Real-Time Drilling Fluid Monitoring and Analysis - Adding to Integrated Drilling Operations

Abstract

Health and safety concerns and technically challenging wells in the North Sea have created a clear and present requirement for robust systems for automated, real-time measurement of key drilling fluid parameters. This paper discusses a suite of discrete sensor packages that has been developed, successfully yard-tested, and deployed in different configurations on three critical wells in the Norwegian sector. They replace manual measurements that have been in use of over 60 years. Specific parameters addressed by this suite include density, temperature, electrical stability and water content in oil-based fluids, elemental analyses, solid content, particle-size distribution, and multi-temperature rheological properties.Industry has long recognized the value of automated drilling fluid measurements for reducing personnel on board and isolating remaining personnel from potentially hazardous areas, mitigating non-productive time, rapidly diagnosing problems, providing necessary input to various drilling automation processes, optimizing fluid performance, and sharing real-time data with remote operating centers. Successful implementation had been plagued by the lack of suitable sensors and efficient means to transfer and interpret the data. Business issues also had been of concern, but fortunately most of these are steadily being defused.This paper describes each of the sensor packages, including the design, method of operation, accuracy, reliability, interpretation, and means of data transmission. Two sensors in the suite that have been previously available are included for completeness. The authors present sample yard and/or field data, demonstrating typical results as well as suggesting how these results could be leveraged for maximum benefit.

Towards Closing the Loop on Drilling Fluid Management Control

“…Successful development and application of such technology in today's mixing facilities will be a great improvement, as all of these measurements are manual with limited frequency -normally every few hours. Applications and benefits of such measurement systems in drilling operations are described in (Kageson-Loe et al, 2007;Ronaes et al, 2012), Access to reliable continuous measurements is of great benefit to the mud engineer, as this increase in information will help improve the decision process.…”

Drilling Systems Automation: Current State, Initiatives and Potential Impact

“…Very high quality downhole instrumentation and measurement systems (such as in rotary-steerable-systems) are connected by a digital backbone that extends a communication network from the drill bit to an engineer's desk in an onshore office (Pink et al 2012). While surface instrumentation has lagged in development, automation quality sensors are available (Florence and Iversen 2010;Ronaes et al 2012). Software models are being developed and tested that provide monitoring and prediction capability in real-time, as the well is drilled (Dashevskiy et al 2003;Rommetveit et al 2004;Iversen et al 2006;Cayeux and Daireaux 2009;Cayeux et al 2011;Wong et al 2013;among others).…”

“…Most sensors have been adapted from those developed in other industries; some are quite sophisticated and require considerable computer modeling for interpretation. The sensors include x-ray fluorescence for elemental analyses to replace conventional titrations and retort testing, solids content, electrical stability and water content of oil-based fluids, and focused-beam reflectance measurements for particle-size distribution (Ronaes et al 2012). The latter is for optimizing wellbore strengthening efforts.…”

Drilling-Systems Automation: Current State, Initiatives, and Potential Impact

“…Very high-quality downhole instrumentation and measurement systems (such as in rotary-steerable systems) are connected by a digital backbone that extends a communication network from the drill bit to an engineer's desk in an onshore office (Pink et al 2012). Even though surface instrumentation has lagged in development, automationquality sensors are available (Florence and Iversen 2010;Ronaes et al 2012). Software models are being developed and tested that provide monitoring and prediction capability in real time as the well is drilled (Dashevskiy et al 2003;Rommetveit et al 2004;Iversen et al 2006;Cayeux and Daireaux 2009;Cayeux et al 2011;Wong et al 2013;among others).…”

“…Most sensors have been adapted from those developed in other industries; some are quite sophisticated and require considerable computer modeling for interpretation. The sensors include X-ray fluorescence for elemental analyses to replace conventional titrations and retort testing, solids content, electrical stability and water content of oil-based fluids, and focused-beam reflectance measurements for particle-size distribution (Ronaes et al 2012). The latter is for optimizing wellborestrengthening efforts.…”