SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING DRILLING

A system and method for drilling management is disclosed. More particularly, the present invention relates to the management of drilling data such that, among other things, drilling can be controlled to prevent the encroachment into other boreholes and into non-leased tracts of oil and gas assets. The present invention provides for a computer-based system that generates and sends electronic notices within certain well-related events which occur, such as the downloading of drilling information or when the wellbore being drilled approaches another wellbore or a non-leased tract.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers are used herein to designate like elements throughout the various views, embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and described, and other possible embodiments of the present invention are described. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in some instances the drawings have been exaggerated and/or simplified in places for illustrative purposes only. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the many possible applications and variations of the present invention based on the following examples of possible embodiments of the present invention.

Referring now toFIG. 1, there is illustrated the general concept of the implementation of a drilling management system100over a network104such as the internet. While the following description envisions the use of the drilling management system100upon the internet or similar network, the system may also be implemented within a smaller local area network or wide area network or additionally could be implemented upon a single computer wherein the described system for managing drilling could be used by a single company or user.

The drilling management system100acts as a central repository for managing information related to the drilling of a wellbore and typically to a wellbore for extracting oil and/or gas from a reservoir. Drilling information is provided to the drilling management system100and can be stored in a centralized database102; accordingly, typically database102will be part of the drilling management system but is referred to herein as a separate component for convenience. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, individual components of the drilling management system100may take the form of an entirely software embodiment, an entirely hardware embodiment, or an embodiment combining aspects of both software and hardware. Furthermore, individual components of the drilling management system100may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the storage medium. Generally, the computer-readable storage medium will be non-transitory. Any suitable computer-readable storage medium may be utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROM, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, and/or the like.

The drilling information can be real time drilling data provided through drilling sensors and surveys taken in the wellbore during drilling or at the rig site. Such real time data can be relayed from the sensors through a computer106at the rig site to the drilling management system100. Additionally, data and information can be manually entered through the computer106at the rig site or through one or more computers108and110, located off site from the rig site. Rig-site computers106and non-rig site computers108each can access the drilling management system100through an open network, such as the internet104. Non-rig site computer110can access the drilling management system100through a local area network or LAN.

Once data related to the drilling has been stored within the database102, the information can be accessed through computers106,108and110by accessing a graphical computer interface, as more fully explained below. Additionally, the drilling management system100can issue notifications to one or more users based on the status and information available about one or more wells. Turning now toFIG. 2, this notification feature will be more fully explained.

FIG. 2is a flow chart illustrating the general input of data into the well management system100and database102, and the issuing of notifications210by the drilling management system100. InFIG. 2, well information or well data200from other databases is extracted, transformed and loaded (ETL) into database102of well management system100. Generally, this is carried out by known ETL processes and can include extracting information from such other databases for use in the drilling management system. Such information typically includes well name, spud date and location information, such as county, state, district, surface location, property number and similar. Rig information or rig data202is also loaded into database102. Rig information can include such data as rig name, rig height and similar. The rig information will typically be manually entered but can be extracted from other databases by ETL processes. Zone data or zone information204on areas not to be drilled or not available for oil and gas production is introduced into to the database. Generally the zone information204can be location information on a tract or tracts of land not leased for oil and gas production but near or adjacent to the tract of land leased. As used in the foregoing sentence, “near” means that the non-leased tract is within range of the rig such that a wellbore located on the leased tract could feasibly reach the non-leased tract or such that a wellbore on the leased tract could drain from a reservoir in the non-leased tract during normal operation of the wellbore or during fracking operations or other advanced recovery techniques. The term “adjacent” means that the non-leased tract and leased tract share at least one common boundary. It should be understood that even though the leased tract is referred to in the singular, it encompasses multiple leased tracts where those leased tracts are near or adjacent and could be subject to oil and gas production from a common wellbore. Additionally, the zone information can include other areas that are not to be drilled or are not available for oil and gas production, such as the location of preexisting drilled wellbores; i.e. preexisting wellbores.

During drilling operations, wellbore information or wellbore data206is sent to the drilling management system100and stored in database102. Generally, the wellbore information will be survey data taken during drilling, such as location and direction data of the wellbore including measured depth, inclination and azimuth of the wellbore. The measured depth is the length of the drilled wellbore, the inclination is the slope of the wellbore and the azimuth is the angle from the rig indicating the geographical cardinal direction of the wellbore. Such survey information can be taken by Measurement While Drilling (MWD) tools. MWD tools and processes are known in the art. In addition to direction and drilling information, the wellbore information can include other measurements taken by MWD processes, such as rotational speed of the drill string, smoothness of the rotation, type and severity of any vibration downhole, downhole temperature, torque and weight on bit and mud flow volume. In order to provide for timely notifications as explained below, the wellbore information should be introduced to the drilling management system100as soon as possible after it is obtained. Typically, the wellbore information will be real-time survey data, which is introduced to the drilling management system100as the rig site computer106obtains the survey data from sensors in the drill string.

Additionally, other well drilling information or data208can be added to the drilling management system100and stored in database102as desired. For example, drilling mud information (such as used drilling mud viscosity and drill cutting content) and reports on the drilling operation can be introduced to the drilling management system100and stored in database102.

The drilling management system100is configured to send out various notifications210. Typically, notifications210are electronic messages to users who have designated that they should receive the notifications. Generally, the electronic messages are sent from within drilling management system100to outside systems; thus, the electronic messages can be emails sent to a predefined email address for the user. Alternatively, electronic messages can be any suitable electronic message, such as text messages to a predefined phone number for the user.

One particularly advantageous notification is a location proximity notification. As drilling management100system receives the survey data from a wellbore being drilled, the system calculates the course and location of the wellbore. The system compares this to the zone data. If the wellbore comes within a predefined range of an area not to be drilled or not available for oil and gas production (“no-zone area”), the system generates a notification and sends it to the defined users informing the users that the wellbore is approaching and/or entering a no-zone area.

One example of such a no-zone area notification is illustrated inFIG. 3. Wellbores generally are not to be drilled within an established range of the border of a non-leased tract; thus, there might be an offset of 500 feet; that is, the wellbore should not be drilled to extend within 500 feet of the non-leased tract's border. InFIG. 3, wellbore300is being drilled in leased tract302. Border304of a non-leased tract is a no-zone area and there is an offset306. The drilling management system100is set to send out a first notification when the wellbore is drilled to within 60 feet of the offset represented by line308. A second notification could be set for when the wellbore is drilled to within 50 feet of the offset. Additional notifications could also be provided.

Other examples are illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5. InFIG. 4multiple preexisting wellbores310exist and have been drilled at sometime before wellbore300. Preexisting wellbores310are no-zone areas because drilling into one or more of preexisting wellbores310can be costly and require drilling a replacement well for wellbore300. Drilling management system100sends out collision notifications if wellbore300approaches one of preexisting wellbores310.FIG. 5has additional no-zone areas312. No-zone areas312can be non-leased areas within leased tract302or can be areas where drilling and/or production are not allowed for other reasons. Drilling management system100sends out notifications if a no-zone area312is approached.

Additionally, drilling management system100can be set to give other notifications. These notifications are each associated with at least one predefined well event. The predefined well event could be related to data updates, such as updates to well logging data, mud logs, end of well reports and similar. Also, the predefined well event could be related to operational parameters, such as if the actual drilling path deviating more than a predefined amount from a predefined target well path.

Returning now toFIG. 1, access of drilling management system100by computers106,108and110can be implemented in a number of fashions. In one embodiment, access is by using a commercially available browser such as Microsoft Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc. Additional implementations might utilize dedicated browser software that was specifically directed to communicating with drilling management system100. In this case, a commercially available browser would not be necessary, but the software of the dedicated browser would have to be loaded onto the computers106,108and110either by downloading the software or installing the software from a provided media. The installed software would be dedicated to communication with the drilling management system100.

No matter what implementation for accessing the drilling management system100is utilized, drilling management system100provides a number of important functionalities to users of the system. Referring now toFIG. 6, there is provided a general functional illustration of the browser interface through which the user may enter and access drilling management system100. The functionalities are collected onto different pages and tabs on the pages in the graphical user interface. Login page600enables users to login into drilling management system100. Existing users are able to enter a user ID/password combination that provides them access to dashboard page602. The dashboard page602provides access or links to all the various functionalities of the drilling management system100as will be described more fully herein below. From dashboard page602, the user can navigate to search page604, administrative page606, manage account page608and well page610.

Referring now toFIG. 7, there is illustrated an exemplary dashboard page602. Dashboard page602includes links707,708,709and710to dashboard602, search page604, administration page606and manage account page608, respectively. Dashboard page602has several panels. Favorite rigs panel700lists rigs that have been selected as being of interest to the user for inclusion as favorite rigs. Favorite rigs panel700can be a collapsible panel; thus, each rig entry may be expanded to show a listing of well names702associated with the rig. Next to the well name can be information on the well such as spud date, current drilling status and threshold status. The well name is linked to the well page for that specific well and, thus, the user can move to the well page by selecting the well name, such as by clicking with a mouse or similar selection means. Additionally, dashboard page602includes a favorite searches panel704. By clicking or otherwise selecting a listed search, the user can run a stored search. Also, there is a favorite well panel706, which lists rigs that have been selected as being of interest to the user for inclusion as a favorite well. These well listings are also linked to the appropriate well page.

Returning toFIG. 6, search page604provides the user with a variety of search functionalities for searching the information stored within the system. Searching functionalities enable the users to search for drilling information based on well name, property number, rig name and other search criteria. An exemplary search page604is illustrated inFIG. 8. The search page604can be accessed by clicking on the search link on dashboard page602. The search page has a search panel800with various search filters, such as Well Name804, Property Number806, Rig Name808, Spud Date range810, TD Date range812, District814and Well Status816. Spud Date range810filters by the date that drilling was commenced on the well. TD Date range812filters by the date that total depth was reached; that is the date that drilling was completed. Filters District814and Well Status816are shown as drop down menus; thus, clicking on the down arrow provides a list of available districts or well status options for the filter. Also, the user can filter to exclude wells at the filter Exclude PreSpud818where drilling has not commenced, or to include completed wells at the filter Include Completed820. The user can save a search as a favorite search from Search panel800. A Display panel802displays the search results and can include well name, property number, rig name, district, drilling status, well status, threshold status, spud date and similar. Further the user can set favorite wells from the display panel802by clicking on the favorites box822.

Returning toFIG. 6, the system managers can perform various system administration and account administration functions through the administration page606in order to assist the system in operating in an optimal fashion. For example, the system managers can control the level of access of various users and can establish which users can have access to the system, and the users' roles and permissions within the system.

Manage account page608enables the user to manage various aspects of the user's account in drilling management system100. Manage account functionalities can be broken down into various subfunctionalities by tabs on the manage account page608, such as profile tab612, rig favorites tab614and notification tab616. Profile tab612enables the user to add, edit or change the user's profile, such as password, email address and similar. Rig favorites tab614allows each user to set rig favorites. Rig favorites appear on the user's dashboard page. An exemplary rig favorites tab614is illustrated inFIG. 9. From rig favorites tab614, each user is able to set rig favorites by clicking on the appropriate selection box904in the rig favorites panel900. The user can search through all the rigs in rig favorite panel900using paging function906. Alternatively, the user can use Filter panel902to limit the rigs displayed in rig favorite panel900by all or a portion of the rig name.

Notification tab616enables the user to select to receive notifications. An exemplary notifications tab616is illustrated inFIG. 10. From notifications616, each user is able to set notifications received from the system for no-zone events, when information is uploaded to the drilling management system100and other well events. By clicking on the appropriate selection box in the rig notifications panel1000, each user can select the notifications that will be sent to that user. The user can page through all the rigs in rig notifications panel1000by using paging function1001or can use filter panel1002to limit the rigs displayed in rig favorite panel1000. For example, if mud log box1004for Mars I rig1006is checked, then the user will receive a notification when mud log information is uploaded to the drilling management system100. Security can be set on the administration page by the system managers such that a user may only receive notifications for rigs on which that user is authorized.

As illustrated inFIG. 10, the user can select from collision1008, LAS updated1010, survey1012, TD survey1014, final/certified survey1016, threshold changed1018, target window1020and mud log1022. Collision1008is for notifications when the wellbore being drilled is approaching a preexisting drilled wellbore. The notification would provide information on the potential collision including distance to the preexisting drilled wellbore. LAS updated1010is a notification for when LAS well information has been uploaded. The notification can include a copy of the LAS logs. Survey1012is for notifications when new MWD data has been loaded into the drilling management system. The notice can include a copy of the survey attached to the notice. TD survey1014is to receive notification of the final survey when drilling of the wellbore is completed. Final/certified survey1016is to receive notification when the final survey including any regulatory or other certification information has been uploaded. Threshold changed1018is to receive notification when threshold values for the well have been changed. Target window1020provides notifications on divergence from the target drill path. Mud log1022provides notification on when new mud log data has been uploaded. The notification can provide a copy of the new mud log data. The above notifications are exemplary. Additional notifications are within the scope of the invention and will be apparent from the disclosure herein.

Returning toFIG. 6, well page610allows a user to have access to a variety of stored information on each well that the user has permission to access. Well functionality is broken down into subfunctionalities under various well page tabs, such as well summary tab618, well information tab620, well plan tab622, survey tab624, unit description tab626, threshold tab628, mud information tab630, files tab632and reports tab634. As can be seen fromFIGS. 11 and 12, well page610displays basic well information1100and target information1101, which can be seen from each tab display.

Well summary tab618displays such information as well status, thresholds messages, survey projections, current surveys and graphs of the drilling progress. An exemplary well summary tab618is illustrated inFIG. 11. Well summary tab618provides information on the subject well including well status1102, survey projections1104, current survey information1106and graphs1108of the current drilling progress. Graphs1108can be designed to be enlargeable by the user.

Returning toFIG. 6, well information tab620displays more detailed information related to the wellbore being drilled, such as well status, spud date, property number, API well number, well location, offset wells within a predefined range and similar.

Well plan tab622enables users with the appropriate access level to enter or revise target parameters for the drilling of the wellbore. Referring now toFIG. 12, there is illustrated well pan tab622of well page610which allows a well plan to be entered by well planner users of the drilling management system100. By use of the drop down menus1200and entry boxes1201, the well planner can enter or change targets associated with the well such as measured depth, inclination, azimuth and similar.

Returning toFIG. 6, unit description tab626displays the boundary information for the tract or unit relating to the wellbore. Unit description tab626displays and allows manual entry of numeric and graphical information on the unit boundaries and offset associated therewith.

Threshold tab628enables users with the appropriate access level to view, enter and revise thresholds related to the well, such as thresholds for notifications when a wellbore being drilled is approaching an offset for a non-leased tract border. Additionally, thresholds can be set for other well criteria, such as dog-leg severity, lateral tolerance, collision critical values (notifications thresholds for the wellbore being drilled approaching a pre-existing wellbore) and similar.FIG. 14illustrates an exemplary thresholds values tab628. Current thresholds are displayed in the Thresholds panel1400, Lateral Tolerances panel1402and Collision Critical Panel1404. The thresholds can be edited by using edit button1406.

Returning toFIG. 6, mud information tab630displays mud log information related to the drilling mud used in drilling the borehole. Mud information tab630also allows the uploading of mud log information into the drilling management system100. Files tab632enables the uploading and downloading of files related to the well, drilling and borehole. Reports tab634allows access to well related data in a variety of report formats, such as PDF or Excel formats.

It should be understood that while the above functionalities of the drilling management system100have been described with reference to specific pages and tabs for the graphical user interface, other breakdowns of functionalities and designs for the graphical user interface can be utilized and are within the spirit and scope of the invention.

It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive manner, and are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, the invention includes any further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined by the following claims. Thus, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments.