Dynamic Wellbore Surveying With Two-Stage Sensor Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring wellbore inclination and azimuth during drilling are inaccurate and unreliable under dynamic conditions, leading to increased drilling risks, costs, and reduced precision in determining wellbore direction and position.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a three-axis magnetometer and three-axis accelerometer to evaluate an averaged transverse product magnitude, which includes a two-stage sampling process with analog and digital low-pass filtering, to determine wellbore inclination and azimuth without requiring prior field magnitudes or adaptive filters, and correcting for sensor offsets using a Blackman window function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional MWD methods using accelerometers and magnetometers are used to measure wellbore inclination and azimuth, then measurement capability is provided, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate under dynamic conditions (drill string rotation, circulation of drilling fluid)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the measurement system adaptive to dynamic drilling conditions. The system detects drill string rotation and adjusts measurement processing accordingly, transitioning from static measurement assumptions to dynamic measurement processing that accounts for rotation effects, thereby maintaining precision and reliability during drill string rotation and fluid circulation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes measurement parameters by introducing multi-frequency analysis and adaptive filtering parameters. The system varies measurement processing parameters based on detected dynamic conditions, such as adjusting filter frequencies and measurement intervals according to drill string rotation speed and fluid circulation patterns, thereby maintaining accurate inclination and azimuth measurements under varying dynamic conditions
2Measurement precision
If static measurements are taken when drilling is suspended, then measurement accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases due to loss of drilling time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by enabling continuous wellbore survey measurements during active drilling operations. The system processes measurements taken while the drill string is rotating and drilling fluid is circulating, eliminating the need to suspend drilling for measurements. This continuous measurement capability maintains productivity while providing timely wellbore position data for trajectory control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-processing measurement data during acquisition to compensate for dynamic effects. The system performs real-time detection of rotation and fluid circulation conditions, and applies appropriate correction algorithms before final measurement calculation, thereby achieving accurate measurements without requiring subsequent static measurement corrections that would halt drilling
3Productivity
If dynamic measurements are taken during drill string rotation and fluid circulation, then productivity is improved by reducing drilling time, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using detected dynamic conditions (rotation speed, fluid circulation patterns) to adjust measurement processing in real-time. The system continuously monitors drilling conditions and feeds this information back to the measurement processing algorithm, which adapts its parameters to compensate for dynamic effects, thereby maintaining precision during continuous drilling operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a measurement system that is specifically designed to operate under dynamic conditions. The system uses dynamic signal processing techniques including adaptive filtering and multi-frequency analysis that are tailored to the characteristics of measurements taken during drill string rotation and fluid circulation, thereby maintaining precision without requiring static measurement conditions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides accurate and reliable measurements of wellbore inclination and azimuth under dynamic conditions, reducing drilling risks and costs by improving the precision of wellbore direction and position estimation.
Implementation Method 1
prior art inclinations are derived from accelerometer measurements sensitive to the earth's gravitational field
Implementation Method 2
Azimuth is most commonly derived from a combination of accelerometer and magnetometer measurements, the magnetometer measurements being sensitive to the earth's magnetic field
Implementation Method 3
The processor is further configured to low-pass filter the sequence of transverse magnetic vectors and the sequence of transverse gravity vectors
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides methods and systems are presented suitable for evaluating a dynamic wellbore azimuth and inclination measurement based on measurements acquired by a downhole tool capable of acquiring accelerometer (gravity) and magnetic field measurements representative of the earth's gravitational and magnetic fields. These methods and systems can also be used for evaluating static inclination and azimuth measurements. These methods and systems comprising the present invention provide an improvement over the prior art for their function and address many shortcomings of prior art.