Noble Drilling Services Inc.

Noble Corporation

Michael Niedermayr

Mitchell D Pinckard

Gerhard P Glaser

Charles H King

Joao Tadeu Vidal De Sousa

A drilling system includes a pressure sensor disposed on a drill string in the wellbore, the sensor responsive to pressure of a drilling fluid disposed in an annular space between a wall of the wellbore and the drill string, and a processor operatively coupled to the pressure sensor. The processor is adapted to operate a drill string release controller to release the drill string into the wellbore so as to maintain an equivalent density of the drilling fluid substantially at a selected value. A method for automatically drilling a wellbore includes measuring pressure of a drilling fluid in an annular space between a wall of the wellbore and a drill string in the wellbore, and automatically controlling a rate of release of the drill string in response to the measured pressure so as to maintain an equivalent density of the drilling fluid substantially at a selected value.

System and method for automatic drilling to maintain equivalent circulating density at a preferred value

An automated method and system for determining the state of a drilling or other suitable well operations includes storing a plurality of states for the well operation. Mechanical and hydraulic data is received for the well operation. Based on the mechanical and hydraulic data, one of the states is automatically selected as the state of the well operation. Process evaluation may be performed based on the state of the well operation.

Automated method and system for determining the state of well operations and performing process evaluation

An automated method and system for recognizing a well control event includes determining a state of drilling operations. When drilling operations are in a circulating state, a benchmark for a relative flow value. The relative flow value is based on a flow of drilling fluid into a well bore and a flow of drilling fluid out of the well bore. A limit on variation of the relative flow value is determined from the benchmark. A cumulative sum for the relative flow value is determined over time in response to the relative flow value exceeding the limit. A well control event is recognized based on the cumulative sum.

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Sugar Land, TX, United States of America

Michael Niedermayr