Model-Based Drilling Fluid Framework for Automated Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The dynamic and complex nature of drilling fluid characteristics during drilling operations poses challenges in maintaining optimal conditions, making it difficult for human decision-making to be timely and cost-effective.
Innovation Solution
A model-based computational framework is employed to automatically determine forecast drilling fluid conditions, generate treatment recommendations, and assess the quality of these recommendations using condition indexes, enabling real-time adjustments to improve drilling fluid performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If human decision-making is used to manage drilling fluid characteristics, then flexibility and expertise can be applied, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling fluid management system performs self-monitoring and self-adjustment through automated sensors and control mechanisms. The system continuously monitors fluid properties and automatically adjusts parameters without requiring constant human intervention, thereby reducing decision-making time while maintaining operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical decision-making with an automated control system that uses sensors, processors, and actuators. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming human decision loop while preserving the expertise needed for optimal fluid management through programmed algorithms and real-time data analysis.
2Measurement precision
If manual monitoring of drilling fluid characteristics is performed, then detailed analysis can be conducted, but the process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system integrates multiple sensing functions into a unified platform that can measure various drilling fluid properties (viscosity, density, temperature, pressure) simultaneously. This multi-functional approach maintains measurement precision while reducing overall system complexity by consolidating monitoring capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary data processing layer between sensors and control actions. This intermediary system aggregates and analyzes data from multiple sensors, simplifying the complexity management by providing a centralized intelligence layer that coordinates all monitoring functions.
3Productivity
If real-time adjustments are made to drilling fluid properties, then drilling efficiency improves, but the difficulty of tracking and decision-making increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements closed-loop feedback by continuously monitoring drilling fluid properties and automatically adjusting parameters based on real-time conditions. This feedback mechanism enables real-time adjustments that improve drilling efficiency while the automated nature of the feedback loop eliminates the difficulty of manual tracking and decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary monitoring and analysis before making adjustments, using predictive algorithms to anticipate optimal timing for fluid property changes. This preliminary action simplifies real-time decision-making by pre-calculating adjustment parameters based on projected drilling conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method may include receiving measurements of drilling fluid properties of drilling fluid during drilling indicative of a current drilling fluid condition; automatically determining a forecast drilling fluid condition based on the measurements using a model-based computational framework; analyzing the current drilling fluid condition and the future drilling condition; based on the analyzing, automatically generating a treatment recommendation and an associated projected drilling fluid condition based on the measurements using the model-based computational framework; responsive to implementation of the treatment recommendation, receiving additional measurements of the drilling fluid properties indicative of an actual drilling fluid condition; and, based at least in part on a comparison of projected drilling fluid condition and the actual drilling fluid condition, generating a quality indicator of the treatment recommendation.