Patent Grant
8185366
This application claims the benefit, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/888,358, filed Jul. 9, 2004, which claimed priority, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e), to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/485,642, filed Jul. 9, 2003. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/888,358 also claimed the benefit, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/635,116, filed Aug. 9, 2000 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09,524,088, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,293, filed Mar. 13, 2000. All of these applications are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Further, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/888,523 entitled “Methods For Designing Fixed Cutter Bits and Bits Made Using Such Methods” filed on Jul. 9, 2004, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/888,354 entitled “Methods for Modeling Wear of Fixed Cutter Bits and for Designing and Optimizing Fixed Cutter Bits,” filed on Jul. 9, 2004, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/888,446 entitled “Methods For Modeling, Designing, and Optimizing Drilling Tool Assemblies,” are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to fixed cutter drill bits used to drill boreholes in subterranean formations. More specifically, the invention relates to methods for modeling the drilling performance of a fixed cutter bit drilling through an earth formation, methods for designing fixed cutter drill bits, and methods for optimizing the drilling performance of a fixed cutter drill bit.
2. Background Art
Fixed cutter bits, such as PDC drill bits, are commonly used in the oil and gas industry to drill well bores. One example of a conventional drilling system for drilling boreholes in subsurface earth formations is shown in
As shown in
Significant expense is involved in the design and manufacture of drill bits and in the drilling of well bores. Having accurate models for predicting and analyzing drilling characteristics of bits can greatly reduce the cost associated with manufacturing drill bits and designing drilling operations because these models can be used to more accurately predict the performance of bits prior to their manufacture and/or use for a particular drilling application. For these reasons, models have been developed and employed for the analysis and design of fixed cutter drill bits.
Two of the most widely used methods for modeling the performance of fixed cutter bits or designing fixed cutter drill bits are disclosed in Sandia Report No. SAN86-1745 by David A. Glowka, printed September 1987 and titled “Development of a Method for Predicting the Performance and Wear of PDC drill Bits” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,342 to Bret, et al. and titled “Method for Modeling and Building Drill Bits,” and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,010,789; 5,042,596 and 5,131,478 which are all incorporated herein by reference. While these models have been useful in that they provide a means for analyzing the forces acting on the bit, using them may not result in a most accurate reflection of drilling because these models rely on generalized theoretical approximations (typically some equations) of cutter and formation interaction that may not be a good representation of the actual interaction between a particular cutting element and the particular formation to be drilled. Assuming that the same general relationship can be applied to all cutters and all earth formations, even though the constants in the relationship are adjusted, may result the inaccurate prediction of the response of an actual bit drilling in earth formation.
A method is desired for modeling the overall cutting action and drilling performance of a fixed cutter bit that takes into consideration a more accurate reflection of the interaction between a cutter and an earth formation during drilling.
The invention relates to a method for modeling the performance of fixed cutter bit drilling earth formations. The invention also relates to methods for designing fixed cutter drill bits and methods for optimize drilling parameters for the drilling performance of a fixed cutter bit.
According to one aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention, a method for modeling the dynamic performance of a fixed cutter bit drilling earth formations includes selecting a drill bit and an earth formation to be represented as drilled, simulating the bit drilling the earth formation. The simulation includes at least numerically rotating the bit, calculating bit interaction with the earth formation during the rotating, and determining the forces on the cutters during the rotation based on the calculated interaction with earth formation and empirical data.
In other aspects, the invention also provides a method for generating a visual representation of a fixed cutter bit drilling earth formations, a method for designing a fixed cutter drill bit, and a method for optimizing the design of a fixed cutter drill bit. In another aspect, the invention provides a method for optimizing drilling operation parameters for a fixed cutter drill bit.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, figures, and the appended claims.
The present invention provides methods for modeling the performance of fixed cutter bits drilling earth formations. In one aspect, a method takes into account actual interactions between cutters and earth formations during drilling. Methods in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention may be used to design fixed cutter drill bits, to optimize the performance of bits, to optimize the response of an entire drill string during drilling, or to generate visual displays of drilling.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, one or more embodiments of a method for modeling the dynamic performance of a fixed cutter bit drilling earth formations includes selecting a drill bit design and an earth formation to be represented as drilled, wherein a geometric model of the bit and a geometric model of the earth formation to be represented as drilled are generated. The method also includes incrementally rotating the bit on the formation and calculating the interaction between the cutters on the bit and the earth formation during the incremental rotation. The method further includes determining the forces on the cutters during the incremental rotation based on data from a cutter/formation interaction model and the calculated interaction between the bit and the earth formation.
The cutter/formation interaction model may comprise empirical data obtained from cutter/formation interaction tests conducted for one or more cutters on one or more different formations in one or more different orientations. In alternative embodiments, the data from the cutter/formation interaction model is obtained from a numerical model developed to characterize the cutting relationship between a selected cutter and a selected earth formation. In one or more embodiments, the method described above is embodied in a computer program and the program also includes subroutines for generating a visual displays representative of the performance of the fixed cutter drill bit drilling earth formations.
In one or more embodiments, the interaction between cutters on a fixed cutter bit and an earth formation during drilling is determined based on data stored in a look up table or database. In one or more preferred embodiments, the data is empirical data obtained from cutter/formation interaction tests, wherein each test involves engaging a selected cutter on a selected earth formation sample and the tests are performed to characterize cutting actions between the selected cutter and the selected formation during drilling by a fixed cutter drill bit. The tests may be conducted for a plurality of different cutting elements on each of a plurality of different earth formations to obtain a “library” (i.e., organized database) of cutter/formation interaction data. The data may then be used to predict interaction between cutters and earth formations during simulated drilling. The collection of data recorded and stored from interaction tests will collectively be referred to as a cutter/formation interaction model.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that cutters on fixed cutter bits remove earth formation primarily by shearing and scraping action. The force required on a cutter to shear an earth formation is dependent upon the area of contact between the cutter and the earth formation, depth of cut, the contact edge length of the cutter, as well as the orientation of the cutting face with respect to the formation (e.g., back rake angle, side rake angle, etc.).
Cutter/formation interaction data in accordance with one aspect of the present invention may be obtained, for example, by performing tests. A cutter/formation interaction test should be designed to simulate the scraping and shearing action of a cutter on a fixed cutter drill bit drilling in earth formation. One example of a test set up for obtaining cutter/formation interaction data is shown in
For a cutter/formation test illustrated, the support member 703 is mounted to the positioning device (not shown), with the cutter side face down above a sample of earth formation 709. The vertical position of the support member 703 is adjusted to apply the cutter 701 on the earth formation 709. The cutter 701 is preferably applied against the formation sample at a desired “depth of cut” (depth below the formation surface). For example, as illustrated in
Referring back to
An example of the cut force, Fcut, required on a cutter in a cutting direction to force the cutter to cut through earth formation during a cutter/formation interaction test is shown in
The total force required on the cutter to cut through earth formation can be resolved into components in any selected coordinate system, such as the Cartesian coordinate system shown in FIGS. 5 and 7A-7C. As shown in
As previously stated other information is also recorded for each cutter/formation test to characterize the cutter, the earth formation, and the resulting interaction between the cutter and the earth formation. The information recorded to characterize the cutter may include any parameters useful in describing the geometry and orientation of the cutter. The information recorded to characterize the formation may include the type of formation, the confining pressure on the formation, the temperature of the formation, the compressive strength of the formation, etc. The information recorded to characterize the interaction between the selected cutter and the selected earth formation for a test may include any parameters useful in characterizing the contact between the cutter and the earth formation and the cut resulting from the engagement of the cutter with the earth formation.
Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that in addition to the single cutter/formation model explained above, data for a plurality of cutters engaged with the formation at about the same time may be stored. In particular, in one example, a plurality of cutters may be disposed on a “blade” and the entire blade be engaged with the formation at a selected orientation. Each of the plurality of cutters may have different geometries, orientations, etc. By using this method, the interaction of multiple cutters may be studied. Likewise, in some embodiments, the interaction of an entire PDC bit may be studied. That is, the interaction of substantially all of the cutters on a PDC bit may be studied.
In particular, in one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of cutters having selected geometries (which may or may not be identical) are disposed at selected orientations (which may or may not be identical) on a blade of a PDC cutter. The geometry and the orientation of the blade are then selected, and a force is applied to the blade, causing some or all of the cutting elements to engage with the formation. In this manner, the interplay of various orientations and geometries among different cutters on a blade may be analyzed. Similarly, different orientations and geometries of the blade may be analyzed. Further, as those having ordinary skill will appreciate, the entire PDC bit can similarly be tested and analyzed.
One example of a record 501 of data stored for an experimental cutter/formation test is shown in
In one embodiment, the cuts formed into an earth formation during the cutter/formation test are digitally imaged. The digital images may subsequently be analyzed to provide information about the depth of cut, the mode of fracture, and other information that may be useful in analyzing fixed cutter bits.
Depth of cut, d, contact edge length, e, and interference surface area, a, for a cutter cutting through earth formation are illustrated for example in
The data stored for the cutter/formation test uniquely characterizes the actual interaction between a selected cutter and earth formation pair. A complete library of cutter/formation interaction data can be obtained by repeating tests as described above for each of a plurality of selected cutters with each of a plurality of selected earth formations. For each cutter/earth formation pair, a series of tests can be performed with the cutter in different orientations (different back rake angles, side rake angles, etc.) with respect to the earth formation. A series of tests can also be performed for a plurality of different depths of cut into the formation. The data characterizing each test is stored in a record and the collection of records can be stored in a database for convenient retrieval.
For a selected cutter and earth formation pair, preferably a sufficient number of tests are performed to characterize at least a relationship between depth of cut, amount of formation removed, and the force required on the cutter to cut through the selected earth formation. More comprehensively, the cutter/formation interaction data obtained from tests characterize relationships between a cutter's orientation (e.g., back rake and side rake angles), depth of cut, area of contact, edge length of contact, and geometry (e.g., bevel size and shape (angle), etc.) and the resulting force required on the cutter to cut through a selected earth formation. Series of tests are also performed for other selected cutters/formations pairs and the data obtained are stored as described above. The resulting library or database of cutter/formation data may then be used to accurately predict interaction between specific cutters and specific earth formations during drilling, as will be further described below.
Cutter/formation interaction records generated numerically are also within the scope of the present invention. For example, in one implementation, cutter/formation interaction data is obtained theoretically based on solid mechanics principles applied to a selected cutting element and a selected formation. A numerical method, such as finite element analysis or finite difference analysis, may be used to numerically simulate a selected cutter, a selected earth formation, and the interaction between the cutter and the earth formation. In one implementation, selected formation properties are characterized in the lab to provide an accurate description of the behavior of the selected formation. Then a numerical representation of the selected earth formation is developed based on solid mechanics principles. The cutting action of the selected cutter against the selected formation is then numerically simulated using the numerical models and interaction criteria (such as the orientation, depth of cut, etc.) and the results of the “numerical” cutter/formation tests are recorded and stored in a record, similar to that shown in
Laboratory tests are performed for other selected earth formations to accurately characterize and obtain numerical models for each earth formation and additional numerical cutter/formation tests are repeated for different cutters and earth formation pairs and the resulting data stored to obtain a library of interaction data for different cutter and earth formation pairs. The cutter/formation interaction data obtained from the numerical cutter/formation tests are uniquely obtained for each cutter and earth formation pair to produce data that more accurately reflects cutter/formation interaction during drilling.
Cutter/formation interaction models as described above can be used to accurately model interaction between one or more selected cutters and one or more selected earth formation during drilling. Once cutter/formation interaction data are stored, the data can be used to model interaction between selected cutters and selected earth formations during drilling. During simulations wherein data from a cutter/formation interaction library is used to determine the interaction between cutters and earth formations, if the calculated interaction (e.g., depth of cut, contact areas, engagement length, actual back rake, actual side rake, etc. during simulated cutting action) between a cutter and a formation falls between data values experimentally or numerically obtained, linear interpolation or other types of best-fit functions can be used to calculate the values corresponding to the interaction during drilling. The interpolation method used is a matter of convenience for the system designer and not a limitation on the invention. In other embodiments, cutter/formation interaction tests may be conducted under confining pressure, such as hydrostatic pressure, to more accurately represent actual conditions encountered while drilling. Cutting element/formation tests conduced under confining pressures and in simulated drilling environments to reproduce the interaction between cutting elements and earth formations for roller cone bits is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,293 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.
In addition, when creating a library of data, embodiments of the present invention may use multilayered formations or inhomogeneous formations. In particular, actual rock samples or theoretical models may be constructed to analyzed inhomogeneous or multilayered formations. In one embodiment, a rock sample from a formation of interest (which may be inhomogeneous), may be used to determine the interaction between a selected cutter and the selected inhomogeneous formation. In a similar vein, the library of data may be used to predict the performance of a given cutter in a variety of formations, leading to more accurate simulation of multilayered formations.
As previously explained, it is not necessary to know the mechanical properties of any of the earth formations for which laboratory tests are performed to use the results of the tests to simulate cutter/formation interaction during drilling. The data can be accessed based on the type of formation being drilled. However, if formations which are not tested are to have drilling simulations performed for them, it is preferable to characterize mechanical properties of the tested formations so that expected cutter/formation interaction data can be interpolated for untested formations based on the mechanical properties of the formation. As is well known in the art, the mechanical properties of earth formations include, for example, compressive strength, Young's modulus, Poisson's ration and elastic modulus, among others. The properties selected for interpolation are not limited to these properties.
The use of laboratory tests to experimentally obtain cutter/formation interaction may provide several advantages. One advantage is that laboratory tests can be performed under simulated drilling conditions, such as under confining pressure to better represent actual conditions encountered while drilling. Another advantage is that laboratory tests can provide data which accurately characterize the true interaction between actual cutters and actual earth formations. Another advantage is that laboratory tests can take into account all modes of cutting action in a formation resulting from interaction with a cutter. Another advantage is that it is not necessary to determine all mechanical properties of an earth formation to determine the interaction of a cutter with the earth formation. Another advantage is that it is not necessary to develop complex analytical models for approximating the behavior of an earth formation or a cutter based on the mechanical properties of the formation or cutter and forces exhibited by the cutter during interacting with the earth formation.
Cutter/formation interaction models as described above can be used to provide a good representation of the actual interaction between cutters and earth formations under selected drilling conditions.
As illustrated in the comparison of
In one or more embodiments of the invention, force or wear on at least one cutter on a bit, such as during the simulation of a bit drilling earth formation is determined using cutter/formation interaction data in accordance with the description above.
One example of a method that may be used to model a fixed cutter drill bit drilling earth formation is illustrated in
As illustrated in
Further, those having ordinary skill will appreciate that the work done by the bit and/or individual cutters may be determined. Work is equal to force times distance, and because embodiments of the simulation provide information about the force acting on a cutter and the distance into the formation that a cutter penetrates, the work done by a cutter may be determined.
A flowchart for one implementation of a method developed in accordance with this aspect of the invention is shown, for example, in
Drilling parameters 402 may include any parameters that can be used to characterize drilling. In the method shown, the drilling parameters 402 provided as input include the rate of penetration (ROP) and the rotation speed of the drill bit (revolutions per minute, RPM). Those having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other parameters (weight on bit, mud weight, e.g.) may be included.
Bit design parameters 404 may include any parameters that can be used to characterize a bit design. In the method shown, bit design parameters 404 provided as input include the cutter locations and orientations (e.g., radial and angular positions, heights, profile angles, back rake angles, side rake angles, etc.) and the cutter sizes (e.g., diameter), shapes (i.e., geometry) and bevel size. Additional bit design parameters 404 may include the bit profile, bit diameter, number of blades on bit, blade geometries, blade locations, junk slot areas, bit axial offset (from the axis of rotation), cutter material make-up (e.g., tungsten carbide substrate with hardfacing overlay of selected thickness), etc. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that cutter geometries and the bit geometry can be meshed, converted to coordinates and provided as numerical input. Preferred methods for obtaining bit design parameters 404 for use in a simulation include the use of 3-dimensional CAD solid or surface models for a bit to facilitate geometric input.
Cutter/formation interaction data 406 includes data obtained from experimental tests or numerically simulations of experimental tests which characterize the actual interactions between selected cutters and selected earth formations, as previously described in detail above. Wear data 406 may be data generated using any wear model known in the art or may be data obtained from cutter/formation interaction tests that included an observation and recording of the wear of the cutters during the test. A wear model may comprise a mathematical model that can be used to calculate an amount of wear on the cutter surface based on forces on the cutter during drilling or experimental data which characterizes wear on a given cutter as it cuts through the selected earth formation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,411 issued to Singh et al. discloses methods for modeling wear of roller cone drill bits. This patent is assigned to the present assignee and is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Wear modeling for fixed cutter bits (e.g., PDC bits) will be described in a later section. Other patents related to wear simulation include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,042,596, 5,010,789, 5, 131,478, and 4,815,342. The disclosures of these patents are incorporated by reference.
Bottomhole parameters used to determine the bottomhole shape at 408 may include any information or data that can be used to characterize the initial geometry of the bottomhole surface of the well bore. The initial bottomhole geometry may be considered as a planar surface, but this is not a limitation on the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the geometry of the bottomhole surface can be meshed, represented by a set of spatial coordinates, and provided as input. In one implementation, a visual representation of the bottomhole surface is generated using a coordinate mesh size of 1 millimeter.
Once the input data (402, 404, 406) is entered or otherwise made available and the bottomhole shape determined (at 408), the steps in a main simulation loop 410 can be executed. Within the main simulation loop 410, drilling is simulated by “rotating” the bit (numerically) by an incremental amount, Δθbit,i, 412. The rotated position of the bit at any time can be expressed as
412. Δθbit,i, may be set equal to 3 degrees, for example. In other implementations, Δθbit,i may be a function of time or may be calculated for each given time step. The new location of each of the cutters is then calculated, 414, based on the known incremental rotation of the bit, Δθbit,i, and the known previous location of each of the cutters on the bit. At this step, 414, the new cutter locations only reflect the change in the cutter locations based on the incremental rotation of the bit. The newly rotated location of the cutters can be determined by geometric calculations known in the art.
As shown at the top of
Once the axial displacement of the bit, Δdbit,i, is determined, the bit is “moved” axially downward (numerically) by the incremental distance, Δdbit,i, 416 (with the cutters at their newly rotated locations calculated at 414). Then the new location of each of the cutters after the axial displacement is calculated 418. The calculated location of the cutters now reflects the incremental rotation and axial displacement of the bit during the “increment of drilling”. Then each cutter interference with the bottomhole is determined, 420. Determining cutter interaction with the bottomhole includes calculating the depth of cut, the interference surface area, and the contact edge length for each cutter contacting the formation during the increment of drilling by the bit. These cutter/formation interaction parameters can be calculated using geometrical calculations known in the art.
Once the correct cutter/formation interaction parameters are determined, the axial force on each cutter (in the Z direction with respect to a bit coordinate system as illustrated in
Referring to
In cases during drilling wherein the cutting element makes less than full contact with the earth formation due to grooves in the formation surface made by previous contact with cutters, illustrated in
In one implementation, an equivalent contact edge length, ee|i,j, and an equivalent depth of cut, de|i,j, are calculated to correspond to the interference surface area, aj,i, calculated for cutters in contact with the formation, as shown in
The displacement of each of the cutters is calculated based on the previous cutter location, pj,i−1, and the current cutter location, pj,i, 426. As shown at the top of
Once the forces (FN, Fcut, Fside) on each of the cutters during the incremental drilling step are determined, 422, these forces are resolved into bit coordinate system, OZRθ, illustrated in
Finally, the bottomhole pattern is updated, 434. The bottomhole pattern can be updated by removing the formation in the path of interference between the bottomhole pattern resulting from the previous incremental drilling step and the path traveled by each of the cutters during the current incremental drilling step.
Output information, such as forces on cutters, weight on bit, and cutter wear, may be provided as output information, at 436. The output information may include any information or data which characterizes aspects of the performance of the selected drill bit drilling the specified earth formations. For example, output information can include forces acting on the individual cutters during drilling, scraping movement/distance of individual cutters on hole bottom and on the hole wall, total forces acting on the bit during drilling, and the weight on bit to achieve the selected rate of penetration for the selected bit. As shown in
As should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the steps within the main simulation loop 410 are repeated as desired by applying a subsequent incremental rotation to the bit and repeating the calculations in the main simulation loop 410 to obtain an updated cutter geometry (if wear is modeled) and an updated bottomhole geometry for the new incremental drilling step. Repeating the simulation loop 410 as described above will result in the modeling of the performance of the selected fixed cutter drill bit drilling the selected earth formations and continuous updates of the bottomhole pattern drilled. In this way, the method as described can be used to simulate actual drilling of the bit in earth formations.
An ending condition, such as the total depth to be drilled, can be given as a termination command for the simulation, the incremental rotation and displacement of the bit with subsequent calculations in the simulation loop 410 will be repeated until the selected total depth drilled
is reached. Alternatively, the drilling simulation can be stopped at any time using any other suitable termination indicator, such as a selected input from a user.
In the embodiment discussed above with reference to
After the input data is entered (310, 312, and 314) and the bottomhole shape determined (316), calculations in a main simulation loop 320 are carried out. As discussed for the previous embodiment, drilling is simulated in the main simulation loop 320 by incrementally “rotating” the bit (numerically) through an incremental angle amount, Δθbit,i, 322, wherein rotation of the bit at any time can be expressed as
As shown in
Referring to
The new location of each of the cutters due to the selected downward displacement of the bit is then calculated, 330. The cutter interference with the bottomhole during the incremental rotation (at 322) and the selected axial displacement (at 328) is also calculated, 330. Calculating cutter interference with the bottomhole, 330, includes determining the depth of cut, the contact edge length, and the interference surface area for each of the cutters that contacts the formation during the “incremental drilling step” (i.e., incremental rotation and incremental downward displacement).
Referring back to
Similar to the embodiment discussed above and shown in
Also, as previously stated, in cases where a cutter makes less than full contact with the earth formation because of previous cuts in the formation surface due to contact with cutters during previous incremental rotations, etc., an equivalent depth of cut and an equivalent contact edge length can be calculated to correspond to the interference surface area, as illustrated in
Once the forces on the cutters are determined, the forces are transformed into the bit coordinate system (illustrated in
If the total axial force Fz on the bit, from the resulting incremental axial displacement is less than the WOB, the resulting incremental axial distance Δdbit,i applied to the bit is considered smaller than the actual incremental axial displacement that would result from the selected WOB. In this case, the bit is moved further downward a second fractional incremental distance, and the calculations in the axial force equilibrium loop 326 are repeated for the adjusted incremental axial displacement. The axial force equilibrium loop 326 is iteratively repeated until an incremental axial displacement for the bit is obtained which results in a total axial force on the bit substantially equal to the WOB, within a selected error range.
Once the correct incremental displacement, Δdi, of the bit is determined for the incremental rotation, the forces on each of the cutters, determined using cutter/formation interaction data as discussed above, are transformed into the bit coordinate system, OZRθ, (illustrated in
Wear of the cutters is also accounted for during drilling. In one implementation, cutter wear is determined for each cutter based on the interaction parameters calculated for the cutter and cutter/interaction data, wherein the cutter interaction data includes wear data, 342. In one or more other embodiments, wear on each of the cutters may be determined using a wear model corresponding to each type of cutter based on the type of formation being drilled by the cutter. As shown in
During the simulation, the bottomhole geometry is also updated, 346, to reflect the removal of earth formation from the bottomhole surface during each incremental rotation of the drill bit. In one implementation, the bottomhole surface is represented by a coordinate mesh or grid having 1 mm grid blocks, wherein areas of interference between the bottomhole surface and cutters during drilling are removed from the bottomhole after each incremental drilling step.
The steps of the main simulation loop 320 described above are repeated by applying a subsequent incremental rotation to the bit 322 and repeating the calculations to obtain forces and wear on the cutters and an updated bottomhole geometry to reflect the incremental drilling. Successive incremental rotations are repeated to simulate the performance of the drill bit drilling through earth formations.
Using the total number of bit revolutions to be simulated (provided as input at 310) as the termination command, the incremental rotation and displacement of the bit and subsequent calculations are repeated until the selected total number of bit revolutions is reached. Repeating the simulation loop 320 as described above results in simulating the performance of a fixed cutter drill bit drilling earth formations with continuous updates of the bottomhole pattern drilled, thereby simulating the actual drilling of the bit in selected earth formations. In other implementations, the simulation may be terminated, as desired, by operator command or by performing any other specified operation. Alternatively, ending conditions such as the final drilling depth (axial span) for simulated drilling may be provided as input and used to automatically terminate the simulated drilling.
The above described method for modeling a bit can be executed by a computer wherein the computer is programmed to provide results of the simulation as output information after each main simulation loop, 348 in
Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide the ability to model inhomogeneous regions and transitions between layers. With respect to inhomogeneous regions, sections of formation may be modeled as nodules or beams of different material embedded into a base material, for example. That is, a user may define a section of a formation as including various non-uniform regions, whereby several different types of rock are included as discrete regions within a single section.
With respect to multilayer formations, embodiments of the present invention advantageously simulate transitions between different formation layers. As those having ordinary skill will appreciate, in real world applications, it is often the case that a single bit will drill various strata of rock. Further, the transition between the various strata is not discrete, and can take up to several thousands of feet before a complete delineation of layers is seen. This transitional period between at least two different types of formation is called a “transitional layer,” in this application.
Significantly, embodiments of the present invention recognize that when drilling through a transitional layer, the bit will “bounce” up and down as cutters start to hit the new layer, until all of the cutters are completely engaged with the new layer. As a result, drilling through the transitional layer mimics the behavior of a dynamic simulation. As a result, forces on the cutter, blade, and bit dynamically change.
Being able to model a fixed cutter bit and the drilling process with accuracy makes it possible to study the wear of a cutter or the drill bit. The ability to model the fixed cutter wear accurately in turn makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the simulation of the drilling and/or the design of a drill bit.
As noted above, cutter wear is a function of the force exerted on the cutter. In addition, other factors that may influence the rates of cutter wear include the velocity of the cutter brushing against the formation (i.e., relative sliding velocity), the material of the cutter, the area of the interference or depth of cut (d), and the temperature. Various models have been proposed to simulate the wear of the cutter. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,411 issued to Singh et al. (the '411 patent) discloses methods for modeling the wear of a roller cone drill bit.
As disclosed in the '411 patent, abrasion of materials from a drill bit may be analogized to a machining operation. The volume of wear produced will be a function of the force exerted on a selected area of the drill bit and the relative velocity of sliding between the abrasive material and the drill bit. Thus, in a simplistic model, WR=f(FN, v), where WR is the wear rate, FN is the force normal to the area on the drill bit and v is the relative sliding velocity. FN, which is a function of the bit-formation interaction, and v can both be determined from the above-described simulation.
While the simple wear model described above may be sufficient for wear simulation, embodiments of the invention may use any other suitable models. For example, some embodiments of the invention use a model that takes into account the temperature of the operation (i.e., WR=f (FN, v, T)), while other embodiments may use a model that includes another measurement as a substitute for the force acting on the bit or cutter. For example, the force acting on a cutter may be represented as a function of the depth of cut (d). Therefore, FN may be replace by the depth of cut (d) in some model, as shown in equation (1):
WR=a1×10a2×da3×va4×Ta5 (1)
where WR is the wear rate, d is the depth of cut, v is the relative sliding velocity, T is a temperature, and a1-a5 are constants.
The wear model shown in equation (1) is flexible and can be used to model various bit-formation combinations. For each bit-formation combination, the constants (a1-a5) may be fine tuned to provide an accurate result. These constants may be empirically determined using defined formations and selected bits in a laboratory or from data obtained in the fields. Alternatively, these constants may be based on theoretical or semi-empirical data.
The term a1×10a2 is dependent on the bit/cutter (material, shape, arrangement of the cutter on the bit, etc.) and the formation properties, but is independent of the drilling parameters. Thus, the constants a1 and a2 once determined can be used with similar bit-formation combinations. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that this term (a1×10a2) may also be represented as a simple constant k.
The wear properties of different materials may be determined using standard wear tests, such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards G65 and B611, which are typically used to test abrasion resistance of various drill bit materials, including, for example, materials used to form the bit body and cutting elements. Further, superhard materials and hardfacing materials that may be applied to selected surfaces of the drill bit may also be tested using the ASTM guidelines. The results of the tests are used to form a database of rate of wear values that may be correlated with specific materials of both the drill bit and the formation drilled, stress levels, and other wear parameters.
The remaining term in equation (1), da3×va4×Ta5 is dependent on the drilling parameters (i.e., the depth of cut, the relative sliding velocity, and the temperature). With a selected bit-formation combination, each of the constants (a3, a4, and a5) may be determined by varying one drilling parameter and holding other drilling parameters constant. For example, by holding the relative sliding velocity (v) and temperature (T) constant, a3 can be determined from the wear rate changes as a function of the depth of cut (d). Once these constants are determined, they can be stored in a database for later simulation/modeling.
The modeling may be performed in various manners. For example,
As shown in
The performance of the worn cutters may be simulated with a constrained centerline model or a dynamic model to generate parameters for the worn cutters and a graphical display of the wear. The parameters of the worn cutters can be used in a next iteration of simulation. For example the worn cutters can be displayed to the design engineer and the parameters can be adjusted by the design engineer accordingly, to change wear or to change one or more other performance characteristics. Simulating, displaying and adjusting of the worn cutters can be repeated, to optimize a wear characteristic, or to optimize or one or more other performance characteristics. By using the worn cutters in the simulation, the results will be more accurate. By taking into account all these interactions, the simulation of the present invention can provide a more realistic picture of the performance of the drill bit.
Note that the simulation of the wear (steps 182-185) may be performed dynamically with the drill bit attached to a drill string. The drill string may further include other components commonly found in a bottom-hole assembly (BHA). For example, various sensors may be included in drill collars in the BHA. In addition, the drill string may include stabilizers that reduce the wobbling of the BHA or drill bit.
The dynamic modeling also takes into account the drill string dynamics. In a drilling operation, the drill string may swirl, vibrate, and/or hit the wall of the borehole. The drill string may be simulated as multiple sections of pipes. Each section may be treated as a “node,” having different physical properties (e.g., mass, diameter, flexibility, stretchability, etc.). Each section may have a different length. For example, the sections proximate to the BHA may have shorter lengths such that more “nodes” are simulated close to BHA, while sections close to the surface may be simulated as longer nodes to minimize the computational demand.
In addition, the “dynamic modeling” may also take into account the hydraulic pressure from the mud column having a specific weight. Such hydraulic pressure acts as a “confining pressure” on the formation being drilled. In addition, the hydraulic pressure (i.e., the mud column) provides buoyancy to the BHA and the drill bit.
The dynamic simulation may also generate worn cutters after each iteration and use the worn cutters in the next iteration. By using the worn cutters in the simulation, the results will be more accurate. By taking into account all these interactions, the dynamic simulation of the present invention can provide a more realistic picture of the performance of the drill bit.
As noted above, embodiments of the invention can model drilling in a formation comprising multiple layers, which may include different dip and/or strike angles at the interface planes, or in an inhomogeneous formation (e.g., anisotropic formation or formations with pockets of different compositions). Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to modeling bit or cutter wears in a homogeneous formation.
Being able to model the wear of the cutting elements (cutters) and/or the bit accurately makes it possible to design a fixed cutter bit to achieve the desired wear characteristics. In addition, the wear modeling may be used during a drilling modeling to update the drill bit as it wears. This can significantly improve the accuracy of the drilling simulation.
According to one aspect of the invention output information from the modeling may be presented in the form of a visual representation. As for example at 350 of
Within the program, the earth formation being drilled may be defined as comprising a plurality of layers of different types of formations with different orientation for the bedding planes, similar to that expected to be encountered during drilling. One example of the earth formation being drilled being defined as layers of different types of formations is illustrated in
Visual representation generated by a program in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention may include graphs and charts of any of the parameters provided as input, any of the parameters calculated during the simulation, or any parameters representative of the performance of the selected drill bit drilling through the selected earth formation. In addition to the graphical displays discussed above, other examples of graphical displays generated by one implementation of a simulation program in accordance with an embodiment of the invention are shown in
A visual display of the force on each of the cutters is shown in closer detail in
Examples of geometric models of a fixed cutter drill bit generated in one implementation of the invention are shown in
Examples of output data converted to visual representations for an embodiment of the invention are provided in
Other exemplary embodiments of the invention include graphically displaying of the modeling or the simulating of the performance of the fixed cutter drill bit, the performance of the cutters or performance characteristics of the fixed cutter drill bit drilling in an earth formation. The graphically displaying of the drilling performance may be further enhanced by also displaying input parameters.
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
According to one alternative embodiment,
Other exemplary embodiments of the invention include simulating the fixed cutter drill bit drilling in an earth formation, graphically displaying of at least a portion of the simulating, adjusting a value of at least one design parameter for the fixed cutter drill bit according to the graphical display; and repeating the simulating, displaying and adjusting to change a simulated performance of the fixed cutter drill bit at least one fixed cutter drill bit design parameter. Repeating the simulating and adjusting can be used to optimize a performance characteristic.
According to another embodiment, graphically displaying at least one fixed cutter drill bit design parameter may be usefully included in the design of the fixed cutter drill bit. For example, at least one of the drill bit design parameters may be selected from a group of such parameters including number of cutters, bit cutting profile, position of cutters on drill bit blades, bit axis offset of the cutter, bit diameter, cutter radius on bit, cutter vertical height on bit, cutter inclination angle on bit, cutter body shape, cutter size, cutter height, cutter diameter, cutter orientation, cutter back rake angle, cutter side rake angle, working surface shape, working surface orientation, bevel size, bevel shape, bevel orientation, cutter hardness, PDC table thickness, and cutter wear model. A graphical display of one or more of these parameters has been found to facilitate the design process.
According to another embodiment, simulating one or more performance characteristics at a plurality of increments of simulated fixed cutter drill bit rotation, can be usefully included in the design method.
As described herein, the simulating may also usefully include selecting one or more parameters affecting drilling performance from the group consisting of control model type parameters, drill string design parameters, drill bit design parameters, earth formation parameters, drill bit/formation interface configuration parameters, and drilling operating parameters. This gives the design engineer numerous options for controlling and facilitating the design.
In one embodiment has been found to be useful to select for simulating, a control model type parameters from a group consisting of cutter/formation control model, weight on bit (WOB) control model, and rate of penetration control (ROP) control model, constrained centerline model, and dynamic model. This gives the design engineer numerous options for controlling and facilitating the design.
In an embodiment it has been found to be useful to select for simulating at least one drill string design parameter from a group consisting of number of components, type of components, material of components, length, strength and elasticity of components, O.D. of components, I.D. of components, nodal division of components, type of down hole assembly, length, strength, elasticity, density, density in mud, O.D. and I.D. of down hole assembly, hook load, drill bit type, drill bit design parameters, length, diameter, strength, elasticity, O.D., I.D. and wear model of drill bit, number of blades, orientation of blades, shape, size strength, elasticity, OD, ID and wear model of blades. This gives the design engineer numerous options for controlling and facilitating the design. A graphically displaying of one or more of these parameters to a design engineer has been found to facilitate the design process.
In one embodiment it has been found to be useful to select for simulating, at least one earth formation parameter from a group consisting of formation layer type, formation mechanical strength, formation density, formation wear characteristics, formation non-homogeneity, formation strength, anisotropic orientation, borehole diameter, empirical test data for earth formation type, multiple layer formation interfaces, formation layer depth, formation layer interface dip angle, formation layer interface strike angle, and empirical test data for multiple layer interface
In one embodiment it has been found to be useful to select for simulating, at least one drilling operation parameter from a group consisting of consisting of weight on bit, bit torque, rate of penetration, rotary speed, rotating time, wear flat area, hole diameter, mud type, mud density, vertical drilling, drilling tilt angle, platform/table rotation, directional drilling, down hole motor rotation, bent drill string rotation, and side load.
In one embodiment it has been found to be useful to select for simulating, graphically displaying at least one of the group consisting of bottom hole pattern, forces on bit, torque, weight on bit, imbalanced force components, total imbalanced force on bit, vector angle of total imbalanced force on bit, imbalance of forces on blade, forces on blades, radial force, circumferential force, axial force, total force on blade, vector angle of total force, imbalance of forces on blade, forces on cutters, cutter forces defined in a selected Cartesian coordinate system, radial cutter force, circumferential cutter force, axial cutter force, an angle (Beta) between the radial force component and the circumferential force component of total imbalance force, total force on cutter, vector angle of total force, imbalance of forces on cutter, back rake angle of cutter against the formation, side rake angle, cut shape on cutters, wear on cutters, and contact of bit body with formation, impact force, restitution force, location of contact on bit or drill string, and orientation of impact force.
In one embodiment it has been found to be useful for simulating to include determining one or more from the group consisting of bottom hole pattern, forces on bit, torque, weight on bit, imbalanced force components in a selected Cartesian coordinate system, total imbalanced force on bit, vector angle of total imbalanced force on bit, imbalance of forces on blade, forces on blades, forces defined in a selected Cartesian coordinate system, total force on blade, vector angle of total force on blade, imbalance of forces on blade, forces on cutters, forces on the cutter defined in a selected Cartesian coordinate system, normal cutter force (Fn), cutting force (Fc), side force (Fs), total force on cutter (Ft), vector angle of total force, imbalance of forces on cutter, back rake angle of cutter against the formation, side rake angle, cut shape on cutters, wear on cutters, and contact of bit body with formation, impact force, restitution force, location of contact on bit or drill string, and orientation of impact force.
A fixed cutter drill bit designed by the methods of one or more of the various embodiments of the invention has been found to be useful.
It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments of graphically displaying, the types of visual representations, or the type of display. The parameters of the displays for the various embodiments are exemplary and for purposes of illustrating certain aspects of the invention. The means used for visually displaying aspects of simulated drilling is a matter of convenience for the system designer, and is not intended to limit the invention.
In another aspect of one or more embodiments, the invention provides a method for designing a fixed cutter bit. A flow chart for a method in accordance with this aspect is shown in
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,
A set of bit design parameters may be determined to be a desired set when the drilling performance determined for the bit is selected as acceptable. In one implementation, the drilling performance may be determined to be acceptable when the calculated imbalance force on a bit during drilling is less than or equal to a selected amount.
Embodiments of the invention similar to the method shown in
In alternative embodiments, the method for designing a fixed cutter drill bit may include repeating the adjusting of at last one drilling parameter and the repeating of the simulating the bit drilling a specified number of times or, until terminated by instruction from the user. In these cases, repeating the “design loop” 160 (i.e., the adjusting the bit design and the simulating the bit drilling) described above can result in a library of stored output information which can be used to analyze the drilling performance of multiple bits designs in drilling earth formations and a desired bit design can be selected from the designs simulated.
In one or more embodiments in accordance with the method shown in
An optimal set of bit design parameters may be defined as a set of bit design parameters which produces a desired degree of improvement in drilling performance, in terms of rate of penetration, cutter wear, optimal axial force distribution between blades, between individual cutters, and/or optimal lateral forces distribution on the bit. For example, in one case, a design for a bit may be considered optimized when the resulting lateral force on the bit is substantially zero or less than 1% of the weight on bit.
To design a fixed cutter bit with respect to wear of the cutter and/or bit, the wear modeling described above may be used to select and design cutting elements. Cutting element material, geometry, and placement may be iteratively varied to provide a design that wears acceptably and that compensates, for example, for cutting element wear or breakage. For example, iterative testing may be performed using different cutting element materials at different locations (e.g., on different surfaces) on selected cutting elements. Some cutting elements surfaces may be, for example, tungsten carbide, while other surfaces may include, for example, overlays of other materials such as polycrystalline diamond. For example, a protective coating may be applied to a cutting surface to, for example, reduce wear. The protective coating may comprise, for example, a polycrystalline diamond overlay over a base cutting element material that comprises tungsten carbide.
Material selection may also be based on an analysis of a force distribution (or wear) over a selected cutting element, where areas that experience the highest forces or perform the most work (e.g., areas that experience the greatest wear) are coated with hardfacing materials or are formed of wear-resistant materials.
Additionally, an analysis of the force distribution over the surface of cutting elements may be used to design a bit that minimizes cutting element wear or breakage. For example, cutting elements that experience high forces and that have relatively short scraping distances when in contact with the formation may be more likely to break. Therefore, the simulation procedure may be used to perform an analysis of cutting element loading to identify selected cutting elements that are subject to, for example, the highest axial forces. The analysis may then be used in an examination of the cutting elements to determine which of the cutting elements have the greatest likelihood of breakage. Once these cutting elements have been identified, further measures may be implemented to design the drill bit so that, for example, forces on the at-risk cutting elements are reduced and redistributed among a larger number of cutting elements.
Further, heat checking on gage cutting elements, heel row inserts, and other cutting elements may increase the likelihood of breakage. For example, cutting elements and inserts on the gage row and heel row typically contact walls of a wellbore more frequently than other cutting elements. These cutting elements generally have longer scraping distances along the walls of the wellbore that produce increased sliding friction and, as a result, increased frictional heat. As the frictional heat (and, as a result, the temperature of the cutting elements) increases because of the increased frictional work performed, the cutting elements may become brittle and more likely to break. For example, assuming that the cutting elements comprise tungsten carbide particles suspended in a cobalt matrix, the increased frictional heat tends to leach (e.g., remove or dissipate) the cobalt matrix. As a result, the remaining tungsten carbide particles have substantially less interstitial support and are more likely to flake off of the cutting element in small pieces or to break along interstitial boundaries.
The simulation procedure may be used to calculate forces acting on each cutting element and to further calculate force distribution over the surface of an individual cutting element. Iterative design may be used to, for example, reposition selected cutting elements, reshape selected cutting elements, or modify the material composition of selected cutting elements (e.g., cutting elements at different locations on the drill bit) to minimize wear and breakage. These modifications may include, for example, changing cutting element spacing, adding or removing cutting elements, changing cutting element surface geometries, and changing base materials or adding hardfacing materials to cutting elements, among other modifications.
Further, several materials with similar rates of wear but different strengths (where strength, in this case, may be defined by factors such as fracture toughness, compressive strength, hardness, etc.) may be used on different cutting elements on a selected drill bit based upon both wear and breakage analyses. Cutting element positioning and material selection may also be modified to compensate for and help prevent heat checking.
Referring again to
In one or more other embodiments, instead of adjusting bit design parameters, the method may be modified to adjust selected drilling parameters and consider their effect on the drilling performance of a selected bit design, as illustrated in
As set forth above, one or more embodiments of the invention can be used as a design tool to optimize the performance of fixed cutter bits drilling earth formations. One or more embodiments of the invention may also enable the analysis of drilling characteristics for proposed bit designs prior to the manufacturing of bits, thus, minimizing or eliminating the expensive of trial and error designs of bit configurations. Further, the invention permits studying the effect of bit design parameter changes on the drilling characteristics of a bit and can be used to identify bit design which exhibit desired drilling characteristics. Further, use of one or more embodiments of the invention may lead to more efficient designing of fixed cutter drill bits having enhanced performance characteristics.
In another aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention, a method for optimizing drilling parameters of a fixed cutter bit is provided. Referring to
Methods in accordance with the above aspect can be used to analyze relationships between drilling parameters and drilling performance for a given bit design. This method can also be used to optimize the drilling performance of a selected fixed cutter bit design.
Methods for modeling fixed cutter bits based on cutter/formation interaction data derived from laboratory tests conducted using the same or similar cutters on the same or similar formations may advantageously enable the more accurate prediction of the drilling characteristics for proposed bit designs. These methods may also enable optimization of fixed cutter bit designs and drilling parameters, and the production of new bit designs which exhibit more desirable drilling characteristics and longevity.
In one or more embodiments in accordance with the invention may comprise a program developed to allow a user to simulate the response of a fixed cutter bit drilling earth formations and switch back and forth between modeling drilling based on ROP control or WOB control. One or more embodiments in accordance with the invention include a computer program that uses a unique models developed for selected cutter/formation pairs to generate data used to model the interaction between different cutter/formation pairs during drilling.
As used herein, the term cutter orientation refers to at least the back rake angle, and/or the side rake angle of a cutter.
The invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing description is only an example of embodiments of the invention, and that other embodiments of the invention can be devised which do not depart from the spirit of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited in scope only by the attached claims.
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