US 12,442,287 B2
Wellbore friction depth sounding by oscillating a drill string or casing
Stefan Maus, Boulder, CO (US); Zackary Whitlow, Denver, CO (US); and Jin Sun, Denver, CO (US)
Assigned to Magnetic Variation Services, LLC, Denver, CO (US)
Filed by Magnetic Variation Services, LLC, Denver, CO (US)
Filed on Sep. 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/461,414.
Application 18/461,414 is a continuation of application No. 17/340,457, filed on Jun. 7, 2021, granted, now 11,773,711.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/036,573, filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0407739 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 44/04 (2006.01); E21B 47/09 (2012.01); E21B 3/02 (2006.01); E21B 3/025 (2006.01); E21B 7/04 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 44/04 (2013.01) [E21B 47/09 (2013.01); E21B 3/022 (2020.05); E21B 3/025 (2013.01); E21B 7/04 (2013.01); E21B 2200/20 (2020.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drilling system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory comprising instructions configured to cause the drilling system to:
apply oscillatory angular movement at the top of a drill string or a casing;
measure a plurality of torques applied to the drill string at a plurality of times for a plurality of depths of a borehole;
measure a plurality of angular positions of the drill string or the casing at the plurality of times for the plurality of depths of the borehole;
based on the measured plurality of torques and the measured plurality of angular positions, determine a plurality of friction values between the borehole and the drill string or the casing; and
based on the determined plurality of friction values as a function of the respective plurality of depths, alter at least one drilling operation, wherein the instructions configured to cause the drilling system to alter at least one drilling operation comprise instructions configured to cause the drilling system to perform one or more of:
optimizing a toolface control in sliding by adjusting an angular spindle position based on a friction coefficient in the borehole;
identifying an increase in friction during drilling, correlating the increase in friction to a hole cleaning issue, stuck pipe, or tortuosity, and adjusting one or more drilling parameters to mitigate the hole cleaning issue, stuck pipe, or tortuosity;
using the determined plurality of friction values to optimize a weight on bit and a rate of penetration, including increasing a block velocity upon determining an increase in the friction coefficient during drilling; or
using the determined plurality of friction values to apply a modified torque on a bottom hole assembly during rotary drilling, including increasing the block velocity by an amount corresponding to a computed lost torque as a function of the friction coefficient.