Wellbore steering based on rock stress direction
US8567526B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 8, 2009 |
| Grant date | Oct 29, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 25, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V11/005
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of steering a drilling operation of a well using rock stress measurements. The method includes obtaining well data from at least one logging while drilling tool in the well, where the well data includes stress direction information, generating, using a central processing unit (CPU), a well trajectory using survey data from the well, where the well trajectory includes a borehole direction, determining, using the CPU, a direction of minimum horizontal stress using the well data, and comparing, using the CPU, the direction of minimum horizontal stress to the borehole direction to determine that a directional criteria is not satisfied. The method further includes in response to determining that the directional criteria is not satisfied, generating an updated well trajectory that satisfies the directional criteria and adjusting the drilling operation using the updated well trajectory.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.