IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,031,428
Granted Patent B2
US 12,031,428 · App. 17/905,334 · Granted Jul 9, 2024

Drilling rig control system and method

Inventors: Loic Hoarau (Houston, TX); Ricardo Quirch (Katy, TX); Njaal Aarsland (Vigrestad, NO)
Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
E21B47/12E21B47/26E21B2200/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,031,428
App. No.
17/905,334
Granted
Jul 9, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for controlling a drilling rig, of which the method includes receiving a first message-based command from a supervisory system at a first gateway, determining a first system-specific command based on the first message-based command using the first gateway, and transmitting the first system-specific command from the first gateway to a first system-specific controller. The first system-specific controller is configured to execute the first system-specific command by controlling first rig equipment, but is not configured to execute the first message-based command.

Claims (52)

1. A method for controlling a drilling rig, comprising:

receiving a first message-based command from a supervisory system at a first gateway;

determining a first system-specific command of a first system-specific controller based on the first message-based command and a first map using the first gateway,

wherein the first gateway comprises the first map between at least the first message-based command of the supervisory system and at least the first system-specific command of the first system-specific controller, and the first message-based command is not compatible with the first system-specific controller; and

transmitting the first system-specific command from the first gateway to the first system-specific controller, wherein the first system-specific controller is configured to execute the first system-specific command by controlling first rig equipment;

receiving a second message-based command from the supervisory system at a second gateway;

determining a second system-specific command of a second system-specific controller based on the second message-based command and a second map using the second gateway,

wherein the second gateway comprises the second map between at least the second message-based command of the supervisory system and at least the second system-specific command of the second system-specific controller, and the first and second message-based commands are not compatible with the second system-specific controller; and

transmitting the second system-specific command to the second system-specific controller, wherein the second system-specific controller is configured to control different equipment than the first system-specific controller is configured to control,

wherein the second system-specific controller is configured to execute the second system-specific command.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving feedback information from the first system-specific controller at the first gateway; determining a response message based on the feedback information using the first gateway; and

transmitting the response message to the supervisory system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gateway has the first map between a plurality of different message-based commands of the supervisory system and a plurality of system-specific commands of one or more system-specific controllers including the first system-specific controller, and the plurality of message-based commands is not compatible with the one or more system-specific controllers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first rig equipment comprises at least one of a top drive, a drawworks, a mud pump, an autodriller, or a depth manager.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message-based command comprises a command to report a status of or feedback from the first rig equipment.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating a prospective connection between the supervisory system, the first gateway, and the first system-specific controller manually using one or more certificates.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a plurality of system-specific commands that implement a plurality of different message-based commands in the first gateway, such that the first system-specific command is associated with the first message-based command and the first system-specific command is not associated with others of the plurality of different message-based commands.

8. A control system for a drilling rig, comprising:

a supervisory system configured to implement a well plan by generating message-based commands for execution using first rig equipment; and

a first system-specific controller in communication with the supervisory system and the control system for the drilling ring comprising steps of:

receiving a first message-based command from the supervisory system at a first gateway;

determining a first system-specific command of the first system-specific controller based on the first message-based command and a first map using the first gateway,

wherein the first gateway comprises the first map between at least the first message-based command of the supervisory system and at least the first system-specific command of the first system-specific controller, and the first message-based command is not compatible with the first system-specific controller; and

transmitting the first system-specific command from the first gateway to the first system-specific controller, wherein the first system-specific controller is configured to execute the first system-specific command by controlling the first rig equipment;

receiving a second message-based command from the supervisory system at a second gateway;

determining a second system-specific command of a second system-specific controller based on the second message-based command and a second map using the second gateway,

wherein the second gateway comprises the second map between at least the second message-based command of the supervisory system and at least the second system-specific command of the second system-specific controller, and the first and second message-based commands are not compatible with the second system-specific controller; and

transmitting the second system-specific command to the second system-specific controller, wherein the second system-specific controller is configured to control different equipment than the first system-specific controller is configured to control,

wherein the second system-specific controller is configured to execute the second system-specific command.

9. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the message-based commands are standardized in a universal language and readable by a plurality of other gateways, the message-based commands are not compatible with different system-specific controllers, and wherein the system-specific commands are not standardized for use by the different system-specific controllers.

10. The control system of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of system-specific controllers including the first system-specific controller, wherein each of the plurality of system-specific controllers includes a specific gateway that maps the message-based commands with system-specific commands.

11. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the first gateway is configured to communicate message-based signals representing feedback from or a status of the first rig equipment to the supervisory system.

12. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the first rig equipment is selected from a group consisting of a top drive, a drawworks, a mud pump, an autodriller, and a depth manager.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a first message-based command from a supervisory system at a first gateway;

determining a first system-specific command of a first system-specific controller based on the first message-based command and a first map using the first gateway,

wherein the first gateway comprises the first map between at least the first message-based command of the supervisory system and at least the first system-specific command of the first system-specific controller, and the first message-based command is not compatible with the first system-specific controller; and

transmitting the first system-specific command from the first gateway to the first system-specific controller, wherein the first system-specific controller is configured to execute the first system-specific command by controlling first rig equipment;

receiving a second message-based command from the supervisory system at a second gateway;

determining a second system-specific command of a second system-specific controller based on the second message-based command and a second map using the second gateway,

wherein the second gateway comprises the second map between at least the second message-based command of the supervisory system and at least the second system-specific command of the second system-specific controller, and the first and second message-based commands are not compatible with the second system-specific controller; and

transmitting the second system-specific command to the second system-specific controller, wherein the second system-specific controller is configured to control different equipment than the first system-specific controller is configured to control,

wherein the second system-specific controller is configured to execute the second system-specific command.

14. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving feedback information from the first system-specific controller at the first gateway;

determining a response message based on the feedback information using the first gateway; and

transmitting the response message to the supervisory system.

15. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the first gateway has the first map between a plurality of different message-based commands of the supervisory system and a plurality of system-specific commands of one or more system-specific controllers including the first system-specific controller, and the plurality of message-based commands is not compatible with the one or more system-specific controllers.

16. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the first rig equipment comprises at least one of a top drive, a drawworks, a mud pump, an autodriller, or a depth manager.

17. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the first message-based command comprises a command to report a status of or feedback from the first rig equipment.

18. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a plurality of system-specific commands that implement a plurality of different message-based commands using the gateway.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2022
From: HOARAU, LOIC; QUIRCH, RICARDO; AARSLAND, NJAAL
To: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060966/0226 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62985477 · Mar 5, 2020
Related Publication 20230184100A1 · Jun 15, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,410,706