Geosteering Spline Mapping for Real-Time Well Trajectory Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling technologies face challenges in accurately and efficiently determining well trajectories, particularly in complex and deep boreholes, due to the overwhelming amount of data that human operators must process, leading to errors that increase drilling costs and reduce well output.
Innovation Solution
A geosteering control system that uses a processor to access memory media storing instructions for accessing reference well data and second measurement data, employing spline functions and misfit functions to determine optimal geosteering solutions, which are then used to modify drilling parameters and adjust well plans in real-time, thereby improving drilling accuracy and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional drilling technologies are used with human operators processing data, then operational flexibility is maintained, but drilling accuracy and efficiency deteriorate due to overwhelming data processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-steering of the drill bit through real-time processing of downhole survey data and automatic generation of steering commands, eliminating the need for continuous human intervention in trajectory control while maintaining high accuracy and efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual data processing and decision-making by human operators with automated computational systems that process survey data and generate steering commands, substituting mechanical human cognition with electronic data processing systems
2Loss of information
If more downhole sensors and data collection systems are deployed, then measurement completeness improves, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and processes only the critical survey data elements needed for trajectory control from the complete downhole survey dataset, separating essential information from redundant data to reduce processing complexity while maintaining measurement completeness
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary processing and filtering of downhole survey data immediately upon acquisition, preparing data for trajectory analysis before it accumulates complexity, thereby reducing the burden on subsequent processing stages
3Manufacturing precision
If real-time processing of downhole survey data is implemented, then well trajectory control accuracy improves, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system processes a focused subset of survey data parameters that are most critical for trajectory control rather than analyzing all available data, achieving sufficient accuracy with reduced computational effort and faster processing times
Solution Approach 2:
The data processing workflow is segmented into distinct stages including data acquisition, filtering, trajectory calculation, and steering command generation, allowing parallel processing of independent stages and reducing overall processing time
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and system for geosteering may generate a misfit function using a spline function. The misfit function may be used to accurately map errors or differences between TVD-based measurement data for one or more reference wells and MD-based measurement data collected during drilling of a subject well, in order to accurately determine a stratigraphic location of the subject well.