Integrated drilling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435618-B2
Application number	US-202418968206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2024
Priority date	Jan 12, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An integrated drilling system includes a rotary steerable control unit and an electromagnetic LWD control unit deployed in an external collar. The rotary steerable control unit is deployed below the electromagnetic LWD control unit and is configured to control a direction of drilling of the integrated drilling system. A near bit electromagnetic antenna is deployed in a recess on the collar circumferentially about the rotary steerable control unit. At least one electromagnetic transmitter and at least one electromagnetic receiver are deployed in corresponding recesses in the collar circumferentially about the electromagnetic LWD control unit with the at least one transmitter and at least one receiver configured to make electromagnetic logging measurements while drilling. An electrical jumper provides an electrical connection between the near bit electromagnetic antenna and the electromagnetic LWD control unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated drilling system comprising:
a rotary steerable control unit and an electromagnetic logging while drilling (LWD) control unit deployed in a collar, the rotary steerable control unit deployed below the electromagnetic LWD control unit in the collar, the rotary steerable control unit configured to control a direction of drilling of the integrated drilling system;
a near bit electromagnetic antenna deployed in a recess in the collar circumferentially about the rotary steerable control unit;
at least one electromagnetic transmitter and at least one electromagnetic receiver deployed in corresponding recesses in the collar circumferentially about the electromagnetic LWD control unit, the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver configured to make electromagnetic logging measurements while drilling; and
an electrical jumper providing an electrical connection between the near bit electromagnetic antenna and the electromagnetic LWD control unit.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a rotary steerable bias unit deployed below the collar, the rotary steerable bias unit including a plurality of extendable and retractable steering pads configured to engage a wellbore wall and steer a direction of drilling.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotary steerable control unit is deployed in a roll stabilized housing and further includes at least one navigation sensor and at least one gamma ray sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the near bit electromagnetic antenna comprises a transverse transmitting antenna.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic transmitter further comprises a collocated axial transmitting antenna.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical jumper further comprises a wire tray deployed in a groove in an outer surface of the collar, the wire tray including a plurality of channels sized and shaped for supporting electrical conductors.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the electrical conductors are grouped into twisted pairs, each of the twisted pairs deployable in a corresponding channel in the wire tray and corresponding to an antenna in the near bit electromagnetic antenna.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the electrical jumper further comprises:
at least one rubber layer deployed over the wire tray; and
a cover deployed over the rubber layer and coupled to the collar.

9. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of feedthrough connectors configured to electrically connect the electrical conductors with the electromagnetic LWD control unit, wherein the feedthrough connectors are routed through corresponding ports in the collar and are supported by housings that are deployed in and sealingly engage the ports.

10. A method for geosteering, the method comprising:
drilling a subterranean wellbore using an integrated drilling system, the integrated drilling system including:
a rotary steerable control unit and an electromagnetic logging while drilling (LWD) control unit deployed in a collar, the rotary steerable control unit deployed below the electromagnetic LWD control unit in the collar, and the rotary steerable control unit configured to control a direction of drilling of the integrated drilling system;
a near bit electromagnetic antenna deployed in a recess in the collar circumferentially about the rotary steerable control unit;
at least one electromagnetic transmitter and at least one electromagnetic receiver deployed in corresponding recesses in the collar circumferentially about the electromagnetic LWD control unit, the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver configured to make electromagnetic logging measurements while drilling; and
an electrical jumper providing an electrical connection between the near bit electromagnetic antenna and the electromagnetic LWD control unit;

causing the near bit electromagnetic antenna and the at least one electromagnetic transmitter and the at least one electromagnetic receiver to make electromagnetic logging measurements while drilling;
processing the electromagnetic measurements to determine a direction of drilling for the drilling the subterranean wellbore; and
steering the drilling the subterranean wellbore along the direction of drilling.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electromagnetic LWD control unit is configured to cause the near bit electromagnetic antenna and the at least one electromagnetic transmitter and the at least one electromagnetic receiver to make the electromagnetic logging measurements while drilling.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the rotary steerable control unit is configured to process the electromagnetic measurements to determine the direction of drilling.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the near bit electromagnetic antenna comprises a transverse transmitting antenna.

14. An integrated drilling system comprising:
a rotary steerable control unit and an electromagnetic logging while drilling (LWD) control unit deployed in a collar, the rotary steerable control unit deployed below the electromagnetic LWD control unit in the collar, and the rotary steerable control unit configured to control a direction of drilling of the integrated drilling system;
at least one near bit electromagnetic transmitting antenna deployed in a recess in the collar circumferentially about the rotary steerable control unit;
at least one electromagnetic receiving antenna deployed in a recess in the collar circumferentially about the electromagnetic LWD control unit, the at least one near bit electromagnetic transmitting antenna and the at least one electromagnetic receiving antenna configured to make electromagnetic logging measurements while drilling; and
an electrical jumper providing an electrical connection between the at least one near bit electromagnetic transmitting antenna and the electromagnetic LWD control unit.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the electrical jumper further comprises a wire tray deployed in a groove in an outer surface of the collar, the wire tray including a plurality of channels sized and shaped for supporting electrical conductors, the electrical conductors grouped into twisted pairs, each of the twisted pairs deployed deployable in a corresponding channel in the wire tray and corresponding to an antenna in the at least one near bit electromagnetic transmitting antenna.

16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of feedthrough connectors configured to electrically connect the electrical conductors in the jumper with the electromagnetic LWD control unit, wherein the feedthrough connectors are routed through corresponding ports in the collar and are supported by housings that are deployed in and sealingly engage the ports.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the at least one electromagnetic transmitting antenna comprises a transverse transmitting antenna and an axial transmitting antenna; and
the at least one electromagnetic receiving antenna comprises a transverse receiving antenna and an axial receiving antenna.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Belleville Rachel
• Homan Dean M
• Frey Mark
• Du Michael Hui
• Fisseler Patrick

Classifications

• E21B47/024

  of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022) · 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

• E21B17/028

  Electrical or electro-magnetic connections · CPC title

• E21B7/04

  Directional drilling · CPC title

• G01V3/30 Primary

  operating with electromagnetic waves · CPC title