Helmerich & Payne Technologies, LLC

Disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for locating, measuring, counting or aiding in the handling of drill pipes 106 . The system 100 comprises at least one camera 102 capable of gathering visual data 150 regarding detecting, localizing or both, pipes 106 , roughnecks 116 , elevators 118 and combinations thereof. The system 100 further comprises a processor 110 and a logging system 114 for recording the gathered visual data 150 . The method 200 comprises acquiring visual data 150 using a camera 106 , analyzing the acquired data 150 , and recording the acquired data 150.

Embodiments provide various systems and methods for using operating parameters of a drilling system for improving a drilling performance of the drilling system, including monitoring, determining, predicting, and/or controlling tool face orientation, tool face wagging, returning the spindle to a neutral position, and spindle reaction time. These systems and methods may be used together in combination with one or more of the others, or all together in one combination, or may be used separately, and may be combined with one or more other systems of a drilling rig, such as a bit guidance system, an autoslide system, and/or one or more autodrill systems.

Drilling systems and methods monitor and measure one or more drilling parameters during a sweep of a range of values for another drilling parameter to determine a preferred value of one or more drilling parameters. This sweep of values for one or more parameters can be done while drilling and the preferred value can be applied and used to continue drilling. The preferred value may be the value that maximizes or minimizes a drilling performance parameter, such as rate of penetration. The sweeping of parameter values can be done at predetermined intervals or times during drilling, and can be performed iteratively during drilling of the wellbore. Such parameter sweeps can be performed as regular intervals during drilling of the well, or with such intervals varying, such as by decreasing the time between sweeps when more control or optimization is desired. In addition, the timing between such parameter sweeps may be decreased or eliminated altogether if desired, such as in response to a drilling condition or event.

A drilling control system may receive a target toolface and rate of penetration (ROP) and receive a first toolface and ROP. The system may calculate a toolface error based at least in part on a difference between the target and first toolface and calculate a ROP error based at least in part on a difference between the target and first ROP. The system may determine an additional reactive torque for correcting ROP error, generate one or more spindle changes based at least in part on toolface error and additional reactive torque, and generate one or more block speed changes based at least in part on ROP error. The system may send one or more control signals to one or more control systems coupled to the drilling rig to implement and drill in accordance with the one or more spindle changes and the one or more block speed changes.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure a drilling sub apparatus that may be coupled to a drill pipe. The drilling sub apparatus may have a pendulum member that moves from a first position to a second position. In the first position, a bottom region of the pendulum member covers or seals apertures that thereby close a fluid pathway from an inner region of the drilling sub apparatus through elements of the drilling sub apparatus through to one or more chambers between a pendulum sleeve and a stabilizer sleeve of the drilling sub apparatus. In the second position, the bottom region of the pendulum member may uncover or unseal from apertures that thereby open the fluid pathway from an inner region of the drilling sub apparatus through elements of the drilling sub apparatus through to the one or more chambers. The fluid that flows from the inner region to the one or more chambers may exert a force on an inner pipe of the drilling sub apparatus, and thereby on the drill pipe, to move the drill pipe towards a vertical position. The pendulum member may move between the first and second positions in response to the angle of the drilling sub apparatus relative to a force of gravity and may do so without the use of electronics, communication channels, or the like.

A system for cleaning, repairing, and/or replacing damaged shaker screens is disclosed. The system may comprise a shale shaker with a replaceable shaker screen, at least one camera, and a computer processor. The camera is positioned to capture images of the shale shaker screen and the processor is capable of receiving said images from the camera. The processor is configured to analyze the images and detect damaged regions of the shale shaker screen. The processor is also configured to determine when a screen is damaged above a predefined threshold. Certain embodiments allow for the automatic cleaning, repair, and/or replacement of the shaker screen.

A system and method for drilling comprising receiving, during drilling of a wellbore, drilling plan information and information from a bottom hole assembly (BHA) located in the wellbore; determining a target toolface for drilling a planned path according to the drilling plan information; modeling one or more forces on the BHA based at least in part on the information from the BHA and the drilling plan information; determining, based at least in part on the modeled one or more forces, a predicted delivered toolface when drilling the planned path according to the drilling plan information using the target toolface; responsive to a difference between the predicted delivered toolface and the target toolface, determining an adjusted target toolface accounting for the one or more forces; and sending one or more control signals to orient the BHA to the adjusted target toolface and drilling according to the adjusted target toolface.

An automated slide drilling system (ASDS) may be used with a drilling rig system to control slide drilling. The ASDS may autonomously control slide drilling without user input during the slide drilling. The ASDS may further support a transition from rotary drilling to slide drilling to rotary drilling without user input during the transitions. The operations can include receiving a first orientation of a drill string from a top drive; beginning a drilling operation, including one of: a slide drilling or a rotary drilling operation; recording a second orientation of the drill string in response to the drilling operation; and calculating a starting position of a quill associated with the drill string based on the recorded second orientation of the drill string. The ASDS may also support user input and user notifications for various steps to enable manual or semi-manual control of slide drilling by a driller or an operator.

An autotuner control system may be implemented to monitor and control operation of a drilling system and one or more drilling parameters during drilling operations. The control system may be a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller or a proportional integral (PI) controller, which can run iteratively during drilling operations to adjust drilling parameters and/or the controller. The PI or PID controller may apply adaptive filters to update and adjust one or more controller parameters (PID or PI), to autotune such parameters and may incorporate a stability constraint filter to constrain said adaptive filter, such as to reduce the impact of dead time and process time delays and adjust drilling parameters to match the drilling goals.

Disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for locating, measuring, counting or aiding in the handling of drill pipes 106 . The system 100 comprises at least one camera 102 capable of gathering visual data 150 regarding detecting, localizing or both, pipes 106 , roughnecks 116 , elevators 118 and combinations thereof. The system 100 further comprises a processor 110 and a logging system 114 for recording the gathered visual data 150 . The method 200 comprises acquiring visual data 150 using a camera 106 , analyzing the acquired data 150 , and recording the acquired data 150.