Abstract: A method and autodriller for drilling a wellbore with a drill rig by rotating a drillstring and a drill bit with a drill rig drive system; applying an initial weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB; measuring drill rig properties to derive an anticipated drill bit rotation speed; and changing the weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB so that a corresponding change to the downhole weight on the drill bit occurs approximately simultaneously with a change in the anticipated drill bit rotation speed.

Abstract: Changes to the vibrational frequencies of a drill string or BHA are monitored for prognostic health monitoring purposes. When one or more orders of resonance frequencies deviate from a baseline frequency, the magnitude of the deviation, and possibly the rate of deviation, is evaluated. When the deviation exceeds a threshold value, an alert is triggered. The alert may be triggered by downhole processing of the vibration data and conveyed to an operator to allow changes in operational parameters or removal of the component from the wellbore. The alert may instead be triggered by post-run processing of stored and dumped data, that can be used to evaluate whether the tool can be re-run, or whether it should be inspected, repaired, or scrapped.

Abstract: A downhole tool for measuring angular positions at a location within a subterranean borehole. The tool is rotatable around the longitudinal direction of the borehole. The tool includes two or more magnetometers which measure the Earth's magnetic field along respective magnetometer axes. Each magnetometer is arranged such that its measurement includes a component of the Earth's magnetic field normal to the longitudinal direction of the borehole. The magnetometers are further arranged such that these normal components are at an angle to each other around the longitudinal direction. The tool further includes a device which measures the rotational speed of the tool or the time derivative thereof. The tool includes a processor unit that calculates angular positions of the downhole tool around the longitudinal direction relative to the direction of the Earth's magnetic field from the measurements of the Earth's magnetic field and the tool rotational speed or time derivative thereof.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling drill string rotation. The apparatus may be a control system for controlling a driver operable to rotate a drill string to form a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation. The control system may include a first controller operable to control rotation of the driver and a second controller communicatively connected with the first controller. During the drilling operations the first and/or second controller may be operable to generate a rotational speed command based on status information indicative of operational status of the drill string, and thereby cause the driver to rotate the drill string based on the rotational speed command.

Abstract: A method and autodriller for drilling a wellbore with a drill rig by rotating a drillstring and a drill bit with a drill rig drive system; applying an initial weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB; measuring drill rig properties to derive an anticipated drill bit rotation speed; and changing the weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB so that a corresponding change to the downhole weight on the drill bit occurs approximately simultaneously with a change in the anticipated drill bit rotation speed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by one or more processors, in which the instructions cause the one or more processors to determine a threshold value associated with an axial acceleration oscillation amplitude at a drill bit, in which the drill bit is a part of a drilling system. The instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive an operating parameter value of the drilling system, compare the operating parameter value with the threshold value, and adjust an operation of the drilling system in response to comparing the operating parameter value with the threshold value.

Abstract: A method and autodriller for monitoring hookload in a well drilling system that measures raw hookload; determines a velocity of a travelling block; holds the travelling block in a non-lowering state for a first period of time; lowers the travelling block for a second period of time; calculates contribution to hookload of a component linear in the block velocity; calculates contribution to hookload of a component linear in a direction (sign) in the block velocity; and corrects measured raw hookload by the calculated contributions.

Abstract: Pipes, drill strings including pipes, and methods for use on a drilling rig. The method includes obtaining pipe data for individual drill pipes of a drill string, obtaining a well trajectory for a well, obtaining one or more drilling measurements to be used when drilling the well, planning a first drill string based on the pipe data, the well trajectory, and the one or more drilling measurements, predicting an aging of the individual drill pipes in the first drill string while drilling the well using the first drill string, determining that a risk of failure of one or more individual pipes in the first drill string is unacceptable based on the aging of the individual pipes; and planning a second drill string in response to determining that the risk of failure is unacceptable in the first drill string.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods pertaining to a processing system operable to determine a change to an operation of a well construction system based on an indication of a quality of transmitted communication between downhole equipment of the well construction system in a wellbore and surface communication equipment of the well construction system transmitted during the operation, a projected effect of the operation on future communication between the downhole equipment and the surface communication equipment, downhole data related to one or more conditions in the wellbore, or a combination thereof. The processing system is operable to cause the change to the operation of the well construction system to be implemented.

Abstract: A method for changing a set point of a system where period of a dominant resonance of the system is determined, a change profile for the set point change is processed; a time period for the set point change based on the period of the dominant resonance in order to minimize excitation of the dominant resonance is also processed; and the set point change is actioned according to the processed change profile and the time period.

Abstract: Pipes, drill strings including pipes, and methods for use on a drilling rig. The method includes obtaining pipe data for individual drill pipes of a drill string, obtaining a well trajectory for a well, obtaining one or more drilling measurements to be used when drilling the well, planning a first drill string based on the pipe data, the well trajectory, and the one or more drilling measurements, predicting an aging of the individual drill pipes in the first drill string while drilling the well using the first drill string, determining that a risk of failure of one or more individual pipes in the first drill string is unacceptable based on the aging of the individual pipes; and planning a second drill string in response to determining that the risk of failure is unacceptable in the first drill string.

Abstract: A method for changing a set point of a system where period of a dominant resonance of the system is determined, a change profile for the set point change is processed; a time period for the set point change based on the period of the dominant resonance in order to minimize excitation of the dominant resonance is also processed; and the set point change is actioned according to the processed change profile and the time period.

Abstract: A downhole tool is provided for measuring accelerations at a location within a subterranean borehole. The tool is rotatable around the longitudinal direction of the borehole. The tool includes four accelerometers, each accelerometer measuring acceleration in a respective direction and being arranged such that at least a component of its measured acceleration is normal to the longitudinal direction. The accelerometers are further arranged such that no more than any two of the four accelerometers have their respective components parallel to the same direction. The tool also includes a first device which measures the rotational speed of the tool. The tool also includes a processor unit which relates the acceleration measured by each accelerometer to the true acceleration at that accelerometer by a respective scaling term and a respective offset, and combines the measured accelerations and the tool rotational speed to re-calibrate the scaling terms as the tool rotates.

Abstract: A method for determining a rotational frequency of a positive displacement motor positioned in a downhole portion of a drill string, the method including: providing at least one measurement device for measuring a property of a part of the drill string; providing a processor for processing a signal output by the at least one measurement device; operating the positive displacement motor whilst the part of the drill string is in a non-driven state; receiving the signal at the processor; determining, using the processor, a frequency spectrum of the signal; and determining the rotational frequency of the positive displacement motor by: identifying a peak in the frequency spectrum in a pre-determined frequency range associated with an expected rotational frequency of the positive displacement motor; and/or identifying a peak in the frequency spectrum having a pre-determined peak width associated with an expected rotational frequency of the positive displacement motor.

Abstract: A method includes creating a digital description of the well construction system, wherein the digital description of the well construction system describes the locational relationship of components in the well construction system, collecting multiple types of data from a well construction system, and tagging the collected data with an identification indicating at least one of a location of a source of collected data and a component in the well construction system from which the data is collected. The multiple types of data include sensor data collected from one or more sensors disposed along the well construction system and operational state data indicating an on/off status of one or more components in the well construction system.

Abstract: A method and autodriller for drilling a wellbore with a drill rig by rotating a drillstring and a drill bit with a drill rig drive system; applying an initial weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB; measuring drill rig properties to derive an anticipated drill bit rotation speed; and changing the weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB so that a corresponding change to the downhole weight on the drill bit occurs approximately simultaneously with a change in the anticipated drill bit rotation speed.

Abstract: A method for detecting an influx and/or loss of circulation in a wellbore, comprising measuring a condition in the wellbore using a downhole sensor; determining that a positive displacement pump is shut off or turned on; predicting pit volume and/or gas concentration at a plurality of time points after the positive displacement pump is shut off or turned on using the measured condition in the wellbore prior to the positive displacement pump is shut off or turned on, wherein the measured condition correlates with the pit volume and/or gas concentration; measuring pit volume and/or gas concentration at the plurality of time points; comparing the predicted and the measured pit volumes and/or gas concentrations at the plurality of time points; and producing a warning signal if the difference between the predicted and the measured pit volumes and/or gas concentrations is greater than a pre determined value.

Abstract: A method and autodriller for monitoring hookload in a well drilling system that measures raw hookload; determines a velocity of a travelling block; holds the travelling block in a non-lowering state for a first period of time; lowers the travelling block for a second period of time; calculates contribution to hookload of a component linear in the block velocity; calculates contribution to hookload of a component linear in a direction (sign) in the block velocity; and corrects measured raw hookload by the calculated contributions.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a mud motor in a wellbore. The method includes running the mud motor into the wellbore. A threshold rate of a pressure increase over time is selected. A rate of a pressure increase over time is measured across the mud motor in the wellbore. A flow rate of a fluid being pumped into the wellbore is varied when the measured rate is greater than or equal to the threshold rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a drilling system by: implementing a network of Level 1 direct control processing systems and Level 2 coordinated control processing systems, wherein the level 1 direct control and Level 2 coordinated control processing systems are communicatively coupled to each other; operating the Level 2 coordinated control processing systems to: receive uphole drill string property measurements from sensors associated with the drill string near the driver, execute a control algorithm based on the received drill string property measurements to generation an actuator command, and transmit the actuator command to the Level 1 direct control processing systems; and operating the Level 1 direct control processing systems to control the driver based on the actuator command.