Method and system for performing friction factor calibration

1. A method comprising:

calibrating friction factor for a drilling operation, the calibrating by:

plotting on a display device an indication of expected hook load versus depth for the drilling operation;

displaying a plurality of plot points on the display device, each plot point indicative of a measured hook load versus depth for the drilling operation;

selecting a first plot point of the plurality of plot points, the first plot point associated with a first depth, and the selecting responsive to a pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the first plot point on the display device;

displaying a first value of friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the particular depth to the measured hook load versus depth for the first plot point, the displaying of the first value responsive to the selecting of the first plot point;

selecting the first value responsive to the pointing cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the first value; and

shifting on the display device at least a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth based on the first value of friction factor.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a second plot point of the plurality of plot points, the second plot point associated with a second depth, and the selecting responsive to the pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second plot point on the display device;

wherein displaying further comprises displaying a range of values of friction factor, where each value in the range of values correlates the expected hook load versus depth along a range of depths between the first depth and the second depth, the displaying the range value responsive to the selecting the first plot point; and

wherein selecting the first value further comprises selecting the first value from the range of values of friction factor.

3. The method of claim 1 :

wherein selecting the first plot point further comprises selecting the first plot point residing with a first depth range;

wherein displaying the first value of friction factor further comprises displaying a friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the first depth range to the measured hook load versus depth for the first plot point; and

wherein shifting further comprises shifting on the display device a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth corresponding to the first depth range based on the first value of friction factor.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

selecting a second plot point of the plurality of plot points, the second plot point associated with a second depth range distinct from the first depth range, and the selecting responsive to the pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second plot point on the display device;

displaying a second value of friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the second depth range to the measured hook load versus depth for the second plot point;

selecting the second value responsive to the pointing cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second value; and

shifting on the display device a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth corresponding to the second depth range based on the second value of friction factor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein calibrating the friction factor further comprises calibrating the friction factor value for at least one from the group comprising: tripping in; tripping out; and rotating off bottom.

6. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a pointing device;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a display device coupled to the processor;

wherein the memory stores a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

plot on a display device an indication of expected hook load versus depth for the drilling operation;

display a plurality of plot points on the display device, each plot point indicative of a measured hook load versus depth for the drilling operation;

select a first plot point of the plurality of plot points, the first plot point associated with a first depth, and the selecting responsive to a pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance for the first plot point on the display device;

display a first value of friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the particular depth to the measured hook load versus depth for the first plot point, the displaying of the first value responsive to the selection of the first plot point;

select the first value responsive to the pointing cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the first value; and

shift on the display device at least a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth based on the first value of friction factor.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the program further causes the processor to:

select a second plot point of the plurality of plot points, the second plot point associated with a second depth, and the selecting responsive to the pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second plot point on the device;

wherein when the processor displays, the program further causes the processor to display a range of values of friction factor, where each value in the range of values correlates the expected hook load versus depth along a range of depths between the first depth and the second depth, the displaying the range value responsive to the selecting the first plot point; and

wherein when the processor selects, the program further causes the processor to select the first value from the range of values of friction factor.

8. The computer system of claim 6 :

wherein when the processor selects the first plot point, the program further causes the processor to select the first plot point residing within a first depth range;

wherein when the processor displays the first value of friction factor, the program further causes the processor to display a friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the first depth range to the measured hook load versus depth for the first plot point; and

wherein when the processor shifts, the program further causes the processor to shift on the display device a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth corresponding to the first depth range based on the first value of friction factor.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the program further causes the processor to:

select a second plot point of the plurality of plot points, the second plot point associated with a second depth range distinct from the first depth range, and the selecting responsive to the pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second plot point on the display device;

display a second value of friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the second depth range to the measured hook load versus depth for the second plot point;

select the second value responsive to the pointing cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second value; and

shift on the display device a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth corresponding to the second depth range based on the second value of friction factor.

10. The computer system of claim 6 wherein when the processor selects the first plot point, the program further causes the processor to select the first plot point residing within a first depth range.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

receive an indication of expected hook load versus depth for a drilling operation;

display the indication of expected hook load versus depth on a plot displayed on a display device;

receive an indication of a plurality of plot points, each plot point indicative of a measured hook load versus depth for the drilling operation;

display the indication of the plurality of plot points on the plot displayed on the display device;

receive an indication of selection of a first plot point of the plurality of plot points, the first plot point associated with a first depth, and the selecting responsive to a pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the first plot point on the display device;

display a first value of friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the particular depth to the measured hook load versus depth for the first plot point, the displaying of the first value responsive to the selecting of the first plot point;

receive an indication of a selection of the first value responsive to the pointing cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the first value; and

shift on the display device at least a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth based on the first value of friction factor.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 :

wherein when the processor receives the indication of the first plot point, the program further causes the processor to select the first plot point residing within a first depth range;

wherein when the processor displays the first value of friction factor, the program further causes the processor to display a friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the first depth range to the measured hook load versus depth for the first plot point; and

wherein when the processor shifts, the program further causes the processor to shift on the display device a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth corresponding to the first depth range based on the first value of friction factor.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the program further causes the processor to:

receive an indication of selection of a second plot point of the plurality of plot points, the second plot point associated with a second depth range distinct from the first depth range, and the selecting responsive to the pointer cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second plot point on the display device;

display a second value of friction factor which correlates the expected hook load versus depth for the second depth range to the measured hook load versus depth for the second plot point;

receive an indication of selection of the second value responsive to the pointing cursor residing within a predetermined distance of the second value; and

shift on the display device a portion of the indication of expected hook load versus depth corresponding to the second depth range based on the second value of friction factor.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein when the processor receives the indication of selection, the program further causes the processor to select the first plot point residing within a first depth range.