Identifying bit wear and justifying bit trip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12398637-B2
Application number	US-202318514223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2023
Priority date	Nov 20, 2023
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A method performed while drilling a wellbore in a subsurface formation with a drill bit. The method comprises obtaining sonic logs of the subsurface formation proximate the drill bit. The method comprises determining mechanical specific energy based on drilling parameters. The method comprises comparing respective trends of the sonic logs and the mechanical specific energy of the drill bit to identify a cause for a change in drilling performance of the drill bit. The method comprises performing a drilling operation based on the cause for the change in the drilling performance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed while drilling a wellbore in a subsurface formation with a drill bit comprising:
obtaining sonic logs of the subsurface formation proximate the drill bit;
determining mechanical specific energy based on drilling parameters;
comparing respective trends over a depth interval of the sonic logs and the mechanical specific energy of the drill bit to determine if a change in drilling performance of the drill bit is caused by bit wear or rock strength; and
performing a drilling operation with the drill bit based on the change in the drilling performance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in the drilling performance includes a decrease in a rate of penetration of the drill bit.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the trend in the sonic logs over the depth interval is different than the trend in the mechanical specific energy over the depth interval; and
determining a decrease in rate of penetration of the drill bit is due to the bit wear based on the different trends.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the trend in the sonic logs over the depth interval and the trend in the mechanical specific energy over the depth interval are increasing; and
determining a decrease in rate of penetration of the drill bit is due to an increase in the rock strength based on the increasing respective trends.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sonic logs are determined based on real-time sonic logs and predrill sonic logs.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling parameters include weight on bit at the drill bit, torque on bit at the drill bit, rotations per minute at the drill bit, surface rate of penetration, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drilling operation includes replacing the drill bit, adjusting drilling parameters, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising;
determining the drill bit is damaged based on the respective trends of the sonic logs and the mechanical specific energy at the drill bit;
determining a replacement cost of the drill bit and a savings of replacing the drill bit; and
performing the drilling operation based on the replacement cost and savings.

9. A system comprising:
a drill bit configured to drill a wellbore in a subsurface formation;
a processor; and
a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to,
obtain sonic logs of the subsurface formation proximate the drill bit;
determine mechanical specific energy based on drilling parameters;
compare respective trends over a depth interval of the sonic logs and the mechanical specific energy of the drill bit to determine if a change in drilling performance of the drill bit is caused by bit wear or rock strength; and
perform a drilling operation with the drill bit based on the change in the drilling performance.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the change in the drilling performance includes a decrease in a rate of penetration of the drill bit.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining the trend in the sonic logs over the depth interval is different than the trend in the mechanical specific energy over the depth interval; and
determining a decrease in rate of penetration of the drill bit is due to the bit wear based on the different trends.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining the trend in the sonic logs over the depth interval and the trend in the mechanical specific energy over the depth interval are increasing;
determining a decrease in rate of penetration of the drill bit is due to an increase in the rock strength based on the increasing respective trends.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the sonic logs are determined based on real-time sonic logs and predrill sonic logs.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the drilling parameters include weight on bit at the drill bit, torque on bit at the drill bit, rotations per minute at the drill bit, surface rate of penetration, or any combination thereof.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:
obtaining sonic logs of a subsurface formation proximate a drill bit while drilling a wellbore in the subsurface formation;
determining mechanical specific energy based on drilling parameters;
comparing respective trends over a depth interval of the sonic logs and the mechanical specific energy of the drill bit to determine if a change in drilling performance of the drill bit is caused by bit wear or rock strength; and
performing a drilling operation with a drill bit based on the change in the drilling performance.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the change in the drilling performance includes a decrease in a rate of penetration of the drill bit.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining the trend in the sonic logs over the depth interval is different than the trend in the mechanical specific energy over the depth interval; and
determined a decrease in rate of penetration of the drill bit is due to the bit wear based on the different trends.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining the trend in the sonic logs over the depth interval and the trend in the mechanical specific energy over the depth interval are increasing; and
determining a decrease in rate of penetration of the drill bit is due to an increase in the rock strength based on the increasing respective trends.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the sonic logs are determined based on real-time sonic logs and predrill sonic logs.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the drilling parameters include weight on bit at the drill bit, torque on bit at the drill bit, rotations per minute at the drill bit, surface rate of penetration, or any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Guo Yonggui
• Chen Shilin
• Jamison Dale E

Classifications

• E21B12/02 Primary

  Wear indicators · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

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

• E21B44/00 Primary

  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