Integrated geomechanics determinations and wellbore pressure control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328573-B2
Application number	US-200913144321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2009
Priority date	Oct 5, 2009
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Well pressure control is integrated in real time with geomechanics determinations made during drilling. A well drilling method includes updating determinations of properties of a formation surrounding a wellbore in real time as the wellbore is being drilled; and controlling wellbore pressure in real time as the wellbore is being drilled, in response to the updated determinations of the formation properties. Another well drilling method includes obtaining sensor measurements in a well drilling system in real time as a wellbore is being drilled; transmitting the sensor measurements to a control system in real time; the control system determining in real time properties of a formation surrounding the wellbore based on the sensor measurements, and the control system transmitting in real time a pressure setpoint to a controller; and the controller controlling operation of at least one flow control device, thereby influencing a well pressure toward the pressure setpoint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A well drilling method, comprising:
determining a property of a formation surrounding a wellbore in real time as the wellbore is being drilled, wherein the determining is based at least in part on data received from a sensor located at a surface location; and
controlling wellbore pressure in real time as the wellbore is being drilled by controlling operation of a flow control device independently from a mud pump, the flow control device interconnected in a mud return line returning mud from the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the determining and the controlling is performed at a location remote from a wellsite where the wellbore is being drilled.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling is performed automatically in response to the determining.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining is performed at least repeatedly as the wellbore is being drilled.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining is performed continuously as the wellbore is being drilled.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining is performed in response to receiving a measurement from at least one of the surface sensor and a downhole sensor in real time as the wellbore is being drilled.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the measurement includes an ahead of bit measurement received from the downhole sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining includes producing a curve of actual pore pressure versus depth along the wellbore as the wellbore is being drilled.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining includes producing a curve of actual fracture pressure versus depth along the wellbore as the wellbore is being drilled.

10. A well drilling method, comprising:
obtaining a sensor measurement from a surface sensor located at a surface location in a well drilling system in real time as a wellbore is being drilled;
transmitting the sensor measurement to a control system in real time;
the control system determining in real time a property of a formation surrounding the wellbore based on the sensor measurement;
the control system transmitting in real time a pressure setpoint to a controller, wherein the pressure setpoint is based on the determined property of the formation; and
the controller controlling operation of a flow control device independently from a mud pump, the flow control device interconnected in a mud return line returning mud from the wellbore, thereby influencing a well pressure toward the pressure setpoint.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtaining, the transmitting the sensor measurement, the determining, the transmitting the pressure setpoint and the controlling are performed at least repeatedly during drilling of the wellbore.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtaining, the transmitting the sensor measurement, the determining, the transmitting the pressure setpoint and the controlling are performed continuously during drilling of the wellbore.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the well pressure is pressure in an annulus between the wellbore and a drill string being used to drill the wellbore.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the well pressure is pressure at a bottom of the wellbore.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining includes producing a curve of actual pore pressure versus depth along the wellbore as the wellbore is being drilled.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining includes producing a curve of actual fracture pressure versus depth along the wellbore as the wellbore is being drilled.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the controlling includes adjusting flow restriction through a choke interconnected in a mud return line.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the controlling includes at least one of: adjusting flow in an annulus in the wellbore by varying a flow rate from a mud pump into a drill string, varying a flow rate of fluid pumped into the annulus, and adjusting flow through a flow sub in the drill string.

Assignees

• Standifird William Bradley
• Rizvi Syed Aijaz
• Hu Xiaomin
• Lovorn James R
• Shayegi Sara
• Davis Nancy
• Greenwood Jeremy
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Standifird William Bradley
• Rizvi Syed Aijaz
• Hu Xiaomin
• Lovorn James R
• Shayegi Sara
• Davis Nancy
• Greenwood Jeremy

Classifications

• E21B21/085

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

• E21B21/08 Primary

  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