Machine and Process Automation are Improving Personnel Safety and Drilling Performance

Abstract

Abstract The industries’ number one priority is ensuring everyone goes back home in the same condition they came to work. With that guiding principal in mind, how could a drilling contractor work to substantially reduce our crews health, safety, and environment (HSE) exposure? Engineer solutions that take them off the most dangerous place on a drilling rig. Traditional drilling processes require personnel to manually handle tubulars while making connections, building stands, or racking back pipe. This requires personnel to perform strenuous tasks in dangerous areas. These areas often require personnel to work near moving machinery. Manual operations often lead to high degrees of variability in performance based on rig crew experience and familiarity of the operations. Development of a fully automated rig required overcoming many challenges to process tubulars from the ground to well center. New machines were designed to meet the automation requirements. The ground handling system was designed to clean, dope, and measure pipe. The robotic pipe handler was designed to handle retrieving tubulars from the ground handling system, deliver to well center and spin in the connection. The automated floor wrench is responsible for making up connections. The rack and pinion hoisting system was designed to handle the drill string with precision and eliminate the need to slip and cut drill line. To achieve the desired automated tripping and drilling process automation, a rig operating system with sequencing functionality, tubular management, and zone management was required. The rig operating system integrates the different machines and manages the necessary protections at the machine layer. The sequencing layer is responsible for coordinating the process automation at the appropriate set points for rotary drilling, slide drilling, tripping, and casing connections. The robotic rig has currently completed 9 wells and has continuously improved since the start of drilling in August. The drilling connection times have improved by 28% and the rig became the third fastest across the fleet. Additionally, the rig has improved its casing running performance by approximately 43% and is now within a few joints of other top performing rigs in the fleet. Fully automated control of these processes guarantees consistent and repeatable performance across the wells drilled. This is all being done without the need to have personnel handling tubulars in the mast or on the rig floor. The success of this first of its kind robotic rig can be attributed to partnerships with the operator, the drilling operations team, the rig engineering team and the controls and automation team. The teams collaborate to identify areas for improvement to continuously drive better, safer, and faster drilling.