Method and apparatus for wellbore pressure control

Abstract

A method includes conducting a downhole operation to access a reservoir, providing a control platform in communication with equipment units from different operational systems affecting bottom hole pressure in the downhole operation, and collecting into the control platform data from multiple operational systems used in the downhole operation. Another method further includes inputting at least one command into a single human-machine interface and sending the at least one command from the human-machine interface to a master controller for implementation of the command(s) through the control platform in order to operate the control platform through the single human-machine interface.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 conducting a downhole operation to access a reservoir;   providing a control platform in communication with equipment units from different operational systems affecting bottom hole pressure in the downhole operation; and   collecting into the control platform data from multiple operational systems used in the downhole operation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the equipment units comprise at least one equipment unit in a managed pressure control system of the downhole operation and at least one equipment unit in a rig control system of the downhole operation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises sensor data collected from one or more sensors used in the downhole operation and operational state data indicating an on/off status of one or more components used in the downhole operation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising collecting data from at least one separate drilling operation conducted to access the reservoir. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending control commands from a master controller in the control platform to at least one of the equipment units to alter or maintain the bottom hole pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising operating the control platform through a single human-machine interface, the human-machine interface being in communication with the master controller, wherein operating comprises:
 inputting at least one command into the human-machine interface;   sending the at least one command from the human-machine interface to the master controller; and   displaying information from at least one of the operational systems on the human-machine interface.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 providing an automation planner in the control platform, where the automation planner has access to data related to the downhole operation;   creating an equipment operation sequence using the automation planner based on one or more drilling objectives, the equipment operation sequence comprising a series of commands to operate one or more of the equipment units; and   issuing the equipment operation sequence to the master controller.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the data related to the downhole operation is selected from at least one of data from the downhole operation, data collected from at least one separate drilling operation conducted to access the reservoir, and data collected at surface level above the reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the automation planner generates a prediction of potential changes in the bottom hole pressure in the downhole operation based on the data related to the downhole operation, and wherein the equipment operation sequence is further based on the prediction of potential changes in the bottom hole pressure. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 conducting a downhole operation to access a reservoir;   collecting data from multiple operational systems used in the downhole operation;   determining an equipment operation sequence to maintain a targeted bottom hole pressure for the downhole operation based on the data;   using a master controller to access real-time control functions of equipment units from different operational systems in the downhole operation; and   executing the equipment operation sequence using the master controller, the equipment operation sequence comprising a series of commands to operate one or more of the equipment units.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising predicting potential changes in bottom hole pressure in the downhole operation based on the data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising collecting data from at least one separate drilling operation conducted to access the reservoir. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the data comprises data inputted through a human-machine interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the inputted data comprises an operator command to operate one or more of the equipment units, wherein the operator command is routed through the master controller before being sent to the control function of the one or more equipment units. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the operational systems are in communication through a control platform, the control platform comprising a communication data bus linking the master controller with the operational systems. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining the equipment operation sequence comprises:
 accessing the data with an automation planner, the automation planner comprising instructions to identify and analyze the data; and   generating the equipment operation sequence from the automation planner based on the data;   wherein the equipment operation sequence generated from the automation planner is issued to the master controller for execution of the commands.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein one or more of the commands of the equipment operation sequence is inputted by an operator. 
     
     
         18 . A drilling system, comprising:
 multiple operational systems, each operational system comprising equipment units designed to perform an operation of a downhole operation;   a control platform in communication with the multiple operational systems; and   a master controller in communication with control functions of the equipment units from different operational systems affecting wellbore pressure in the downhole operation.   
     
     
         19 . The drilling system of  claim 18 , further comprising a single human-machine interface in communication with the master controller. 
     
     
         20 . The drilling system of  claim 18 , wherein the operational systems affecting wellbore pressure comprise a rig control system, a fluid control system and a managed pressure control system.