Method and apparatus for detecting impending sticking of a drillstring
US5448911A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 18, 1993 |
| Grant date | Sep 12, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 18, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B44/00
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for determining that a drillstring in a wellbore is susceptible to sticking against a wellbore surface. When characterized as a method, the method steps include (1) monitoring a vibration characteristic of the drillstring during drilling operations, and (2) comparing the vibration characteristic with at least one prior vibration characteristic to identify impending sticking. In the preferred embodiment, vibration amplitude is monitored to detect amplitude diminishment which is indicative of impending pipe sticking. Preferably, vibration data is subjected to a stabilizing signal processing operation which minimizes the adverse impact of noise and normalizes the data to facilitate comparison with prior time periods. Preferably, the data is presented and displayed in a time-domain format to allow visual comparison over a selected time interval.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.