GEOSTEERING TOOL ASSEMBLIES HAVING AUTO NAVIGATION DRILL-CRUISE, BOTTOM HOLE ASSEMBLIES, AND METHODS FOR DOWNHOLE GENERATION OF STEERING COMMANDS

Abstract

A geosteering tool receives sensor data from a data collection tool, generates a steering command based on the sensor data and geosteering logic, and sends the steering command to a directional drilling controller. The geosteering tool, data collection tool, and directional drilling controller each take the form of a respective downhole tool in a downhole tool array. Each of the downhole tools comprises a pair of distal ends, and adjacent downhole tools are adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools. The distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprise a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools, and each downhole tool that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool. Sensor data is received and the steering command is sent via the ring connectors and conductive links.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to geosteering tool assemblies, bottom hole assemblies, and methods carried out by the geosteering tool assemblies and bottom hole assemblies for generating and sending a steering command to a directional drilling controller that is configured to set an orientation of a drill bit. Particularly, the disclosure relates to geosteering tool assemblies having Auto Navigation Drill-Cruise, bottom hole assemblies, and methods for generating the steering command downhole at a geosteering tool assembly in a downhole tool array of a bottom hole assembly, rather than (or in addition to) receiving a steering command from an uphole surface system. The steering command can be sent from the geosteering tool assembly to a directional drilling controller in the downhole tool array, and more specifically, can be sent via one or more electrically conductive ring connectors and electrically conductive links that communicatively connect the downhole tools in the downhole tool array.

BACKGROUND

An approach to facilitating oil or gas production of a well involves drilling the well with a non-vertical trajectory, which in some cases may involve drilling the well with an essentially lateral trajectory in a subsurface petroleum reservoir to increase the drainage area in the reservoir. In such cases, it may be desirable to maintain the drill bit within a target reservoir while drilling. Directional drilling can be utilized to maintain the well trajectory within the target reservoir, and this technique may involve obtaining sensor data from sensors in proximity to the drill bit so as to determine the position and orientation of the drill bit.

Typically, directional drilling of a well is controlled by an operator at the surface. Such control can require communication of sensor data between a surface system and a downhole directional drilling system near the drill bit. However, given the harsh conditions that can be present while drilling, data throughput between the surface system and the directional drilling may be limited, and communication between the surface system and the directional drilling system may require interruption of drilling operations.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a geosteering tool includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising geosteering logic and instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the geosteering tool to receive sensor data from a data collection tool via a communication link, generate a steering command based on the received sensor data and the geosteering logic, and send the generated steering command to a directional drilling controller via the communication link. The directional drilling controller is configured to set an orientation of a drill bit based on the steering command. The geosteering tool, the data collection tool, and the directional drilling controller each take the form of a respective downhole tool in a downhole tool array of a bottom hole assembly that includes the drill bit, the bottom hole assembly being arranged at a downhole end of a drill string. Each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective pair of distal ends, and adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array are adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools. The distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprise a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools, and each downhole tool in the downhole tool array that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool. The communication link comprises the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a bottom hole assembly is arranged at a downhole end of a drill string. The bottom hole assembly comprises a drill bit, a downhole tool array of downhole tools arranged uphole of the drill bit, and a communication link that communicatively connects the downhole tools in a downhole tool array. The downhole tool array comprises a geosteering tool, a data collection tool, and a directional drilling controller. Each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective pair of distal ends, and adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array are adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools. The distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprise a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools, and each downhole tool in the downhole tool array that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool. The communication link comprises the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links. The geosteering tool includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising geosteering logic and instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the geosteering tool to receive sensor data from the data collection tool via the communication link, generate a steering command based on the received sensor data and the geosteering logic, and send the generated steering command to the directional drilling controller via the communication link. The directional drilling controller is configured to set an orientation of the drill bit based on the steering command.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a method carried out by a geosteering tool comprises receiving sensor data from a data collection tool, generating a steering command based on the received sensor data and further based on geosteering logic stored in the geosteering tool, and sending the generated steering command to a directional drilling controller. The geosteering tool, the data collection tool, and the directional drilling controller each take the form of a respective downhole tool in a downhole tool array of a bottom hole assembly that is arranged at a downhole end of a drill string. Each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective pair of distal ends, and adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array are adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools. The distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprise a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools, and each downhole tool in the downhole tool array that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool. The geosteering tool receives the sensor data and sends the generated steering command via a communication link that includes the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosure can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1A depicts a drilling rig, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein;

FIG. 1B depicts a downhole tool array in a bottom hole assembly, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein;

FIG. 1C depicts aspects of downhole tools in a bottom hole assembly, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein;

FIG. 1D depicts a communication link that communicatively connects downhole tools in a bottom hole assembly, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein;

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a geosteering tool, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein; and

FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of a method carried out by a geosteering tool, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The downhole end of a drill string may be equipped with a bottom hole assembly, which can include a drill bit and various downhole tools to facilitate drilling of a well. A technique referred to as mud pulse telemetry may be employed to facilitate communication between a surface system and the downhole tools or to facilitate communication between respective downhole tools in the bottom hole assembly (or both). This technique may involve modifying (if sending communication) or detecting (if receiving communication) the pressure of mud that flows from the surface through the drill string to the drill bit and then back through the drill string to the surface. Communication can be modulated using amplitude pulses and/or frequency pulses in the mud. However, mud pulse telemetry may result in slowing or interrupting drilling operations, as may other forms of communication between a surface system and a bottom hole assembly as described above.

Geosteering tool assemblies having Auto Navigation Drill-Cruise, bottom hole assemblies, and methods for generating the steering command downhole at a geosteering tool assembly in a downhole tool array of a bottom hole assembly are described herein. In some embodiments, a geosteering tool includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising geosteering logic and instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the geosteering tool to receive sensor data from a data collection tool via a communication link, generate a steering command based on the received sensor data and the geosteering logic, and send the generated steering command to a directional drilling controller via the communication link. The directional drilling controller is configured to set an orientation of a drill bit based on the steering command. The geosteering tool, the data collection tool, and the directional drilling controller each take the form of a respective downhole tool in a downhole tool array of a bottom hole assembly that includes the drill bit, the bottom hole assembly being arranged at a downhole end of a drill string. Each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective pair of distal ends, and adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array are adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools. The distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprise a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools, and each downhole tool in the downhole tool array that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool. The communication link comprises the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links. By generating the steering command at the geosteering tool, and by sending the generated steering command via the communication link formed (at least in part) by the ring connectors and conductive links, slowing of the rate of penetration and interruption of the drilling operations may be avoided. Various embodiments of geosteering tool assemblies having Auto Navigation Drill-Cruise, bottom hole assemblies, and methods for generating the steering command downhole at a geosteering tool assembly will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1A depicts a drilling rig 100, and FIG. 1B depicts a downhole tool array 130 in a bottom hole assembly 120, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein. As shown in FIG. 1A, the drilling rig 100 includes a drill string 110 and a surface system 160. The drill string 110 includes bottom hole assembly 120 having downhole tool array 130 and a drill bit 132. The downhole tool array 130 includes two or more downhole tools, and in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1B, the downhole tool array 130 includes a geosteering tool 142, a data collection tool 144, and a directional drilling controller 148.

The geosteering tool 142 (also referred to herein as a geosteering tool assembly) may take the form of any downhole tool capable of performing the geosteering-tool functions (also referred to as Auto Navigation Drill-Cruise functions) described herein. In some embodiments, the geosteering tool 142 is positioned uphole of the other downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130, and in an embodiment, the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 are positioned uphole of the drill bit 132. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1B, the data collection tool 144 and the directional drilling controller 148 may be positioned downhole of the geosteering tool 142 in that order. It should be appreciated, however, that the downhole tools that are downhole of the geosteering tool 142 may be positioned in any other order without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additional details regarding the geosteering tool 142 are provided below.

The data collection tool 144 may be communicatively connected to and/or include one or more sensors that collect various sensor data described herein. As shown, the data collection tool 144 may include a measurement while drilling (MWD) tool 145 and a logging while drilling (LWD) tool 147 configured to collect data according to MWD and LWD techniques, respectively, as known in the art. The sensors may include an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, any other sensor, or a combination of these, as examples. In some embodiments, the data collection tool 144 provides the collected sensor data, other data generated by the data collection tool 144 based on collected sensor data, or both to the surface system 160 and/or one or more other downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the directional drilling controller 148 may take the form of a drilling controller in a directional drilling system 146, which in turn could take the form of a rotary steerable system (RSS) or other directional drilling system capable of setting an orientation of the drill bit 132. For instance, the directional drilling controller 148 may be configured to set an inclination and/or azimuth of the drill bit 132. As shown, the directional drilling system 146 may further include a steering component 149 configured to operate the drill bit 132, and the directional drilling controller 148 may set the orientation of the drill bit 132 via the steering component 149.

In an embodiment, the directional drilling controller 148 is configured to receive a steering command from the surface system 160 or a downhole tool in the downhole tool array 130 (such as the geosteering tool 142), and the directional drilling controller 148 may be configured to set the orientation of the drill bit 132 based on the steering command (for example, in response to receiving the steering command).

In some embodiments, the position of the geosteering tool 142 (e.g., uphole from other downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130) does not increase an offset or distance between the data collection tool 144 and the drill bit 132. Accordingly, sensors of the bottom hole assembly 120 (such as sensors of the data collection tool 144) may remain in proximity to the drill bit 132 and accurately reflect properties of an earth formation near the drill bit 132. In addition, the geosteering tool 142 may be added to the bottom hole assembly 120 that already includes one or more of the described downhole tools without modifying the functionality of the existing downhole tools.

In some embodiments, the downhole tool array 130 (e.g., one or more downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130) are communicatively connected to the surface system 160, which may include one or more components such as one or more computing devices, actuators, etc. for communication with the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130. A given computing device could include a processor, a data storage, a communication, a system bus, or other components that may operate in a manner similar to those discussed below with reference to FIG. 2, and could take the form of (or include) a programmable logic controller (PLC), an electronic control unit (ECU), a server computing device, or a combination of these, among many other possibilities.

To illustrate, the data collection tool 144 may send sensor data or other data to the surface system 160, and the surface system 160 may send one or more steering commands to the directional drilling controller 148. In an embodiment, the downhole tool array 130 and the surface system 160 communicate via mud pulse telemetry described above. Communication can be sent from the surface system 160 to the downhole tool array 130 by modifying the pressure of the mud flowing from the surface to the drill bit 132, and communication can be sent from the downhole tool array 130 to the surface system 160 by modifying the pressure of the mud returning from the drill bit 132 to the surface. In some embodiments, the downhole tool array 130 includes a communication module that facilitates communication between the downhole tool array 130 and the surface system 160 (or between respective downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130). It will be appreciated that other forms of communication between the downhole tool array 130 and the surface system 160 are possible as well without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

It should be understood that the downhole tool array 130 may include different and/or additional downhole tools. In addition, a given downhole tool in the downhole tool array 130 could take the form of (or include) multiple downhole tools, and the functions of two or more downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 could instead be carried out by a single downhole tool. Moreover, the bottom hole assembly 120 may include additional tools that are not in the downhole tool array 130, and any of the additional tools may be positioned uphole or downhole of the downhole tool array 130.

FIG. 1C depicts aspects of the downhole tool array 130 in the bottom hole assembly 120, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein. As shown, the downhole tool array 130 includes a downhole tool 172, a downhole tool 174, and a downhole tool 176. Both the downhole tool 172 and the downhole tool 176 are adjacent to the downhole tool 174. The downhole tools 172, 174, 176 may each take the form of a respective downhole tool disclosed herein such as the geosteering tool 142, the data collection tool 144, and/or the directional drilling controller 148. It should be understood that, even though FIG. 1C depicts three downhole tools, the downhole tool array 130 may include additional and/or fewer downhole tools.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1C, each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 includes a pair of distal ends, and adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 are adjoined at the distal ends, even though the downhole tools are illustrated with gaps between adjacent downhole tools for ease of understanding. In the illustrated embodiment, the downhole tool 172 includes a distal end 181 and an opposite distal end 182, the downhole tool 174 includes a distal end 183 and an opposite distal end 184, and the downhole tool 176 includes a distal end 185 and a distal end 186.

The distal ends 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186 at which adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprise a respective ring connector that electrically couples the downhole tools that are adjoined at the distal ends. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 1C, the distal end 182 (at which the downhole tool 172 is adjoined to the downhole tool 174) includes a ring connector 192, and the distal end 183 (at which the downhole tool 174 is adjoined to the downhole tool 172) includes a ring connector 193. Similarly, the distal end 184 (at which the downhole tool 174 is adjoined to the downhole tool 176) includes a ring connector 194, and the distal end 185 (at which the downhole tool 176 is adjoined to the downhole tool 174) includes a ring connector 195. The ring connectors 192, 193, 194, 195 may include one or more conductive materials such that the respective ring connectors of adjoined downhole tools are in contact and form an electrically-conductive connection between the adjoined downhole tools. In an embodiment, the conductive materials take the form of (or include) copper or a coper alloy material, though it will be appreciated that other materials such as aluminum and/or gold may be used instead of (or in addition) to copper, as examples.

If a respective downhole tool is not adjoined to an adjacent downhole tool at a given distal end of the respective downhole tool, then the given distal end may, but need not, include a ring connector. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1C, the downhole tool 172 is not adjoined to an adjacent downhole tool at the distal end 181, and thus the distal end 181 does not include a ring connector. Similarly, the downhole tool 176 is not adjoined to an adjacent downhole tool at the distal end 186, and thus the distal end 186 does not include a ring connector.

In an embodiment, when a given downhole tool is adjacent to respective downhole tools at both distal ends of the given downhole tools, then the given downhole tool includes a conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors at both distal ends of the given downhole tool. For example, the downhole tool 174 is adjacent to the downhole tool 172 at the distal end 183 and includes the ring connector 193, and is adjacent to the downhole tool 176 at the distal end 184 and includes the ring connector 194. As shown in FIG. 1C, the downhole tool 174 includes conductive link 197 that electrically couples the ring connector 193 and the ring connector 194.

The combination of ring connectors (that electrically couple the respective downhole tools) and the conductive link 197 (that electrically couple the respective ring connectors of the downhole tools) may form a communication link that communicatively connects the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130. For instance, adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 (such as the downhole tool 172 and the downhole tool 174) may communicate via the ring connectors of the distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined. Non-adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 (such as the downhole tool 172 and the downhole tool 176) may communicate via the conductive links that electrically couple ring connectors of other downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 positioned between the non-adjacent downhole tools (in addition to those ring connectors of the downhole tools necessary to establish an electrical connection between the non-adjacent downhole tools).

FIG. 1D depicts a communication link 190 that communicatively connects downhole tools in bottom hole assembly 120, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein. As shown, a communication link 190 communicatively connects the downhole tools 172, 174, 176 in the downhole tool array 130. The communication link 190 may take the form of (or include) the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links that electrically couple the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130, and described above with reference to FIG. 1C.

Though communication between the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 may take the form of electrical signals between the downhole tools, other communication techniques are possible as well. For instance, the downhole tools could communicate via mud pulse telemetry (described above), among other examples. Accordingly, the communication link 190 could take the form of an electrical communication link (e.g., as described above with reference to FIG. 1C), a fluid communication link (e.g., in the case that the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 communicate via mud pulse telemetry), or both, among other possibilities. In an example, the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 communicate using multiple techniques, such as electrical signaling and mud pulse telemetry. According to an embodiment, communication via electrical signals (e.g., over the combination of ring connectors and conductive links) may allow for faster communication compared to mud pulse telemetry, and thus the downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 communicate with other downhole tools in the downhole tool array via electrical signals even if the downhole tools are also configured to communicate via mud pulse telemetry.

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a geosteering tool, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein. As shown, the geosteering tool 142 includes a processor 202, a data storage 204 including instructions 215 and geosteering logic 217, and a communication interface 206, each of which are communicatively connected via a system bus 212.

The processor 202 may take the form of one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors, and may be integrated in whole or in part with the data storage 204, the communication interface 206, and/or any other component of the geosteering tool 142, as examples. Accordingly, the processor 202 may take the form of or include a controller, an integrated circuit, a microchip, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a system on a chip (SoC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), among other possibilities.

The data storage 204 may take the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as a hard drive, a solid-state drive, an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), a USB storage device, a Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) disk, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), any other non-volatile storage, or any combination of these, to name just a few examples.

The instructions 215 may be stored in the data storage 204, and may include machine-language instructions executable by the processor 202 to cause the geosteering tool 142 to perform the geosteering-tool functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the instructions 215 may include script instructions executable by a script interpreter configured to cause the processor 202 and the geosteering tool 142 to execute the instructions specified in the script instructions. It should be understood that instructions 215 may take other forms as well.

The geosteering logic 217 may include rules, criteria, and/or other logic used by the geosteering tool 142 for performing one or more geosteering-tool functions. For instance, instructions 215 may cause geosteering tool 142 to compare data received from the data collection tool 144 with the geosteering logic 217 stored in the data storage 204, and the instructions 215 may further cause the geosteering tool 142 to send a steering command to the directional drilling controller 148 based on the comparison. Additional details regarding the geosteering logic 217 are provided below.

The communication interface 206 may be any component capable of performing the communication interface functions described herein, including facilitating wired and/or wireless communication between the geosteering tool 142 and another entity. For instance, the communication interface 206 may facilitate electrical and/or fluid communication with other downhole tools in the downhole tool array 130 via the communication link 190. In an embodiment, the communication interface 206 includes a network interface controller that facilitates communication via digital and/or analog electrical signals. In another embodiment, the communication interface 206 includes an actuator or other component that facilitates fluid communication via mud pulse telemetry. In addition, the communication interface 206 may facilitate communication with the surface system 160 (e.g., fluid communication via mud pulse telemetry). Other examples are possible as well.

The system bus 212 may be any component capable of performing the system bus functions described herein. In an embodiment, the system bus 212 is any component configured to transfer data between the processor 202, the data storage 204, the communication interface 206, and/or any other component of the geosteering tool 142. The system bus 212 could include a traditional bus as is known in the art. In other embodiments, the system bus 212 could include one or more of the ring connectors and/or conductive links described herein, alone or in combination with a traditional computer bus, among numerous other possibilities. In some examples, the system bus 212 may be formed from any medium that is capable of transmitting a signal, such as conductive wires, conductive traces, or optical waveguides, among other possibilities. Moreover, the system bus 212 may be formed from a combination of mediums capable of transmitting signals. It will be appreciated that the system bus 212 may take various other forms as well.

It should be understood that the geosteering tool 142 may include different and/or additional components, and some or all of the functions of a given component could instead be carried out by one or more different components. For example, in some embodiments, the geosteering tool 142 includes an additional data storage that stores the geosteering logic 217 separately from instructions 215 in the data storage 204. In some embodiments, the geosteering tool 142 comprises a programmable logic controller (PLC) that includes the processor 202, the data storage 204, the communication interface 206, the system bus 212, or a combination of these. Other examples are possible as well without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of a method 300 carried out by geosteering tool 142, according to one or more embodiments illustrated and described herein. As shown, the method 300 begins at step 302 with the geosteering tool 142 receiving sensor data from the data collection tool 144.

The received sensor data may include, for example, data collected by one or more sensors of the data collection tool 144. As described above, the data collection tool 144 may include an LWD tool, an MWD tool, or both, and the received sensor data may include LWD data (e.g., received from the LWD tool by the geosteering tool 142) and/or MWD data (e.g., received from the MWD tool by the geosteering tool 142). The LWD data may include or reflect formation and rock characteristics, reservoir-related parameters, and other data, as examples. Reservoir-related parameters may include parameters related to shale, sand, carbonate lens, oil-water contact, porosity, permeability, or a combination of these or other reservoir-related parameters, as examples. Formation and rock characteristics may include as an American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity, porosity, neutron density and sonic data. The LWD data can include or reflect look-around and look-ahead information through ultra-deep resistivity, which may be used by the geosteering tool 142 to evaluate formation properties far beyond the wellbore being drilled. In addition, the LWD data can be used to determine a position of the bottom hole assembly 120 within the reservoir. The MWD data may include data reflecting a position and/or orientation of the drill bit 132, among other examples. In some embodiments, the sensor data reflects an inclination or direction of the wellbore, formation properties, proximity of the wellbore to other wells, or a combination of these, among other possibilities. It will be appreciated that the received sensor data, the LWD data, and the MWD data may take other forms as well without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

In an embodiment, the geosteering tool 142 receives the sensor data from the data collection tool 144 via a communication link that includes the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links described above with respect to FIG. 1C and FIG. 1D. In such an embodiment, it may be possible to decrease a delay between sending of the sensor data (by the data collection tool 144) and receiving the sensor data (by the geosteering tool 142) as compared to other techniques.

In another embodiment, the geosteering tool 142 receives the sensor data from the data collection tool 144 via mud pulse telemetry. Mud pulse telemetry functions by modifying the pressure of mud that flows from the surface through the drill string 110 to the drill bit 132 and then back through the drill string 110 to the surface. Data is modulated using amplitude pulses and/or frequency pulses in the mud. Data can be sent downhole to the bottom hole assembly 120 by modifying the pressure of the mud flowing from the surface to the drill bit 132, and data can be sent uphole from the bottom hole assembly 120 by modifying the pressure of the mud returning from the drill bit 132 to the surface. As shown in FIG. 1b, the data collection tool 144 may include a transmitter 151 configured to modulate data using amplitude and/or frequency pulses, and the geosteering tool 142 may include a transceiver 153 configured to demodulate the amplitude and/or frequency pulses to reconstruct the data modulated by the transmitter 151 of the data collection tool 144. Even though a delay between sending and receiving of the sensor data via mud pulse telemetry may be greater than such delay when other communication techniques are employed, mud pulse telemetry provide a fallback in the case that communication via electrical signaling is unavailable. It should be understood that the transmitter 151 could take the form of a transceiver and that the transceiver 153 could instead take the form of a receiver (e.g., without a transmitter). In addition, a given transceiver (such as the transceiver 153) could take the form of a receiver and a transmitter separate from the transceiver. Other examples are possible as well without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

With reference again to FIG. 3, at step 304 of the method 300, the geosteering tool 142 generates a steering command based on the sensor data received at step 302 and the geosteering logic 217 stored in the geosteering tool 142 (e.g., geosteering logic stored in the data storage 204 of the geosteering tool 142). As will be described in additional detail below, the generated steering command is sent to the directional drilling controller 148 so as to set an orientation of the drill bit 132.

In an embodiment, the steering command is generated by the geosteering tool 142 so that a wellbore approaches a target destination (e.g., a target location and/or a target pathway) as the wellbore is dug by the drill bit 132. The target destination may also be referred to colloquially as the “sweet spot,” and in this embodiment, the target destination takes the form of a location (within a reservoir) that satisfies one or more criteria for production (or potential production) by the reservoir. As another possibility, the steering command may be generated by the geosteering tool 142 to maintain the drill bit 132 (and/or the wellbore dug by the drill bit 132) within the boundaries of the reservoir (e.g., to maximize reservoir contact); in an example, generating the steering command at step 304 includes generating a steering command to set the orientation of the drill bit 132 to an orientation that maintains the drill bit 132 within boundaries of a reservoir. Additionally or alternatively, the steering command may be generated to minimize the possibility of the wellbore exiting the reservoir or dropping below fluid contact. In another embodiment, the steering command is generated so that the wellbore does not collide with an existing well in the vicinity of the wellbore. For instance, the steering command may be generated to maintain a threshold distance from an existing well (e.g., a threshold distance between the wellbore and the existing well). It should be understood that other examples are steering commands are possible as well without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

The geosteering logic 217 may include preset logic requirements or limitations, programmed limits, ranges of acceptance, any other logic, or any combination of these, among other examples. As one possibility, the geosteering logic 217 may include criteria that must be satisfied for a given location to qualify as a target destination. As another possibility, the geosteering logic 217 may include a lower limit and/or upper limit of LWD data (e.g., as part of the previously-mentioned criteria). In some embodiments, the geosteering logic 217 includes data regarding existing wells in proximity to the wellbore.

In an embodiment, generating the steering command at step 304 includes performing a comparison of the received sensor data with the geosteering logic 217, and generating the steering command based on the comparison. For instance, the received sensor data may reflect inclination, direction, formation properties, proximity of any other well, or other sensor data. Such received sensor data may be compared with the geosteering logic 217, and the geosteering tool 142 may generate an appropriate steering command based on the comparison.

In some embodiments, geosteering tool 142 performs an analysis of received sensor data to recognize an abnormal change that could indicate presence of metal casing in proximity to the wellbore. In such an embodiment, comparing the received sensor data with the geosteering logic 217 may include comparing this analysis with data in the geosteering logic 217 regarding well paths of existing wells in proximity to the wellbore—e.g., to distinguish between formation layers and metal casings and to determine the existence of another well in proximity to the wellbore. According to an embodiment, the geosteering logic 217 includes path data representing respective paths of one or more wells, and generating the steering command at step 304 includes the geosteering tool 142 performing a comparison of the sensor data (received at step 302) with the path data. In one such embodiment, geosteering tool 142 determines a location of a given well in proximity to the bottom hole assembly 120 based on the comparison, and geosteering tool 142 generates a steering command to set the orientation of the drill bit 132 to an orientation that does not intersect the respective well path of the given well.

As indicated above, the steering command generated at step 304 may take the form of (or include) a command to set an orientation of the drill bit 132. In some embodiments, the geosteering logic 217 includes one or more geosteering requirements, and generating the steering command at step 304 includes generating a steering command that satisfies at least one of the geosteering requirements. For instance, the generated command may represent a command to change a drilling direction of the wellbore, and the changed drilling direction may be a drilling direction such that the wellbore will satisfy a given geosteering requirement—for example, such that the wellbore is directed towards a predicted target destination or that the wellbore remains within given boundaries, as described above. As another possibility, the generated command may represent a command to change a direction, inclination, azimuth, steering forces, etc. of the drill bit 132. Other examples are possible as well. Other examples of generating the steering command are possible as well.

At step 306, the geosteering tool 142 sends the steering command generated at step 304 to the directional drilling controller 148. In an embodiment, the geosteering tool 142 sends the commands to the directional drilling controller 148 via a communication link that includes the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links described above with respect to FIG. 1C and FIG. 1D. In such an embodiment, it may be possible to decrease a delay between sending of the steering command (by the geosteering tool 142) and receiving of the steering command (by the directional drilling controller 148) as compared to other techniques. In another embodiment, the geosteering tool 142 sends the steering command to the directional drilling controller 148 via mud pulse telemetry. The transceiver 153 of the geosteering tool 142 may be configured to modulate data in the manner described above, and as shown in FIG. 1b, the directional drilling controller 148 may include a receiver 155 configured to reconstruct the commands from the mud pulses. Even though a delay between sending and receiving of the steering command may be greater than such delay when other communication techniques are employed, mud pulse telemetry provide a fallback in the case that communication via electrical signaling is unavailable.

Advantageously, the geosteering tool 142 performing the steps of the method 300 may obviate the need to send sensor data or other data uphole to the surface system 160, which can be a slow process and can result in increased drilling costs. Rather, sensor data received from the data collection tool 144 data may be analyzed downhole by the geosteering tool 142, which may generate steering commands based on the sensor data and the geosteering logic 217 stored in the geosteering tool 142 (e.g., geosteering logic stored in a data storage of the geosteering tool 142). The steering commands generated downhole by the geosteering tool 142 may then be sent to the directional drilling controller 148.

It is noted that recitations herein of a component of the present disclosure being “configured” or “programmed” in a particular way, to embody a particular property, or to function in a particular manner, are structural recitations, as opposed to recitations of intended use. More specifically, the references herein to the manner in which a component is “configured” or “programmed” denotes an existing physical condition of the component and, as such, is to be taken as a definite recitation of the structural characteristics of the component.

Having described the subject matter of the present disclosure in detail and by reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is noted that the various details disclosed herein should not be taken to imply that these details relate to elements that are essential components of the various embodiments described herein, even in cases where a particular element is illustrated in each of the drawings that accompany the present description. Further, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, including, but not limited to, embodiments defined in the appended claims. More specifically, although some aspects of the present disclosure are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous, it is contemplated that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these aspects.

It is noted that one or more of the following claims utilize the term “wherein” as a transitional phrase. For the purposes of defining the present invention, it is noted that this term is introduced in the claims as an open-ended transitional phrase that is used to introduce a recitation of a series of characteristics of the structure and should be interpreted in like manner as the more commonly used open-ended preamble term “comprising.”

Claims

1. A geosteering tool including a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising geosteering logic and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the geosteering tool to:

receive sensor data from a data collection tool via a communication link;

generate a steering command based on the received sensor data and the geosteering logic; and

send the generated steering command to a directional drilling controller via the communication link, the directional drilling controller configured to set an orientation of a drill bit based on the steering command,

wherein:

the geosteering tool, the data collection tool, and the directional drilling controller each take the form of a respective downhole tool in a downhole tool array of a bottom hole assembly that includes the drill bit, the bottom hole assembly being arranged at a downhole end of a drill string,

each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective pair of distal ends, adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array being adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools, the distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprising a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools,

each downhole tool in the downhole tool array that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool, and

the communication link comprises the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links.

2. The geosteering tool of claim 1, wherein the geosteering tool is arranged uphole of the other downhole tools in the downhole tool array.

3. The geosteering tool of claim 1, wherein the received sensor data comprises at least one of measurement while drilling (MWD) data and logging while drilling (LWD) data.

4. The geosteering tool of claim 1, wherein the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions that cause the geosteering tool to:

perform a comparison of the received sensor data with the geosteering logic; and

generate the steering command based on the comparison.

5. The geosteering tool of claim 1, wherein:

the geosteering logic comprises one or more geosteering requirements, and

the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions that cause the geosteering tool to generate a steering command that satisfies at least one of the geosteering requirements.

6. The geosteering tool of claim 1, wherein:

the geosteering logic comprises path data representing respective paths of one or more wells, and

the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions that cause the geosteering tool to: perform a comparison of the received sensor data with the path data; determine a location of a given well in proximity to the bottom hole assembly based on the comparison; and generate a steering command to set the orientation of the drill bit to an orientation that does not intersect the respective well path of the given well.

7. The geosteering tool of claim 1, wherein the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions to generate a steering command to set the orientation of the drill bit to an orientation that maintains the drill bit within boundaries of a reservoir.

8. A bottom hole assembly arranged at a downhole end of a drill string, the bottom hole assembly comprising a drill bit, a downhole tool array of downhole tools arranged uphole of the drill bit, and a communication link that communicatively connects the downhole tools in a downhole tool array,

wherein: the downhole tool array comprises a geosteering tool, a data collection tool, and a directional drilling controller, each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective pair of distal ends, adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array being adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools, the distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprising a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools, and each downhole tool in the downhole tool array that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool,

wherein the communication link comprising the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links, and

wherein the geosteering tool includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising geosteering logic and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the geosteering tool to: receive sensor data from the data collection tool via the communication link; generate a steering command based on the received sensor data and the geosteering logic; and send the generated steering command to the directional drilling controller via the communication link, the directional drilling controller configured to set an orientation of the drill bit based on the steering command.

9. The bottom hole assembly of claim 8, wherein the geosteering tool is arranged uphole of the other downhole tools in the downhole tool array.

10. The bottom hole assembly of claim 8, wherein the received sensor data comprises at least one of measurement while drilling (MWD) data and logging while drilling (LWD) data.

11. The bottom hole assembly of claim 8, wherein the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions that cause the geosteering tool to:

perform a comparison of the received sensor data with the geosteering logic; and

generate the steering command based on the comparison.

12. The bottom hole assembly of claim 8, wherein:

the geosteering logic comprises one or more geosteering requirements, and

the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions that cause the geosteering tool to generate a steering command that satisfies at least one of the geosteering requirements.

13. The bottom hole assembly of claim 8, wherein:

the geosteering logic comprises path data representing respective paths of one or more wells, and

the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions that cause the geosteering tool to: perform a comparison of the received sensor data with the path data; determine a location of a given well in proximity to the bottom hole assembly based on the comparison; and generate a steering command to set the orientation of the drill bit to an orientation that does not intersect the respective well path of the given well.

14. The bottom hole assembly of claim 8, wherein the instructions to generate the steering command comprise instructions to generate a steering command to set the orientation of the drill bit to an orientation that maintains the drill bit within boundaries of a reservoir.

15. A method carried out by a geosteering tool, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data from a data collection tool;

generating a steering command based on the received sensor data and further based on geosteering logic stored in the geosteering tool; and

sending the generated steering command to a directional drilling controller,

wherein:

the geosteering tool, the data collection tool, and the directional drilling controller each take the form of a respective downhole tool in a downhole tool array of a bottom hole assembly that is arranged at a downhole end of a drill string,

each of the downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective pair of distal ends, adjacent downhole tools in the downhole tool array being adjoined at respective distal ends of the adjacent downhole tools,

the distal ends at which the adjacent downhole tools are adjoined each comprise a respective ring connector that electrically couples the adjacent downhole tools,

each downhole tool in the downhole tool array that is adjacent to multiple downhole tools in the downhole tool array comprises a respective conductive link that electrically couples the ring connectors of the downhole tool, and

the geosteering tool receives the sensor data and sends the generated steering command via a communication link that includes the respective ring connectors and the respective conductive links.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the geosteering tool is arranged uphole of the other downhole tools in the downhole tool array.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the received sensor data comprises at least one of measurement while drilling (MWD) data and logging while drilling (LWD) data.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the steering command comprises:

performing a comparison of the received sensor data with the geosteering logic; and

generating the steering command based on the comparison.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the geosteering logic comprises one or more geosteering requirements, and

generating the steering command comprises generating a steering command that satisfies at least one of the geosteering requirements.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the geosteering logic comprises path data representing respective paths of one or more wells, and

generating the steering command comprises: performing a comparison of the received sensor data with the path data; determining a location of a given well in proximity to the bottom hole assembly based on the comparison; and generating a steering command to set the orientation of a drill bit of the bottom hole assembly to an orientation that does not intersect the respective well path of the given well.