Wellbore Hole Profile Modeling for Drilling Failure Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling operations assume a uniform wellbore diameter based on the drill bit size, neglecting variations due to wellbore inclination, azimuth, and subsurface formation properties, leading to potential drilling failures such as buckling, pressure losses, and stuck pipe.
Innovation Solution
A hole profile generator determines and updates the wellbore diameter layer-by-layer using sensors and failure criteria like Mogi-Coulomb or Mohr-Coulomb, iteratively calculating layer failure volumes and radial distances without relying on caliper logs, integrating with drilling operations to adjust parameters and prevent failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional drilling operations assume a uniform wellbore diameter based on drill bit size, then the drilling process is simple and straightforward, but drilling failures such as buckling, pressure losses, and stuck pipe occur due to neglecting variations from wellbore inclination, azimuth, and subsurface formation properties
Solution Approach 1:
The wellbore is divided into multiple depth intervals, with each interval further segmented into axial layers and radial layers. This segmentation allows the system to calculate hole profile variations at discrete intervals rather than assuming uniformity throughout, enabling detection of local deviations while managing computational complexity through structured approximation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of failure volumes and radial distances before actual drilling failures occur. By pre-calculating the hole profile at multiple depth intervals and comparing against failure criteria (Mogi-Coulomb or Mohr-Coulomb), the system can predict and prevent buckling, pressure losses, and stuck pipe conditions before they manifest as operational failures.
2Reliability
If real-time hole profile determination is implemented using sensors and failure criteria, then drilling failures can be prevented and operations optimized, but the system complexity and computational requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors wellbore conditions during drilling and compares real-time measurements against calculated hole profiles and failure criteria. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of drilling parameters to prevent failures, while the iterative calculation process manages complexity by using only necessary computational resources at each depth interval.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the approach from assuming a fixed uniform diameter to calculating variable radial distances at multiple depth intervals. By parameterizing the hole profile as a function of depth, inclination, and formation properties, the system can adapt to changing conditions without requiring complete redesign of the entire drilling system.
3Measurement precision
If the hole profile is determined layer-by-layer using iterative calculations, then accurate wellbore diameter measurement is achieved, but the computational time and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous wellbore is segmented into discrete depth intervals, each containing multiple axial and radial layers. This segmentation allows the system to perform iterative calculations only at discrete points rather than continuously, achieving sufficient measurement precision at critical locations while significantly reducing total computational time compared to a fully continuous approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs iterative calculations at multiple depth intervals and radial layers, which is more than the minimum single-point measurement would require. This partial excessive action provides redundant data points that enable better measurement precision and allow for error checking, while the computational cost is managed by performing calculations only at strategically selected intervals rather than throughout the entire wellbore.
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprises obtaining subsurface formation properties of the subsurface formation and obtaining, via one or more sensors on the drill string assembly, wellbore properties corresponding to a first depth interval of the wellbore, wherein the first depth interval comprises one or more axial layers. The method comprises selecting, via a hole profile generator, a failure criteria of the subsurface formation corresponding to the first depth interval. The method comprises determining, via the hole profile generator, a layer failure volume for each axial layer of the first depth interval based on the wellbore properties and the failure criteria. The method comprises determining, via the hole profile 10 generator, a radial distance of the wellbore for the first depth interval based on the layer failure volumes. The method comprises identifying, via the hole profile generator, a hole profile type for the wellbore based on the radial distance of the first depth interval.