Well Proximity Calculation via Segment Deconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current well planning methods are computation-intensive, particularly when editing the shape or location of a well plan, which hinders rapid display of changes and efficient proximity calculations between wells and geological features.
Innovation Solution
The method identifies offset wells and features of interest by distance, deconstructs them into discretized segments for proximity analysis, uses envelopes or bounding boxes to account for positional uncertainties, and performs proximity computations only for segments meeting specific criteria, facilitating parallelization and speeding up subsequent computations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If proximity calculations are performed for all offset wells and features, then measurement precision is improved, but computation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the computational domain into discrete segments or bases along well paths. By segmenting the continuous well paths into discrete intervals, the system can efficiently identify and calculate proximities only for relevant segments rather than processing entire well paths, thus reducing computation time while maintaining accuracy for critical proximity assessments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of offset wells and features of interest before conducting detailed proximity calculations. By pre-identifying which offset wells and features are relevant based on initial distance criteria, the system prepares a filtered set of targets for subsequent detailed analysis, avoiding unnecessary computations on irrelevant features and reducing overall computation time.
2Measurement precision
If proximity calculations are performed for all segments, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and focuses computational resources on specific segments that meet proximity criteria rather than processing all segments uniformly. By taking out only the relevant segments for detailed analysis and excluding irrelevant ones, the system maintains high measurement precision for critical proximity assessments while improving overall productivity by reducing unnecessary computations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by performing detailed proximity calculations only for segments that meet specific proximity criteria, rather than conducting exhaustive calculations on all segments. This selective approach ensures sufficient precision for segments that matter while avoiding excessive computation on segments that do not require detailed analysis, thereby balancing accuracy with productivity.
3Reliability
If all offset wells and features are identified, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by identifying different types of offset wells and features with different levels of detail and importance. Rather than treating all offset wells and features uniformly, the system selectively identifies and analyzes specific types based on their relevance to the subject well, maintaining reliability for critical features while reducing system complexity by excluding less relevant ones.
4Ease of operation
If proximity calculations are performed in real-time during editing, then ease of operation is improved, but computation intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by performing proximity calculations at specific intervals or triggers during well plan editing, rather than continuously recalculating with every minor change. This approach enables real-time display capability for users while reducing computational energy consumption by limiting calculations to periodic updates or significant editing events, striking a balance between interactivity and resource usage.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for planning a well are provided. The method includes defining a well in a representation of a domain, and identifying an offset well in the domain that is within a threshold distance of the well. The method also includes deconstructing the offset well into a plurality of offset bases, and determining that a first offset base of the plurality of offset bases is within the threshold distance of the well. The method further includes determining that a second offset base of the plurality of offset bases is not within the threshold distance of the well, and performing a proximity computation for the well with respect to the first offset base but not the second offset base.