Method for increasing the efficiency of drilling a wellbore, improving the accuracy of its borehole trajectory and reducing the corresponding computed ellise of uncertainty
US6405808B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jun 18, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B47/022
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A well survey process for combining highly accurate well survey data with lower quality survey data in such manner that survey determination of overall borehole trajectory is improved. The inclination and/or azimuth of the wellbore path at each of the wellbore survey stations is acquired with a MWD tool or other survey instrument maintained stationary within the wellbore. Continuous survey measurements, for inclination and/or azimuth are taken during the drilling process and therefore less accurate due to significant drilling noise. Stationary survey measurement is more accurate but infrequently sampled, while continuous inclination and/or azimuth measurement is less accurate but more frequently sampled. The objective is to augment a conventional minimum radius of curvature approximation of the wellbore trajectory between the survey stations with whatever reliable information can be extracted from the continuous inclination and/or azimuth measurements. The continuous position augmentation of the conventional minimum radius of curvature approximation minimizes wellbore trajectory errors between survey stations and thus enhances the accuracy of the calculated spatial position or traj…
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