Patent ID: 6169967
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
A method for engineering a drilling bit program linked to rock removal at a cutting element/formation interface and specific to drilling of one or more wells in a given geographic area, said method comprising the steps of: planning the drilling of a particular well based upon a cascaded planning input and providing an engineered output which is a function of the cascaded planning input, a level of the engineered output being dependent upon a level of the cascaded planning input, wherein a prescribed level of the cascaded planning input includes both customer input and service provider input, the customer input including actual well information, wherein the engineered output can vary from a basic engineered output to a highly engineered output in response to a planning input range from a minimum level of planning input to a maximum level of planning input of the cascaded planning input, and further wherein for the prescribed level of cascaded planning input, the engineered output includes a prescribed cascaded output, the cascaded output including outputs in response to each successive level of planning input, up to the prescribed level of cascaded planning input; implementing the engineered output in the drilling of the particular well based upon a cascaded implementation input and providing a cascaded implementation output which is a function of the cascaded implementation input, wherein the implementation output can vary from a basic implementation output to a highly engineered implementation output in response to an implementation input range from a minimum level of implementation input to a maximum level of implementation input of the cascaded implementation input, and further wherein for a prescribed level of implementation input, the cascaded implementation output includes outputs in response to each successive level of implementation input up to the prescribed level of implementation input; and evaluating the implementation of the engineered output for the drilling of the particular well based upon a cascaded evaluation input and providing an evaluation output which is a function of the cascaded evaluation input, a level of the cascaded evaluation output being dependent upon a level of the cascaded evaluation input, wherein the evaluation output can be used in said planning step as additional planning input for planning the drilling of a subsequent well in a geographic area, wherein the evaluation output can vary from a basic evaluation output to a highly engineered evaluation output in response to an evaluation input range from a minimum level of evaluation input to a maximum level of evaluation input of the cascaded evaluation input, and further wherein for a prescribed cascaded evaluation input, the cascaded evaluation output includes outputs in response to each successive level of evaluation input, up to the prescribed level of evaluation input.