Kick information identification apparatus and method assisted for wellbore pressure control during horizontal drilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631444-B1
Application number	US-201615298041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides a measuring unit, a kick information identification apparatus and method, and relates to the oil and gas well engineering field. The measuring unit comprises: a throttling device, mounted on a drill stem; sensors, arranged at the two sides of the throttling device, and configured to sense the pressure and/or temperature at the two sides of the throttling device; and a signal transmitter, configured to transmit the pressure and/or temperature values. The present invention employs a throttling device and measures the pressure drop and/or temperature difference across the throttling device, and can identify kick information successfully according to the pressure drop and/or temperature difference. Even in the case of horizontal wells where the flow and pressure variations are not apparent, the present invention can still attain a good kick information identification effect.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A kick information identification apparatus for wellbore pressure control during horizontal drilling, comprising:
a measuring unit, comprising:
a throttling device, mounted on a drill stem;
pressure sensors, arranged at two sides of the throttling device, and configured to constantly sense pressure and to output pressure data;
temperature sensors, arranged at two sides of the throttling device, and configured to constantly sense temperature and to output temperature data; and
a signal transmitter, configured to constantly transmit the sensed pressure and temperature data from the pressure and temperature sensors to a processor; and

the processor, configured to perform a kick information identification method, wherein the kick information comprises one or more of the following items: a kick moment, a kick rate, a kick occurrence position, and a kick type, where the kick information identification method comprises the following steps:
providing the throttling device on the drill stem;
providing the pressure sensors at two sides of the throttling device for sensing pressure;
providing the temperature sensors at two sides of the throttling device for sensing temperature;
constantly sensing, by the pressure and temperature sensors, pressure and temperature at the two sides of the throttling device;
constantly transmitting, by the signal transmitter, the sensed pressure and temperature data from the pressure and temperature sensors to the processor;
repetitively monitoring, by the processor, pressure drops in the throttling device based on the sensed pressure data;
repetitively determining, by the processor, a fluid flow rate Q 1 through the throttling device corresponding to the monitored pressure drops in the throttling device;
repetitively monitoring, by the processor, a temperature rising rate based on the sensed temperature data;
determining, by the processor, a kick moment t 0 based on the monitored pressure drops;
determining, by the processor, a moment t 1 when the temperature rising rate is greater than a preset temperature rising rate;
determining, by the processor, a distance L 1 of the kick occurrence position from the measuring unit,
wherein

L
1

=

Q
1

⁡

(

t
1

-

t
0

)

A

where, A is a sectional area of an annulus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, the throttling device is a multi-stage throttling device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
the signal transmitter is a wireless communication module; and
the measuring unit further comprises a power supply unit configured to supply power to the measuring unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a pressure drop across the throttling device at a current moment is greater than a pressure drop at a previous moment by a value greater than a preset pressure drop, the processor determines the current moment as the kick moment.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, the processor calculates a drilling fluid flow corresponding to a pressure drop across the throttling device, and takes a difference between the drilling fluid flow and a current drilling fluid injection displacement as the kick rate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, the processor determines the kick fluid to be a gas, if the temperature difference across the throttling device is a negative value.

7. A kick information identification apparatus for wellbore pressure control during horizontal drilling, comprising:
a measuring unit, comprising:
a throttling device, mounted on a drill stem;
pressure sensors, arranged at two sides of the throttling device, and configured to constantly sense pressure and to output pressure data;
temperature sensors, arranged at two sides of the throttling device, and configured to constantly sense temperature and to output temperature data; and
a signal transmitter, configured to constantly transmit the sensed pressure and temperature data from the pressure and temperature sensors to a processor; and

the processor, configured to perform a kick information identification method, wherein the kick information comprises one or more of the following items: a kick moment, a kick rate, a kick occurrence position, and a kick type, where the kick information identification method comprises the following steps:
providing the throttling device on the drill stem;
providing the pressure sensors at two sides of the throttling device for sensing pressure;
providing the temperature sensors at two sides of the throttling device for sensing temperature;
constantly sensing, by the pressure and temperature sensors, pressure and temperature at the two sides of the throttling device;
constantly transmitting, by the signal transmitter, the sensed pressure and temperature data from the pressure and temperature sensors to the processor;
repetitively monitoring and storing, by the processor, pressure drops in the throttling device based on the sensed pressure data;
determining, by the processor, a kick based on the monitored pressure drops;
monitoring
determining, by the processor, a pressure drop coefficient x,
wherein

x
=

Δ
⁢

⁢

p
2

-

Δ
⁢

⁢

p
0

Δ
⁢

⁢

p
1

-

Δ
⁢

⁢

p
0

where, Δp 0 is a pressure drop in the throttling device before the kick; Δp 1 is a pressure drop at a moment before the kick fluid reaches to the throttling device after the kick, Δp 1 −Δp 0 is an increment of the corresponding pressure drop; Δp 2 is a pressure drop at a moment after the kick fluid reaches to the throttling device after kick, and Δp 2 −Δp 0 is an increment of the corresponding pressure drop;
determining, by the processor, a kick type according to the pressure-drop coefficient x.

Assignees

• Univ China Petroleum East China

Inventors

• Sun Baojiang
• Sun Xiaohui
• Wang Zhiyuan
• Zhou Jianliang

Classifications

• E21B47/103 Primary

  using thermal measurements · CPC title

• E21B47/117

  Detecting leaks, e.g. from tubing, by pressure testing · CPC title

• E21B21/10

  Valve arrangements in drilling-fluid circulation systems · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · 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