Rig integrated managed pressure drilling system and method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a managed pressure drilling method and system that accommodates timely and accurate control of surface pressure in order to maintain appropriate wellbore pressure of a well. The system and method can use a minimal set of inputs, such as a measured pressure input, with a control software hierarchy described herein to improve the accuracy of the controlled pressure and automation of drilling rig components over conventional Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) systems. Because the method compensates for the real pressure rate of change using the pressure input, the method and system allow the implementation of MPD techniques in legacy applications and drilling rigs. The system and method can reduce human error and inefficiencies that directly degrade the quality of MPD techniques and improve wellbore drilling and hydrocarbon production performance within the industry.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling operations of a drilling rig through a system, the method comprising:
 acquiring a measured pressure within fluid lines in communication with a wellbore in real time; and   calculating a first magnitude of error between the measured pressure and a target pressure; and   calculating an output value proportional to the first magnitude of error between the measured pressure and the target pressure, the output value being a pressure rate of change target; and   calculating a second magnitude of error between the pressure rate of change target and a pressure rate of change, the pressure rate of change being a difference in the acquired measured pressure and an average of a plurality of prior measured pressures, the difference being divided by an amount of time between the acquired measured pressure and a prior measured pressure; and   calculating a second output value that is a sum of a proportional magnitude of real time error between the pressure rate of change target and the pressure rate of change and a proportional sum of a plurality of prior errors between the pressure rate of change target and the pressure rate of change, the second output value being a position setpoint; and   using the second output value to generate a process signal; and   using the process signal to actuate a pressure control device; and   iterating the process to regulate a pressure within a fluid line in communication with a wellbore.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the pressure control device of the drilling rig with one or more subsystems of the system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling one or more mud pumps of the drilling rig with a first subsystem of the system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising controlling a pressure control device of the drilling rig with a second subsystem of the system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising sending a signal from the second subsystem to the first subsystem to control operation of the mud pumps. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising automatically generating the signal based on a state of the mud pumps and a state of the pressure control device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising controlling the first subsystem and the second subsystem from one human machine interface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising controlling the first subsystem and the second subsystem from separate human machine interfaces. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the first magnitude of error between the measured pressure and the target pressure comprises generating a target pressure based on at least one of a target flow rate and a flow rate feedback. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising generating at least one of the target flow rate and the flow rate feedback based on an RPM feedback of a variable frequency drive of one or more mud pumps of the drilling rig. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising automatically manipulating control of the one or more mud pumps based on calculating a target flow rate, a flow rate feedback, and a target derivative of flow rate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising utilizing a bidirectional communication fault tolerance detection between the first subsystem and the second subsystem. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically configuring position limits of the pressure control device and controlling the pressure control device within the limits, inclusive. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising verifying a position of a pressure control device via a potentiometer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further actuating the pressure control device via a programmed routine when the measured pressure exceeds a pressure threshold. 
     
     
         16 . A system to regulate a pressure within a fluid line in communication with a wellbore, comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense a pressure within fluid lines in communication with a wellbore;   a controller configured to calculate a first magnitude of error between the measured pressure and a target pressure, calculate an output value proportional to the first magnitude of error between the measured pressure and the target pressure, the output value being a pressure rate of change target, calculate a second magnitude of error between the pressure rate of change target and a pressure rate of change, the pressure rate of change being a difference in the acquired measured pressure and an average of a plurality of prior measured pressures, the difference being divided by an amount of time between the acquired measured pressure and a prior measured pressure, calculate a second output value that is a sum of a proportional magnitude of real time error between the pressure rate of change target and the pressure rate of change and a proportional sum of a plurality of prior errors between the pressure rate of change target and the pressure rate of change, the second output value being a position setpoint, use the second output value to generate a process signal, use the process signal to actuate a pressure control device, and iterate the process to regulate a pressure within a fluid line in communication with a wellbore.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises a subsystem configured to control a pressure control device of a drilling rig at the wellbore. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises a first subsystem configured to control one or more mud pumps of a drilling rig at the wellbore. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the system further comprises a second subsystem configured to control a pressure control device of a drilling rig at the wellbore. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the second subsystem is configured to send a signal to the first subsystem to control operation of the mud pumps of a drilling rig. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the signal is automatically generated based on a state of the mud pumps and a state of the pressure control device. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein control of the first subsystem and the second subsystem is executed from one human machine interface. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein control of the first subsystem and the second subsystem is from separate human machine interfaces. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises a subsystem configured to control the pressure control device and one or more mud pumps of the drilling rig at the wellbore. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the target pressure is generated based on at least one of a target flow rate and a flow rate feedback. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the target flow rate and the flow rate feedback comprises a calculation based on an RPM feedback of a variable frequency drive of at least one mud pump. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the control of the one or more mud pumps can be manipulated automatically based on a calculation involving a target flow rate, a flow rate feedback, and a target derivative of flow rate. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the first subsystem and the second subsystem are configured to be use a bidirectional communication fault tolerance detection. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system is configured to automatically configure position limits of the pressure control device and control the pressure control device within the limits, inclusive. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the position of the pressure control device is verified via a potentiometer. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the subsystem is configured to actuate the pressure control device via a programmed routine when the measured pressure exceeds a pressure threshold. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system is located on a drilling rig site. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the system is located on a drilling rig floor of the drilling rig at the wellbore.