Systems and methods for regulating weight on bit (WOB)
Systems and methods for regulating weight-on-bit (WOB). Systems and methods for regulating WOB may monitor and change the rate of penetration (ROP) or may maintain the ROP within a target range therefor. The methods for regulating WOB may include characterizing an average force profile, determining whether force profile disturbances occur at similar well elevator position, receiving data stream of hook load and elevator positions, and applying a force correction to the hook load during tool joint passing events. Systems and methods for regulating WOB may receive force profile data and sensor measurements including WOB, torque, and differential pressure for a current position of the tool joint and provide an adjustment to the ROP or maintain an ROP when the tooljoint passes through the rotating head.
1 . A method for drilling, the method comprising:
determining, using a sensor, a surface weight on bit (SWOB) during drilling of a wellbore;
tracking, by a computer system, when a joint passes through a first end of a rotating head of a drilling rig, wherein the joint comprises a connection between two drill pipes, a connection between a pipe and a tool, or a connection between two tools;
generating, by the computer system, a force profile responsive to the joint passing through the first end of the rotating head;
responsive to the force profile, determining, by the computer system, that the SWOB when the joint passes through the first end of the rotating head during drilling exceeds a threshold value therefor;
responsive to determining that the SWOB when the joint passes through the first end of the rotating head during drilling exceeds the threshold value, adjusting, by the computer system in real-time during drilling, one or more drilling operations to reduce WOB, and
drilling the wellbore, using the adjusted one or more drilling operations, as the joint continues to pass through the rotating head and exits a second end of the rotating head.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the force profile comprises an average force profile expressed as SWOB relative to a unit length.
3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the force profile comprises an average value of a plurality of SWOB values, wherein the plurality of SWOB values comprise SWOB values associated with a plurality of joints passing one of a plurality of rotating heads of a drilling rig obtained from a previously drilled well.
4 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising monitoring, by the computer system, a block height value associated with each of the SWOB values.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
determining, by a computer system, whether a block height or block height range is associated with one or more feature points of the force profile; and
determining, by a computer system and responsive to the block height or block height range, an actual hook load value for the drill string.
6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising using the actual hook load value to control one or more drilling operations.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, during drilling of the wellbore, that the SWOB is a transient WOB increase that does not exceed the threshold.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
maintaining a rate of penetration when the increase in SWOB is determined to be a transient WOB increase.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the force profile comprises an average hook load value.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is determined responsive to the force profile.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to the force profile, determining whether one or more elevator positions correspond to one or more hook load value increases.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
applying a force correction to the hook load value when a hook load value increase corresponds to the one or more elevator positions.
13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a sensor, sensor data related to surface weight on bit (SWOB) during drilling of a wellbore;
determining, by a computer system, when a joint passes through a first end of a rotating head of a drilling rig;
generating, by the computer system, a force profile responsive to the joint passing through a first end of the rotating head;
responsive to the force profile, comparing, by the computer system, the SWOB when the joint passes through the first end of the rotating head of the drilling string to a threshold value; and
responsive to determining that the SWOB exceeds the threshold value, sending, by the computer system, a control signal to a drilling control system coupled to the drilling rig to drill the wellbore with the one or more adjusted drilling operations in real-time during drilling as the joint continues to pass through the rotating head and exits a second end of the rotating head to reduce WOB.
14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the force profile comprises an average force profile expressed as SWOB relative to a unit length.
15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the force profile comprises an average value of a plurality of SWOB values, wherein the plurality of SWOB values comprise SWOB values associated with a plurality of joints passing a first end of one of a plurality of rotating heads of a drilling rig obtained from a previously drilled well.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions for performing the step of monitoring, by the computer system, a block height value associated with each of the SWOB values.