Drilling Rig Control Software With Tool-Agnostic Activity Orchestration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Human-operated drilling processes in oilfield operations lack consistency and are prone to errors due to the need for manual control of complex rig equipment, and existing software solutions often require detailed knowledge of specific tools and their operation.
Innovation Solution
A drilling rig software system that includes a service layer to coordinate tool-agnostic requests, an activity layer to manage activities, and controller modules to translate instructions into tool-specific commands, allowing for automated drilling processes without requiring detailed knowledge of the drilling components or tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human operators manually control rig equipment, then the drilling process can be completed, but the operations lack consistency and are prone to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling rig system performs automated drilling operations using software control that enables the system to execute drilling tasks autonomously based on well plans and real-time data, reducing reliance on manual human intervention and improving operational consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control operations with an automated software-based control system that processes drilling data and executes control commands, substituting human-operated mechanical systems with intelligent automated systems
2Ease of operation
If human operators press dozens of buttons to operate rig equipment, then the drilling process can be controlled, but the complexity of operation increases and errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple drilling operations and control functions into a unified automated software system that manages various rig equipment simultaneously, reducing the number of separate control actions required from dozens of button presses to integrated automated commands
Solution Approach 2:
The drilling software system performs multiple functions including real-time data processing, well plan execution, equipment control, and anomaly detection within a single integrated platform, eliminating the need for separate specialized controls for each function
3Extent of automation
If software-based management of drilling operations is implemented, then automation is improved, but the application developer must have detailed knowledge of specific tools and their language
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer of automated software that translates high-level drilling objectives into specific equipment commands, shielding developers from the complexity of tool-specific protocols and languages while maintaining full control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses standardized data models and communication protocols that replicate real-world drilling operations in a virtual environment, allowing software developers to work with abstract representations rather than requiring deep knowledge of physical tool specifics
Data Source
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AI summary
Automated drilling may include receiving a tool-agnostic request to perform a process, determining one or more activities to complete the process, identifying a controller module associated with a first activity of the one or more activities, and triggering the controller module to initiate the first activity, wherein the controller module identifies and directs one or more drilling tools to initiate the first activity.