SMART SENSE BLOWOUT PREVENTER (BOP)

BACKGROUND ART

[0001]Embodiments described herein generally relate to drilling devices, and more specifically to optimizing performance of an electronic system for drilling.

[0002]Oilfield operations may be performed to locate and gather valuable downhole fluids. Oil rigs are positioned at wellsites, and downhole tools, such as drilling tools and other components, are deployed into the ground to reach subsurface reservoirs. Traditionally, a blowout preventer (BOP) is a specialized valve or similar mechanical device, used to seal, control and monitor oil and gas wells to prevent blowouts, the uncontrolled release of crude oil or natural gas from a well. They are usually installed in stacks of other valves. BOPs are controlled by a rig operator and are not configured to receive well signals of any kind.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0003]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an apparatus for performing drilling operations utilizing a smart sense blowout preventer (BOP), in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0004]FIG. 2 is a system diagram illustrating a drilling rig software system for drilling, including an optimization module, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0005]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for triggering a corrective action performed by the smart sense BOP, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0006]FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a rig computing device for use with techniques described herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0007]In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed concepts. As part of this description, some of this disclosure's drawings represent structures and devices in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the novel aspects of the disclosed embodiments. In this context, it should be understood that references to numbered drawing elements without associated identifiers (e.g., 100) refer to all instances of the drawing element with identifiers (e.g., 100a and 100b). Further, as part of this description, some of this disclosure's drawings may be provided in the form of a flow diagram. The boxes in any particular flow diagram may be presented in a particular order. However, it should be understood that the particular flow of any flow diagram is used only to exemplify one embodiment. In other embodiments, any of the various components depicted in the flow diagram may be deleted, or the components may be performed in a different order, or even concurrently. In addition, other embodiments may include additional steps not depicted as part of the flow diagram. The language used in this disclosure has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the disclosed subject matter. Reference in this disclosure to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment, and multiple references to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” should not be understood as necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or to different embodiments.

[0008]It should be appreciated that in the development of any actual implementation (as in any development project), numerous decisions must be made to achieve the developers'specific goals (e.g., compliance with system and business-related constraints), and that these goals will vary from one implementation to another. It will also be appreciated that such development efforts might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art of drilling having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0009]As used herein, the term “programmable device” can refer to a single programmable device or a plurality of programmable devices working together to perform the function described as being performed on or by the programmable device.

[0010]As used herein, the term “medium” refers to a single physical medium or a plurality of media that together store what is described as being stored on the medium.

[0011]As used herein, the term “network device” can refer to any programmable device that is capable of communicating with another programmable device across any type of network.

[0012]As used herein, the term “drilling rig” can refer to a land or offshore rig apparatus utilized to drill a borehole.

[0013]As used herein, the term “drilling tool” can refer to drilling components such as drilling devices or sensors utilized to perform drilling activities. In some embodiments, the drilling components may include the smart sense BOP.

[0014]According to one or more embodiments, the smart sense BOP copes with erratic pressures and uncontrolled flow (i.e., formation kick) emanating from a well reservoir during drilling. Kicks may lead to a potentially catastrophic event known as a blowout. In addition to controlling the downhole (i.e., occurring in the drilled hole) pressure and the flow of oil and gas, blowout preventers are intended to prevent tubing (e.g. drill pipe and well casing), tools and drilling fluid from being blown out of the wellbore (also known as bore hole, the hole leading to the reservoir) when a blowout threatens. The smart sense BOP may be critical to the safety of crew, rig (i.e., the equipment system used to drill a wellbore) and environment, and to the monitoring and maintenance of well integrity. Thus, smart sense BOP may provide fail-safety to the systems that include them via a pair of steel plungers that oppose each other (i.e., rams). The rams may extend towards a center of the wellbore to restrict the flow of fluids or retract open to permit the flow.

[0015]The smart sense BOP may be configured in accordance with one or more styles, sizes, and pressure ratings. Several individual units serving various functions may be combined to compose a smart sense BOP stack. Multiple smart sense BOP of a same type may be frequently provided for redundancy. In some embodiments, the smart sense BOP may be configured to confine well fluid to the wellbore, provide capabilities to add fluid to the wellbore, and/or allow controlled volumes of fluid to be withdrawn from the wellbore. Further, the smart sense BOP may be configured to regulate and monitor wellbore pressure, center and hang off the drill string in the wellbore, shut in the well (e.g. seal the void, annulus, between drillpipe and casing), “Kill” the well (i.e., prevent the flow of formation fluid, influx, from the reservoir into the wellbore), seal the wellhead 124 (close off the wellbore), and/or sever the casing or drill pipe (in case of emergencies).

[0016]In one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an apparatus 100 for drilling of a borehole 102 in a subsurface formation 104 includes a derrick 106 on a rig floor 108. A crown block 110 is mounted at the top of the derrick 106, and a traveling block 112 hangs from the crown block 110 by means of a cable or drilling line 114. One end of the cable or drilling line 114 is connected to drawworks 116, which is a reeling device operable to adjust the length of the cable or drilling line 114 so that the traveling block 112 moves up and down the derrick 106. A top drive 118 is supported on a hook 120 attached to the bottom of the traveling block 112. The top drive 118 is coupled to the top of a drill string, which extends through a wellhead 124 into the borehole 102 below the rig floor 108. The top drive 118 is used to rotate the drill string inside the borehole 102 as the borehole 102 is being drilled in the subsurface formation 104. A bottomhole assembly 126 is provided at the bottom of the drill string. The bottomhole assembly 126 includes a bit 128 and, in some embodiments, a downhole motor 130 and may include other components not specifically identified but known in the art (e.g., a sensor package).

[0017]Although not shown, the drilling apparatus 100 includes a mud tank, which contains drilling fluid or “mud,” a mud pump for transferring the drilling fluid to a mud hose, and a mud treatment system for cleaning the drilling fluid when it is laden with subsurface formation cuttings. The mud hose, in use, would be fluidly connected to the drill string so that the drilling fluid can be pumped from the mud tank into the drill string. The drilling fluid would be returned to the mud treatment system via a return path between the borehole and the drill string or inside the drill string, (i.e., if the drill string is a dual-bore drill string). After the drilling fluid is cleaned in the mud treatment system, the clean drilling fluid would be returned to the mud tank.

[0018]In one embodiment of the invention, the drilling apparatus 100 includes sensors (or instruments) 132 for measuring drilling data. A variety of drilling data may be measured by the sensors 132. The locations of the sensors in the drilling apparatus 100 and the types of sensors 132 will be determined by the drilling data to be measured by the sensors 132. Examples of drilling data that may be measured by the sensors 132 include, but are not limited to, weight on bit, bit or drill string rotational speed, drill string rotational torque, rate of penetration, bit diameter, drill string depth, and drilling fluid flow rate. Measuring of drilling data may be direct or indirect. In the indirect measurement, the desired drilling data may be derived from other measurable drilling data. The drilling data may be measured at the surface and/or in the borehole. For example, drill string rotational torque may be measured at the surface using a sensor 132 on the top drive 118. Alternatively, pressure differential across the downhole motor 130 may be measured using a sensor 132 downhole. In another example, the load on hook 120 may be measured using any suitable means at the surface, and weight on bit may be inferred from the hook load. Various other drilling data not specifically mentioned above may be measured, or derived, as required by the drilling process.

[0019]In one embodiment, the drilling apparatus 100 includes one or more rig computing systems, such as rig computing system 134. In one embodiment, the rig computing system 134 includes various computing components and peripherals, such as a processor, memory, a display, a communications interface, and an input interface 144. The rig computing system 134 can receive measurement of drilling data from the various sensors 132 of the drilling apparatus 100. Information related to operation of the rig computing system 134 may be stored in some other computer-readable media 146 for subsequent loading into memory. Although the rig computing system 134 is shown primarily at the surface in FIG. 1, it should be noted that in other embodiments of the invention a portion or all of the rig computing system 134 may be located downhole.

[0020]FIG. 2 depicts a system diagram illustrating a drilling rig software system for drilling. FIG. 2 includes a rig computing system 200 connected to one or more network devices 210 across a network 205. Rig computing system 200 may be, for example, a detailed version of rig computing system 134 of FIG. 1. Network device 210 may include any kind of device accessible across network 205, with which rig computing system 200 may communicate. For example, network device 210 may be an additional rig computing system, a server, a remote computer, or the like. Network 205 may include many different types of computer networks available today, such as the Internet, a corporate network, a Local Area Network (LAN), or a personal network, such as those over a Bluetooth connection. Each of these networks can contain wired or wireless programmable devices and operate using any number of network protocols (e.g., TCP/IP). Network 205 may be connected to gateways and routers, servers, and end user computers.

[0021]According to one or more embodiments, rig computing system 200 may include, for example, a storage 220, a memory 225 and processor 215. Processor 215 may include a single processor or multiple processors. Further, in one or more embodiment, processor 215 may include different kinds of processors, such as a central processing unit (“CPU”) and a graphics processing unit (“GPU”). Memory 225 may include a number of software or firmware modules executable by processor 215. Memory 225 may include a single memory device or multiple memory devices. As depicted, memory 225 may include a rig operating system 235 and optimization module 240. The rig operating system 235 may be a process automation platform that manages rig equipment to execute optimization module 240's generation and training of an adaptive model. In one or more embodiment, the rig operating system 235 may receive instructions from the optimization module 240 and coordinate the instructions with the drilling components 245 to implement the well plan. The well plan may include a set of event-driven drilling activities that make up one or more drilling processes. In one or more embodiments, the optimization module 240 may be utilized to optimize the drilling processes. The smart sense BOP 247 may be included among the drilling components 245.

[0022]In some embodiments, as described above, the smart sense BOP 247 is a device configured to cope with erratic pressures and uncontrolled flow (i.e., formation kick) emanating from a well reservoir during drilling. The smart sense BOP 247 may provide fail-safety to the systems that include them via a pair of steel plungers that oppose each other (i.e., rams). The rams may extend towards a center of the wellbore to restrict the flow of fluids or retract open to permit the flow. The smart sense BOP 247 may be configured to monitor the position and load on the ram. The smart sense BOP 247 may obtain one or more assembly parameters including information about multiple drill pipe types and their corresponding assembling in the bore. The smart sense BOP 247 may determine when the shears are closed and the force required to move the ram. In some embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 monitors drilling parameters including force and displacement of the ram and whether the ram encounters a load before an expected time (i.e., the ram hits a tool joint). In this regard, the smart sense BOP 247 may trigger a corrective action in which the ram will stop and back up and notify a rig operator or driller. In some embodiments, the rams may face a same load or different loads that cause the smart sense BOP 247 to trigger the corrective action.

[0023]In some embodiments, the assembly parameters include information regarding a tubular located in front of one or both shear rams. In this regard, in the corrective action, the load on the shear rams may be restricted (i.e., reduced by a percentage value such as 10% above the shear value). The induced max load on the shear rams may be limited to a bit more than the force it takes to shear.

[0024]In yet other embodiments, a shear of the tubular may be preconfigured in the smart sense BOP 247. The smart sense BOP 247 may be configured to save a shear tubular profile that may be paired to similar tubular shearing when such shearing is identified during the monitoring of the assembly parameters and/or the drilling parameters. When performing ram to ram stripping the smart sense BOP 247 may monitor a stroke of the rams, and when an upset occurs, the smart sense BOP 247 may trigger a notification to the driller. In some embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 may trigger closing of other sets of rams to reduce a time of ram-to-ram stripping. This process may be performed automatically or upon approval of a rig operator.

[0025]In one or more embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 may be configured to monitor an operating load and displacement. If a high load is identified before a shear is expected to take place, then the rams may be triggered to close on a tool joint. If the high load is identified, the smart sense BOP 247 may trigger opening back up, or closing of the next shear ram and shear the tubular section of the drill pipe.

[0026]As described above, the smart sense BOP 247 may monitor an amp load and the displacement of the rams. If the amp load goes above a threshold behavior, then the rams may be triggered to stop and open up. The smart sense BOP 247 may be configured to receive signaling from multiple sensors that monitor the amp load and the displacement of the rams. If the amp load is identified to be above a limit (i.e., a threshold parameter) then the rams may be caused to stop, open up, lift, or lower the drillstring a predetermined number of feet, and then close the shear rams again. In other embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 may generate a report indicating that there is a problem in the wellbore. In yet other embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 may automatically close other shear rams and generate the report indicating whether the shear rams are closed.

[0027]In one or more embodiments, the corrective action may include a pulling out of hole (POOH) procedure. The POOH may cause the upper pipe arms to close. In this procedure, the lift draw may work until the rams are pushed back from the upset of the drill pipe. The smart sense BOP 247 may determine that the rams move back. At this point, the smart sense BOP 247 may automatically stop or report the ram condition. In some embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 may close the lower pipe rams, vent fluid in between rams, and open pipe rams and lift. Once a percentage or a predetermined length of lifting is accomplished, the smart sense BOP 247 may start closing of the upper pipe rams, pressurize the cavity between the 2 rams, and open the lower pipe rams.

[0028]In one or more embodiments, the corrective action may include a running in hole (RIH). In the RIH procedure, the lower pipe rams may be automatically closed. The drillstring may be lowered until the tool joint tags the rams. At this point, the upper pipe rams may be closed, pressure may be equalized, the lower pipe rams may be lowered, and the drill string may be lowered by a percentage distance or a predetermined length. In some embodiments, the lower pipe rams may be closed, the pressure between rams may be vented, and the upper pipe rams may be opened.

[0029]The smart sense BOP 247 may monitor a state of health in the rams. As described above, the smart sense BOP 247 may monitor the amp load for closing, and if a closing function starts to take more amps to function, then the door may be flagged for service. In some embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 may measure the force and displacement and give a curve to compare that curve to an expected curve. In this regard, the smart sense BOP 247 may be able to identify whether the shear blades are getting dull.

[0030]FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for triggering a corrective action performed by the smart sense BOP 247, according to one or more embodiments. Specifically, FIG. 3 describes in greater detail the use of the smart sense BOP 247 to monitor assembly parameters and drilling parameters and determine whether the multiple parameters meet predefined thresholds before triggering a corrective action.

[0031]The flowchart begins at 310, where a drilling system obtains assembly parameters indicating assembly information of a drilling component (i.e., a shear ram) and drilling parameters indicating drilling information associated with the drilling component. As described above, the assembly parameters include a position, an orientation, or a type of the drilling component. In the case of a shear ram, the assembly parameters may include a position, an orientation, or a type of the ram. Further, the drilling parameters may include a load characteristic, a motion characteristic, or a configuration characteristic associated with the shear ram. In this regard, the drilling parameters may be well behaviors that may affect, or be influenced by, the shear ram.

[0032]At 320, the smart sense BOP 247 monitors the assembly parameters and the drilling parameters for a period of time, the period of time being dynamically configured or a preconfigured period of time. As described above in reference to FIG. 2, the smart sense BOP 247 may monitor the change in motion, force, and/or position of the drilling component. The smart sense BOP 247 may be coupled to multiple sensors configured to evaluate multiple corresponding physical phenomena in the well site. The period of time may be automatically determined by the smart sense BOP 247 during a configuration stage or predefined by a rig operator during drilling.

[0033]The flowchart continues at 330, where the drilling system compares the assembly parameters to threshold assembly parameters and the drilling parameters to threshold drilling parameters. The thresholds may be preestablished limits at which the drilling component is considered to be outside a safety standard. In some embodiments, the thresholds indicate a distance from an expected location of the drilling component. As such, meeting a threshold causes the smart sense BOP 247 to identify that one of the monitored parameters has reached an unacceptable metric (i.e., causing the drilling component to be unsafe).

[0034]A determination is made at 340 regarding whether the assembly parameters meet the threshold assembly parameters or the drilling parameters meet the threshold drilling parameters. If it is determined that both of the assembly parameters and the drilling parameters do not meet their corresponding thresholds, the flowchart returns to 320. In this case, the smart sense BOP 247 continues monitoring the assembly parameters and the drilling parameters for the period of time. If a determination is made that at least one of the assembly parameters or the drilling parameters meet their corresponding thresholds, the flowchart proceeds to 350.

[0035]The flowchart ends at 350, where the smart sense BOP 247 triggers a corrective action that modifies an application configuration associated with the drilling component. In some embodiments, the corrective action includes stopping movement of the drilling component. In other embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 identifies multiple possible corrective actions for the drilling component, identifies a drilling task being performed by the drilling component, and determines the corrective action from the multiple corrective actions based on the drilling task identified, as described in reference to FIG. 2. In yet other embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 generates a notification informing a driller of the drilling task and the corrective action; presenting the report to a rig operator via a network device. The smart sense BOP 247 may determine whether the corrective action includes a pulling out of hole (POOH) procedure or a running in hole (RIH) procedure.

[0036]As described above, the corrective action may include a pulling out of hole (POOH) procedure. The POOH may cause the upper pipe arms to close. In this procedure, the lift draw may work until the rams are pushed back from the upset of the drill pipe. The smart sense BOP 247 may determine that the rams move back. At this point, the smart sense BOP 247 may automatically stop or report the ram condition. In some embodiments, the smart sense BOP 247 may close the lower pipe rams, vent fluid in between rams, and open pipe rams and lift. Once a percentage or a predetermined length of lifting is accomplished, the smart sense BOP 247 may start closing of the upper pipe rams, pressurize the cavity between the 2 rams, and open the lower pipe rams. Further, the corrective action may include a running in hole (RIH). In the RIH procedure, the lower pipe rams may be automatically closed. The drillstring may be lowered until the tool joint tags the rams. At this point, the upper pipe rams may be closed, pressure may be equalized, the lower pipe rams may be lowered, and the drill string may be lowered by a percentage distance or a predetermined length. In some embodiments, the lower pipe rams may be closed, the pressure between rams may be vented, and the upper pipe rams may be opened.

[0037]FIG. 4 illustrates a particular computing device 400, that may be more example, a different view of rig computing device 200. Computing device 400 may include a memory 430 that may be operatively coupled to processor element 420. The memory 430 may be a non-transitory medium configured to store various types of data. For example, the memory 430 may include one or more memory devices that comprise a non-volatile storage device and/or volatile memory. Volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), can be any suitable non-permanent storage device. The non-volatile storage devices can include one or more disk drives, optical drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), tap drives, flash memory, read only memory (ROM), and/or any other type of memory designed to maintain data for a duration time after a power loss or shut down operation. In certain instances, the non-volatile storage device may be used to store overflow data if allocated RAM is not large enough to hold all working data. The non-volatile storage device may also be used to store programs that are loaded into the RAM when such programs are selected for execution.

[0038]Persons of ordinary skill in the art are aware that software programs may be developed, encoded, and compiled in a variety computing languages for a variety software platforms and/or operating systems and subsequently loaded and executed by the processor element 420. In one embodiment, the compiling process of the software program may transform program code written in a programming language to another computer language such that the processor element 420 is able to execute the programming code. For example, the compiling process of the software program may generate an executable program that provides encoded instructions (e.g., machine code instructions) for the processor element 420 to accomplish specific, non-generic, particular computing functions.

[0039]After the compiling process, the encoded instructions may then be loaded as computer executable instructions or process steps to the processor element 420 from storage (e.g., memory 430) and/or embedded within the processor element 420 (e.g., cache). The processor element 420 can execute the stored instructions or process steps in order to perform instructions or process steps to transform the computing device into a non-generic, particular, specially programmed machine or apparatus. Stored data (e.g., data stored by a storage device) can be accessed by the processor element 420 during the execution of computer executable instructions or process steps to instruct one or more components within the computing device 400.

[0040]A user interface 410 can include a display, positional input device (such as a mouse, touchpad, touchscreen, or the like), keyboard, or other forms of user input and output devices. The user interface 410 can be coupled to processor element 420. Other output devices that permit a user to program or otherwise use the computing device can be provided in addition to or as an alternative to network communication unit 440. When the output device is or includes a display, the display can be implemented in various ways, including by a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode-ray tube (CRT) or light emitting diode (LED) display, such as an OLED display. Persons of ordinary skill in the art are aware that the computing device 400 may comprise other components well known in the art, such as sensors, powers sources, and/or analog-to-digital converters, not explicitly shown in FIG. 4.

[0041]The programmable devices depicted in FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of embodiments of programmable devices which may be utilized to implement various embodiments discussed herein. Various components of the programmable devices depicted in FIG. 4 may be combined in a system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture.

[0042]It is to be understood that the various components of the flow diagrams described above, could occur in a different order or even concurrently. It should also be understood that various embodiments of the inventions may include all or just some of the components described above. Thus, the flow diagrams are provided for better understanding of the embodiments, but the specific ordering of the components of the flow diagrams are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise described so.

[0043]Program instructions may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processing system that is programmed with the instructions to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, the operations may be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic for performing the operations, or by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components. The methods described herein may be provided as a computer program product that may include a machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions that may be used to program a processing system or other electronic device to perform the methods. The term “machine readable medium” used herein shall include any medium that is capable of storing or encoding a sequence of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one of the methods described herein. The term “machine readable medium” shall accordingly include, but not be limited to, tangible, non-transitory memories such as solid-state memories, optical and magnetic disks. Furthermore, it is common in the art to speak of software, in one form or another (e.g., program, procedure, process, application, module, logic, and so on) as taking an action or causing a result. Such expressions are merely a shorthand way of stating that the execution of the software by a processing system causes the processor element 420 to perform an action or produce a result.

[0044]It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments may be used in combination with each other. As another example, the above-described flow diagrams include a series of actions which may not be performed in the particular order depicted in the drawings. Rather, the various actions may occur in a different order, or even simultaneously. Many other embodiment will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.