Quill Steering System for Drilling Path Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling methods struggle with accurately steering a bottom hole assembly (BHA) back to the planned drilling path after deviations occur, leading to complex, labor-intensive, and often inaccurate reorientation of the toolface.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for drilling that involve receiving a planned drilling path, determining the projected location of the BHA, comparing it to the planned path, and creating a modified drilling path. This includes calculating curves and sections to steer the BHA back to the target location, either intersecting or not intersecting the original path based on deviation thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional drilling methods are used to steer the BHA back to the planned path, then the operator can manually control the drilling direction, but the process becomes complex, labor-intensive, and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical steering operations with an automated control system that uses computer processors to calculate and execute steering commands. The system automatically determines the projected bit location, compares it to the planned path, and generates control signals to adjust the BHA orientation without requiring complex manual calculations and adjustments by the operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors drilling parameters including survey data, bit location projections, and toolface orientation, then feeds this information back to the controller. Based on this feedback, the controller automatically adjusts steering commands to correct deviations from the planned path, creating a closed-loop control system that improves accuracy while reducing operational complexity.
2Productivity
If manual toolface reorientation is performed, then the operator has control over the steering process, but it requires significant manual input and time
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs self-service by automatically executing the steering process without requiring continuous manual intervention. The system independently calculates projected bit locations, compares them to the planned path, determines necessary corrections, and generates and executes control signals, thereby reducing both the time required for steering operations and the manual input needed from the operator.
3Measurement precision
If real-time path optimization is implemented, then the drilling accuracy improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system segments the steering process into distinct functional modules: a survey data processing module, a projected bit location calculation module, a path comparison module, and a control signal generation module. Each module handles a specific aspect of the real-time optimization process, making the overall complex system more manageable and easier to implement while maintaining high measurement precision through specialized processing at each stage.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of using a quill to steer a bit when elongating a wellbore, with the method including receiving real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore, wherein the real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore comprises data associated with: actual toolface orientation; surface-measured mud motor ΔP; surface-measured quill torque; surface-measured weight-on-bit (“WOB”); and surface-measured quill position; learning, based on the real-time data, relationships between: surface-measured mud motor ΔP and surface-measured torque; changes in surface-measured WOB and surface-measured torque; and changes in surface-measured quill position and actual toolface orientation; accessing, after learning the relationships, a desired toolface orientation; comparing, by the controller, the desired toolface orientation and the actual toolface orientation; and affecting, by the controller and based on the comparison and the learned relationships, a first change of the quill position and one or more of: mud motor ΔP; surface-measured quill torque; or WOB.