Abstract:
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:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/823,287 filed May 14, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the management of drilling. 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 wellbores and into non-leased tracts of oil and gas assets. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    As the world&#39;s reserves of fossil fuels diminish, wells are becoming increasingly difficult and correspondingly expensive to drill, and operational mistakes have potentially serious, not to mention extremely expensive, effects. Any loss of drilling time caused by unwanted events is undesirable. 
         [0004]    As part of the drilling and operation of wells, a large amount of related data is generated. The data includes large sets of sophisticated sensor measurements and data related to various other drilling parameters. This data includes continuous (real time) data streams from the drilling operation, such as that obtained by Measurement While Drilling (MWD) processes. However, current software tools do not adequately disseminate this information to personnel needing it nor do they adequately process the information to help avoid operational mistakes. As the amount of available data increases, the need for software tools to extract, or filter out relevant information in a given situation increases correspondingly. Additionally, the need to place relevant information in the hands of the correct personnel increases. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-based system for managing data associated with drilling. The system comprises at least one database for storing data associated with drilling including current data related to a wellbore currently being drilled and zone data related to a zone not to be drilled. The system further comprises at least one server configured to generate a graphical user interface at a plurality of locations over a network. The graphical user interface enables viewing and entry of well-related data. The server generates a plurality of electronic notifications wherein each notification is associated with at least one predefined well event occurring. The server also generates a comparison of the current data and the zone data, and one of the electronic notifications is a zone notification which is generated when the comparison indicates that the wellbore currently being drilled is within a predefined range from a zone not to be drilled. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method comprising:
       providing zone data related to a zone not to be drilled;   providing current data related to a wellbore currently being drilled;   comparing the current data to the zone data; and   generating a zone notification when the comparing indicates the wellbore is within a predefined range from the zone.       
 
         [0011]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an article of manufacture including a non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system for managing data associated with drilling, cause the computer-based system to be capable of performing operations comprising:
       comparing current data related to a wellbore currently being drilled to zone data related to a zone not to be drilled; and   generating a zone notification when the comparing indicates a wellbore is within a predetermined range from the zone.       
 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates the implementation of a drilling management system in accordance with one embodiment of the current invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating the data input and notification features of the drilling management system. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a graphical representation of a wellbore and various no-drill zone areas. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is another graphical representation of a wellbore and various no-drill zone areas. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is yet another graphical representation of a wellbore and various no-drill zone areas. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a chart illustrating various functionalities of the drilling management system in accordance with an embodiment of the current invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  illustrates a graphical user interface of the dashboard page of an exemplary drilling management system. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  illustrates a graphical user interface of the search page of an exemplary drilling management system. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  illustrates a graphical user interface of the rig favorite page dashboard page for the manage account link of an exemplary drilling management system. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  illustrates a graphical user interface of the notification page for the manage account link of an exemplary drilling management system. 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  illustrates a graphical user interface of the well summary page of an exemplary drilling management system. 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  illustrates a graphical user interface of the well plan page of an exemplary drilling management system. 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  illustrates a graphical user interface of the survey page of an exemplary drilling management system. 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  illustrates a graphical user interface of the threshold page of an exemplary drilling management system. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    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. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated the general concept of the implementation of a drilling management system  100  over a network  104  such as the internet. While the following description envisions the use of the drilling management system  100  upon 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. 
         [0030]    The drilling management system  100  acts 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 system  100  and can be stored in a centralized database  102 ; accordingly, typically database  102  will 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 system  100  may 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 system  100  may 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. 
         [0031]    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 computer  106  at the rig site to the drilling management system  100 . Additionally, data and information can be manually entered through the computer  106  at the rig site or through one or more computers  108  and  110 , located off site from the rig site. Rig-site computers  106  and non-rig site computers  108  each can access the drilling management system  100  through an open network, such as the internet  104 . Non-rig site computer  110  can access the drilling management system  100  through a local area network or LAN. 
         [0032]    Once data related to the drilling has been stored within the database  102 , the information can be accessed through computers  106 ,  108  and  110  by accessing a graphical computer interface, as more fully explained below. Additionally, the drilling management system  100  can issue notifications to one or more users based on the status and information available about one or more wells. Turning now to  FIG. 2 , this notification feature will be more fully explained. 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating the general input of data into the well management system  100  and database  102 , and the issuing of notifications  210  by the drilling management system  100 . In  FIG. 2 , well information or well data  200  from other databases is extracted, transformed and loaded (ETL) into database  102  of well management system  100 . 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 data  202  is also loaded into database  102 . 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 information  204  on areas not to be drilled or not available for oil and gas production is introduced into to the database. Generally the zone information  204  can 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. 
         [0034]    During drilling operations, wellbore information or wellbore data  206  is sent to the drilling management system  100  and stored in database  102 . 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 system  100  as soon as possible after it is obtained. Typically, the wellbore information will be real-time survey data, which is introduced to the drilling management system  100  as the rig site computer  106  obtains the survey data from sensors in the drill string. 
         [0035]    Additionally, other well drilling information or data  208  can be added to the drilling management system  100  and stored in database  102  as 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 system  100  and stored in database  102 . 
         [0036]    The drilling management system  100  is configured to send out various notifications  210 . Typically, notifications  210  are electronic messages to users who have designated that they should receive the notifications. Generally, the electronic messages are sent from within drilling management system  100  to 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. 
         [0037]    One particularly advantageous notification is a location proximity notification. As drilling management  100  system 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. 
         [0038]    One example of such a no-zone area notification is illustrated in  FIG. 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&#39;s border. In  FIG. 3 , wellbore  300  is being drilled in leased tract  302 . Border  304  of a non-leased tract is a no-zone area and there is an offset  306 . The drilling management system  100  is set to send out a first notification when the wellbore is drilled to within 60 feet of the offset represented by line  308 . 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. 
         [0039]    Other examples are illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In  FIG. 4  multiple preexisting wellbores  310  exist and have been drilled at sometime before wellbore  300 . Preexisting wellbores  310  are no-zone areas because drilling into one or more of preexisting wellbores  310  can be costly and require drilling a replacement well for wellbore  300 . Drilling management system  100  sends out collision notifications if wellbore  300  approaches one of preexisting wellbores  310 .  FIG. 5  has additional no-zone areas  312 . No-zone areas  312  can be non-leased areas within leased tract  302  or can be areas where drilling and/or production are not allowed for other reasons. Drilling management system  100  sends out notifications if a no-zone area  312  is approached. 
         [0040]    Additionally, drilling management system  100  can 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. 
         [0041]    Returning now to  FIG. 1 , access of drilling management system  100  by computers  106 ,  108  and  110  can 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 system  100 . 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 computers  106 ,  108  and  110  either by downloading the software or installing the software from a provided media. The installed software would be dedicated to communication with the drilling management system  100 . 
         [0042]    No matter what implementation for accessing the drilling management system  100  is utilized, drilling management system  100  provides a number of important functionalities to users of the system. Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is provided a general functional illustration of the browser interface through which the user may enter and access drilling management system  100 . The functionalities are collected onto different pages and tabs on the pages in the graphical user interface. Login page  600  enables users to login into drilling management system  100 . Existing users are able to enter a user ID/password combination that provides them access to dashboard page  602 . The dashboard page  602  provides access or links to all the various functionalities of the drilling management system  100  as will be described more fully herein below. From dashboard page  602 , the user can navigate to search page  604 , administrative page  606 , manage account page  608  and well page  610 . 
         [0043]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , there is illustrated an exemplary dashboard page  602 . Dashboard page  602  includes links  707 ,  708 ,  709  and  710  to dashboard  602 , search page  604 , administration page  606  and manage account page  608 , respectively. Dashboard page  602  has several panels. Favorite rigs panel  700  lists rigs that have been selected as being of interest to the user for inclusion as favorite rigs. Favorite rigs panel  700  can be a collapsible panel; thus, each rig entry may be expanded to show a listing of well names  702  associated 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 page  602  includes a favorite searches panel  704 . By clicking or otherwise selecting a listed search, the user can run a stored search. Also, there is a favorite well panel  706 , 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. 
         [0044]    Returning to  FIG. 6 , search page  604  provides 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 page  604  is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The search page  604  can be accessed by clicking on the search link on dashboard page  602 . The search page has a search panel  800  with various search filters, such as Well Name  804 , Property Number  806 , Rig Name  808 , Spud Date range  810 , TD Date range  812 , District  814  and Well Status  816 . Spud Date range  810  filters by the date that drilling was commenced on the well. TD Date range  812  filters by the date that total depth was reached; that is the date that drilling was completed. Filters District  814  and Well Status  816  are 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 PreSpud  818  where drilling has not commenced, or to include completed wells at the filter Include Completed  820 . The user can save a search as a favorite search from Search panel  800 . A Display panel  802  displays 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 panel  802  by clicking on the favorites box  822 . 
         [0045]    Returning to  FIG. 6 , the system managers can perform various system administration and account administration functions through the administration page  606  in 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&#39; roles and permissions within the system. 
         [0046]    Manage account page  608  enables the user to manage various aspects of the user&#39;s account in drilling management system  100 . Manage account functionalities can be broken down into various subfunctionalities by tabs on the manage account page  608 , such as profile tab  612 , rig favorites tab  614  and notification tab  616 . Profile tab  612  enables the user to add, edit or change the user&#39;s profile, such as password, email address and similar. Rig favorites tab  614  allows each user to set rig favorites. Rig favorites appear on the user&#39;s dashboard page. An exemplary rig favorites tab  614  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . From rig favorites tab  614 , each user is able to set rig favorites by clicking on the appropriate selection box  904  in the rig favorites panel  900 . The user can search through all the rigs in rig favorite panel  900  using paging function  906 . Alternatively, the user can use Filter panel  902  to limit the rigs displayed in rig favorite panel  900  by all or a portion of the rig name. 
         [0047]    Notification tab  616  enables the user to select to receive notifications. An exemplary notifications tab  616  is illustrated in  FIG. 10 . From notifications  616 , each user is able to set notifications received from the system for no-zone events, when information is uploaded to the drilling management system  100  and other well events. By clicking on the appropriate selection box in the rig notifications panel  1000 , each user can select the notifications that will be sent to that user. The user can page through all the rigs in rig notifications panel  1000  by using paging function  1001  or can use filter panel  1002  to limit the rigs displayed in rig favorite panel  1000 . For example, if mud log box  1004  for Mars I rig  1006  is checked, then the user will receive a notification when mud log information is uploaded to the drilling management system  100 . 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. 
         [0048]    As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the user can select from collision  1008 , LAS updated  1010 , survey  1012 , TD survey  1014 , final/certified survey  1016 , threshold changed  1018 , target window  1020  and mud log  1022 . Collision  1008  is 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 updated  1010  is a notification for when LAS well information has been uploaded. The notification can include a copy of the LAS logs. Survey  1012  is 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 survey  1014  is to receive notification of the final survey when drilling of the wellbore is completed. Final/certified survey  1016  is to receive notification when the final survey including any regulatory or other certification information has been uploaded. Threshold changed  1018  is to receive notification when threshold values for the well have been changed. Target window  1020  provides notifications on divergence from the target drill path. Mud log  1022  provides 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. 
         [0049]    Returning to  FIG. 6 , well page  610  allows 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 tab  618 , well information tab  620 , well plan tab  622 , survey tab  624 , unit description tab  626 , threshold tab  628 , mud information tab  630 , files tab  632  and reports tab  634 . As can be seen from  FIGS. 11 and 12 , well page  610  displays basic well information  1100  and target information  1101 , which can be seen from each tab display. 
         [0050]    Well summary tab  618  displays such information as well status, thresholds messages, survey projections, current surveys and graphs of the drilling progress. An exemplary well summary tab  618  is illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Well summary tab  618  provides information on the subject well including well status  1102 , survey projections  1104 , current survey information  1106  and graphs  1108  of the current drilling progress. Graphs  1108  can be designed to be enlargeable by the user. 
         [0051]    Returning to  FIG. 6 , well information tab  620  displays 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. 
         [0052]    Well plan tab  622  enables users with the appropriate access level to enter or revise target parameters for the drilling of the wellbore. Referring now to  FIG. 12 , there is illustrated well pan tab  622  of well page  610  which allows a well plan to be entered by well planner users of the drilling management system  100 . By use of the drop down menus  1200  and entry boxes  1201 , the well planner can enter or change targets associated with the well such as measured depth, inclination, azimuth and similar. 
         [0053]    Returning to  FIG. 6 , survey tab  624  displays the well surveys or MWD data for the wellbore. An exemplary survey tab  624  is illustrated in  FIG. 13 . Survey tab  624  displays and allows manual entry of survey information. By use of functional buttons  1300 , the user can manually add survey information or import or export survey information. Survey information is displayed in display portion  1301 . Once surveys are entered under this tab, notifications are sent to those users who have elected to receive survey update notifications for the well. 
         [0054]    Returning to  FIG. 6 , unit description tab  626  displays the boundary information for the tract or unit relating to the wellbore. Unit description tab  626  displays and allows manual entry of numeric and graphical information on the unit boundaries and offset associated therewith. 
         [0055]    Threshold tab  628  enables 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. 14  illustrates an exemplary thresholds values tab  628 . Current thresholds are displayed in the Thresholds panel  1400 , Lateral Tolerances panel  1402  and Collision Critical Panel  1404 . The thresholds can be edited by using edit button  1406 . 
         [0056]    Returning to  FIG. 6 , mud information tab  630  displays mud log information related to the drilling mud used in drilling the borehole. Mud information tab  630  also allows the uploading of mud log information into the drilling management system  100 . Files tab  632  enables the uploading and downloading of files related to the well, drilling and borehole. Reports tab  634  allows access to well related data in a variety of report formats, such as PDF or Excel formats. 
         [0057]    It should be understood that while the above functionalities of the drilling management system  100  have 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. 
         [0058]    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.