Automated Model-Based Drilling Control for Wellbore Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling operations are manually controlled, leading to potential human errors and inefficiencies due to the lack of real-time consideration of wellbore pressure and safe pressure windows, resulting in undesirable events like kicks, wellbore collapse, and mud loss, which increase risks and costs.
Innovation Solution
An automated model-based drilling system that uses surface-based sensors and a hydraulic modeler to continuously monitor and maintain the equivalent circulating density within pre-determined safety margins, automatically adjusting drilling parameters to optimize operations and prevent pressure deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control is used in drilling operations, then operational flexibility is maintained, but human errors occur and efficiency is reduced due to lack of real-time pressure monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors wellbore pressure in real-time and feeds this information back to the automated control system, which adjusts drilling parameters dynamically to maintain pressure within the safe pressure window, eliminating human reaction delays and errors
Solution Approach 2:
The automated control system independently manages drilling operations by self-adjusting parameters based on real-time pressure data and pre-programmed algorithms, freeing operators from manual control tasks while maintaining continuous optimization of drilling efficiency and safety
2Productivity
If real-time monitoring and automated adjustment systems are implemented, then drilling safety and efficiency are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated control system integrates multiple functions including real-time pressure monitoring, safe pressure window calculation, parameter optimization, and automatic actuator control into a single multi-functional platform, reducing the need for separate specialized systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a computational model of the safe pressure window as an intermediary layer between pressure sensors and control actuators, translating raw pressure data into optimized drilling parameter adjustments without requiring complex direct control logic
3Reliability
If automated control is implemented to prevent kicks and wellbore collapse, then reliability is improved, but the system requires continuous real-time data processing which increases computational load
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores safe pressure window boundaries and optimal drilling parameter ranges before drilling operations begin, allowing real-time control to simply compare current pressure against pre-determined thresholds rather than performing complex calculations continuously
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the control problem from continuous complex optimization to discrete parameter selection by defining a finite set of pre-determined safe drilling parameters that can be selected based on current pressure conditions, reducing computational requirements
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for automated model-based drilling includes a plurality of surface-based sensors configured to sense one or more rig parameters in real-time, a hydraulic modeler unit configured to generate a real-time model of an equivalent circulating density based on one or more rig parameters, a control module configured to continually determine whether the equivalent circulating density is within pre-determined safety margins of a safe pressure window, and a forward parameters simulator configured to, while the equivalent circulating density is within the pre-determined safety margins of the safe pressure window, determine an optimal drilling parameter to change and an optimal drilling parameter amount of change. The control module changes a rig setting corresponding to the optimal drilling parameter to change to the optimal drilling parameter value automatically or outputs the optimal drilling parameter to change and the optimal drilling parameter value to a display for manual adjustment by a driller.