METHOD TO CONTROL A WELL BEING DRILLED IN AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION AND WELL CONTROL SYSTEM

专利摘要:
system and method to control a well being drilled in an underground formation and system and method of well control this invention relates, in general, to a system and method for the drilling, construction and reconditioning of oil and / or gas wells . the system (10) for controlling a well being drilled in an underground formation (14) comprising a tubular drill column (20) that has a lower end (22) that extends into a well hole (12) and a upper end (24), said tubular drill column having a drill bit (26) at the lower end thereof, a drill column turning device (38) arranged and designed to rotate said drill bit in the said well hole in which annular well hole space (18) is defined between an outer diameter of said tubular drilling column and an inner diameter of said well hole, an eruption preventer (32) arranged and designed to close the said well bore in relation to the atmosphere only at a time when said drilling bit is stationary, a fluid pump (40) in fluid communication with a surface fluid reservoir (42) a coupling line (56) coupled between said annular well hole space and said surface fluid reservoir is arranged and designed to allow fluid communication between them, when said eruption preventer closes said well hole in relation to the atmosphere, a fluid injection line ( 48) extending between said fluid and said upper end of said drilling column, said fluid injection line having the ability to provide fluid communication thereto, said fluid injection line, said drilling column, said annular well hole space and said throttling line define a fluid path, when said well hole in relation to the atmosphere, an outlet flow rate measuring device (50) disposed in the said throttling line, said output flow rate measuring device being arranged and designed to measure the flow rate through said throttling line and to generate a fout (t) signal representative of flow rate of the actual throttling line as a function of time (t), an output pressure measuring device (64) arranged on the throttling line, said output pressure measuring device being arranged and designed for measure the strangulation line pressure and to generate a pout (t) and pout (t) signal determine a forming pore pressure as a forming fracture pressure of the forming pores with a function of said fout (t) signals and pout (t), generate a pann (t) signal representative of the pressure at a desired well hole depth as a function of time (t), generate a fc (t) signal representative of the required throttle line flow rate as a time function (t) to keep said pann (t) signal below said forming pore pressure, and to transmit said signal (fc (t) and a flow control device (70) arranged on said line strangulation, and said flow control device is arranged and p designed to control the flow of fluid therethrough in response to said signal fc (t) transmitted and received from said central control unit thereby controlling the throttle line flow rate to maintain said pann (t) signal below said formation fracture pressure and above said formation pore pressure.
公开号:BR112012022420B1
申请号:R112012022420-4
申请日:2011-03-04
公开日:2021-03-30
发明作者:Helio Santos
申请人:Safekick Americas Llc；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] This invention relates, in general, to a system and method for the drilling, realization and reconditioning of oil and / or gas wells. Specifically, the invention relates to the control of oil and / or gas wells during the period when the blow-out preventer (BOP) is closed, or is in the process of closing, due to events such as kicks (undue fluid retreat), which occur during drilling, carrying out, or during the reconditioning of the well. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] During the drilling of underground wells, a fluid ("mud") is typically circulated through a fluid circulation system, comprising a drilling rig and fluid treatment equipment located substantially on or near the surface of the well of the same (that is, terrestrial surface for an onshore well and aquatic surface for a marine well). The fluid is pumped by a fluid pump through the inner passage of a drill string, through a drill bit and back to the surface through the annular space between the well hole and the drill pipe.
[003] A primary function of the fluid is to maintain a primary barrier within the well hole to prevent formation fluids from entering the well hole and flowing to the surface. An eruption preventer (BOP), which has a series of valves that can be selectively closed, provides a secondary barrier to prevent formation fluids from flowing out of control to the surface. To achieve a primary barrier within the well bore with the use of the fluid, the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid is maintained at a level higher than the pressure of the forming fluid ("pore pressure"). Weight gainers can be added to the fluid to increase fluid density, thereby ensuring that the hydrostatic pressure is always above the pore pressure. If, during drilling the well hole, an area that has a higher pore pressure than the fluid pressure inside the well hole is encountered, an influx of forming fluid will be introduced into the well hole. Such an occurrence is an undesirable event and is known as generating a kick. This same situation can occur not only during drilling, but also during the performance, reconditioning or intervention.
[004] When a kick is obtained, the invading formation liquid and / or gas can "cut", or decrease, the density of the fluid in the annular well-hole space, such that an increasing amount of formation fluid between in the well hole. Under such circumstances, control of the borehole may be lost due to a breach in the primary barrier. Such an occurrence can be observed in the drilling rig in the form of: (1) a change in pressure in the annular space of a borehole, (2) a change in fluid density, and / or (3) a gain in fluid volume in fluid system tanks ("tank volume"). When a kick is detected, or suspected of entering the borehole, fluid circulation is conventionally suspended, and the borehole is closed / confined by closing the BOP. The accumulation of pressure in the annular space of the borehole, the volume gain in the mud tank and the confined drill pipe and the pressures in the liner are then monitored and measured. Appropriate calculations of prospecting operations can also be performed while the well is closed. Before resuming operations, a known prospecting operation procedure can be followed to circulate the kick out of the well hole, circulate an appropriately heavy fluid ("prospecting fluid") into the well hole, and ensure that the control of the well has been safely recovered. Typically, the operator's intention while circling a kick out of a pit, and circulating the prospecting fluid, is to ensure that another kick does not enter the pit. If, however, while performing these tasks, another kick enters the well, the whole condition of the well hole changes again. The operator can subsequently lose control of the well, as the monitored and measured parameters are transient and confusing as a result of the previous kick. In addition, it will be more difficult to ensure that well control procedures are successfully completed and that the operator has effectively regained control of the borehole to enable operations to resume.
[005] One of the requirements to kill the well safely and effectively, and circulate an appropriate prospecting fluid, is to hold the pressure inside the well bore as constant as possible, above the pressure of the forming pores and below the pressure of the formation fracture. The first task, therefore, is to ensure an accurate knowledge of the pore and fracture pressures as a function of depth, and to calculate, properly, the correct weight of the fluid to be circulated. If the pressure inside the well hole oscillates too much during the kick circulation outside the well hole, then there is a high risk that the pressure inside the well hole will fall below the forming pressure, and a secondary kick will be taken while the process of controlling the first is in progress. Alternatively, if the pressure within the well bore oscillates and reaches the fracture pressure, fluid losses within the formation are induced. This causes the integrity of the well bore to be severely impaired, and makes the necessary well control operations much more difficult. As stated earlier, such scenarios should be avoided.
[006] The two most common methods for circulating the prospecting fluid and circulating the kick outside the borehole are: the Driller's Method and the Engineer's Method (Wait and Weight Method). The Driller's Method can be used when the prospecting fluid is not yet available for circulation. In the Driller's Method, the weight of the original fluid can be used to circulate the influx of formation fluids from the well bore. Consequently, the kill weight mud (KWM) can be circulated inside the drill pipe and the borehole. Although two circulations may be required to perform the Driller's Method, this method may be faster than the variation described subsequently. In the "Engineer" method (Wait and Weight), KWM is prepared and then circulated below the drilling column and inside the well hole to remove the influx of forming fluids from the well hole and to kill the well, in circulation. This method may be preferable in order to maintain the lowest pressure in the liner while the kick circulates from the well hole, thereby minimizing the risk of damaging the liner, breaking the formation and / or creating an underground eruption. In both the Driller's Method, or the Engineer's Method (Wait and Weight Method), a substantially constant pressure within the well bore, above the pore pressure and below the fracture pressure, must be maintained.
[007] The Driller's Method and the Engineer's Method (Wait and Weight Method) are only suitable, however, for use in commonly encountered well control situations. There are several other, and more complex, situations faced while regaining control of the borehole, which requires a more sophisticated approach. In situations where the drill bit is away from the bottom of the well, there is no drill column inside the well hole, or the drill column is separate, more complex methods are needed, such as volumetric, dynamic volumetric, or injection methods and sangria (lube and bleed), to ensure that control of the well is restored. In some cases, there is no allowable tolerance to allow the inflow to circulate without disrupting the formation. In such cases, the alternative is to force the inflow back into the formation and not to circulate the inflow outside the well bore. These complex methods are more difficult to implement due to several variables that must be controlled, and this complexity is often more than the rig's personnel can handle. Thus, well control specialists are often moved to the rig site to assist with well control, if these more complex well control methods are employed.
[008] In conventional well drilling, the eruption preventer (BOP) remains open and the return of fluids from the well is directed through a fluid return line to a mud sieve and fluid system tanks on the surface. Thus, the well is drilled while it is open to the atmosphere and without the possibility of applying pressure to the surface. If an inflow indication is detected at any time, the BOP is closed and a well control procedure is initiated. When an influx of fluid occurs, it is a sign that the pressure within the well bore is less than the formation pressure, and that the weight of the fluid must be increased to restore a balanced condition. As described earlier, there are many different ways to control the well after detecting an inflow of fluid. The preferred way in which a well is controlled depends on a number of factors that include, but are not limited to, the well configuration, the operational condition of the well at the time of inflow detection, if the drill bit is at the bottom from the well or away from the bottom of the well, if the drilling column is separated and / or if the drilling column is completely out of the well. The Driller's Method and the Engineer's Method (Wait and Weight Method), described above, are two of the most popular ways to control a well after detecting the inflow, where the drill bit is at the bottom of the well however, other methods and variations of it are implemented according to the particular drilling company. When the BOP is closed, the fluid return is diverted to the choke from the probe well control valve set through a choke line, in which one or more adjustable chokes control the pressure (ie, back pressure) in the choke line. strangulation and annular space.
[009] The conventional well control procedure involves several steps, which are well known to those skilled in the art:
[0010] First, the well is confined when closing the BOP in order to measure the pressures in the annular space and inside the drilling column, and thus provide an indication of the amount of additional pressure required to rebalance the well;
[0011] Next, the inflow of fluid is circulated out of the well while controlling the pressure in the well at the surface appropriately, to prevent a second inflow from entering the well bore (as stated earlier, in some cases there is no allowable tolerance to allow the inflow to circulate without breaking the formation, which leads to the decision to force the inflow back into the formation, rather than circulating it outside the well bore);
[0012] Next, a heavier fluid is circulated through the hole to restore the hydrostatically unbalanced condition, which is a condition required for many oil and / or gas well drilling operations;
[0013] Finally, confirmation that the well is hydrostatically unbalanced is made by checking the pressures in the annular space and inside the drilling column so that the BOP can be reopened to resume operations.
[0014] During the execution of the conventional well control procedure, the steps are carried out while relying on pressure readings as measured in the injection line, called cane tube pressure, and as measured in the choke line, called pressure in the coating, and in a few cases, the volume of fluid in the tanks. Relying exclusively on pressure readings, however, does not allow the driller to fully understand the events inside the well, such as checking the hydrostatically under-balanced condition based on the time the inflow was taken, verifying whether an inflow actually entered the borehole or ensure that the well is under control. In addition, using the tank volume as an indicator of the well condition during a well control method is far from accurate.
[0015] In addition to the well control, the BOP can be closed for other reasons, such as to conduct a resistance test of the formation in order to determine the fracture pressure of the formation. Current systems and methods for determining formation fracture pressure and formation pore pressure are, however, inaccurate. For example, the pore pressure derived from the stabilized cane tube surface and the pressure readings on the liner, measured after the closure of the BOP, are often far from accurate, and in many cases, there is no inflow into the borehole. pit. Exclusive reliance on pressure readings and their misinterpretation leads to this result. Furthermore, the use of inaccurately measured pore and fracture pressures can have serious consequences for the well's economic aspect. For example, pore pressure is used to define the new weight of the mud / fluid required to be circulated through the hole after a kick is detected, in order to return the well to a hydrostatically unbalanced condition. Thus, if the pore pressure determined is inaccurate due to a lighter presence of the fluid in the well bore, and not the result of an underbalanced situation in a hydrostatic or dynamic way, the typical procedure is to introduce, unnecessarily, a fluid heavier inside the well bore.
[0016] As stated, the misinterpretation of non-kick events, based solely on pressure readings or tank volume measurements, can lead to false kick alarms. An action that can be taken in response to these false alarms is the circulation of the fluid with an unnecessary increase in the weight of the fluid, which can cause subsequent operational problems, such as a loss in circulation, a stuck tool and / or a low rate of well hole penetration. For example, the weight of the fluid used to kill the well is selected to be much greater than necessary, thereby causing severe problems when operations are resumed. In certain situations, this results in premature abandonment of the well. Even if the well is not abandoned, the enormous amount of resources wasted by the lack of precision and controllability of current well control methods is expensive.
[0017] Furthermore, the misinterpretation of events inside the well can, in many cases, lead to the taking of secondary inflows while trying to control the first kick. This can lead to, and often leads to, eruptions in the well. For example, there were 28 out of control outbreaks in the United States alone in 2008. Brian Kraus, DRILLING CONTRACTOR, Jul./Ago. 2009, at 100-01. Most of these eruptions caused damage to property, some caused environmental damage, and at least one eruption caused a busy road to be diverted due to the proximity of the fire at the drilling site. Another reason that many kicks can get out of hand, and become devastating outbreaks, is the lack of experience and knowledge of the personnel at the probe site in relation to such events. In many instances, site personnel are unable to interpret the fluid inflow situation, perform the necessary calculations and / or properly implement the required well control procedures.
[0018] Improving the safety and controllability of well control operations after the closure of the BOP is a major concern in most drilling rigs worldwide. In an attempt to improve well control procedures and the general safety of conventional operations, several systems and methods have been developed recently, which focus on improved kick detection, while others focus on controlling pressures more accurately during kick circulation and displacement of the prospecting mud. Most of these systems and methods, however, rely exclusively on pressure monitoring and measurement to regain control of the well after the BOP closes. While pressure measurements may, in some limited cases, provide a good indication of events inside the well bore with the BOP closed, only pressure measurements do not provide a complete and complete understanding of what events occur inside the well. Likewise, pressure measurements alone do not guarantee that false indications of kicks are prevented, or allow an accurate assessment of fracture pressures and pores. When considering the problems associated with current well control strategies when the BOP is closed, an improved well control system and method provides several advantages. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] An objective of the invention is to perform one or more of the following: To provide a system and method to allow the safe cessation of drilling operations in response to an indicated or suspected start of a reaction to a kick event; Provide a system and method for controlling oil and / or gas wells after the eruption preventer is closed; Provide a system and method to more accurately determine fracture and pore pressures in the formation; Provide a system and method to confirm that the fluid weight is insufficient to hydrostatically balance the exposed formations, and if confirmed, determine an accurate value for the increase in fluid weight required to restore hydrostatic balance or imbalance; Provide a system and method for controlling the pressure at any specific, selected depth within the well bore within specified limits, such as between the pressure of the formation fracture and the pressure of the formation pores; Provide a system and method for maintaining control of oil and / or gas wells so that drilling and other operations in those wells can be conducted in sensitive formations; Provide a system and method which reduces the risk of eruptions in the well, which could result in loss of life and / or property; Provide a system and method to improve practical training and competency assessment when using rig well control equipment; Provide a system and method for controlling an oil and / or gas well so that specialists not located at the rig site can be involved earlier in the well control procedures; and Provide a system and method for the collection, interpretation and display of data related to well control for effective and timely participation in well control procedures by specialists located remotely from the rig.
[0020] Other objectives, attributes, and advantages of the invention will be evident, from the following specification and drawings, for a person skilled in the art.
[0021] One or more of the objectives identified above, together with other attributes and advantages of the invention, are incorporated into a system and method for monitoring and controlling an oil and / or gas well shortly before and / or after the closure of a conventional eruption preventer (BOP) associated with the well. In normal operations in which the BOP is closed, or in operations in which the BOP is closed in response to any suspicion, signal or indication of an influx of fluid, a preferred embodiment of the system and method of the invention (1) measures and monitors both pressure and flow rates inside and outside the borehole from the time the BOP is closed, and the operation is interrupted until the BOP is reopened to resume operations, (2) measures and monitors both rates of pressure and flow inside and outside the well to provide a more accurate determination of the pore and fracture pressures, which are used to safely regain control of the well before resuming operations, and / or ( 3) uses the measured pressure and flow rate data to perform well control operations with greater precision, controllability and reliability.
[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a device for measuring the fluid flow rate, such as a mass flow rate meter or fluid volume, is disposed within the choke line between the choke of the game of probe valves and the sludge / gas separator to measure and monitor the flow rate of the fluid out of the well bore through the choke line during the period in which the conventional BOP is closed for any specific operation or in response to any signal or indication of a fluid inflow event. A fluid flow rate measuring device is also arranged within the fluid injection line, to measure and monitor the fluid flow rate within the well bore at all times. The cane tube and liner pressures are also measured and monitored by measuring and monitoring the pressures within the fluid injection line and the choke line, respectively, using pressure measurement devices. All relevant data is acquired and transmitted, preferably, to a central control unit before, during, and after the closure of the conventional BOP for any specific operation or in response to a suspected fluid inflow event. These data are preferably stored at the probe site, but are available in real time to specialists located away from the well. Thus, relevant well control data can be made available to specialists in well control during well control events, prior to their arrival at the site.
[0023] The measured fluid flow rates and fluid pressures allow the suspicious fluid inflow event to be confirmed, and the pore and fracture pressures of the formation to be more accurately determined, as further described in this document. Based on precisely determined pore and fracture pressures, the central control unit controls a flow control device arranged on the choke line to apply back pressure in the well to maintain pressure within the well bore within specified limits. or conditional, which includes, but is not limited to, pore pressure and fracture pressure during the entire well control procedure. Confirming the influx of suspicious fluid and determining an accurate pore pressure also allows the correct weight of the fluid to be determined in order to restore the unbalanced condition for continued operation. In addition, based on the measured flow rates and / or pressures, one or more of the cane tube pressure, liner pressure and pressure at a given point within the well bore can be controlled manually or automatically to facilitate operations well control system. Such well control operations may include circulating the inflow of fluid outside the well bore and / or injecting a heavier fluid into the well bore, thereby displacing the lighter fluid from the borehole. well, or force the inflow of fluid back into the formation. The system also facilitates practical training for the rig's personnel as well as the skills assessment of the rig's personnel to be carried out with the use of the control equipment of the real rig. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] By way of illustration, and not limitation, the invention is hereinafter described in detail based on the attached figures, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the system, in which fluid flow rate measuring devices are arranged in a fluid injection line and a choke line downstream of a flow control device, to measure the flow rate of the fluid inside and outside the well bore while a conventional rash preventer is closed; - Figure 2 is a schematic view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the system shown in Figure 1, in which the device for measuring the flow rate of the fluid, arranged in the choke line, is positioned upstream of the flow control device for measure the flow rate of the fluid out of the well bore when the conventional eruption preventer is closed; - Figure 3 is a schematic view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the system shown in Figure 1, in which the flow rate measuring devices are arranged on the choke line, both upstream and downstream of the flow control device, to measure the flow rate outside the well bore, and the pressure measurement devices are arranged on the choke line both upstream and downstream of the flow control device to measure the pressure on the choke line; - Figure 4 is a schematic view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the system shown in Figure 1, in which the fluid flow rate and pressure measurement devices are arranged on each of the prospecting line and the injection line. fluid (and on the choke line) to measure the rate and pressure of fluid flow into (and out of) the borehole while the conventional eruption preventer is closed; - Figure 5 is an illustration showing that calculated and / or measured probe commands and data can be transmitted between the central probe control unit and the remote user interface devices; - Figure 6 is a flow chart showing the general procedure for calculating the hydrostatic pressure of the well fluid at a specific well depth; and - Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the general procedure for calculating the friction loss / pressure of the fluid circulating through the annular well-hole space. DESCRIPTION OF REALIZATIONS OF THE INVENTION
[0025] A preferred embodiment of the invention alleviates one or more of the deficiencies of the prior art and incorporates at least one of the previously identified objectives. As shown in Figure 1, a preferred embodiment of the drilling system 10 includes a tubular drilling column 20 suspended from a drilling rig 90. The drilling column 20 has a lower end 22, which extends downwardly through a set of BOPs 30 and inside the well / well hole 12. A drill bit 26 is attached to the lower end 22 of the drill column 20. A drill column driver, or turning device 38, comprising both a system turning drive (not shown) as an upper drive system 38, is operatively coupled to an upper end 24 of the drill string 20 to rotate or rotate the drill string 20 together with the drill bit 26 in the hole 12. One conventional surface fluid / mud pump 40 pumps the fluid from a surface fluid reservoir 42 through a fluid injection line 48 through the upper end 24 of the drill column 20, down the inside of drill column 20, through drill bit 26 and within an annular space of hole 18. The annular space of hole 18 is created by rotating the drill column 20 and the drill bit 26 connected in the hole 12, and is defined according to the annular space between the wall or the inner / inner diameter of the well 12 and the outer / outer surface or diameter of the drilling column 20.
[0026] A conventional BOP set 30 is coupled to the casing of well 16 via a wellhead connector 28. Typically, the set of BOPs 30 includes one or more tube drawers, one or more shear drawers and one or more annular BOPs 32. When drilling is stopped (i.e., drill column driver 38 has stopped rotating drill column 20 and drill bit 26), the one or more conventional annular BOPs 32 can be closed to effectively close the annular space of hole 18 / well hole 12 of the atmosphere. A prospecting line 54 connects between the fluid injection line 48, using a cane tube pipe 84, and the conventional BOP 30 set via the prospecting line valve 34. The prospecting line 54 allows the fluid communicates between the conventional surface fluid / mud pump 40 and the annular space of hole 18, when the valve in the prospecting line 4 and the valves in the cane pipe tubing 84 are open. Thus, while the BOP 32 is closed, the conventional surface fluid / slurry pump 40 can be used to pump fluid from reservoir 42 into annular well-hole space 18 through fluid injection line 48, cane pipe tubing 84, prospecting line 54, prospecting line valve 34 and BOP set 30. Alternatively, while BOP 32 is closed, the conventional surface fluid / mud pump 40 can be used to pump the fluid from the reservoir 42 into the annular space of the hole 18 through the fluid injection line 48, the cane tube tubing 84, the drill column 20 and the drill bit 26.
[0027] A throttle line 56 engages between the conventional BOP set 30, through the throttle line valve 36, and the surface fluid reservoir 42, through the throttle of the well control valve set. probe 86. The choke in the probe well control valve set 86 includes a flow control device 70, such as a choke, arranged in the throttle line 56. The flow control device 70 controls the flow rate through of the throttle line 56 to thereby control the pressure upstream of the flow control device 70 and thus the back pressure to the annular space of the hole 18 while the BOP 32 is closed. A mud / gas separator 46 and a mud screen 44 are also coupled, preferably fluidly, to the throttle line 56, and are positioned between the flow control device 70 and the surface fluid reservoir 42. Thus, when the throttle line valve 36 and flow control device 70 are opened after the closure of BOP 32, fluid from the annular space of well hole 18 is allowed to flow through the set of BOPs 30 through the throttle line valve 36, through throttle line 56, through throttle of probe well control valve set 86, through sludge / gas separator 46, through slurry sieve 44 and into the fluid reservoir surface 42.
[0028] Upon detecting an influx of fluid, drilling is stopped (i.e., drill column driver 38 stops rotating drill column 20 and drill bit 26) and one or more conventional BOP 32 are closed (that is, well 12 and the annular space of hole 18 are closed to the atmosphere). The fluid can be pumped into the well bore 12 exclusively through the drilling column 20, exclusively through the prospecting line 54, or through both the drilling column 20 and the prospecting line 54, which depends on the control procedure specific well adopted by the drilling company and the well hole geometry / configuration. In some probes with appropriate lines and valves (not shown), the fluid can be injected into the annular space 18 using the choke line 56.
[0029] If the fluid is to be pumped exclusively through the prospecting line 54, then the prospecting line valve 34 is opened and the valves on the cane pipe tubing 84 are configured to fluidly couple with the injection line. fluid 48 and the prospect line 54, to thereby allow the pump 40 to pump the fluid directly into the annular borehole space 18. The valves in the cane pipe tubing 84 are additionally configured to stop the flow between the fluid injection line 48 and drilling column 20. In this configuration, fluid injection line 48, cane pipe tubing 84, prospecting line 54, BOP set 30, well hole annular space 18, and the throttle line 56 defines a fluid passage through the hole 12. If the fluid is to be pumped exclusively through the drilling column 20, then the valve of the prospecting line 34 will be closed and the valves in the pipe tube cane 84 will be configured to allow flow between the fluid injection line 48 and the upper end 24 of the drill string 20 and to stop the flow within the prospect line 54. In this configuration, the cane tube tubing 84 , the fluid injection line 48, the drilling column 20, the well hole annular space 18 and the throttle line 56 define a fluid passage through the hole 12.
[0030] If both the prospecting line 54 and the drilling column 20 are to be used to pump the fluid into the annular space of well hole 18, then the prospecting line valve 34 will be opened and the valves in the cane tube 84 are configured to allow fluid to flow from the fluid injection line 48 within both the prospect line 54 and the upper end 24 of the drill string 20.
[0031] Typically, after detecting an inflow, the BOP 32 is closed and the pressures of the cane tube and the liner are measured to confirm and evaluate the seriousness of the inflow and to determine the increase in the weight of the fluid needed for circulation through of the well bore 12. A heavier fluid is pumped through the drilling column 20 and / or the prospecting line 54 in order to increase the weight of the fluid within the annular space of the hole 18. The increased weight of the fluid increases the static pressure exerted by the fluid inside the well hole 12, which prevents an additional inflow from entering the annular space of the well hole 18 from formation 14.
[0032] In order to circulate the heavier fluid through well bore 12 and any influx of fluid out of well bore 12 while the conventional BOP 32 is closed, the throttle of valve set 36 is opened to allow such fluid flow upwards under pressure, from the annular space of hole 18, through the throttle line valve 36, into the throttle line 56, through the flow control device 70 and back to the surface fluid reservoir 42. The flow control device 70 controls the flow rate of the fluid through it, and thus, the back pressure in the well hole 12 and the annular space of the well hole 18, when controlling or preferably adjusting the size of an orifice (not shown) through which fluid flow is allowed through the throttling line 56. A larger orifice is equivalent to greater flow through and a reduced back pressure, while a smaller orifice is it results in less flow through and greater back pressure. The use of flow control devices to restrict flow through a tube, or flow line, is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such flow control devices include, but are not limited to, chokes, adjustable size orifices and various valves.
[0033] A central control unit 80 is preferably arranged and designed to receive the measurement signals from a number of measurement devices, to use the received signals to generate the control signals to control the control device. flow 70 and flow therethrough, and to transmit these control signals to flow control device 70, to thereby control flow through the throttle line 56. Central control unit 80 can be any type of computing device that preferably has a user interface and software 81 installed on it, such as a computer, which is capable of, but not limited to, performing one or more of the following tasks: receiving signals from a variety of measurement devices, convert the received signals to an exploitable way to compute and / or monitor, use the converted signals to compute and / or monitor the desired parameters, generate signals representative of the computed parameters and transmit the generated signals. With respect to the flow control device 70, the central control unit 80 is arranged and designed, preferably, to transmit the generated control signals wirelessly, or via a wired connection (shown by the dotted lines in the Figures 1 to 4) to the flow control device 70. The control signals received by the flow control device 70, from the central control unit 80, cause the orifice of the flow control device 70 to open fully, close completely, or open or close in some position between them. While the flow control device 70 can be controlled automatically by the central control unit 80, as described above, the flow control device 70 can also be controlled manually by an operator to adjust the fluid flow rate or pressure through flow control device 70, at the discretion of the operator.
[0034] As shown in Figure 1, an output fluid flow rate measuring device 50, such as a mass or volume flow rate meter, is preferably used to measure the flow rate of the fluid outside of the well hole 12 while the conventional eruption preventer 32 is closed. Such a fluid flow rate measuring device 50 is preferably a Coriolis flow rate meter, an ultrasonic flow rate meter, a magnetic flow rate meter or a laser based optical flow rate meter , but it can be any suitable type known to those skilled in the art. The outlet fluid flow rate measuring device 50 is arranged and designed to generate a Fout (t) signal, which is a representative of the actual flow rate outside the well borehole well 12, through the throttle line 56 , as a function of time (t). The output fluid flow rate measuring device 50 transmits the Fout (t) signal, preferably in real time, to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signal. The outlet fluid flow rate measuring device 50 is preferably arranged on the throttle line 56 between the flow control device 70 and the probe / mud gas separator 46. However, as shown in Figure 2, the outlet fluid flow rate measuring device 50 may alternatively be arranged on the throttle line 56 upstream of the flow control device 70 (i.e. between the annular well-hole space 18 and the flow control 70).
[0035] In an alternative preferred embodiment, shown in Figure 3, the output fluid flow rate measuring device 50 is disposed on the throttle line 56, downstream of the flow control device 70 (i.e., between the flow control device 70 and probe / sludge gas separator 46), and a second flow rate flow device 58 is arranged on the throttle line 56 upstream of flow control device 70. Output fluid flow rate measuring devices 50, 58 are similarly arranged to generate a Fout (t) signal and a Fout2 (t) signal, respectively, which are representative of the actual flow rates outside the well bore. 12 through the throttle line 56 in the respective measuring device 50, 58 as a function of time (t). The output fluid flow rate measuring devices 50, 58 transmit their respective Fout (t) and Fout2 (t) signals, preferably in real time, to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signal . The fluid upstream of the flow control device 70 may experience a higher pressure than the fluid downstream of the flow control device 70. Thus, the use of the first 50 and second 58 flow rate measurement devices of the fluid output provides an analysis of fluid compressibility and a better understanding of fluid volume expansion as a function of pressure, both of which allow for a more accurate measurement of fluid flow rate outside the well bore 12. The effects of turbulence also can be determined and thus controlled using two output flow rate measuring devices 50, 58 arranged in series.
[0036] Returning to Figure 1, an input fluid flow rate measuring device 52, such as a mass or volume flow rate meter is preferably used to measure the fluid flow rate within the well bore 12 while the conventional eruption preventer 32 is closed. The flow rate measurement device of the inlet fluid 52 is preferably a Coriolis flow rate meter, an ultrasonic flow rate meter, a magnetic flow rate meter or an optical flow rate meter with laser based, but it can also be any suitable type known to a person skilled in the art. Alternatively, even a simple device for measuring the courses of the conventional surface fluid / slurry pump 40, as a function of time, can serve as a device for measuring the flow rate of the inlet fluid. The flow rate measurement device for the inlet fluid 52 is arranged and designed to generate a Fin (t) signal, which is representative of the actual flow rate of the fluid through the fluid injection line 48 (i.e., a inlet line coupled between pump 40 and drilling column 20) as a function of time (t). The flow rate measurement device of the input fluid 52 transmits the Fin (t) signal in real time to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signal. The flow rate measurement device for the inlet fluid 52 is preferably arranged on the fluid injection line 48 between the conventional surface fluid / slurry pump 40 and the cane pipe tubing 84, so that the flow device measuring the flow rate of the inlet fluid 52 measures the flow rate of the fluid inside the well 12 regardless of whether the flow of the fluid is through the drill column 20 or through the prospect line 54.
[0037] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, the inlet fluid flow rate measuring device 52 is disposed on the fluid injection line 48 between the conventional surface fluid / mud pump 40 and the cane pipe tubing 84, and a second inlet fluid flow rate measuring device 60 is arranged in the prospect line 54. The inlet fluid flow rate measuring device 2 is arranged and designed to generate a Fin (t) signal , which is representative of the actual flow rate within the well bore 12 through the injection line 48 as a function of time (t). The second flow rate measurement device of the inlet fluid 60 is arranged and designed to generate a signal Fin2 (t), which is representative of the actual flow rate within the well bore 12 through the prospect line 54 (ie that is, an inlet line coupled between the cane tube tubing 84 and the annular wellbore space 18) as a function of time (t). Inlet fluid flow rate measuring devices 52, 60 transmit their respective Fin (t) and Fin2 (t) signals, preferably in real time, to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signal. Based on the signals received, the central control unit 80 calculates the total flow rate of the fluid inside the well bore 12 regardless of whether the flow of the fluid is only through the drilling column 20, only the prospect line 54, or a combination of both.
[0038] As previously stated, the input flow rate measurement devices 52, 60 and output 50, 58 preferably send the flow rate signals in real time to the central control unit 80, which allows, thus, that the flow rate of the fluid inside and outside the well bore 12 is continuously monitored by means of the central control unit 80 while the conventional BOP 32 is closed. The fluid flowing from the well 12, through the throttle line 56, is controlled manually, or automatically by the central control unit 80, by means of flow control device 70. The fluid flowing within the annular bore space well 18 via fluid injection line 48 and / or prospect line 54 can also be controlled by central control unit 80 by manipulating valves in cane tube tubing 84 to select a fluid path particular flow, to reduce flow through a particular fluid flow path, or to stop flow through a particular line. Alternatively, the central control unit 80 can automatically control, or an operator can manually control, the flow of fluid within the annular well hole space 18 by increasing, decreasing or stopping the conventional surface fluid / slurry pump 40 operation. .
[0039] As shown in Figure 1, an inlet pressure measurement device 62, such as a pressure sensor, is arranged on the fluid injection line 48 in the vicinity of the cane tube tubing 84. However, the pressure sensor inlet 62 may alternatively be arranged elsewhere in the fluid injection line 48, but preferably in the vicinity of the inlet flow rate measuring device 52. Inlet pressure measuring device 62 is arranged and designed to generate Pin signal (t), which is representative of the pressure in the fluid injection line 48 (that is, the pressure of the cane tube) as a function of time (t). The input pressure measurement device 62 transmits the Pin (t) signal, preferably in real time, to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signal. As shown in Figure 4, the inlet pressure measurement device 62 is arranged in the fluid injection line 48 as described above, however, a second inlet pressure measurement device 66 is associated with the second rate measurement device. inlet flow 60 positioned on the prospecting line 54. Thus, an inlet pressure measuring device is preferably associated with each of a plurality of inlet flow rate measuring devices. The second input pressure measurement device 66 is arranged and designed to generate a Pin2 signal (t), which is representative of the pressure in the prospect line 54 as a function of time (t). The input pressure measurement devices 62, 66 transmit signals Pin (t) and Pin2 (t) respectively, preferably in real time, to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signals.
[0040] Returning to Figure 1, an output pressure measuring device 64, such as a pressure sensor, is disposed in the throttle line 56, preferably in the vicinity of the control well choke pipe 86 and upstream of the flow control device 70. The output pressure measuring device 64 is arranged and designed to generate a Pout signal (t), which is representative of the pressure in the throttle line 56 as a function of time (t). When the outlet pressure sensor 64 is arranged upstream of the flow control device 70, the pressure sensor measures the pressure representative of the pressure in the liner (or the pressure in the throttle of the valve set on the floating probes). The output pressure measuring device 64 transmits the Pout (t) signal, in real time, to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signal.
[0041] In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the outlet pressure sensor 64 is disposed in the vicinity of the throttle of the probe well control valve set 86, as described above, and a second pressure sensor of output 68 is arranged downstream of the flow control device 70 closest to the output flow rate measuring device 50. The output pressure measuring device 64 is arranged and designed to generate a Pout (t) signal, the which is representative of the pressure in the throttle line 56 (i.e., the pressure in the liner), upstream of the flow control device 70, as a function of time (t). The second output pressure sensor 68 is arranged and designed to generate a Pout2 (t) signal, which is representative of the pressure in the throttle line 56, downstream of the flow control device 70. The pressure measuring devices of output 64, 68 transmit Pout (t) and Pout2 (t) signals, respectively, preferably in real time, to the central control unit 80, which receives and processes the signals.
[0042] When using this system, the operator preferably monitors flow rates in addition to pressure measurements to confirm that the pressure within well well 12 is maintained within acceptable high and low pressure limits, such as between pore pressures and formation fracture pressures 14. This method significantly increases the accuracy of well control when compared to methods using a conventional system, in which the operator monitors only pressure measurements. In addition to confirming that the pressure within the well bore 12 is within specific limits, the system disclosed in this document also controls the pressure to be within such specific limits. This, too, contributes to increased control accuracy of the well.
[0043] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, an inlet temperature measurement device 76 is disposed in the fluid injection line 48, preferably upstream of the cane tube tubing 84, and an outlet temperature measurement device 78 it is disposed on the throttle line 56, preferably downstream of the throttle of the probe well control valve set 86, to generate Tin (t) and Tout (t) signals, respectively. The signals, Tin (t) and Tout (t), from these optional temperature measuring devices 76, 78, are transmitted to the central control unit 80, which is arranged and designed to receive them. Temperature measuring devices 76, 78 can be any device known to a person skilled in the art for measuring temperature including, but not limited to, thermometers and thermocouples. As is well known in the art, such temperature data can be used to adjust calculations of fluid properties that are a function of pressure and temperature, such as density and other rheological properties. Calculations of fluid properties are preferably carried out in response to any measurement, real-time temperature variations of the fluid, thereby increasing the accuracy of the system 10 as a whole.
[0044] The central control unit 80 is arranged and designed to receive signals generated by the devices for measuring the fluid flow rate 50, 52, 58, 60, the pressure measuring devices 62, 64, 66, 68 and the temperature measuring devices 76, 78. As shown in Figure 1, the central control unit 80 receives the signals via wired connection (shown by dotted lines) coupled between the respective measuring devices 50, 52, 62, 64 , 76, 78 and the central control unit 80. Figure 3 further shows that the central control unit 80 receives signals generated by the fluid flow rate measuring device 58 and the pressure measuring device 68. From Likewise, Figure 4 shows, in addition, that the central control unit 80 receives signals generated by the fluid flow rate measuring device 60 and the pressure measuring device 66. Alternatively, each of the measuring devices can trans wirelessly mitigate signals generated in any manner known to a person skilled in the art, such as cellular, infrared or acoustic transmission. In such wireless embodiments, the central control unit 80 is arranged and designed to receive and interpret such wireless transmissions.
[0045] As generally shown in Figure 5, probe data from central control unit 80 that includes, but is not limited to, received signals (for example, flow rate, pressure and temperature measurements), computed parameters (for example, fracture and pore pressures), control signals (for example, to control the flow through the throttling line 56 via flow control device 70), etc., can be transmitted remotely by establishing a communication 97, for example, via satellite, wired connection and / or wireless connection, etc., between central control unit 80 of probe 90 and a remote unit, such as another computer 91, 99, storage device 93 (for example, a server) and / or a mobile device 95 (for example, a smart phone). In this way, rig data can be accessed in real time by personnel located remotely from rig 90. This allows well control experts to interact with and / or guide rig personnel stationed on site, both before and after the closure of the conventional BOP 32 due to the detection of the fluid inflow event, to assist, in this way, with the interpretation of the data and direct the best way to maintain or regain control of the well 12. Technicians in the subject will readily recognize well control specialists, while monitoring and / or guiding personnel on site in the correct well control procedures, can transmit commands (for example, control signals) to the central control unit 80 and / or other system components (for example, flow control device 70, pump 40, etc.), which are responsive to such commands, to regain control of the well. Such commands transmitted remotely may be in conjunction with, or may overlap, the actions of personnel on site in well control operations. In an alternative embodiment, the signals of flow rate, pressure and temperature, transmitted by the various measuring devices 50, 52, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 76, 78, can be transmitted directly to a computer located remotely 91, 93, 99 or to mobile devices 95, such as smart phone phones, thereby bypassing any central control unit 80. In such an achievement, well located control experts remotely send commands directly to the flow control device 70, pump 40, and other equipment (for example, the throttle line valve 36, the prospecting line valve 34, etc.) to control the well.
[0046] As described, the central control unit 80 is arranged and designed to receive measured signals, which includes Tin (t), Tout (t), Pin (t), Pout (t), Fin (t) signals, and Fout (t), and as applicable, the signals Pin2 (t), Pout2 (t), Fin2 (t), and Fout2 (t). Additional parameters, which include, but are not limited to, borehole depth, drill depth (if drilling) or column configuration (if conducting an overhaul, reconditioning or intervention), mud properties (ie density and well hole geometry (inclination and direction) are also measured and received, preferably by, or entered by, the central control unit 80, which uses the data through software 81 (discussed hereinafter in document) to fully and accurately interpret the state of well 12, and to assess the best course of action to regain control of well 12 before resuming operations. Alternatively, one or more of these parameters can be calculated by software 81, which uses whatever data is available to central control unit 80.
[0047] The central control unit 80 determines, preferably in real time, the annular space pressure at any desired specific depth within the well bore 12. By using at least the received signals Pout (t) and Fout (t), the central control unit 80 generates the Pann signal (t), which is representative of the pressure at a specific depth within the annular wellbore space 18 as a function of time (t). Software 81, installed in central control unit 80, is used by central control unit 80 to compute the annular space pressure signal, Pann (t), as a function of time (t). The annular space pressure signal, Pann (t), is determined by adding the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid / slurry within the annular wellbore space 18, the friction pressure generated in the annular wellbore space 18 and in the line of strangulation 56 by any fluid in circulation (i.e., a function of the Fout signal (t)), and the outlet pressure, Pout (t), as measured preferentially by the outlet pressure measuring device 64.
[0048] Software 81 calculates the hydrostatic pressure based on a number of parameters that include, but are not limited to, the density of the fluid in the well bore 12 and the depth at which the hydrostatic pressure is to be determined. Figure 6 provides a simple flowchart that shows how the hydrostatic pressure can be calculated. Software 81 also calculates the loss of friction in the annular space 18 generated by any fluid in circulation based on a number of parameters that includes, but is not limited to, fluid flow velocity (i.e., a function of the Fout signal ( t)), density and rheological parameters of the fluid flow and geometry of the annular space 18 and the throttle line 56. Figure 7 provides a simple flowchart that shows how the pressure / loss of annular friction can be calculated. Software 81 also includes the correlations necessary to adjust the calculation of fluid properties in response to any variations in fluid temperature, as measured and transmitted, preferably in real time, by temperature measuring devices 76, 78 to the central control unit 80. Other parameters that include, but are not limited to, the Fin (t) / Fin2 (t) flow rate inside well hole 12, the inlet pressure Pin (t) / Pin2 (t), the depth of the hole well 12 and the density of the fluid / slurry pumped to well 12 can also be used by software 81 when computing the Pann (t) signal.
[0049] Software 81 calculates, preferably, friction losses and hydrostatic pressure based on hydraulic equations developed over the last decades, which are well known to those skilled in the art. Examples of such hydraulic equations traditionally used in oil and gas operations to determine pressure at any depth in well 12 can be found in, for example, ADAM T. BOURGOYNE, ET AL., APPLIED DRILLING ENGINEERING 113-189 (SPE Textbook Series 1986), which is incorporated by reference in this document.
[0050] The following is an example of how the annular space pressure at a specific well depth can be calculated by software 81 using well-known hydraulic equations and probe data, typically available. This example is provided by way of illustration only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the system or method of the invention in any way. EXAMPLE
[0051] The annular space pressure at a well bore depth of 3,048 meters (10,000 feet) in the annular well bore space, between a 0.0762 meter (3 inch) OD tube (outside diameter) and a 0.127 meter (5 inch) ID tube (whole diameter), is to be determined. A Newtonian fluid that has a density of 1.076 kilograms per liter (9.0 pounds per gallon) is circulated through the well bore at a flow rate of 378.5411 liters (100 gallons) per minute. The back pressure that is applied to the annular well-hole space is 1,378.95 kPa (200 psi), as measured by the outlet pressure measuring device. The rheological parameter θ300 of the fluid is 30 (that is, μ = 30 cp; the viscosity in centipoise). As discussed earlier, the annular space pressure is determined by adding the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid / slurry within the annular well-hole space, the loss / friction pressure generated in the annular well-hole space, and the throttling line becomes applicable, for any fluid in circulation, and the outlet pressure (ie, the back pressure applied to the well bore). The hydrostatic component of the annular space pressure is determined as the product of the equation, 0.052 * (depth) * (density), which based on the above data, is equal to 32.27 MPa (4,680 psi). The friction loss component of the annular space pressure requires the determination of the average fluid velocity, the turbulence criteria and the friction pressure loss by 0.305 meters (feet). Based on the data above, the average fluid velocity in the annular space is equal to 2.55, which is the product of the equation, [(flow rate) / [2.448 * (d22 - di2)], where d2 is the inner diameter and di is the outer diameter. The turbulence criteria are determined from the Reynolds number, NRe, which to flow through an annular space, is the product of the equation, [757 * density * average fluid velocity * (d2-di)] / [μ ]. Based on the data above, the Reynolds number is i.i58, which is representative of the laminar flow (i.e., NRe less than 2.i00). The friction loss per foot (meter) is determined using the laminar flow equation, dP / dL = [μ * (average fluid velocity)] / [i.000 * (d2 - di) 2]. Thus, the loss of laminar flow friction per foot (meter), dP / dL, is equal to 0.0i9 psi / foot (0.423 kPa / m). The loss of total laminar flow friction to the well depth of 10,000 feet (3048 meters) is simply the product of 0.0i9 psi / foot (0.423kPa / m) * i0,000 feet (3,048 meters), or i9i, 25 psi (i3i78.62 kPa). Finally, the back pressure that is applied to the annular well-hole space is 200 psi (i378.95 kPa), as measured directly by the outlet pressure measuring device. The annular space pressure is determined by the sum of the hydrostatic component, the friction loss component and the back pressure component, that is, 4,680 + 191 + 200. Thus, based on the data presented, the annular space pressure at a depth 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) well is equal to 5,071 psi (34.96 MPa).
[0052] The threshold values of the pressure of the formation fracture and the pressure of the formation pores, which are manually entered into the software 81 of the central control unit 80, can be predetermined or estimated. Most preferably, the central control unit 80 uses the flow rate, pressure and temperature signals received from the respective measuring devices to determine an accurate pore pressure and fracture pressure of the formation 14. The formation pore pressure is determined after an influx of fluid from formation 14, within the annular space of well hole 18, is suspected of detection, and after the closure of the conventional BOP 32. As hereinafter described in more detail in this document, the pore pressure is determined by the reduction in stages of the back pressure, applied initially to stop the inflow, after the closure of BOP 32, until an influx is detected by monitoring the flow rates within and out of well hole 12.
[0053] The fracture pressure of formation 14 is determined, preferably, through a "resistance test of formation" before starting operations or at any time after the beginning of an operation. While drilling, a "formation resistance test" is performed for the purpose of determining the fracture initiation pressure for the next segment of well 12 to be drilled. In a typical "formation resistance test", the annular space of well hole 18 is sealed or closed from the atmosphere by the closing of a conventional BOP 32 and by the complete closing of the choke 70, arranged in the choke of the valve set of probe well control 86. The fluid / slurry is introduced into well 12 at a relatively slow and constant volumetric rate through the fluid injection line 48 and the central passage of the drill column 20, so that the fluid / mud leaves the drilling column 20 through the drill bit 26, and enters the annular space of well hole 18, which is sealed by the choke 70 closed on the surface. As this flow within the well bore 12 continues, the pressure in the annular space 18 increases linearly until formation 14 begins to absorb the fluid. At this point, a change in the slope of the pressure curve against injected volume occurs. Many drilling companies consider this point to represent the fracture pressure or resistance of the formation of the open hole section 12. While a determination of the fracture pressure would seem straightforward, there are several additional methods of conducting a resistance test of the formation, and one method standard may not be used even within the same drilling company. This variation in procedures and ways of interpreting when the fluid begins to leak into formation 14 is one of the causes of well problems and non-productive time, each of which results in a significant waste of resources.
[0054] When using a system 10 with BOP 32 closed, the formation resistance test is preferably conducted with the use of a constant injection flow rate through the drilling column 20 with the return flow above the space annular from hole 18 and through the throttle line 56 with the choke 70 completely open. The pressure in the liner (i.e., back pressure applied to the annular space of hole 18) is slowly increased and in stages (for example, incrementally) by properly closing the choke 70 while monitoring the flow rate of the fluid outside the annular space of hole 18 by means of at least one of the flow rate measurement devices of the outlet fluid 50, 58. The pressure in the liner is slowly increased, as a more accurate determination of the fracture pressure is obtained when changes in minor steps in the lining pressure are made during the formation resistance test. With the increase in pressure, the flow rate outside the annular space of hole 18 is initially reduced due to the compressibility of the system. However, if there are no fluid losses for formation 14, then after the system reaches steady state, the flow rate of the fluid outside the annular space of well hole 18, through the throttle line 56, will balance at the rate of fluid flow within the annular space of well hole 18, through the drilling column 20 (or prospecting line 54). An additional increase in pressure in the liner is effected by slightly closing the choke 70 while monitoring the flow rate of the fluid inside and outside the well bore 12.
[0055] As described above, software 81 of central control unit 80 calculates the annular space pressure signal, Pann (t), at a specific well depth as a function of time (t). The pressure of the formation fracture is simply the pressure of the annular space, Pann (t), at the depth of the fluid loss at a time, tfrac, when the flow rate out of the annular space of well hole 18 first starts / starts to no longer equal to or approximate the flow rate within the well bore 12, thereby maintaining a steady state of fluid loss within the well bore 12 (that is, when the flow rate within the well bore 12, as represented by the sign Fin (t), first becomes consistently greater than the flow rate outside the well bore 12, as represented by the sign Fout (t)). Thus, the pressure of the formation fracture, similar to the pressure of the annular space, is a function of the hydrostatic pressure, the pressure in the coating that is applied as measured, preferably, by the outlet pressure measuring device 64 (that is, the Pout signal (t)) and the friction loss in the annular space of well hole 18 and the throttle line 56 generated by the fluid circulation (that is, a function of the Fout signal (t)), as estimated, with preference, by the hydraulic model incorporated into the software 81. Due to the low flow rate of the fluid used in the formation resistance test, the corresponding friction loss in the annular space 18 and the throttle line 56, generated by the fluid circulation, is also low, thus reducing the estimation uncertainty and increasing the accuracy of the formation fracture pressure.
[0056] A preferred embodiment of the method of the invention provides safe well control while the conventional BOP 32 is closed in response to a detected or suspected kick (i.e. fluid inflow). During normal drilling operations, a drill column turning device 38 rotates an upper end 24 of a drill column 20 into a hole 12. The drill column 20 has a drill bit 26 at a lower end 22 a which comes into contact with the bottom of hole 12. As the drill column 20 is rotated, drill bit 26 penetrates underground formation 14 thereby increasing the depth of hole 12 and creating an annular space of a well hole 18 between an outer diameter of the drilling column 20 and an inner diameter of the hole 12. During drilling, a fluid or mud is pumped from a surface fluid reservoir 42 by a fluid / mud pump. conventional surface 40 through a fluid injection line 48, through a central passage of the drill column 20, outside the nozzles in the drill bit 26 and within the annular space of hole 18. Continuous injection of the fluid into the annular well-hole space 18 causes the fluid to pick up cuttings from the penetration of the underground formation 14 by the drill bit 26, and moves them above the annular well-hole space 18 and through a fluid return line (not shown). The fluid return line loads the graveled fluid / sludge through a mud sieve 44 to remove the gravel from the fluid / sludge. The clean fluid / sludge is then returned to the surface fluid reservoir 42 for reuse.
[0057] As the drill bit 26 penetrates into deeper underground formation zones, the formation pressure may increase or decrease. A zone in the underground formation 14 can be found in which the formation pressure is greater than the hydrostatic and / or dynamic pressure provided by the fluid / mud in the annular space of well hole 18. In such a case, a kick or inflow fluid flow can occur.
[0058] After detecting or suspecting an influx of fluid, a preferred well control procedure is to stop drilling (that is, stop the rotation / rotation of drilling column 20 / drill bit 26 and stop the circulation of fluid by ceasing operation of fluid pump 40 and closing the flow control device 70 to allow no flow of fluid through it), closing the conventional BOP 32 and allowing the pressures of the cane tube and the liner on the surface to stabilize . After the well hole pressure stabilizes, the next preferred steps are to check the hydrostatic condition of the well hole 12, confirm the suspected fluid inflow (ie confirm that the well hole 12 is in a condition in which the hydrostatic pressure of the existing sludge is less than the pressure in an exposed formation and production), determine the pressure of the formation pores and determine the correct weight of fluid / sludge that must be circulated through the borehole 12 to regain control of the well, with all steps performed, preferably, using the central control unit 80 and software 81.
[0059] Although software 81 is preferably employed to control the choke 70 to maintain the pressure in the choke line 56 at specific and selected values, a preferred method of checking the hydrostatic condition of well well 12 involves operating the fluid pump 40 to circulate the fluid at a constant flow rate. This action is followed by reducing the pressure in the liner in small step changes (that is, incrementally) by opening the choke 70 in corresponding step changes while monitoring the flow rate of the fluid out of the well bore 12 through the line throttle 56 (as well as the flow rate within well bore 12, which is preferably constant). Opening the choke 70 reduces the back pressure applied to the annular well hole space 18. In contrast to the formation resistance testing procedure described above, the fluid flow rate out of the well hole 12 will increase after the pressure reduction in the coating. In addition, if the well is dynamically unbalanced, the fluid flow rate outside the well bore 12 will quickly balance with the fluid flow rate inside the well bore 12. Subsequent reductions in liner pressure (ie, greater flow rate of the fluid through the flow control device 70) will eventually induce well 12 to become dynamically unbalanced (that is, the flow rate within the well bore represented by the Fin (t) signal, which becomes less than or less than the flow rate outside the well bore 12 represented by the Fout (t) signal. The underbalanced condition is confirmed by the flow rate outside the well hole 12 (ie, represented by the Fout (t) signal) that remains consistently higher or higher than the flow rate inside the well hole 12 (ie , represented by the sign Fin (t)) after reaching the steady state following the previous reduction in pressure in the liner. As an additional confirmation, the pressure in the liner can be immediately increased to the previous highest value, by reducing the flow rate of the fluid, through the flow control device 70, so that the flow rate Fin (t) or Fin2 ( t) inside the well hole 12 substantially equals the flow rate Fout (t) outside the well hole 12. The pressure of the forming pores is simply the pressure of the annular space, Pann (t), at the depth of the inflow of fluid at a time, typically, when the flow rate outside the annular space of well hole 18 first starts / starts to no longer match or approach the flow rate inside well hole 12, thereby maintaining a steady-state fluid gain within well bore 12 (that is, when the flow rate within well bore 12, as represented by the Fin (t) signal, first becomes consistently less than the flow rate outside well bore 12 well 12, as represented by the sign Fout (t)). As described above, the software 81 of the central control unit 80 generates the annular space pressure signal, Pann (t), at a specific well depth as a function of time (t). Thus, the pressure of the forming pores, similar to the pressure of the annular space, is a function of the hydrostatic pressure, the pressure in the coating that is applied as measured preferably by the outlet pressure measuring device 64 (that is, Pout signal (t )) and the loss of friction in the annular space of well hole 18 and in the throttle line 56, generated by the fluid circulation (that is, a function of the Fout (t) signal), as estimated preferably by the hydraulic model incorporated within the software 81.
[0060] If the pressure in the liner cannot be reduced sufficiently to create a dynamically under-balanced condition when fully opening the choke 70, then the fluid / mud pump 40 is adjusted to reduce the flow rate of fluid pumped into the borehole. well 12. The flow rate of the fluid out of well 12 is subsequently monitored as described above. If fluid pump 40 is switched off and well 12 is not hydrostatically under-balanced, they are an indication that a kick alarm balance, or a very small pocket of pressurized fluid, completely depleted by the inflow that entered the well bore , triggered the BOP 32 closed by the rig's personnel. Thus, there may be no need to increase the weight of the fluid inside the well bore 12 before resuming operations.
[0061] After the closure of the conventional BOP 32 in response to a detected fluid inflow, the hydrostatic condition of the well has been confirmed to be under-balanced, and the pore pressure of formation 14 is determined, the fluid is pumped into the space annular borehole 18, using the drilling column 20 and / or the prospecting line 54, to circulate the inflow of fluid out of the borehole 12 through the throttle line 56. However, it depends on the condition of the well in the time that the BOP 32 is finally closed by the rig personnel, the inflow circulation out of the well 12 hole can be performed before confirming the hydrostatic condition of the well 12 to be under-balanced and / or before the pore pressure of the well training 14 be determined. The fluid pumped into the annular wellbore space 18 and the forming fluid (i.e., the inflow fluid) that enters, or has entered, the annular wellbore space 18, from formation 14, flows through the choke line 56 to the separator 46 and then to the surface fluid reservoir 42. An increasingly heavy fluid / slurry can be circulated through the well bore 12 until the forming pressure is equaled by the hydrostatic pressure of the ( a) fluid / mud. Preferably, however, the circulation of the heavier fluid is done after confirmation of the well being hydrostatically under-balanced and the pressure of the forming pores is determined, as described above. In this way, the correct weight of the heavier fluid weight can be readily determined, for example, by software 81, as a weight that will provide a hydrostatic fluid pressure greater than the pore pressure previously determined. The correct weight of the heavier fluid weight is then circulated through hole 12 to hydrostatically balance well 12 at a well hole / annular space pressure greater than the previously determined pore pressure, but less than the previously determined fracture pressure .
[0062] The circulation of the fluid / sludge through the well bore 12 is controlled indirectly and preferably by the flow control device 70 disposed in the throttle line 56 and / or by the pumping action of the pump 40. The central control 80 controls the flow control device 70 to increase or decrease the flow rate through the throttling line 56, which thereby decreases or increases, respectively, the back pressure in the annular wellbore space 8. Alternatively, the flow control device 70 can be controlled manually by the operator to increase or decrease the flow rate through the throttle line 56, thereby controlling the back pressure applied to the annular well-hole space 18. As stated earlier, the Pout signal (t) is representative of the pressure within the throttle line 56, and in particular, the outlet pressure applied to the well bore 12 (ie, the back pressure or pressure in the rev when the outlet pressure measuring device 64 is arranged upstream of the flow control device 70.
[0063] Alternatively, the central control unit 80 can control the pumping capacity or speed of the pump 40 to increase or decrease the flow rate of fluid / slurry pumped (a) to the well bore 12. In this way, the pump 40 controls the pressure at which the fluid / sludge is delivered to the well bore 12. As stated earlier, the Pin (t) signal is representative of the pressure (that is, the pressure of the cane tube) of the fluid pumped into the well bore. 12 through the fluid injection line 48, and in particular, the inlet pressures applied to the well bore 12 through the drilling column 20. Likewise, the signal Pin2 (t) is representative of the pressure (that is, the pressure of the cane tube) of the fluid pumped into the borehole 12 through the prospecting line 54, and in particular, the inlet pressure applied to the borehole 12 through the prospecting line 54.
[0064] Based on pore pressure and fracture pressure (or other specified upper and lower pressure limits), and preferably while measuring and / or calculating pressures, flow rates and temperatures inside and outside the borehole well 12 as well as other well parameters, which include the Pann (t) signal, the software 81 of the central control unit 80 generates a signal, FC (t), which is preferably transmitted in real time to the control device of the flow 70. The flow control device 70 is arranged and designed to receive the FC (t) signal and to adjust the flow of fluid through the flow control device 70, according to the signal. For example, an FC (t) signal that increases the flow rate of the choke line will reduce the back pressure applied to well 12 and thus decrease the pressure in the annular space 18. Conversely, an FC (t) signal that decreases the rate of annulment. throttling line flow will increase the back pressure applied to well 12 and thus increase the pressure in the annular space 18. Thus, adjusting the fluid flow through the flow control device 70 adjusts the back pressure applied to well 12 in order to maintain the pressure in the well bore 12, as determined preferably in real time by the generated signal Pann (t), between the fracture and pore pressures of formation 14 previously determined (or predetermined / established point). The FC (t) signal is representative of either the flow rate of the choke line or the pressure required to maintain the annular well pressure of the well below the pressure of the forming fracture and above the pressure of the forming pores, as a function of time. Whether the signal FC (t) is representative of the throttle line flow rate or the throttle line pressure depends on whether the flow rate or pressure is the basis of the well control procedure.
[0065] The logic used to determine the signal, FC (t), is based on the conventional well control theory, for example, as referenced in DAVID WATSON ET AL. ADVANCED WELL CONTROL (SPE Textbook Series, 186) and incorporated by reference in this document. An example of this logic is to keep the pressure in the surface coating, Pout (t), constant while changing the speed of the pump 40. Another example of this logic involves keeping the pressure of the cane tube, Pin (t), constant while circulating outside the fluid inflow.
[0066] Alternatively, the signal, FC (t), may involve hydraulics calculations performed by the software 81 of the central control unit 80 simultaneously with and using real-time measurements of the various measuring devices referenced above, including, without being limited to , outlet pressure measuring device (throttle pressure gauge) 64, outlet flow rate measuring device (throttle line pressure gauge) 50, 58, inlet pressure measuring device (pressure gauge) cane tube) 62, input flow rate measuring device 52, etc. An example of such use of hydraulics calculation employs the calibrated hydraulics model during drilling operations just before an influx of fluid into the well bore 12. With the use of such hydraulics, software 81 calculates the pressure in a specific point in the annular space 18, Pann (t), (for example, at the "weak point" below the casing shoe) with the use of hydraulic friction loss modeling on the drilling column 20, through the drill nozzles drilling 26, and between the drill bit 26 and the specific point in the annular space 18. This calculated annular pressure, Pann (t), which decreases, predictably, during a conventional prospecting operation, provides feedback / input to the software 81 , which can then be used (for example, compared to a desired or specific value, or to upper / lower limits, such as for fracture / pore pressure) in generating FC (t) signal to automatically control the device from cont flow roller 70 to apply more or less back pressure to well 12, as previously revealed. Using this method, the Pann (t) signal is kept within specific limits, for example, between fracture and pore pressures, or driven to a desired, or specific, value at any time, t. A stabilization time between the settings of the flow control device 70 can be programmed into the software 81 or, otherwise, set up to allow the pressure in the annular space 18 to reach steady state.
[0067] In a preferred embodiment, the central control unit 80 controls, and preferably maintains, a substantially constant value, the annular space pressure Pann (t) at a particular well hole depth by conducting the space pressure signal annul Pann (t) towards a desired value between the fracture pressure and the pore pressure to avoid fracture of the formation (that is, when the well hole pressure is above the fracture pressure) or to avoid causing an inflow secondary (that is, when the well hole pressure is below the pore pressure). The annular space pressure signal Pann (t) is driven to a desired value by controlling the flow control device 70 by means of the FC (t) signal, as previously revealed. The FC (t) signal is generated so that the difference between the annular space pressure signal Pann (t) at any time (t) and the desired or specified annular space pressure is brought to zero or close to zero . Therefore, while the conventional BOP 32 is closed and the inflow of fluid is being circulated outside the well bore, the central control unit 80, in combination with the flow control device 70, controls well 12 and maintains pressure within the annular space of well hole 18 below the pressure of the formation fracture, but above the pressure of the forming pores. Alternatively, the operator, while viewing the pressure and flow rate data received from various measuring devices via the central control unit 80, can control the choke 70 manually to ensure that the generated Pann (t) signal, representative of the pressure at a certain depth within the annular space of well bore 18 as a function of time (t), be maintained between the fracture and pore pressures of the formation 14.
[0068] Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, well 12 is safely controlled after the closure of the conventional BOP 32 in response to a suspicious fluid inflow event when verifying the hydrostatic condition of the well bore 12, when confirming the influx of suspicious fluid, determine the pore and fracture pressures of the formation 14, determine the correct weight of fluid / sludge that must be circulated through the well bore 12, circulate the inflow of fluid out of the well through of the throttle line 56 and circulate the heavier fluid within well 12 and annular space 18 while monitoring all measured parameters and controlling the throttle line choke 70 to maintain the annular space pressure between fracture pressure and pressure formation pores 14.
[0069] Although system 10 and the method are described in this document as used in real time during real oil and / or gas operations, system 10 and the method can also be used offline to provide a safe opportunity for crews manually carry out the same operational well control sequences, thereby confirming the competence of the crew or providing highly relevant corrective well control training. Thus, system 10 is used to train rig personnel / crew in understanding the proper procedures to be deployed in response to well control events, such as where the conventional BOP 32 is closed upon the detection of an inflow event. fluid. In offline mode and in unexpected times where well and drilling conditions allow interruption of operations without undue risk, well control experts can send commands (for example, control signals) and / or data to the control unit center 80 to deploy offline well control event training models / scenarios that utilize real well and drilling equipment conditions as the basis for the training exercise. In this way, well located remote control specialists can test and train rig personnel in the performance of well control techniques in response to simulated rig operations that occur before, during and after a well control event, such as an influx of fluid. In addition to establishing the conditions relevant to the training objectives in a realistic but controlled manner, the system will record, in real time, the actual valve actuations, pump operations, pressure adjustments, etc. that reflect the competence of the crew in relation to the well control performance objectives. As generally shown in Figure 5 and as discussed earlier, the probe data / parameters received and / or calculated by the central control unit 80 can be transmitted to the remote units (for example, remote computers, mobile devices, etc.), for observation and / or review by well control experts who conduct such training exercises, or monitored and verified directly on rig 90 by supervisors of rig personnel. The review and repetition of the response sequences provides, to date, data obtainable to confirm the skills and / or deficiencies of the crew while using real rig equipment under operational field conditions, rather than testing. An advantage for such testing and training is that the rig's personnel respond to simulated well control events using the same system 10 and method described in this document, which are the same system 10 and method that would be preferentially used during operation normal or during a real well control event. Thus, the use of the same system 10 and method that are actually used in the probe 90 for testing and training provides an invaluable opportunity for verifying the training and competence of the probe personnel.
[0070] The Summary of this document is written exclusively to provide the respective patent office and the general public, with means of which to determine quickly from a quick inspection of the scope of this application, and it represents a preferred and it is not indicative of the nature of the invention as a whole.
[0071] Although some embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in detail, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown; modifications and adaptations of the revealed achievements can occur to a technician in the subject. Such modifications and adaptations are within the scope of the invention as set out in this document.

权利要求:
Claims (15)
[0001]
1. METHOD TO CONTROL A WELL BEING DRILLED IN AN UNDERGROUND FORMATION (14), characterized by the method comprising the steps of: rotating a tubular drilling column (20) that extends into a well hole (12), being that the tubular drill column (20) has an upper end (24) and a lower end (22) and a drill bit (26) arranged at the lower end, stop the rotation of the tubular drill column (20) when an inflow of fluid is detected entering the well hole (12), closing an eruption preventer (32), and the eruption preventer (32) is arranged and designed to close the well hole (12) in relation to the atmosphere only in a time when the drill bit (26) is stationary, operate a fluid pump (40) to pump a fluid from a surface fluid reservoir (42) through a fluid injection line (48), in the tubular drill column (20) and through the tubular drill column ( 20), outside the drill bit (26) and in an annular well-hole space (18), the annular well-hole space (18) is created between an outer diameter of the tubular drill column (20) and an internal diameter of the well hole (12) by turning the drilling column (20) and the drill bit (26) in the well hole (12), operate a flow control device (70) arranged in a line choke (56), the choke line (56) being coupled between the annular well-hole space (18) and the surface fluid reservoir (42) and is arranged and designed to allow fluid communication between the space annular borehole (18) and the surface fluid reservoir (42) in cooperation with the flow control device (7), while the eruption preventer (32) closes the borehole (12) in relation to the atmosphere, the fluid injection line (48), the tubular drilling column (20), the annular well hole space (18) and the nululation (56) define a fluid flow path through the borehole (18), measure the actual outflow rate of fluid flowing through the throttle line (56), while the borehole (18) is closed in relation to the atmosphere with the use of an output flow measuring device (50) disposed on the choke line (56) and disposed and designed to generate a Fout (t) signal representative of actual choke as a function of time (t), measure the actual outlet pressure on the choke line (56), while the well bore (18) is closed in relation to the atmosphere using a pressure measuring device of output (64) arranged on the choke line (56) and arranged and designed to generate a Pout signal (t) representative of the actual choke line pressure as a function of time (t), transmit the output flow rate signal real Fout (t) and the real output pressure signal Pout (t) for a unit central control unit (80), the central control unit (80) being arranged and designed, to receive the signals, to determine a formation fracture pressure, to determine a formation pore pressure, to generate a signal Pann (t) representative of pressure at a borehole depth (18) as a function of time (t), and to generate an FC signal (t) representative of the required throttle line flow rate as a function of time (t) to keep the Pann signal (t) below the formation fracture pressure and above the formation pore pressure, receive the Fout signal (t) and the Pout signal (t) on the central control unit (80), use the central control unit (80) to determine the formation fracture pressure as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals, use the central control unit (80) to determine the formation pore pressure as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals, use the central control unit (80) to generate the Pann (t) signal , use the central control unit (80) to generate the FC signal (t), transmit the FC signal (t) to the flow control device (70), and the flow control device (70) is arranged and designed to receive the FC (t) signal, receive the FC (t) signal on the flow control device (70), the flow control device (70) is further arranged and designed to control the fluid flow through the throttle line (56) in response to the FC (t) signal, and adjust the flow control device (70) in response to the FC (t) signal to control the throttle line fluid flow rate (56 ) to keep the Pann (t) signal below the formation fracture pressure and above the formation pore pressure.
[0002]
2. METHOD, according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of: measuring the actual flow rate of fluid entering through the fluid injection line with the use of a flow measurement device input (52) arranged and designed to generate a Fin (t) signal representative of the actual fluid injection line fluid flow rate as a function of time (t), and transmit the actual fluid flow rate signal Fin (t) for the central control unit (80), the central control unit (80) being arranged and designed to receive the Fin (t) signal.
[0003]
3. METHOD, according to claim 2, characterized by: the central control unit (80) is also arranged and designed to receive the Fin (t) signal and determine the pressure of the forming pores as a function of the signals Fout (t) and Pout (t), when the flow control device (70) controls the fluid flow rate through the throttling line (56), so that the Fin (t) signal first becomes consistently smaller than the Fout (t) signal, and the method further comprises the step of determining the formation pore pressure as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals.
[0004]
4. METHOD according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: the central control unit (80) is also arranged and designed to receive the Fin (t) signal and determine the formation fracture pressure as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals, when the flow control device (70) controls the fluid flow rate through the throttling line (56), so that the Fin (t) signal first it becomes consistently larger than the Fout (t) signal, and the method further comprises the step of determining the formation fracture pressure as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals.
[0005]
5. METHOD according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of: establishing a communication link (97) between the central control unit (80) and a remote unit (91, 93 , 95, 99), and transmit data from the probe from the central control unit (80) to the remote unit (91, 93, 95, 99) via the communication link (97) for observation of the probe data by well control specialists.
[0006]
6. METHOD according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the signal FC (t) is representative of the throttle line pressure (56) required as a function of time (t) to maintain the signal Pann (t) below the forming fracture pressure and above the forming pore pressure, the flow control device (70) is arranged and designed to control the throttle line pressure (56) in response to the FC (t) signal, and the FC signal (t) controls the throttle line pressure (56) to keep the Pann signal (t) below the formation fracture pressure and above the formation pore pressure.
[0007]
7. WELL CONTROL SYSTEM (10), characterized by comprising: a tubular drilling column (20) that has a lower end (22) that extends into a well hole (12) having an annular hole space well (18) and an upper end (24), with the tubular drill column (20) having a drill bit (26) at the lower end (22) of the tubular drill column (20), a turning device drill column (38) arranged and designed to rotate the drill bit in the well hole (12); wherein the rotation of the tubular drilling column (20) is interrupted when an influx of fluid is detected entering the well; an eruption preventer (32) arranged and designed to close the annular well-hole space (18) of a well (12) in relation to the atmosphere only at a time when drilling is stopped, a fluid pump (40) in fluid communication with a surface fluid reservoir (42), the fluid pump (40) being arranged to pump fluid into the well bore (12) when drilling is stopped and the eruption preventer (32) is closed ; a throttle line (56) coupled between the annular well-hole space (18) and the surface fluid reservoir (42), an outlet flow rate measuring device (50) arranged on the throttle line (56 ), and the output flow rate measuring device (50) is arranged and designed to measure the flow rate through the throttling line (56) and generate a Fout signal (t) representative of the line flow rate of actual throttling as a function of time (t), an inlet flow rate measuring device (52) disposed in the fluid injection line (48) coupled between the fluid pump (40) and the bore annular well (18), the inlet flow rate measuring device (52) arranged and designed to measure the fluid flow rate through the fluid injection line (48) and to generate a Fin (t) signal representative of the flow rate of the actual injection line as a function of time (t); an outlet pressure measuring device (64) arranged on the throttle line (56), the outlet pressure measuring device (64) being arranged and designed to measure the throttle line pressure (56) and for generate a Pout signal (t) representative of the actual throttling line pressure as a function of time (t), a central control unit (80) arranged and designed for, while the well bore (12) is closed in relation to the atmosphere by the eruption preventer (32) and drilling is stopped: receiving the Fout (t), Fin (t) and Pout (t) signals, determining a formation fracture pressure as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout signals (t) determine a forming pore pressure as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals, generate a Pann (t) signal representative of the pressure at a desired well hole depth (12) as a function of time (t), generate and transmit an FC (t) signal representative of the required strangle line flow rate as u a time function (t) to drive the Pann signal (t) towards a desired value, and a flow control device (70) arranged on the throttle line (56), the flow control device ( 70) is responsive to the final FC (t) and arranged and designed to control the rate of fluid flow through the choke line (56), thereby controlling the choke line pressure (56) to conduct the Pann signal (t) towards the desired value.
[0008]
SYSTEM (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that: the FC signal (t) is representative of the throttle line flow rate (56) required as a time function (t) to maintain the Pann signal (t) towards a desired value, and the flow control device (70) controls the flow rate of the choke line (56) to maintain the Pann signal (t) towards a desired value.
[0009]
SYSTEM (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that: a throttling line (56) is arranged and designed to allow fluid communication between the annular well-hole space (18) and a surface fluid reservoir (42), when the eruption preventer (32) closes the atmosphere well; a fluid injection line (48) extends between the fluid pump (40) and the upper end (24) of the tubular drill column (20), the fluid injection line (48) capable of providing fluid communication between them; the fluid injection line (48), the tubular drilling column (20), the annular well hole space (18) and the choke line (56) define a fluid path when the eruption preventer (32) closes the atmosphere well; a central control unit (80) arranged and designed, while the eruption preventer (32) closes the annular well-hole space (18) in relation to the atmosphere and the drilling is stopped, to receive the Fout (t) and Pout (t), to generate a Pann (t) signal representative of the pressure at a desired borehole depth (12) as a function of time (t), to generate an FC (t) signal representative of the line pressure of strangulation required as a function of time (t) to keep the Pann signal (t) below the formation fracture pressure and above the formation pore pressure, and to transmit the FC (t) signal, and a flow (70) arranged and designed to control the flow of fluid through it in response to the FC (t) signal transmitted and received in the central control unit (80), thereby controlling the throttle line pressure to maintain the Pann (t) signal below the formation fracture pressure and above the formation pore pressure.
[0010]
10. SYSTEM (10), according to claim 9, characterized in that: the flow rate measuring device (52) is arranged in the fluid injection line, the flow rate measuring device being Inlet (52) is arranged and designed to measure the fluid flow rate through the fluid injection line and to generate a Fin (t) signal representative of the actual fluid injection line flow rate as a function of time ( t).
[0011]
11. SYSTEM (10), according to claim 10, characterized in that: the central control unit (80) is also arranged and designed to receive the Fin (t) signal and determine the pressure of the forming pores as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals, when the flow control device (70) controls the fluid flow rate through the throttling line (56), so that the Fin (t) signal first become consistently smaller than the Fout (t) signal.
[0012]
12. SYSTEM (10), according to any one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that: the central control unit (80) is also arranged and designed to receive the Fin (t) signal and determine the fracture pressure formation as a function of the Fout (t) and Pout (t) signals, when the flow control device (70) controls the fluid flow rate through the throttling line (56), so that the Fin signal (t) first becomes consistently larger than the Fout (t) signal.
[0013]
13. SYSTEM (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 12, characterized in that it further comprises: a communication link (97) between the central control unit (80) and a remote unit (91, 93, 95 , 99) to transmit probe data from the central control unit (80) to the remote unit (91, 93, 95, 99) for observation of probe data by well control experts.
[0014]
14. SYSTEM (10), according to any one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that: the central control unit (80) is also arranged and designed to simulate a well control event; in which the rig's personnel respond to the well control event by implementing well control procedures using the system (10).
[0015]
15. SYSTEM (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that: the signal FC (t) is representative of the strangulation line flow rate (56) required as a function of time (t) for keep the Pann (t) signal below the forming fracture pressure and above the forming pore pressure, and the flow control device (70) controls the flow rate of the choke line to maintain the Pann (t) signal below the formation fracture pressure and above the formation pore pressure.

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法律状态:
2020-09-08| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|

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2021-02-02| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|

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2021-03-30| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 10 (DEZ) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 30/03/2021, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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US31116610P| true| 2010-03-05|2010-03-05|

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US61/311,166|2010-03-05|

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PCT/US2011/027259|WO2011109748A1|2010-03-05|2011-03-04|System and method for safe well control operations|

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