Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

Precision Energy Services, Inc.

Curtis Alan Cheatham

Charles Lee Mauldin

Mark Adrian Smith

Barry Vincent Schneider

Kent Patrick Salminen

A method of performing an operation in a wellbore includes performing the operation in the wellbore from a rig; and, while performing the operation, repeatedly: inputting one or more predicted values from a model of the wellbore; inputting one or more measured parameters from one or more sensors of the rig; calculating a deviation of each measured parameter from a respective predicted value; applying a weighting factor to each calculated deviation to obtain a respective alert level; calculating a rate of change of each measured parameter from a parameter previously measured by the respective sensor; applying a weighting factor to each calculated rate of change to obtain a respective alert level; and adding the alert levels and dividing the sum thereof by a maximum alert level to obtain a stuck pipe risk.

Real-time stuck pipe warning system for downhole operations

A tool driver activates a telemetry tool when a predetermined threshold of accelerometer data measured by an accelerometer. The threshold preferably corresponds to an acceleration level expected while drilling mud is pumped at a slow pump rate through the well's drill pipe. When a fluid influx occurs during drilling, the well is shut-in, and the tool driver turns off the telemetry tool. The drill pipe and casing pressures of the shut-in well are obtained. Then, drilling mud having a first weight is pumped at a slow mud pump rate. Because the tool driver is set to activate the telemetry tool in response to accelerometer data at the slow pump rate, the telemetry tool begins sending downhole pressure data to the surface. In this way, rig operations can change the mud weight and adjust the choke line during the kill operation based on an analysis of the downhole pressure data obtained.

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The Woodlands, TX, United States of America

Curtis Alan Cheatham