Patent ID: 6176323
Filing Date: 2001-01-23
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
A drilling system for use in drilling a wellbore, said drilling system having a source supplying drilling fluid under pressure to the wellbore, comprising:(a) a drill string having;(i) a tubing adapted to extend from the surface into the wellbore;(ii) a drilling assembly coupled to the tubing, said drilling assembly having a drill bit at an end thereof for drilling the wellbore; and(b) a plurality of pressure sensors disposed spaced apart alone a selected segment of the drill string for providing pressure measurements along the wellbore segment during the drilling of the wellbore(c) processor determining from the measurements of the plurality of the sensors pressure gradient over the segment, said processor further determining from the pressure gradient presence one of (i) of a kick in the wellbore and (ii) condition of a reservoir adjacent the wellbore, during drilling of the wellbore.