Apparatus and methods for automated slide drilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12516596-B2
Application number	US-202418763070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2024
Priority date	Aug 10, 2017
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A system and method for drilling are provided. The method may comprise receiving well plan and BHA information; determining the BHA is approaching a first zone in which a first slide drilling operation is to occur; and receiving first zone characteristics. The method may further comprise determining an on bottom time to orient the BHA in the first zone; determining an additional time for the first slide drilling operation; and determining an off bottom time to orient the BHA prior to reaching the first zone. The method may further comprise comparing the additional time for the first slide drilling operation in the first zone to the off bottom time to orient the BHA prior to reaching the first zone, and sending one or more control signals to orient the BHA either prior to reaching or at the first zone based at least in part on the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A drilling control system, the system comprising:
a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions executable by the processor to:
receive, during drilling of a wellbore, well plan information for the wellbore and information from a bottom hole assembly (BHA) located in the wellbore, wherein the BHA comprises a drill bit at one end thereof,
determine that the BHA is approaching a first zone during drilling of the wellbore, wherein the first zone comprises a wellbore portion in which a first slide drilling operation is to occur;
receive first zone characteristics associated with the first zone;
determine an on bottom time to orient the BHA to have a desired toolface in the first zone when the drill bit contacts rock at a distal end of the wellbore and responsive to the information from the BHA and the first zone characteristics;
determine whether the on bottom time to orient includes an additional time for the first slide drilling operation in the first zone to compensate for expected poor sliding responsive to the on bottom time to orient the BHA;
determine an off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone when the drill bit is not in contact with the rock at the distal end of the wellbore and responsive to the well plan information and the information from the BHA;
compare the additional time for the first slide drilling operation in the first zone to the off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone; and
send one or more control signals to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface either prior to reaching the first zone or at the first zone based at least in part on the comparison.

2 . The drilling control system according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
determine a cost associated with the on bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface in the first zone; and determine a cost associated with the off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone.

3 . The drilling control system according to claim 2 , wherein the comparison further comprises comparing the cost associated with the on bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface in the first zone to the cost associated with the off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone.

4 . The drilling control system according to claim 1 , wherein the additional time is a first additional time, wherein the desired toolface is a first zone desired toolface, wherein the on bottom time is a first zone on bottom time, wherein the off bottom time is a first zone off bottom time, wherein the first zone is one of a plurality of zones, wherein the one or more control signals are one or more first control signals, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
determine the BHA is approaching a second zone of the plurality of zones during drilling of the wellbore, wherein the second zone comprises a second wellbore portion in which a second slide drilling operation is to occur; receive second zone characteristics associated with the second zone; determine a second on bottom time to orient the BHA to have a second zone desired toolface in the second zone when the drill bit contacts rock at the distal end of the wellbore and responsive to the information from the BHA and the second zone characteristics; determine whether the second on bottom time to orient the BHA to have the second zone desired toolface includes a second additional time for the second slide drilling operation in the second zone to compensate for expected poor sliding responsive to the second zone on bottom time to orient the BHA; determine a second zone off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the second zone desired toolface prior to reaching the second zone when the drill bit is not in contact with the rock at the distal end of the wellbore and responsive to the information from the BHA and the first zone characteristics; compare the second additional time for the second slide drilling operation in the second zone to the second zone off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the second zone desired toolface prior to reaching the second zone; and send one or more second control signals to orient the BHA to the second zone desired toolface either prior to reaching the second zone or at the second zone based at least in part on the comparison.

5 . The drilling control system according to claim 1 , wherein the off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone is determined responsive to the additional time for the first slide drilling operation in the first zone exceeding a threshold value.

6 . The drilling control system according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:
determine a target toolface range for the first slide drilling operation, wherein the one or more control signals are sent responsive to the desired toolface being outside the target toolface range.

7 . The drilling control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first zone is one of a plurality of zones, wherein each zone of the plurality of zones corresponds to a different wellbore portion according to the well plan information.

8 . A method for drilling, the method comprising:
receiving, by a drilling control system during drilling of a wellbore, well plan information for the wellbore and information from a bottom hole assembly (BHA) located in the wellbore, wherein the BHA comprises a drill bit at one end thereof, determining, by the drilling control system, that the BHA is approaching a first zone during drilling of the wellbore, wherein the first zone comprises a wellbore portion in which a first slide drilling operation is to occur; receiving, by the drilling control system, first zone characteristics associated with the first zone; determining, by the drilling control system, an on bottom time to orient the BHA to have a desired toolface in the first zone when the drill bit contacts rock at a distal end of the wellbore and responsive to the information from the BHA and the first zone characteristics; determining, by the drilling control system, whether the on bottom time to orient includes an additional time for the first slide drilling operation in the first zone to compensate for expected poor sliding responsive to the on bottom time to orient the BHA; determining, by the drilling control system, an off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone when the drill bit is not in contact with the rock at the distal end of the wellbore and responsive to the well plan information and the information from the BHA; comparing, by the drilling control system, the additional time for the first slide drilling operation in the first zone to the off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone; and sending, by the drilling control system, one or more control signals to orient the BHA to the desired toolface either prior to reaching the first zone or at the first zone based at least in part on the comparison.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , the method further comprising:
determining a cost associated with the on bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface in the first zone; and determining a cost associated with the off bottom time to orient the BHA to have the desired toolface prior to reaching the first zone.

10 . The method according to claim 9

Assignees

• Motive Drilling Tech Inc

Inventors

• Benson Todd W
• Chen Teddy
• Brinkley Joshua Miles
• Cantwell John Jeremy
• Nolte Eric Alan
• Quarles Robert Tyler
• Bhaduri Sashmit
• Bizaca Zarko
• Mims Kevin
• Stokeld Brian

Classifications

• E21B49/003

  by analysing drilling variables or conditions (E21B49/005 takes precedence; systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions E21B44/00) · CPC title

• E21B45/00

  Measuring the drilling time or rate of penetration · CPC title

• E21B21/08

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title

• E21B19/008

  Winding units, specially adapted for drilling operations · CPC title

• E21B7/06

  Deflecting the direction of boreholes · CPC title