a borehole penetrating an earth formation, the method comprising:
obtaining, using a sensor, parameter information related to one or more angles of inclination;
generating a cuttings bed model based on the obtained parameter information, the cuttings bed model providing a first array of cuttings bed height-related values for a portion of a depth of the borehole, the cuttings bed height-related values in the first array varying with the depth of the borehole, the portion of the depth of the borehole including the one or more angles of inclination;
obtaining, using the sensor, additional parameter information related to the one or more angles of inclination;
updating the cuttings bed model in a pseudo-transient manner using the additional parameter information, the updating the cuttings bed model in the pseudo transient manner including updating the cuttings bed model after a repetition time to provide a second array of cuttings bed height-related values for the portion of the depth of the borehole, the cuttings bed height-related values in the second array varying with the depth of the borehole;
comparing the first array of cuttings bed height-related values to the second array of cuttings bed height-related values;
determining that a hole cleaning operation is necessary based on the comparing; and
performing the hole cleaning operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hole cleaning operation includes a sweep pill operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter information and the additional parameter information are separated into information related to at least one of (i) a near vertical portion, (ii) a deviated portion, and (iii) a high angle portion.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the near vertical portion is a portion of the borehole having an angle of inclination of 30° or less relative to vertical, the deviated portion is a portion of the borehole having an angle of inclination of between 30° and 60° relative to vertical, and the high angle portion is a portion of the borehole having an angle of inclination of 60° or greater relative to vertical.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the first and second array of cuttings bed height-related values to a buffer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a size of the buffer is related to the repetition time.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter information and the additional parameter information include at least one of torque and drag, equivalent circulating density, equivalent static density, surface fluid parameter, and pressure.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising predetermining the repetition time, wherein the repetition time is a time between generating and updating the cuttings bed model.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter information and the additional parameter information include at least one of drillstring component data and wellbore geometry.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter information and the additional parameter information include at least one of planned flow, fluid properties, and RPM.

11. A system for performing a cleaning operation in a borehole penetrating an earth formation, the system comprising:
one or more sensors configured to obtain parameter information related to one or more angles of inclination;
a control system configured to:
generate a cuttings bed model based on the obtained parameter information, the cuttings bed model providing a first array of cuttings bed height-related values for a portion of a depth of the borehole, the cuttings bed height-related values in the first array varying with the depth of the borehole, the portion of the depth of the borehole including the one or more angles of inclination;
obtain additional parameter information related to the one or more angles of inclination, update the cuttings bed model in a pseudo-transient manner using the additional parameter information, wherein updating the cuttings bed model in the pseudo transient manner includes updating the cuttings bed model after a repetition time to provide a second array of cuttings bed height-related values for the portion of the depth of the borehole, the cuttings bed height-related values in the second array varying with the depth of the borehole, compare the first array of cuttings bed height-related values to the second array of cuttings bed height-related values;
determine that a hole cleaning operation is necessary based on the comparing; and
perform a hole cleaning operation.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hole cleaning operation includes a sweep pill operation.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the parameter information and the additional parameter information are separated into information related to at least one of (i) a near vertical portion, (ii) a deviated portion, and (iii) a high angle portion.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the near vertical portion is a portion of the borehole having an angle of inclination of 30° or less relative to vertical, the deviated portion is a portion of the borehole having an angle of inclination of between 30° and 60° relative to vertical, and the high angle portion is a portion of the borehole having an angle of inclination of 60° or greater relative to vertical.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control system is configured to store the first and second array of cuttings bed height related values to a buffer, and a size of the buffer is related to the repetition time.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control system is configured to predetermine the repetition time, and the repetition time is a time between generating and updating the cuttings bed model.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the parameter information and the additional parameter information include at least one of torque and drag, equivalent circulating density, equivalent static density, surface fluid parameter, and pressure.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the parameter information and the additional parameter information include static or semi-static parameters.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the static or semi-static parameters include, at least, drillstring component data, BHA component data, and wellbore geometry.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the parameter information and the addition parameter information include at least one of planned flow, fluid properties, and RPM.

Assignees

• Forshaw Matthew
• Becker Gerald
• Linke Christian
• Jena Sanjib Kumar
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Forshaw Matthew
• Becker Gerald
• Linke Christian
• Jena Sanjib Kumar

Classifications

• E21B37/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells (E21B21/00 takes precedence) · 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

• E21B47/022

  of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

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

• E21B49/00

  Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells · CPC title