Multiple distributed pressure measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441476-B2
Application number	US-5176205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2005
Priority date	Mar 4, 2004
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

Methods, computer programs, and systems for detecting at least one downhole condition are disclosed. Pressures are measured at a plurality of locations along the drillstring. The drillstring includes a drillpipe. At least one of the pressures is measured along the drillpipe. At least one downhole condition is detected based, at least in part, on at least one measured pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of collecting and analyzing one or more pressures, the method implemented, at least in part, in a computer system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
measuring pressures at a plurality of locations along a drillstring using a plurality of pressure sensors, the drillstring comprising a drillpipe comprised of multiple drillpipe joints, and wherein at least one pressure sensor is on or within the drillpipe; and
detecting at least one downhole condition based, at least in part, on at least one measured pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , where measuring pressures at a plurality of locations along a drillstring comprises:
measuring at least two pressures substantially simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1 , where measuring pressures at a plurality of locations along a drillstring comprises:
measuring at least two pressures in a controllable sequence.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying at least one downhole condition.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
locating at least one downhole condition.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
characterizing at least one downhole condition.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the drillstring comprises one or more drill collars, and where measuring pressures at a plurality of locations along the drillstring comprises:
measuring one or more pressures at one or more of the drill collars.

8. The method of claim 1 , where the drillstring comprises an interior and an exterior, and where measuring pressures at a plurality of locations along the drillstring comprises:
measuring at least one pressure along at least one of:
the exterior of the drillstring; or
the interior of the drillstring.

9. The method of claim 1 , where measuring pressures at a plurality of locations along a drillstring comprises:
measuring pressures at three or more locations along the drillstring;
and where detecting at least one downhole condition comprises:
detecting at least one downhole condition based, at least in part, on three or more measured pressures.

10. The method of claim 1 , where measuring pressures at a plurality of locations along a drillstring comprises:
measuring a first pressure in a first borehole section; and
measuring a second pressure in a second borehole section, where:
the first borehole section and second borehole section are different types of borehole sections; and were each of the first borehole section type and the second borehole section type are selected from a group of borehole section types consisting of:
a vertical section;
a curve section;
a tangent section; and
a horizontal section.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a measured-value set comprising one or more measured pressures and corresponding depths.

12. The method of claim 11 , where at least one of the measured pressures in the measured-value set is measured along a flowline and corresponds to a depth at or near the top of the drillstring.

13. The method of claim 11 , where the measured-value set comprises at least three measured pressures and corresponding depths.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing at least two expected pressures along the drillstring corresponding to at least two depths; and
creating an expected-value set of expected pressures versus depth.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
displaying at least one graphical representation selected from the group comprising:
a graphical representation of the measured-value set;
a graphical representation of the expected-value set; and
a graphical juxtaposition of the measured-value set and the expected-value set.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining at least one pressure difference between an expected pressure at a depth and a measured pressured at about the depth.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
detecting at least one downhole condition based, at least in part, on one or more pressure differences.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining at least one measured-pressure gradient;
determining at least one expected-pressure gradient; and
determining at least one gradient difference.

19. The method of claim 18 , where determining at least one gradient difference comprises:
determining at least one gradient difference between a corresponding pair of one measured-pressure gradient and one expected-pressure gradient, where each of the measured-pressure gradient and the expected-pressure gradient in the corresponding pair correspond to at least partially overlapping depths.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
identifying at least one downhole conditions based, at least in part, on one or more gradient differences.

21. The method of claim 20 , where identifying at least one downhole condition comprises:
identifying at least one downhole condition from a group consisting of: pipe wash-out, annulus obstruction, cuttings build-up, lost circulation, liquid influx, gas influx, and fluid phase change.

22. The method of claim 19 , comprising:
locating at least one downhole condition based, at least in part, on one or more gradient differences.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
locating at least one downhole condition from a group consisting of: pipe wash-out, annulus obstruction, cuttings build-up, lost circulation, liquid influx, gas influx, and fluid phase change.

24. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
identifying at least one downhole conditions based, at least in part, on one or more gradient differences and one or more pressure differences.

25. The method of claim 24 , where identifying at least one downhole condition based, at least in part, on one or more gradient differences and one or more pressure differences is performed while the drillstring is engaged in an action selected from a group consisting of:
on-bottom rotary drilling;
sliding;
in-slips; and
tripping.

26. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing at least one additional action in response to at least one detected downhole condition.

27. The method of claim 26 , where performing one or more additional actions in response to the detected downhole condition comprises:
performing at least one additional action selected from a group consisting of:
tripping the drillstring to a location of the downhole condition;
adjusting mud weight;
adjusting flow rate;
shutting-in the borehole; and
short-tripping.

28. A method of collecting and analyzing one or more pressures, the method implemented, at least in part, in a computer system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
measuring static pressures at three or more locations along a drillstring using three or more pressure sensors positioned along the drillstring, wherein the drillstring comprises a drillpipe comprised of multiple drillpipe joints and further wherein at least one static pressure is measured by a pressure sensor that is on or within the drillpipe; and
detecting at least one downhole condition based, at least in part, on the three or more measured static pressures.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:
identifying at least one downhole condition.

30. The method of cl

Assignees

• Gleitman Daniel D
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Gleitman Daniel D

Classifications

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• 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

• E21B47/01

  Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like · 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

• E21B47/06 Primary

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title