Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Yuzhen Xue

Jason Daniel Dykstra

Xiaoqing Ge

Venkata Madhukanth Vadali

Zhijie Sun

Xingyong Song

Fanping Bu

Qiuying Gu

Sanja Natali

Burkay Donderici

Hsu-Hsiang Wu

Two control strategies may be implemented to optimize mud circulation in a drilling mud circulation system. In a networked control strategy, the mud circulation system does not involve any centralized controller yet all the local controllers can exchange information in real-time via a central data storage. The master-slave control strategy involves a centralized optimizer, and the subsystems are treated as slave systems and are driven by a visual master control system.

Coordinated control for mud circulation optimization

A stochastic control method includes determining a property of a solid present in a drilling fluid circulating within a mud circulation system and identifying a mud circulation model that dictates operation of the mud circulation system. The mud circulation model is based on one or more models of one or more uncertainties encountered during a wellbore drilling operation. The method further includes determining an accuracy of the mud circulation model based on a difference between the determined property of the solid present in the drilling fluid and a solid property of the drilling fluid as provided by the mud circulation model, and programming a controller of the mud circulation system based on the mud circulation model to modify operation of the mud circulation system.

Stochastic control method for mud circulation system

A method of estimating a state of a rotary steerable drilling system comprising applying a control input to a rotary steerable drilling system, sensing an actual output of the rotary steerable drilling system, inputting the control input into a mathematical model of the rotary steerable drilling system, receiving an estimated output of the rotary steerable drilling system from the mathematical model, generating an error compensation signal based on a difference between the actual output and the estimated output, and applying the error compensation signal to the mathematical model.

Systems and methods for sensorless state estimation, disturbance estimation, and model adaption for rotary steerable drilling systems

In some aspects, the present invention comprises a system and method for optimizing the control scheme used for drilling operations based on the complex and large data sets available in realtime during operation of a wellsite and based on existing model data available at the wellsite for past similar drilling operations. Such optimizations typically require downtime to quantify how the realtime values will factor into the control model, but the present invention allows for such optimization in realtime in a closed-loop system that will reduce the non-productive time associated with reservoir operations.

Method to optimize oilfield operations based on large and complex data sets

A method for controlling drilling fluid properties, in some embodiments, comprises determining a predictive model for a fluid circulation system that routes drilling fluid downhole to a drill bit to remove debris from said drill bit; determining a cost function associated with the fluid circulation system; using the predictive model and the cost function to determine a set of input values for the predictive model; operating a controlled device according to at least some of the set of input values, said controlled device changes properties of the drilling fluid in the fluid circulation system; and obtaining measurements of the properties.

Real-time control of drilling fluid properties using predictive models

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for a nonlinear toolface control system for a rotary steerable drilling tool is disclosed. The method includes determining a desired toolface of a drilling tool, calculating a toolface error by determining a difference between a current toolface and the desired toolface, generating a model to describe the dynamics of the drilling tool, modify the model, based on at least one intermediate variable, to create a modified model, calculating a correction to reduce the toolface error, the correction based on the modified model, transmitting a signal to the drilling tool such that the signal adjusts the current toolface based on the correction, and drilling a wellbore with a drill bit oriented at the desired toolface.

Nonlinear toolface control system for a rotary steerable drilling tool

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for an advanced toolface control system for a rotary steerable drilling tool is disclosed. The method includes determining a desired toolface of a drilling tool, calculating a toolface error by determining a difference between a current toolface of the drilling tool and the desired toolface, decoupling a response of a first component of the drilling tool, calculating a correction to reduce the toolface error based on a model of the drilling tool containing information about a source of the toolface error, transmitting a signal to a second component of the drilling tool such that the signal adjusts the current toolface based on the correction, and drilling a wellbore with a drill bit oriented at the desired toolface.

Advanced toolface control system for a rotary steerable drilling tool

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for a gain scheduling based toolface control system for a rotary steerable drilling tool are disclosed. The method includes determining a desired toolface of a drilling tool, calculating a toolface error by determining a difference between a current toolface and the desired toolface, determining a plurality of operating points of the drilling tool, selecting one of the plurality of operating points based on a current operating point of the drilling tool, determining a model based on the selection, calculating a correction to correct the toolface error, the correction based on the model, transmitting a signal to the drilling tool such that the signal adjusts the current toolface based on the correction, and drilling a wellbore with a drill bit oriented at the desired toolface.

Gain scheduling based toolface control system for a rotary steerable drilling tool

Disclosed embodiments include systems and methods for estimating real-time bit forces experienced on a drill bit and decoupling bit force disturbances. Real-time bit forces can be estimated based on bit force observers using measurements from downhole sensor subs. Model-based observers that adopted to estimate the bit force from downhole sensor sub measurements. Strain and torque measurements as measured by the sensor subs are used to estimate bit force and bit torque. These measurements can be observed using an effective observer design with the estimated bit force and bit torque based on sensor sub measurements to track the real bit force and bit torque. Observations of estimated bit forces and identified bit force disturbances can be used perform drilling dynamics modeling and identify the occurrence of negative drilling events.

Systems and methods for estimating forces on a drill bit

A system including a plurality of subsystems each of which includes a subsystem controller coupled with a sensor configured to obtain a measurement, an actuator, and a subsystem processor. The subsystem processor includes a first memory storing instructions to identify a subsystem state and generate a subsystem performance objective based on the subsystem state. The system also includes a global processor coupled with each of the subsystems, the global processor includes a second memory storing instructions to identify a global system state based on the subsystem state of each subsystem, generate a global performance objective, calculate an updated performance objective for each subsystem, and transmit the updated performance objective to each subsystem. Once received, the subsystem controller in each subsystem activates the actuator to adjust a subsystem parameter to meet the updated performance objective.

Method and system for distributed control of drilling operations

In some aspects, the present disclosure includes systems and methods for optimizing one or more of a number of sensors on a drillstring or the locations of the sensors on the drillstring, or the types of the sensors. The method includes determining a number of sensors to place on a drillstring, a location for each of the sensors based, and types of sensors based, at least in part, on one or more of a state reduction technique and an optimization framework. The method includes disposing the selected number of sensors along the drilling and performing a drilling operation.

Optimizing sensor selection and operation for well monitoring and control

A stochastic control method includes measuring a fluid property of a drilling fluid circulating within a mud circulation system and identifying a mud circulation model that dictates operation of the mud circulation system. The mud circulation model is based on one or more models of one or more uncertainties encountered during a wellbore drilling operation. The method further includes determining an accuracy of the mud circulation model based on a residue between the measured fluid property of the drilling fluid and a fluid property of the drilling fluid as provided by the mud circulation model, and programming a controller of the mud circulation system based on the mud circulation model to modify operation of the mud circulation system.

A drilling apparatus including plurality of subsystems, each subsystem includes a subsystem controller, one or more sensors, and one or more actuators. Each subsystem controller is configured to determine a local subsystem state from measurements received from the one or more sensors and further configured to receive global state estimates and updated control strategies. Each subsystem controller is configured to send command signals to one or more actuators based at least in part on the local subsystem state, global state estimates, and updated control strategy. A method and system for coordinating the control of a plurality of drilling subsystems during drilling operations is provided. A method of drilling subsystem controller decision-making based on a co-player inference playing strategy is further provided.

Game theoretic control architecture for drilling system automation

Methods and systems are provided for optimizing a drill path from the surface to a target area below the surface. A method for operating an automated drilling program may comprise drilling to a target location along a drill path, updating a drilling path model based at least on data obtained during the state of drilling to the target location, creating a modified drill path to the target location based on at least the drilling path model in real-time as the step of drilling to the target location along the drill path is being performed, and drilling to the target location along the modified drill path.

Automated optimal path design for directional drilling

Methods and systems for enhancing workflow performance in the oil and gas industry may include modeling preferred sensor locations, sensor types, and sampling frequency for effective and efficient monitoring of a mud circulation system. For example, a method may include circulating a mud through a mud circulation system that includes a plurality of sensors that include at least one of: a pressure sensor, a stroke counter, a flow sensor, a viscosity sensor, or density sensor; and modeling the plurality of sensors using a state reduction approach to determine at least one selected from the group consisting of preferred locations, preferred sensory types, preferred sensor frequency resolution, and a combination thereof that effectively represent or substantially impact conditions of the mud circulation system, thereby providing a preferred sensor scheme.

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Humble, TX, United States of America

Yuzhen Xue