Real time drilling model updates and parameter recommendations with caliper measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12221875-B2
Application number	US-202117564751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2021
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure recognizes the benefit in determining the dimensions of a wellbore for updating a performance model and changing drilling parameters in real time for steering a drill bit. The disclosed system and method provide improved control for steering a drill bit by obtaining dimension measurements of the wellbore proximate a drill bit and considering the dimension measurements to adjust one or more of the drilling parameters in real time. A method of drilling a wellbore a drilling system, and a drilling tool are disclosed herein. In one example, the method includes: (1) receiving dimension measurements of a wellbore during drilling of the wellbore by a drilling tool, (2) updating an existing performance model of the drilling tool in real time based on the dimension measurements, and (3) operating the drilling tool based on the updated performance model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of drilling a wellbore, comprising:
receiving, from at least one caliper associated with a drilling tool, measurements corresponding to a size and shape of a wellbore at a location of the wellbore proximate the drilling tool during drilling of the wellbore by the drilling tool, wherein the drilling tool is a pad pusher and includes pads;
determining a measured wellbore breakout orientation and size based on the size and shape measurements;
identifying a non-uniform hole enlargement from the measured wellbore breakout orientation and size;
updating an existing performance model of the drilling tool in real time by selecting an updated performance model based on the non-uniform hole enlargement; and
operating the drilling tool by controlling the pads based on the updated performance model, wherein controlling the pads includes orienting the pads to contact the wellbore and maintain one or more of a required wellbore azimuth or wellbore inclination.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein updating the existing performance model includes determining a measured hole over gauge of the wellbore based on the size and shape measurements and selecting an updated performance model based on the measured hole over gauge and shape.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising obtaining the size and shape measurements in real time along a length of the wellbore by measuring during the drilling of the wellbore.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the size and shape measurements to the surface of the wellbore.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the operating includes changing at least one or more drilling parameters of the drilling tool.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the drilling parameters include at least one of flow rate and revolutions per minute.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the drilling parameters include at least one of weight on bit and effective steering control.

8. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the updating and changing are automatically performed downhole.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the updating is performed at the surface of the wellbore and instructions are transmitted downhole for the changing of the at least one or more drilling parameters.

10. A drilling system for use with a wellbore, comprising:
a drilling tool having at least one measurement tool and at least one pad; and
a driller controller configured to update a performance model for the drilling tool based on a non-uniform hole enlargement identified by size and shape measurements of the wellbore and direct operation of the drilling tool in the wellbore based on the updated performance model by controlling the at least one pad, wherein the size and shape measurements are real time size and shape measurements of the wellbore, obtained from the at least one measurement tool, along a length of the wellbore at locations proximate the drilling tool during drilling of the wellbore by the drilling tool, wherein the controlling includes orienting the at least one pad to contact the wellbore and maintain one or more of a required wellbore azimuth or wellbore inclination.

11. The drilling system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the driller controller determines a measured hole over gauge based on the size and shape measurements and updates the performance model based on the measured hole over gauge and shape.

12. The drilling system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the driller controller is configured to direct operation of the drilling tool by changing at least one drilling parameter according to the updated performance model.

13. The drilling system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the drilling parameter is effective steering control.

14. The drilling system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the drilling parameter is weight on bit.

15. The drilling system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the drilling parameter is revolutions per minute or flow rate.

16. The drilling system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the driller controller is configured to automatically change at least one drilling parameter.

17. The drilling system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the driller controller is configured to automatically change the at least one drilling parameter downhole.

18. A drilling tool, comprising:
a drill bit;
at least two calipers;
a set of pads, wherein one of the at least two calipers is located between the drill bit and the set of pads; and
a drilling controller configured to control a direction of the drill bit based on real time size and shape measurements obtained by one or more of the at least two calipers.

19. The drilling tool as recited in claim 18 , wherein the drilling tool is a pad pusher.

20. The drilling tool as recited in claim 18 , wherein the drilling controller is located proximate the drill bit and includes multiple performance models for the drilling tool, wherein the drilling controller is configured to select an updated performance model from the multiple performance models based on the size and shape measurements and automatically control a direction of the drill bit based on the updated performance model.

21. The drilling tool as recited in claim 18 , wherein the drilling controller is configured to automatically control a direction of the drill bit by adjusting an effective steering control of the set of pads.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Badrinarayanan Paravastu
• Zaman Adnan
• Greenwood Jeremy

Classifications

• E21B47/08 Primary

  Measuring diameters or related dimensions at the borehole · CPC title

• E21B7/04

  Directional drilling · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

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

• E21B44/02 Primary

  Automatic control of the tool feed ({E21B44/005,} E21B44/10 take precedence) · CPC title