Pipe Tally and Block Velocity Sensing for Accurate Drilling Depth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling technologies struggle to accurately gather and process downhole sensor data in a timely manner, leading to errors in drilling operations, which can result in significant financial losses and reduced well output due to inaccurate depth measurements and miscommunication among rig crew members.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented system using processor-executable instructions for integrating reference data from downhole sensors and surface control systems, enabling automatic or semi-automatic steering control to improve drilling accuracy by combining stratigraphic information from multiple wells and using heat maps to identify optimal wellbore paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual pipe tallying is used to measure drill pipe depth, then the process is simple and requires minimal equipment, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to human errors including wrong tally, inaccurate measurements, and miscommunication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical tallying system with an automated optical/electronic system. Sensors mounted on the drilling rig automatically detect and count drill pipe joints as they are added or removed, eliminating manual measurement with tapes and tally books. This substitution of mechanical manual processes with automated sensing systems directly resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational simplicity while dramatically improving measurement accuracy and eliminating human error.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated pipe tally system performs self-service by automatically counting and recording drill pipe depths without requiring manual intervention. The system uses sensors to detect pipe joint positions and automatically updates the depth record, making the tallying process self-executing rather than dependent on human operators. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating human error while maintaining ease of operation through automated self-measurement.
2Measurement precision
If automated sensor systems are deployed to improve measurement accuracy, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional sensor system that simultaneously performs multiple tasks: detecting drill pipe joint positions, counting pipe additions and removals, recording depth measurements, and providing real-time data to the drilling control system. By consolidating these functions into a single integrated automated system rather than separate specialized devices, the patent improves measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity through functional consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary data processing layer that bridges the sensors and the drilling control system. This intermediary layer aggregates sensor data, processes measurements, and communicates results to operators, simplifying the overall system architecture by providing a standardized interface between the complex sensing hardware and the control software, thereby managing device complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
3Ease of operation
If manual tallying is used, then the system is easy to operate, but the productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming manual processes and errors requiring correction
Solution Approach 1:
The automated pipe tally system enables continuous measurement and recording of drill pipe depths without interruption to drilling operations. Unlike manual tallying that requires periodic stops for measurement and recording, the automated system continuously tracks pipe joint positions and updates depth data in real-time, eliminating downtime for corrections and maintaining continuous productive operation while remaining easy to operate through automatic function execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements real-time feedback mechanisms where the automated sensor system continuously monitors drill pipe depth and immediately communicates measurements to the drilling control system. This instantaneous feedback eliminates the delays inherent in manual tallying where measurements are taken and recorded after the fact, allowing for immediate detection and correction of any issues, thereby improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation through automatic feedback loops.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems for pipe tallying in well drilling operations and methods for using the same are described. The pipe tallying systems determine a number of pipe joints that pass through an inlet based on the diameter of the pipe joint when compared against a drill pipe diameter. The pipe tally system maintains a tally of drill pipes in a borehole and the pipe tally system can produce a borehole depth measurement based on the length of pipe in the borehole. Systems and methods for determining travelling block velocity are also disclosed. A plate having magnetics thereon may rotate with a crown block and pass a sensor, and a computer system can determine how much and in which direction the travelling block has moved in a time interval to determine velocity.