3D Uncertainty Cube for Real-Time Well Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drilling wells often face significant uncertainty regarding the placement of wells relative to subsurface geological targets, leading to potential off-target drilling, increased costs, and project delays due to the need for re-drilling.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method generates and dynamically updates a three-dimensional (3D) uncertainty cube to quantify and manage spatial uncertainty in well placement, allowing for real-time adjustments of the drilling path to optimize well placement and reduce the likelihood of missing geological targets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional drilling techniques are used without real-time uncertainty updates, then the drilling process is simpler and faster, but the well placement accuracy deteriorates leading to off-target drilling
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by generating a 3D uncertainty cube before drilling operations begin, establishing a baseline uncertainty model that is then updated in real-time. This preliminary framework enables proactive well path optimization rather than reactive corrections
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by updating the 3D uncertainty cube in real-time as drilling progresses, incorporating new geological information and measurement data to refine uncertainty estimates and dynamically adjust the well path to maintain target placement accuracy
2Manufacturing precision
If real-time 3D uncertainty cube updates are implemented, then well placement accuracy improves, but the computational complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the uncertainty modeling into a structured 3D cube framework with discrete volumetric elements, allowing computational complexity to be managed through spatial segmentation. This enables parallel processing of uncertainty updates across different spatial zones while maintaining overall well path optimization
3Reliability
If dynamic well path re-planning is performed based on real-time uncertainty updates, then the probability of hitting the geological target increases, but the drilling operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial updates to the well path by focusing computational resources on optimizing only the portion of the well trajectory that passes through high-uncertainty zones identified in the 3D uncertainty cube, rather than re-planning the entire well path. This reduces computation time while maintaining target hit probability
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods include a method used in drilling wells. A three-dimensional (3D) uncertainty cube is generated for a subsurface geological structure containing a well target for drilling operations of a well. The 3D uncertainty cube defines an uncertainty of a geological position relative to a 3D structural model. The 3D uncertainty cube is dynamically updated in real time while drilling the well, including parameterizing the 3D uncertainty cube for a distance ahead of a drill bit. A probability that the well target will be hit is determined using the 3D uncertainty cube. The drilling operations of the well are dynamically re-planned and re-steered based on the updated 3D uncertainty cube, including updating a direction of the drilling operations of the well using the 3D uncertainty cube and the probability. Drilling and acquiring new information are continued to iteratively continue dynamic updates and continued drilling.