Dynamic Surface Grid for Drill Center and Well Trajectory Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current field planning and drill center design practices are sequential and inefficient, leading to sub-optimal solutions due to conflicts between various parameters such as drill center location, well trajectory, and reservoir requirements, resulting in limited choices and long iteration times, which can result in increased costs and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the creation of a dynamic surface grid with cells representing potential drill center locations, assigning drilling or geologic attributes to each cell, and selecting optimal drill center locations based on these attributes to optimize well paths and drill center placement, using a composite grid approach that reduces cycle time and evaluates multiple scenarios efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sequential field planning and drill center design practices are used, then the process follows traditional step-by-step procedures, but the solution quality becomes sub-optimal due to conflicts between drill center location, well trajectory, and reservoir requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines drill center location selection, well trajectory design, and reservoir target optimization into a single integrated simultaneous optimization process. Multiple parameters are optimized together rather than sequentially, allowing conflicts between parameters to be resolved through joint optimization, thereby improving solution quality while maintaining computational feasibility through efficient algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic optimization where the optimization process adapts and iterates between different parameters simultaneously. The system dynamically adjusts drill center locations, well trajectories, and reservoir targets in an integrated manner, allowing the solution to evolve toward optimal configurations that satisfy multiple conflicting requirements.
2Measurement precision
If multiple trial and error iterations are performed to finalize drill center locations and well trajectories, then more scenarios can be examined, but the time required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary simultaneous optimization that pre-evaluates multiple scenarios in an integrated framework before finalizing the design. By conducting the optimization simultaneously rather than through repeated sequential trials, the system efficiently examines multiple scenarios and converges to optimal solutions with significantly reduced iteration time while maintaining comprehensive scenario evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The optimization process maintains continuous useful action by simultaneously optimizing all parameters throughout the process rather than pausing between sequential steps. The integrated optimization continuously evaluates and adjusts multiple parameters together, eliminating idle time between iterations and maintaining productive computation throughout the entire optimization period.
3Productivity
If rigid constraints are applied in the optimization process, then the optimization can derive an optimal solution efficiently, but the solution space is limited and provides little insight to users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables parameter changes by allowing users to modify constraints, weights, and optimization criteria dynamically during the optimization process. The system can adjust the rigidity of constraints and explore different regions of the solution space by changing parameter values, providing users with flexible control over the optimization behavior while maintaining computational efficiency through the simultaneous optimization framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, including: identifying a well target or reservoir segment; defining a dynamic surface grid, the dynamic surface grid being a representation of a ground surface, sea-level, or subsea surface above a reservoir upon which a drill center is locatable, and the dynamic surface grid including a plurality of cells that define potential locations for the drill center; assigning, to each of the plurality of cells of the dynamic surface grid, a value of a drilling or geologic attribute that defines a quality of a drill center position relative to the well target or reservoir segment; and selecting, based on a value of the drilling or geologic attribute, a location for the drill center corresponding to a location represented on the dynamic surface grid.