Generating drilling paths using a drill model

Abstract

A method of modeling a wellbore path in an earth model, including receiving, from an electronic drilling recorder coupled to a bottom hole assembly (BHA), a set of BHA data, and a set of operating parameters data and receiving, a set of rock formation data; generating, a representation of a wellbore path in a first section of the earth model, by assessing the set of BHA data, the set of operating parameters data, the set of rock formation data, and a first set of parameters quantifying bit steerability, walk, coefficient of friction, and overgauge borehole information. The method includes modifying, based on data received from a survey corresponding to the first section of the earth model, the first set of parameters to generate a second set of parameters, and generating a future wellbore path in a second section of the earth model by applying the second set of parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of modeling a wellbore path, the method comprising:
 generating, by a computer system, a representation of a first portion of a wellbore path responsive to a first set of parameters and one or more of:
 bottom hole assembly (BHA) data; 
 operating parameters data; or 
 rock formation data; 
   generating, by the computer system, responsive to data received from a survey corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path for the first set of parameters, a second set of parameters; and   generating, by the computer system, a representation of a second portion of the wellbore path responsive to the second set of parameters.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of parameters comprises one or more of:
 quantifying bit steerability;   walk;   a coefficient of friction; or   overgauge borehole information.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path further comprises:
 generating a reconstructed trajectory of the wellbore path based on a calculated build up rate (BUR) and calculated turn rate (TR) of a drill string; and   generating a reconstructed actual trajectory of the wellbore path based on an actual BUR and actual TR of the drill string.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 generating the reconstructed trajectory of the wellbore path further comprises calculating the calculated BUR and calculated TR based on the first set of parameters; and   generating the reconstructed actual trajectory of the wellbore path further comprises:   receiving actual BUR and actual TR corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path;   calibrating the first set of parameters based on the actual BUR and the actual TR to generate the second set of parameters; and   modifying a predicted trajectory based on the second set of parameters to generate the actual trajectory.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein generating the reconstructed actual trajectory of the wellbore path further comprises:
 calculating a sag correction; and   applying the sag correction to the representation of the wellbore path; and   generating a calibrated wellbore path in response to applying the sag correction.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path further comprises:
 receiving actual build up rate (BUR) and actual turn rate (TR) corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path;   calibrating the first set of parameters based on the actual BUR and the actual TR to generate the second set of parameters; and   generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path based on the second set of parameters.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path further comprises:
 receiving measured depth, inclination, and azimuth data from a survey, corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path;   receiving, from an acoustic logger, actual rock formation data corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path;   calibrating the second set of parameters based on the actual rock formation data to generate a third set of parameters; and   generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path based on the third set of parameters.   
     
     
         8 . A drilling system comprising:
 a computer system comprising a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:   generate a representation of a first portion of a wellbore path responsive to a first set of parameters and one or more of:   bottom hole assembly (BHA) data received from the BHA;   operating parameters data; or   rock formation data;   generate, responsive to data received from a survey corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path for the first set of parameters, a second set of parameters; and   generate, responsive to the second set of parameters, a representation of a second portion of the wellbore path.   
     
     
         9 . The drilling system of  claim 8 , wherein the first set of parameters comprises one or more of:
 quantifying bit steerability;   walk;   a coefficient of friction; or   overgauge borehole information.   
     
     
         10 . The drilling system of  claim 8 , wherein the program for generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path further causes the processor to:
 modify, based on data received from the survey, the first set of parameters to generate the second set of parameters; and   generating the actual trajectory of the wellbore path in the first portion of the wellbore path by applying the second set of parameters.   
     
     
         11 . The drilling system of  claim 10 , wherein the program further causes the processor to:
 receive, from an acoustic logger, actual rock formation data corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path;   determine that a difference between the rock formation data and the actual rock formation data is above a predetermined threshold;   calibrate the second set of parameters based on the actual rock formation data to generate a third set of parameters; and   generate the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path by applying the third set of parameters.   
     
     
         12 . The drilling system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a display device coupled to the computer system; and 
 wherein the program further causes the processor to render for display on the display device, the actual trajectory of the first portion of the wellbore path and the second portion of the wellbore path. 
 
     
     
         13 . The drilling system of  claim 8 , wherein the program for generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path further causes the processor to:
 calibrate the first set of parameters based on an actual build up rate (BUR) and turn rate (TR) to generate a second set of parameters;   calculate a sag correction; and   apply the sag correction and second set of parameters to the representation of the wellbore path to generate a calibrated wellbore path.   
     
     
         14 . The drilling system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a display device coupled to the computer system,   wherein the program further causes the processor to render for display on the display device, the calibrated wellbore path.   
     
     
         15 . The drilling system of  claim 13 , wherein the program further causes the processor to:
 generate a second portion of the wellbore path by applying the second set of parameters.   
     
     
         16 . A directional drilling system configured to steer a bottom hole assembly (BHA) comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:   generate a representation of a first portion of a wellbore path responsive to a first set of parameters and one or more of:   bottom hole assembly (BHA) data received from the BHA;   operating parameters data; or   rock formation data;   generate, responsive to data received from a survey corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path for the first set of parameters, a second set of parameters; and   generate, responsive to the second set of parameters, a representation of a second portion of the wellbore path.   
     
     
         17 . The directional drilling system of  claim 16 , wherein the first set of parameters comprises one or more of:
 quantifying bit steerability;   walk;   a coefficient of friction; or   overgauge borehole information.   
     
     
         18 . The directional drilling system of  claim 17 , wherein responsive to the processor generating the representation of the second portion of the wellbore path, the program further causes the processor to:
 generate a reconstructed trajectory of the wellbore path based on a calculated build up rate (BUR), a calculated turn rate (TR) of a drill string; and the first set of parameters;   receive actual BUR and actual TR corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path;   calibrate the first set of parameters based on the actual BUR and the actual TR; and   modify the reconstructed trajectory of the wellbore path based on the second set of parameters to generate an actual trajectory.   
     
     
         19 . The directional drilling system of  claim 18 , wherein responsive to the processor generating a second portion of the wellbore path, the program further causes the processor to:
 receive, from an acoustic logger, actual rock formation data corresponding to the first portion of the wellbore path;   determine that a difference between the rock formation data and the actual rock formation is above a predetermined threshold;   calibrate the second set of parameters based on the actual rock formation data to generate a third set of parameters; and   generate a second portion of the wellbore path based on the third set of parameters.   
     
     
         20 . The directional drilling system of  claim 18 , wherein responsive to the processor generating the reconstructed trajectory of the wellbore path, the program further causes the processor to:
 calculate a sag correction;   apply the sag correction to the representation of the wellbore path; and   generate a calibrated wellbore path in response to applying the sag correction.