Automated Drilling Mud Management System for Remote Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The mineral exploration industry lacks an effective system for managing drilling mud composition, particularly in remote areas where on-site specialist mud engineers are not feasible due to cost constraints, leading to potential catastrophic events from uncontrolled downhole pressure conditions.
Innovation Solution
An automated drilling mud management system that includes a portable mud measurement system, a dosing system, and a communication system, enabling remote monitoring and control of drilling mud properties and composition, thereby ensuring it meets desired specifications without the need for continuous on-site expertise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a specialist mud engineer is deployed on-site 24 hours a day to monitor and control drilling mud composition, then the quality control and control of downhole pressure conditions is improved, but the operational cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service through automated measurement devices that continuously monitor drilling mud properties and dosing systems that automatically adjust composition based on real-time data, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention by specialist mud engineers while maintaining reliable control of downhole pressure conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual monitoring and adjustment by specialist mud engineers with an automated electronic system comprising measurement devices, communication systems, and dosing systems that continuously monitor and control drilling mud composition, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining or improving reliability
2Productivity
If drill rig operators are provided with mixing instructions to prepare drilling mud without on-site expertise, then the operational cost is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of drilling mud composition deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where measurement devices monitor drilling mud properties in real-time, communicate this data to the dosing system, and enable automatic adjustments to maintain precise composition control, eliminating the need for specialist on-site expertise while ensuring accurate mud preparation
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-programming dosing parameters and composition specifications, then automatically executing the precise addition of drilling mud components based on real-time measurements, ensuring manufacturing precision without requiring operators to manually follow complex mixing instructions
Data Source
AI summary
An automated batch sampling drilling mud management system includes a portable mud measurement system and a communications system. The portable mud measurement system has or more measurement devices arranged to measure at least one property and/or characteristic of drilling mud; and a pumping system arranged to pump a batch sample of drilling mud from a supply of drilling mud to the one or more measurement devices. The pumping system is also able to subsequently flush the batch sample of drilling mud from the one or more measurement devices. The communications system enables bidirectional communications between the mud management system and a remote location to enable transfer of data therebetween and the exertion of control from the remote location to the mud management system.