Drilling Rig Slip-State Control Using Hookload Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack effective methods for monitoring and controlling the slip status of a drill string during drilling operations, which can lead to costly and time-consuming issues such as stuck pipes and inefficient drilling processes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for monitoring and controlling the slip status of a drill string by analyzing hook load data and comparing it to a threshold value, using sensors and control systems to detect variations and prevent slip conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual monitoring of drill string slip status is used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but detection accuracy and response time deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical monitoring with an automated electronic system that uses sensors to detect hook load variations and a processor to analyze the data. This substitution of mechanical/manual methods with electronic automation resolves the contradiction by providing precise slip status detection while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system automatically detects and alerts operators to slip conditions without requiring continuous manual observation. The system serves itself by autonomously processing sensor data and generating warnings, thereby improving detection accuracy while reducing the operational burden and complexity of human monitoring.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring of hook load data is implemented, then slip condition detection is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic sampling of hook load data at predetermined time intervals rather than continuous monitoring. This periodic action maintains reliable slip condition detection by capturing critical changes while reducing energy consumption by keeping the system in a low-power state between sampling intervals.
3Loss of time
If automated slip detection system is used, then response time is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from hook load sensors to automatically detect slip conditions and trigger alerts. This closed-loop feedback mechanism reduces response time by immediately reacting to detected anomalies while managing complexity through a straightforward sensor-processor-alert architecture that is easy to implement and maintain.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method can include, during drilling operations at a wellsite, receiving operational data, where the data include hookload data, surface rotation data and block position data; training a controller using the hookload data, the surface rotation data and the block position data for determination of one or more transition thresholds, where the transitions thresholds include an in-slips to out-of-slips transition threshold and an out-of-slips to in-slips transition threshold; during the drilling operations, receiving additional operational data that include additional hookload data; and storing at least a portion of the additional operational data in association with slips state as determined based at least in part on a comparison of at least a portion of the additional hookload data and at least one of the determined transition thresholds.