Automated geosteering based on a distance to oil-water contact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12163425-B2
Application number	US-202117200207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 13, 2020
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A method for performing automated geosteering includes receiving, by a processing system, formation evaluation data from a bottom hole assembly disposed in a wellbore. The method further includes determining, by the processing system, position data of a formation boundary from the formation evaluation data. The method further includes extrapolating, by the processing system, the position data to generate extrapolated position data of the formation boundary. The method further includes adjusting a trajectory of the wellbore based at least in part on the extrapolated position data of the formation boundary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing automated geosteering, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processing system, first formation evaluation data from a bottom hole assembly disposed in a wellbore at a first data point and second formation evaluation data from the bottom hole assembly disposed in the wellbore at a second data point;
determining, by the processing system, a first position data of a formation boundary from the first formation evaluation data at the first data point and a second position data of the formation boundary from the second formation evaluation data at the second data point;
determining a first sphere from the first data point and the first position data;
determining a second sphere from the second data point and the second position data;
determining a location point of the formation boundary on a section of the first sphere that is not included in the second sphere;
extrapolating, by the processing system, the location point to generate extrapolated position data of the formation boundary; and
maintaining a distance between the bottom hole assembly and the formation boundary by adjusting a trajectory of the wellbore, the adjusting comprising transmitting steering commands to a steering tool to steer the bottom hole assembly, the adjusting based at least in part on the extrapolated position data of the formation boundary.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extrapolated position data is determined with a polynomial.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the extrapolated position data is determined based on measured depth.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extrapolated position data of the formation boundary is along a planned trajectory of the wellbore.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extrapolated position data of the formation boundary is determined at least partially based on directional data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the directional data is at least one of an inclination of a portion of the bottom hole assembly, an azimuth of the portion of the bottom hole assembly, or a toolface angle of a direction in which the formation boundary is located.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trajectory is adjusted at least partially based on a predefined threshold of a distance between the adjusted trajectory and the formation boundary.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
filtering, by the processing system, at least one of the first formation evaluation data or the second formation evaluation data to generate filtered formation evaluation data; and
determining, by the processing system, the location point of the formation boundary from the filtered formation evaluation data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the trajectory comprises adjusting a setpoint for a control process to steer the bottom hole assembly.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first distance or the second distance is at least one of a distance from the bottom hole assembly to the formation boundary, or a true vertical depth of the formation boundary.

11. A system for performing automated geosteering of a wellbore, the system comprising:
a bottom hole assembly disposed in the wellbore; and
a processing system for executing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions controlling the processing system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the processing system, first formation evaluation data from the bottom hole assembly disposed in the wellbore at a first data point and second formation evaluation data from the bottom hole assembly disposed in the wellbore at a second data point;
determining, by the processing system, a first postion data of a formation boundary from the formation evaluation data at the first data point and a second position data of the formation boundary from the formation evaluation data at the second data point;
determining a first sphere from the first data point and the first position data;
determining a second sphere from the second data point and the second positon data;
determining a location point of the formation boundary on a section of the first sphere that is not included in the second sphere;
extrapolating, by the processing system, the location point to generate extrapolated position data of the formation boundary; and
maintaining a distance between the bottom hole assembly and the formation boundary by adjusting a trajectory of the wellbore, the adjusting comprising transmitting steering commands to a steering tool to steer the bottom hole assembly, the adjusting based at least in part on the extrapolated position data of the formation boundary.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the extrapolated position data is determined with a polynomial.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the extrapolated position data is determined based on measured depth.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the extrapolated position data of the formation boundary is determined at least partially based on directional data.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the directional data is at least one of an inclination of a portion of the bottom hole assembly, an azimuth of the portion of the bottom hole assembly, or a toolface angle of a direction in which the formation boundary is located.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the trajectory is adjusted at least partially based on a predefined threshold of a distance between the adjusted trajectory and the formation boundary.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to perform additional operations comprising:
filtering, by the processing system, at least one of the first formation evaluation data or the second formation evaluation data to generate filtered formation evaluation data; and
determining, by the processing system, the location point of the formation boundary from the filtered formation evaluation data.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the trajectory comprises adjusting a setpoint for a control process to steer the bottom hole assembly.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first distance or the second distance is at least one of a distance from the bottom hole assembly to the formation boundary, or a true vertical depth of the formation boundary.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the computer readable instructions further controls the processing system to generate the extrapolated position data of the formation boundary along a planned trajectory of the wellbore.

Assignees

• Larsen David Selvaag
• Jonsbraaten Fredrik
• Fulda Christian
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Larsen David Selvaag
• Jonsbråten Fredrik
• Fulda Christian

Classifications

• E21B7/06

  Deflecting the direction of boreholes · CPC title

• E21B47/022 Primary

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

• E21B47/026

  of penetrated ground layers · CPC title

• E21B7/04 Primary

  Directional drilling · CPC title

• E21B7/10 Primary

  Correction of deflected boreholes · CPC title