Dynamic method and real time monitoring of ubd operation tunnel envelope with mud motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201445-A1
Application number	US-201314909966-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 4, 2013
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for monitoring underbalanced drilling operations. For example, one disclosed embodiment is a system that includes at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor performs operations for generating a three dimensional tunnel view of an operating envelope of a well as the well is being drilled.

First claim

1 . A computer-implemented method for monitoring underbalanced drilling operations,
the method comprising:
generating an operating envelope for a well at a given depth;
determining a boundary of a set of conditions of interest of the operating envelope;
generating additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled; and
generating a three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled is performed at predetermined depths.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled is performed at predetermined times.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising dynamically updating the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled comprises overlapping the operating envelope with the additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the boundary of the set of conditions of interest of the operating envelope comprises calculating intersection points between a reservoir pressure and a maximum motor liquid rate, the maximum motor liquid rate and a target bottom pressure, the target bottom pressure and a minimum liquid velocity, and the minimum liquid velocity and the reservoir pressure, and wherein the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope displays the boundary of the set of conditions of interest of the operating envelope.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user-specified depth parameter and displaying a snapshot of the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope at the user-specified depth parameter.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope has a start depth, an end depth, and intermediate step depths.

9 . A system configured to monitor underbalanced drilling operations, comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor performs operations comprising:
generating an operating envelope for a well at a given depth;
determining a boundary of a set of conditions of interest of the operating envelope;
generating additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled; and
generating a three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein generating the additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled is performed at predetermined depths.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein generating the additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled is performed at predetermined times.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprises dynamically updating the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein generating the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled comprises overlapping the operating envelope with the additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein determining the boundary of the set of conditions of interest of the operating envelope comprises calculating intersection points between a reservoir pressure and a maximum motor liquid rate, the maximum motor liquid rate and a target bottom pressure, the target bottom pressure and a minimum liquid velocity, and the minimum liquid velocity and the reservoir pressure.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprises receiving a user-specified depth parameter and displaying a snapshot of the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope at the user-specified depth parameter.

16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope has a start depth, an end depth, and intermediate step depths.

17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for monitoring underbalanced drilling operations, the computer executable instructions when executed causes one or more machines to perform operations comprising:
generating an operating envelope for a well at a given depth; determining a boundary of a set of conditions of interest of the operating envelope; generating additional operating envelopes as the well is being drilled; and generating a three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprises dynamically updating the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope as the well is being drilled.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprises receiving a user-specified depth parameter and displaying a snapshot of the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope at the user-specified depth parameter.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the three dimensional tunnel view of the operating envelope has a start depth, an end depth, and intermediate step depths.

Assignees

• Landmark Graphics Corp

Inventors

• Robello Samuel
• Morales-Ocando Gabriela M
• Zhou Zexun
• Huang Xiaoqian

Classifications

• E21B21/085

  Underbalanced techniques, i.e. where borehole fluid pressure is below formation pressure · 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

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• E21B7/00

  Special methods or apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• E21B41/00 Primary

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title