Patent ID: 8447522
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A method for drilling a well, the method comprising: identifying another well proximate to the well being drilled; collecting spatial information for at least a portion of the another well and the well being drilled, and representing one of the well being drilled and the another well as a line corresponding to a center line of the well being drilled or the another well; representing the other of the well being drilled and the another well as an object having a radius based on a radius of the another well and a radius of the well being drilled; estimating a trajectory for at least a portion of the well being drilled and the another well; estimating an uncertainty in spatial information for each trajectory; estimating a probability of a collision between the center line and the object during the drilling of the well by integrating a probability density function using the uncertainties and the trajectories; and performing the drilling in a manner that limits the probability of collision.