Drilling operations that use compositional properties of fluids derived from measured physical properties

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016024906-A1
Application number	US-201414419267-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 9, 2014
Priority date	Jan 9, 2014
Publication date	Jan 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The physical properties of a fluid may be used in deriving the compositional properties of the fluid, which may, in turn, be used to influence an operational parameters of a drilling operation. For example, a method may include drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation with a drilling fluid as part of a drilling operation; circulating or otherwise containing the drilling fluid in a flow path that comprises the wellbore; measuring at least one physical property of the drilling fluid at a first location and a second location along the flow path; deriving a compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location based on the at least one physical property that was measured; comparing the compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location; and changing an operational parameter of the drilling operation based on the comparison.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation with a drilling fluid as part of a drilling operation; circulating or otherwise containing the drilling fluid in a flow path that comprises the wellbore; measuring at least one physical property of the drilling fluid at a first location and a second location along the flow path; deriving a compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location based on the at least one physical property that was measured; comparing the compositional property of the drilling fluid at the first location and the second location; and changing an operational parameter of the drilling operation based on the comparison.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical property is at least one selected from the group consisting of viscosity, density, thermal conductivity, dielectric constant, resistivity, electrical stability, emulsion stability, heat capacity, electrical impedance, permittivity, refractive index, absorptivity, and any combination thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the compositional property is at least one selected from the group consisting of a presence or absence of a contaminant, a concentration of a component of the drilling fluid, a concentration of cuttings, a concentration of low gravity solids, and any combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter is at least one selected from the group consisting of a flow rate of the drilling fluid, a revolutions per minute of a drill bit, a rate of penetration of a drill bit into the subterranean formation, a torque applied to a drill string, a trajectory of a drill bit, a weight on a drill bit, a wellbore pressure, an equivalent circulating density, a concentration of a component of the drilling fluid, a weight of the drilling fluid, a viscosity of the drilling fluid, and any combination thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow path further comprises a tubular extending from outside the wellbore to inside the wellbore, and wherein the first location is along the tubular outside the wellbore and the second location is along the tubular inside the wellbore.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow path further comprises a shaker, and wherein the first location is before the shaker and the second location is after the shaker.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow path further comprises a centrifuge, and wherein the first location is before the centrifuge and the second location is after the centrifuge.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow path further comprises a retention pit, and wherein the first location is before the retention pit and the second location is after the retention pit.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow path further comprises a mixer, and wherein the first location is before the mixer and the second location is after the mixer.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of measuring, deriving, and comparing are performed over a period of time.

11 . A method comprising:
drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation with a drilling fluid as part of a drilling operation; circulating or otherwise containing the drilling fluid in a flow path that comprises the wellbore; measuring at least one physical property of the drilling fluid at a location along the flow path over a period of time; deriving a compositional property of the drilling fluid at the location based on the at least one physical property measured thereat; comparing the compositional property of the drilling fluid at the location over the period of time; and changing an operational parameter of the drilling operation based on the comparison.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one physical property is at least one selected from the group consisting of viscosity, density, thermal conductivity, dielectric constant, resistivity, electrical stability, emulsion stability, heat capacity, electrical impedance, permittivity, refractive index, absorptivity, and any combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the compositional property is at least one selected from the group consisting of a presence or absence of a contaminant, a concentration of a component of the drilling fluid, a concentration of cuttings, a concentration of low gravity solids, and any combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the flow path further comprises a shaker, and wherein the location is before, at, or after the shaker.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the flow path further comprises a centrifuge, and wherein the location is before, at, or after the centrifuge.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the flow path further comprises a retention pit, and wherein the location is before, at, or after the retention pit.

17 . A method comprising:
drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation with a drilling fluid as part of a drilling operation; circulating or otherwise containing the drilling fluid in a flow path that comprises the wellbore; measuring at least one physical property of the drilling fluid at a location along the flow path; deriving a compositional property of the drilling fluid at the location based on the at least one physical property measured thereat; calculating a predicted compositional property at the location based on a plurality of operational parameters of the drilling operation; comparing the compositional property to the predicted compositional property; and changing at least one of the operational parameters of the drilling operation based on the comparison.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one physical property is selected from the group consisting of viscosity, density, thermal conductivity, dielectric constant, resistivity, electrical stability, emulsion stability, heat capacity, electrical impedance, permittivity, refractive index, absorptivity, and any combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the flow path further comprises a shaker, and wherein the location is after the shaker.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the flow path further comprises a retention pit, and wherein the location is after the retention pit.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Jamison Dale E
• Mcdaniel Cato Russell
• Broussard Shawn L

Classifications

• E21B44/02

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

• 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

• E21B47/10 Primary

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title