US 12,270,294 B2
Adaptive quality control for monitoring wellbore drilling
Marc Ernest Willerth, San Luis Obispo, CA (US); and Stefan Maus, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to MAGNETIC VARIATION SERVICES, LLC, Denver, CO (US)
Filed by Magnetic Variation Services, LLC, Denver, CO (US)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/654,857.
Application 17/654,857 is a continuation of application No. 16/156,982, filed on Oct. 10, 2018, granted, now 11,306,581.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/655,675, filed on Apr. 10, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/570,865, filed on Oct. 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0228476 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. E21B 47/22 (2012.01); E21B 7/04 (2006.01); E21B 44/06 (2006.01); E21B 47/024 (2006.01); E21B 47/04 (2012.01); E21B 47/092 (2012.01); E21B 47/12 (2012.01); G01V 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 47/092 (2020.05) [E21B 7/04 (2013.01); E21B 44/06 (2013.01); E21B 47/024 (2013.01); E21B 47/04 (2013.01); E21B 47/12 (2013.01); G01V 3/00 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for performing adaptive quality control of survey information during drilling of a wellbore, the system comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions executable by the processor for:
receiving a first set of survey data from a set of measurement-while-drilling (MWD) sensors in a first location in a wellbore being drilled, the set of MWD sensors comprising a gravity sensor and a magnetic field sensor, the first set of survey data comprising a first measurement of a gravity vector from the gravity sensor and a second measurement of a magnetic field vector from the magnetic field sensor;
computing one or more error values for the first set of survey data based on the first measurement of the gravity vector, the second measurement of the magnetic field vector, and one or more tool codes associated with the set of MWD sensors;
generating a first quality control threshold associated with the first set of survey data;
determining, based on the one or more error values for the first set of survey data, that the first set of survey data passes the first quality control threshold;
when the first set of survey data passes the first quality control threshold, determining to continue drilling according to a drilling plan;
receiving a second set of survey data from the set of MWD sensors in a second location of the wellbore, wherein the set of MWD sensors reaches the second location after drilling from the first location, the second set of survey data comprising a third measurement of a gravity vector from the gravity sensor and a fourth measurement of a magnetic field vector from the magnetic field sensor;
generating a second quality control threshold for the second set of survey data, wherein the second quality control threshold differs from the first quality control threshold according to the respective locations in the wellbore;
computing one or more error values for the second set of survey data based upon the third measurement of the gravity vector, the fourth measurement of the magnetic field vector, and the one or more tool codes;
determining if the second set of survey data passes the second quality control threshold based at least upon whether the one or more error values for the second set of survey data is consistent with the one or more error values for the first set of survey data;
if the second set of survey data passes the second quality control threshold, determining to continue drilling according to the drilling plan; and
if the second set of survey data fails the second quality control threshold, generating an alarm.