Drilling Framework Using Formation-Aligned Offset Well Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drilling technologies face challenges in accurately constructing boreholes to penetrate reservoirs due to insufficient characterization of subsurface regions, leading to inefficiencies in resource extraction operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize aligned offset well data, including formation tops and mechanical specific energy drilling data, to guide borehole drilling trajectories, enhancing the accuracy of drilling operations by aligning drilling zones based on mechanical specific energy data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional drilling methods are used without aligned offset well data, then drilling operations can be performed with basic equipment, but the precision of borehole construction and accuracy of reservoir penetration are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment of offset well data using formation tops as reference markers before the actual drilling operation. This pre-processing step establishes accurate drilling zones and trajectories in advance, enabling precise borehole construction without requiring complex real-time adjustment systems during drilling.
Solution Approach 2:
Formation tops serve as intermediary reference points that bridge the offset well data and the target well trajectory. By aligning drilling zones based on these intermediate formation markers, the system achieves precise borehole construction without directly complex computational geometry transformations.
2Manufacturing precision
If offset well data is accessed and aligned to generate drilling zones, then borehole trajectory accuracy is improved, but data processing time and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The data processing is segmented into distinct phases: accessing offset well data, aligning data using formation tops, generating drilling zones, and executing drilling. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, with the alignment phase completing beforehand to reduce real-time processing requirements during actual drilling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment of offset well data and generation of drilling zones is performed as a preliminary action before the drilling operation begins. This pre-computation approach moves the time-consuming data processing to a preparatory phase, reducing computational requirements during the critical drilling execution phase.
3Productivity
If mechanical specific energy drilling data is used to align drilling zones, then drilling efficiency is optimized, but the complexity of analyzing and processing drilling mechanics data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex real-time mechanical analysis with pre-computed aligned drilling zones based on mechanical specific energy data. By substituting the need for continuous complex mechanical data analysis with predetermined drilling zones, the system maintains high drilling efficiency while reducing the complexity of real-time data processing requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method may include receiving data for drilling of a borehole in a subsurface environment according to a borehole trajectory for a target well at a field location in a basin; accessing offset well data for wells in the basin using at least a portion of the data, where the offset well data include identified formation tops with respect to well depth for a number of formations within the basin and mechanical specific energy drilling data with respect to well depth; aligning the offset well data using the formation tops to generate aligned offset well data that specify one or more drilling zones based on the mechanical specific energy drilling data; and performing the drilling based at least in part on the aligned offset well data.