Patent Application
20250043680
Some implementations relate generally to the field of obtaining measurements of drill cuttings and more particularly to the field of measuring the magnetic susceptibility of drill cuttings while drilling a wellbore.
In drilling of a wellbore in a subsurface formation, cuttings are formed when a drill bit breaks off pieces of the formation to form the wellbore. The cuttings then return to surface, via drilling fluid. Samples of the cuttings may be obtained for analysis to assist in characterizing the subsurface formation and perform drilling operations. The analysis may include obtaining cuttings sample measurements that may indicate the type of formation being drilled, changes in the subsurface formation properties with respect to depth, etc. Additionally, the measurements may also be compared to external data such as offset well logs, core data, etc. to correlate the formations currently being drilled through. Accordingly, subsurface formation models may be updated to accommodate the cuttings measurements and/or drilling operations may be adjusted such that the wellbore is drilled according to plan.
Implementation of the disclosure may be better understood by referencing the accompanying drawings.
The description that follows includes example systems, methods, techniques, and program flows that embody aspects of the disclosure. However, it is understood that this disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. For instance, this disclosure refers to one or more sensors disposed in a magnetic susceptibility instrument that may translate around a container comprising a cuttings sample. Aspects of this disclosure can also be applied to any other configuration of sensors disposed on a magnetic susceptibility instrument to obtain magnetic susceptibility measurements. For clarity, some well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques have been omitted.
Example implementations relate to obtaining magnetic susceptibility measurements of cuttings samples while drilling a wellbore in a subsurface formation. In some implementations, devices configured to obtain measurements of the cuttings samples may be utilized to glean subsurface formation properties such as chemical composition of the rock, changes in lithological properties, changes in provenance, changes in diagenetic environment, etc. Conventional approaches may require the cuttings to be in a certain state (such as dried, crushed, etc.) to properly obtain measurements of the cuttings samples. In some implementations, the treatments performed on cuttings samples to obtain the magnetic susceptibility measurements may be time-consuming and result in increased costs during the drilling process.
In some implementations a magnetic susceptibility instrument may be configured to measure the magnetic susceptibility of the cuttings samples while drilling a wellbore. While drilling a wellbore, cuttings samples from a plurality of depths may be obtained. In some implementations, each unwashed cuttings sample may be loaded into a container. The container may then be loaded into a chamber of a magnetic susceptibility instrument. In some implementations, the magnetic susceptibility instrument may be configured with an autoloader to load and unload the container from the chamber. The magnetic susceptibility instrument may be configured with one or more sensors to measure the magnetic susceptibility of the cuttings samples in the container. In some implementations, the sensors may translate up and down the length of the container and/or around the perimeter of the container to scan the cuttings samples. The sensors may apply a magnetic field to the cuttings sample and the cuttings sample response may be recorded to measure the magnetic susceptibility of the cuttings sample. The magnetic susceptibility measurements may then be labeled with the depth from which the corresponding cuttings sample was obtained. In some implementations, a log of the magnetic susceptibility measurements with respect to depth may be generated as cuttings samples are obtained and measured throughout the drilling process. The log of magnetic susceptibility measurements may be utilized to determine changes in the subsurface formation properties such as changes in lithological properties, provenance, diagenetic environment, etc.
In some implementations, subsurface operations may be performed based on the magnetic susceptibility measurements. For example, the log of magnetic susceptibility measurements may be compared to offset well data and/or core samples to correlate the subsurface formations while drilling. Accordingly, subsurface operations may be performed. For instance, drilling parameters (e.g., weight-on-bit, torque-on-bit, mud weight, etc.) may be adjusted, the drill bit and/or other drilling components on the drilling assembly may be replaced, etc.
The well system 100 may further include a drilling platform 110 that supports a derrick 152 having a traveling block 114 for raising and lowering the drill string 180. The drill string 180 may include, but is not limited to, drill pipe, drill collars, and drilling assembly 116. The drilling assembly 116 may comprise any of a number of different types of tools including a rotary steerable system (RSS), measurement while drilling (MWD) tools, logging while drilling (LWD) tools, mud motors, etc. A kelly 115 may support the drill string 180 as it may be lowered through a rotary table 118. The drill bit 112 may include roller cone bits, polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits, natural diamond bits, any hole openers, reamers, coring bits, and the like. Drilling parameters of drilling the wellbore 106 may be adjusted to increase, decrease, and/or maintain the rate of penetration (ROP) of the drill bit 112 through the subsurface formation 108 and, additionally, steer the drill bit 112 through the subsurface formation 108. Drilling parameters may include weight-on-bit (WOB), torque-on-bit (TOB), mud weight, and rotations-per-minute (RPM) of the drill string 180.
A pump 122 may circulate drilling fluid through a feed pipe 124 to the kelly 116, downhole through interior of the drill string 180, through orifices in the drill bit 112, back to the surface 120 via an annulus surrounding the drill string 180, and into a retention pit 128 via flowline 192. The drilling fluid may carry cuttings up the annulus to surface where they may be separated from the drilling fluid on surface before the drilling fluid flows into the retention pit 128. For example, the drilling fluid and cuttings may pass through a shale shaker (not pictured) to separate the cuttings from the drilling fluid and collect the cuttings in an apparatus. Samples of the cuttings may be obtained from the apparatus for further analysis to assist in analyzing the subsurface formation. In some implementations, the well system 100 may include a magnetic susceptibility instrument (not pictured) configured to measure the magnetic susceptibility of the cuttings samples captured.
The well system 100 includes a computer 170 that may be communicatively coupled to other parts of the well system 100. The computer 170 may be local or remote to the drilling platform 110. A processor of the computer 170 may perform simulations (as further described below). In some implementations, the processor of the computer 170 may control subsurface operations of the well system 100 or subsequent subsurface operations of other wellbores. For instance, the processor of the computer 170 may control the magnetic susceptibility instrument to measure the magnetic susceptibility of the cuttings samples and subsequently generate a log of magnetic susceptibility measurements with respect to depth. The processor may then perform a subsurface operation based on the magnetic susceptibility measurements. An example of the computer 170 is depicted in
Examples of a magnetic susceptibility instrument are now described.
The magnetic susceptibility instrument 200 may include a container 202. The container 202 may be standardized such that it may be compatible with the magnetic susceptibility instrument 200. A cuttings sample 204 may be loaded into the container 202. The container 202 comprising the cuttings sample 204 may be labeled through standard methodology. For example, the label may include attributes such as time, depth, drilling fluid properties (e.g., mud weight), well identifier, etc. The magnetic susceptibility instrument 200 may be configured with an autoloader (not pictured) such that the container 202, comprising the cuttings sample 204, may be automatically loaded into the chamber 250 of the magnetic susceptibility instrument 200. The autoloader may be configured to handle multiple cuttings samples and sequentially load each cuttings sample into the chamber 250. The loader may also automatically unload the container 202 once the measurements have been obtained and proceed to load the next cuttings sample into the chamber 250 for measuring.
The chamber 250 may include one or more magnetic susceptibility sensors. Each sensor may include an inductor for applying a magnetic field to the cuttings sample 204 in the container 202, and a receiver to measure the cuttings sample response to the magnetic field. For example, the magnetic susceptibility instrument 200 includes a first sensor comprising an inductor 206 and receiver 208, and a second sensor comprising an inductor 212 and a receiver 214.
At block 402, the processor of the computer 170 may obtain a cuttings sample while drilling a wellbore in a subsurface formation. The cuttings sample may originate from a depth in the wellbore during the drilling process, as described in
At block 404, the processor of the computer 170 may load the cuttings sample into a container. For example, the container may be a standardized container such as the container 202 of
At block 406, the processor of the computer 170 may load the container into a magnetic susceptibility configured with one or more sensors. In some implementations, the magnetic susceptibility may be configured with an autoloader. For example, the container, comprising the unwashed cuttings sample, may be loaded into an autoloader, which may subsequently load the container into a chamber of the magnetic susceptibility instrument.
The chamber of the magnetic susceptibility instrument may include one or more sensors. Each of the sensors may be configured to obtain magnetic susceptibility measurements of the cuttings sample. The one or more sensors may be configured to translate up, down, and/or around the container to obtain the measurements, as described in
At block 408, the processor of the computer may obtain magnetic susceptibility measurements of the cuttings sample, via the one or more sensors. In some implementations, each of the sensors may be configured with an inductor and a receiver. A current may be applied to the inductor to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field may be applied to the cuttings sample. The receiver may detect the cuttings sample response to the magnetic field, thus measuring the magnetic susceptibility of the cuttings sample. In some implementations, when the magnetic susceptibility instrument is configured similar to the magnetic susceptibility instrument 200 of
At block 410, the processor of the computer 170 may determine if additional cuttings samples are needed. If more cuttings sample are needed, then operations return to block 402 to obtain another cuttings sample for measuring. In some implementations, the next cutting sample may be from a similar or different depth than the depth of the prior cutting sample. If no additional cuttings samples are needed, then operations of the flowchart 400 proceed to block 412.
At block 412, the processor of the computer 170 may generate a log of magnetic susceptibility measurements with respect to depth. The log may be generated from the magnetic susceptibility measurements from each of the cuttings samples measured via the magnetic susceptibility instrument. The log may indicate the changes in magnetic susceptibility over the depth of the subsurface formation. For example, the magnetic susceptibility may differ between formations with different lithological properties, chemical composition, etc.
At block 414, the processor of the computer may perform a subsurface operation based on the log of magnetic susceptibility measurements. In some implementations, the log may be correlated with external information such as core samples, offset well logs, etc. to correlate the depths of geological features within the subsurface formation (e.g., formation interfaces). Drilling parameters may be adjusted based on these geological features. For example, the log may indicate the drill bit is near a formation interface. Drilling parameters (such as WOB, TOB, RPM, etc.) may be adjusted to avoid penetrating the formation interface. Alternatively, or in addition to, the planned trajectory may be adjusted to keep the wellbore in a target formation based on the geological features indicated on the log. In some implementations, the magnetic susceptibility measurements may indicate the chemical composition of the formation the cuttings originated from. These chemical compositions may be utilized to update subsurface formation models, adjust drilling plans, generate cement designs, generate hydraulic fracturing plans, etc. Additionally, the log may be utilized to determine the geological history of the subsurface formation such as changes in the lithological properties of the subsurface formation, changes in the provenance, changes in the diagenetic environment, etc.
The computer 500 also includes a signal processor 511 and a controller 515 which may perform the operations described herein. For example, the signal processor 511 may obtain magnetic susceptibility measurements of a cuttings sample from one or more sensors in a magnetic susceptibility instrument and generate a log of magnetic susceptibility measurements with respect to depth. The controller 515 may perform a subsurface operation based on the phase properties. The signal processor 511 and the controller 515 can be in communication. Any one of the previously described functionalities may be partially (or entirely) implemented in hardware and/or on the processor 501. For example, the functionality may be implemented with an application specific integrated circuit, in logic implemented in the processor 501, in a co-processor on a peripheral device or card, etc. Further, realizations may include fewer or additional components not illustrated in
While the aspects of the disclosure are described with reference to various implementations and exploitations, it will be understood that these aspects are illustrative and that the scope of the claims is not limited to them. In general, techniques for measuring magnetic susceptibility of cuttings as described herein may be implemented with facilities consistent with any hardware system or hardware systems. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible.
Plural instances may be provided for components, operations or structures described herein as a single instance. Finally, boundaries between various components, operations and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in the context of specific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within the scope of the disclosure. In general, structures and functionality presented as separate components in the example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosure.
Use of the phrase “at least one of” preceding a list with the conjunction “and” should not be treated as an exclusive list and should not be construed as a list of categories with one item from each category, unless specifically stated otherwise. A clause that recites “at least one of A, B, and C” can be infringed with only one of the listed items, multiple of the listed items, and one or more of the items in the list and another item not listed.
As used herein, the term “or” is inclusive unless otherwise explicitly noted. Thus, the phrase “at least one of A, B, or C” is satisfied by any element from the set {A, B, C} or any combination thereof, including multiples of any element.
