CN106156933B

CN106156933B - Designing well plans and predicting drilling performance

Info

Publication number: CN106156933B
Application number: CN201510185395.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: L·约翰斯顿; M·S·帕索特
Original assignee: Prad Research and Development Ltd
Current assignee: Prad Research and Development Ltd
Priority date: 2015-04-17
Filing date: 2015-04-17
Publication date: 2022-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2035-04-17
Also published as: CN106156933A

Abstract

The invention relates to a system, method and computer readable medium for designing a well. This includes selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells and determining one or more design parameters for the one or more offset wells. The method also includes modeling a simulated offset well based on the one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells, and determining one or more design parameters for the well at the location based on the one or more design parameters of the offset well and one or more design parameters from the simulated offset well.

Description

Designing well plans and predicting drilling performance

Technical Field

The invention relates to a system, method and computer readable medium for designing a well.

Background

Well planning is the process by which the well's path is mapped to reach the reservoir and achieve the ultimate goal of economically producing fluids therefrom. Various constraints are often imposed in the design of a wellbore. These constraints may be imposed by known geological conditions of the subsurface interval or the presence of other wells in the region (e.g., to avoid collisions). Other constraints may be imposed due to the performance of the tool used. There are also constraints that may be related to drilling time and risk tolerance.

Typically, well plans are generated based on these constraints and known information. The well plan is then provided to the drilling owner, identified and then implemented by the drilling service provider (e.g., a straight line rig or "DD"). Well design software may not directly or generally take into account the capabilities of the desired drilling system. The drilling engineer is therefore accessible to take these capabilities into account as various design considerations to generate the specification. In some cases, the software allows the user to enter limits and the system will alert the user if those limits are exceeded.

Further, the well plan may specify design parameters, such as drilling parameters, rock properties, and the like. These parameters may be determined based on information available prior to drilling. One source of such information is data collected from the offset well and/or collected while the offset well is being drilled. However, in some cases, there may be few or insufficient offset wells for certain statistical analysis techniques to arrive at a high probability determination.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a method for designing a well, comprising: selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells; determining one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells; modeling a simulated offset well based on the one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells; and determining one or more design parameters for the well at the location based on the one or more design parameters of the offset well and one or more design parameters from the simulated offset well.

The invention also proposes a computing system comprising: one or more processors; and a storage system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising: selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells; determining one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells; modeling a simulated offset well based on the one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells; and determining one or more design parameters for the well at the location based on the one or more design parameters of the offset well and one or more design parameters from the simulated offset well.

The present invention also features a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising: selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells; determining one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells; modeling a simulated offset well based on the one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells; and determining one or more design parameters for the well at the location based on the one or more design parameters of the offset well and one or more design parameters from the simulated offset well.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate some embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a workflow of a distributed collaborative well planning platform, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method for planning a well according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a computing system, according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

It will also be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various objects, these objects should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one object from another. For example, a first object or step may be termed a second object or step, and similarly, a second object or step may be termed a first object or step, without departing from the scope of the present invention. A first object or step and a second object or step are both objects or steps, but they should not be considered the same object or step.

The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the specification and claims of this invention, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It is also to be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Further, as used herein, the term "if … …" may be considered to mean "when … …", "upon … …" or "in response to a determination" or "in response to a detection", as the case may be.

Attention is directed to processing procedures, methods, techniques, and workflows according to some embodiments. Some of the operations in the process sequences, methods, techniques, and workflows disclosed herein may be combined and/or the order of some of the operations may be changed.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a workflow 100 for a distributed collaborative well planning platform, according to one embodiment. The workflow 100 may be implemented as or by computer software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, a server may maintain one or more databases, data files, etc., that may be accessed and modified by one or more client computers, e.g., using a web browser, remote terminal, etc. Moreover, the client computer may modify the database or data file online, and/or may include a "sandbox" that may allow the client computer to modify at least a portion of the database or data file offline without affecting the database or data file viewed by other client computers. The client computer executing the "sandbox" may then modify the database or data file after completing the operations in the sandbox.

In some examples, the client and/or server computing systems may be remotely located with respect to each other and/or may individually include two or more remote processing units. When the term is used herein, two systems are in a "remote" location with respect to each other if the two systems are not physically proximate to each other, e.g., two devices may be considered remote if located on different sides of a room, in different rooms, in different buildings, in different cities, in different countries, etc., as the case may be. In some embodiments, two or more of the client computing systems may be in proximity to each other, and/or one or more of the client computing systems and the server may be in proximity to each other.

It will be appreciated that various aspects of the following workflow 100 may be accomplished automatically, may be implemented partially automatically, or may be accomplished manually, such as by a user interacting with a software application. Moreover, the workflow 100 may be cyclic and may include four phases as an example: evaluation 101-1, planning 101-2, engineering 101-3, and execution 101-4. Although the stages are numbered sequentially, the workflow 100 may begin at any location in the schematic shown. As a convenient example, the workflow 100 is described herein as beginning with an evaluation 101-1, which evaluation 101-1 may include, for example, a geological service provider 102 evaluating a formation at reference numeral 104. The geological service provider 102 may perform a formation evaluation at reference numeral 104 using a computing system executing a software package suitable for the operation. However, any other suitable geological platform may be employed. Accordingly, the geological service provider 102 may evaluate the formation, for example, using a geological model, a geophysical model, a basin model, a rock formation model, combinations thereof, and/or the like. Such a model may take into account a number of different inputs, including offset well data, seismic data, pilot well data, other geological data, and the like. The model and/or input may be stored in a database maintained by the server and accessed by the geological service provider 102.

The workflow 100 may then proceed to geology and geophysical ("G&G ") service provider 106, which may generate a well trajectory, for example, at reference numeral 108. The operation of generating a well trajectory at reference numeral 108 may be performed by executing one or more G' s&G software package implementation. Examples of such software packages include

It is commercially available from schlumberger corporation. G&The G-service provider 106 may determine a well trajectory or a portion of a well trajectory, for example, based on a model and/or other data provided by the formation evaluation at reference numeral 102 (e.g., obtained from a database maintained by a server). The well trajectory may take into account various "basic design" (BOD) constraints, such as overall surface location, target (e.g., reservoir) location, and so forth. The track can alsoInformation is introduced about tools, bottom hole assemblies, casing dimensions, etc. that may be used in drilling. The well trajectory determination may also take into account a variety of other parameters, including: risk tolerance, fluid weight and/or plan, bottom hole pressure, drilling time, etc.

The workflow 100 may proceed to a first engineering service provider 110 (e.g., one or more processing machines associated therewith), which may verify well trajectories and relief well designs, for example, at reference numeral 112. Such validation at reference numeral 112 may include evaluating physical performance, computational results, risk tolerance, integration with other aspects of the workflow 100, and the like. Parameters for such a determination may be maintained by the server and/or the first engineering service provider 110; similarly, models, well trajectories, etc. may be maintained by a server and may be accessed by the first engineering service provider 110. For example, the first engineering service provider 110 may include one or more computing systems executing one or more software packages. If the first engineering service provider 110 rejects the well trajectory or otherwise suggests an adjustment to the well trajectory, the well trajectory on the server may be adjusted or a message or other notification sent to the G & G service provider 108 requesting such a modification.

The first engineering service provider 110 or one or more second engineering service providers 114 may provide a casing design, a bottom hole assembly design, a fluid design (plan), and/or the like, for example at reference numeral 116, to implement a well trajectory. In some embodiments, the second engineering service provider 114 may perform such a design using one or more software applications. Such designs may be stored in a database maintained by a server, which may employ a database commercially available from schlumberger corporation

And may be accessed by one or more of the other service providers in the workflow 100.

The second engineering service provider 114 may seek confirmation from the third engineering service provider 118 of the design established in connection with the well trajectory. The third engineering service provider 118 may consider various factors to determine whether the well engineering plan is acceptable, such as economic variables (e.g., oil production forecasts, cost per barrel of oil, risk, drilling time, etc.), and may request authorization for the fee, such as from a representative of the operating company, a representative of the well owner, etc., at reference numeral 120. At least some of the data upon which such a determination is based may be stored in a database maintained by the server. It will be appreciated that the first, second and/or third

engineering service providers

110, 114, 118 may be provided by a single fleet of engineering or even a single engineer, and thus may or may not be separate communities.

If economically unacceptable or authorization is denied for other reasons, the third engineering service provider 118 may suggest changes to the casing, downhole, and/or fluid design, or otherwise notify and/or return control to the second engineering service provider 114 so that the second engineering service provider 114 may adjust the casing, downhole, and/or fluid design. If it is not feasible to modify one or more of these designs within well constraints, trajectories, etc., the second engineering service provider 114 may suggest that the well trajectory be adjusted and/or the workflow 100 may return to or otherwise notify the first engineering service provider 110 and/or the G & G service provider 106 so that either or both may modify the well trajectory at reference numeral 106.

The workflow 100 may also include considering well trajectories, including accepted well project plans and formation evaluations, at a second geological service provider 122, which second geological service provider 122 may be the same or a different entity than the first geological service provider 108. Moreover, the workflow 100 may then pass control to a drilling service provider 126, which drilling service provider 126 may implement well engineering planning, establishing safe and efficient drilling, maintaining well integrity and reporting schedules, and operating parameters, for example at reference numeral 128. Moreover, the operating parameters, the formations encountered, data collected while drilling (e.g., using logging-while-drilling or measurement-while-drilling techniques) may be returned to the geological service provider 122 for evaluation. The geological service provider 122 may then re-evaluate the well trajectory or any other aspect of the well plan, and may adjust the well plan according to the actual drilling parameters in some cases and potentially within predetermined constraints.

According to particular embodiments, whether the well is completely drilled or a portion thereof is completed, the workflow 100 may proceed to a post-review, such as at reference numeral 130. As shown at reference numeral 132, the post-review 130 may include reviewing drilling performance, e.g., as reported at reference numeral 128. Further, as indicated by reference numeral 132, the post-review 130 may also include reporting drilling performance, such as related engineering design, geology, or G & G service providers.

However, in some embodiments, the operations described above as part of the workflow 100 may not be performed sequentially, but may be performed out of order, e.g., based in part on information from a template, nearby wells, etc., to fill in any gaps in information to be provided by another service provider. Moreover, performing one operation may affect the outcome or the basis of another operation, such that a change may be required in one or more of the operational outcomes of the workflow 100, either manually or automatically. Where the server stores such information on a central database accessible by the various service providers, such changes may be sought by communicating with the appropriate service provider, may be made automatically or may otherwise be presented as suggestions to the relevant service provider. This may present an overall approach to well project workflow, as opposed to a sequentially segmented approach.

Also, in some embodiments, the workflow 100 of the cycle may be repeated multiple times during drilling of the wellbore. For example, in an automated system, feedback from the drilling service provider 126 may be provided in real time or near real time, and the data acquired during drilling at reference numeral 128 may be fed to any other service provider, which may adjust the segments of the workflow 100 accordingly. Since there may be dependencies in other areas of the workflow 100, such adjustments may be spread throughout the workflow, e.g., in an automated fashion. In some embodiments, the cycling process may additionally or alternatively be performed after a certain drilling goal is reached, for example after a section of the wellbore is completed and/or after a complete wellbore is drilled or on a daily, weekly, monthly, etc. basis.

In general, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a design evaluator for evaluating a design, for example, in a collaborative workspace, after one or more modifications to a well plan. Such modifications may cause parameters of other designs to change, which may result in other designs being outside of the design parameters. The design evaluator may manage or eliminate such "contradictions" or "conflicts" between designs sent by different designers to the collaborative workspace. In one embodiment, a hierarchy may be established for each design element, e.g., based on role, expertise, seniority, qualification, employee experience, etc. For example, the design evaluator may then consider the conflict and may prefer or select a design submitted by a designer with a high position in the hierarchy for the design operation.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for designing a well, such as by predicting drilling performance using offset well data, according to an embodiment. In some cases, statistical analysis of data from one or more existing wells may be used to set design parameters for the subject well. Existing data and past performance may be correlated to various design parameters such as rock performance, formation or pore size. The existing data may then be mapped or correlated to portions of the subject well with the same or similar parameters. By examining the parameter values of one or more existing wells, an estimate of the parameter distribution can be inferred. From this, the likelihood of a given parameter value in the subject well can be inferred.

Referring to the embodiment specifically illustrated in fig. 2, the method 200 may include selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells, as at 202. The method 200 may also include determining one or more design parameters of the offset well, as at 204. Such design parameters may include geological parameters, formation or pore size, etc. In addition, the offset well data may provide an indication of drilling parameters used at different locations, events encountered, drilling conditions, and the like. All of these may be designated as design parameters in the offset well data.

The method 200 may also include modeling a simulated offset well at another location within the region based on design parameters collected from the offset wells, as at 206. Design parameters for the simulated offset well may then be inferred, for example, with variable uncertainty and/or likelihood of accuracy. The simulated offset well may then be used as a new source of information in the area.

Accordingly, the method 200 may include determining design parameters for the well at the location (e.g., the location in 202) based on the design parameters for the offset well and the design parameters determined for simulating the offset well, as at 208. Uncertainty and likelihood values may then be associated with these design parameters, possibly influenced not only by the number and distance from the actual offset well, but also by the uncertainty and likelihood values assigned to the simulated well design parameters.

In some embodiments, the methods of the present invention may be practiced by a computing system. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of such a computing system 300 according to some embodiments. Computing system 300 may include a computer or computer system 301A, which may be a standalone computer system 301A or an arrangement of distributed computer systems. Computer system 301A includes one or more analysis modules 302, according to some embodiments, these analysis modules 302 are configured to perform various tasks, such as one or more of the methods disclosed herein. To perform these various tasks, the analysis module 302 is implemented independently or in conjunction with one or more processors 304, the processors 304 being coupled to one or more storage media 306. Processor 304 is also connected to network interface 307 to allow computer system 301A to communicate with one or more additional computer systems and/or computing systems, such as 301B, 301C, and/or 301D, across data network 309 (note that

computer systems

301B, 301C, and/or 301D may or may not share the same architecture as computer system 301A and may be located in different physical locations, e.g.,

computer systems

301A and 301B may be located within a processing facility while communicating with one or more computer systems, such as 301C and/or 301D, located within one or more data centers, and/or located within countries on different continents).

A processor may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a processor module or subsystem, a programmable integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, or another control or computing device.

Storage medium 306 may be embodied as one or more computer-readable or machine-readable storage media. Note that although storage medium 306 is depicted as being located within computer system 301A in the example of fig. 3, in some embodiments storage medium 306 may be distributed within and/or across multiple enclosures and/or peripherals of computing system 301A and/or additional computing systems. Storage media 306 may include one or more of various forms of memory, including semiconductor memory such as dynamic or static random access memory (DRAM or SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory, magnetic disks such as fixed floppy disks and removable disks, other magnetic media including magnetic tape, optical media such as Compact Disks (CD) or Digital Video Disks (DVD), magnetic tape, or magnetic tape, such as a magnetic tape, or magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, such as a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a,

A disk or other type of optical storage, or other types of storage. Note that the instructions described above may be provided on one computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium, or alternatively, may be provided on multiple computer-readable or machine-readable storage media distributed in a large system, possibly with multiple nodes. Such computer-readable or machine-readable storage media or media are considered to be part of an article (or article of manufacture). An article or article may refer to any manufactured single component or multiple components. The storage medium or storage medium may be located either within the machine running the machine-readable instructions or at a remote site from which the machine-readable instructions are downloaded over a network for execution.

In some embodiments, the computing system 300 contains one or more well planning modules 308. In one example of computing system 300, computer system 301A includes a well planning module 308. In some embodiments, a single well planning module may be used to perform some or all aspects of one or more embodiments of the methods disclosed herein. In alternative embodiments, multiple well planning modules may be used to perform some or all aspects of the methods herein.

It is to be appreciated that computing system 300 is only one example of a computing system and that computing system 300 may have more or fewer elements than shown, may combine additional elements not shown in the embodiment in fig. 3, and/or that computing system 300 may have a different configuration or arrangement of elements than shown in fig. 3. The various elements shown in fig. 3 may be provided in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits.

Further, various steps of the processing methods described herein may be implemented in one or more functional blocks operating in an information processing apparatus (e.g., a general purpose processor or a special purpose chip such as an ASIC, FPGA, PLD, or other suitable device). These modules, combinations of these modules, and/or their combination with general purpose hardware are all included within the scope of the present invention.

It is important to recognize that geological interpretation, modeling and/or interpretation aids can be adapted in an iterative and progressive manner; this concept also applies to the methods described herein. This may include using a feedback loop based on algorithmic execution, for example on a computing device (e.g., computing system 300, fig. 3), and/or by manual control of a user, who may determine whether a given step, behavior, template, model, or set of curves has become sufficiently accurate to assess the condition of the subsurface three-dimensional geological structure of interest.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the foregoing exemplary description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise details disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Additionally, the order in which the components of the methods described herein are shown and described can be rearranged, and/or two or more components can occur simultaneously. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Additional information in support of the present disclosure is disclosed in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for designing a well, comprising:

selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells;

determining one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells, the one or more design parameters including a drilling parameter, an encountered event, a drilling condition, a geological parameter, a formation or a hole size;

modeling a simulated offset well based on the one or more design parameters of the one or more offset wells; and

determining one or more design parameters for the well at the location based on the one or more design parameters of the offset well and one or more design parameters from the simulated offset well.

2. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a storage system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells;

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

selecting a location within a region having one or more offset wells;