Fit-for-Purpose Modeling for Automation of Underbalanced Drilling Operations

Abstract

Abstract Automation has the potential to improve efficiency, precision, and safety of pressure and flow control during underbalanced drilling (UBD). In addition, advanced estimation theory can be used to extract more information from existing measurements to increase knowledge of the downhole conditions during operation. An essential part of an advanced (model based) pressure control system is the hydraulic model. Even with high-bandwidth distributed downhole measurements, a calibrated hydraulic model is required to ensure robustness, e.g. to sensor loss, and obtain real time estimates of unmeasured quantities and reservoir characteristics. In UBD operations, in contrast to Managed-Pressure-Drilling (MPD) operations, the flow in the annulus is inherently a multiphase gas liquid flow, which severely complicates the modelling. Much effort has been put into developing multiphase flow models, however, to date; most of these are very complex, requires extensive configuration and are not well suited for real-time applications. Consequently, a major gap with respect to automation of UBD is the lack of a fit-for-purpose model capable of reproducing the main dynamics of the multiphase flow in the annulus, while being sufficiently robust and suitable for real-time applications. In this work, we present recent advances on the development of a simplified fit-for-purpose model of the distributed gas-liquid dynamics, suited for advanced control of UBD operations. Using an automated calibration procedure, the model is shown to retain accuracy in a realistic case study. It is also shown that its reduced complexity enables real time coupling with measurements to obtain estimates of unmeasured quantities such as gas distribution and perform reservoir characterization.