Maximizing the Value of Downhole Drilling Data: A Novel Approach to Digital Drilling Data Management and Analytics

Abstract

Abstract Drilling operations generate a wealth of digital data that can be examined to improve efficiencies. Downhole high-frequency accelerometers and gyro sensors have been around for years but were typically used to study single well intervals. Sensor data, matched to surface measurement, is being more routinely captured across multiple wells as costs have decreased. The authors have developed a platform and workflow allowing experts to use the downhole data native resolution easily. The authors will systematically use data analysis to link drilling dynamics and downhole tool function to system design, automated rig processes, and operating parameters. The downhole sensor data, surface drilling data, and other relevant time-based and depth-based data streams must be cleaned, synced, and combined to provide a single source of data. This is not a trivial step due to various data quality issues such as sensor clock resets. The combined data is then loaded into a web-based viewer designed to allow for analysis at the native resolution of each data stream. The operator followed this process on ten wells of a new well design with a larger horizontal hole size to benchmark and improved performance in the horizontal interval. Managing data of this size is not often in the realm of drilling expertise, leading to unusable or lost datasets. Data consistency, timeliness, and accessibility are essential to engineers and analysts but are often lacking. The net result is that engineers can't exploit the full resolution downhole sensor data, often causing analyses to end up with few answers. Many drilling phenomena like micro-stalling of the motor and high-frequency torsional oscillation are only identifiable with high-resolution downhole data. The operator used the described platform and workflow to find and characterize the drilling limiters in the drilling system and extends work first described in SPE 204099. Examples depicting downhole tool function, including failures, will show how downhole information is used to interpret surface observations and diagnose the drilling limiters at play over the wells. Capturing and structuring high-frequency downhole sensor data builds on the traditional approach of drilling optimization using surface parameters and shock statistics. A dataset for analytics allows engineers and service companies to monitor downhole shocks and vibrations across wells and evaluate their effects concerning drilling parameters and procedures. Metrics beyond simple shock and vibration levels better assess drilling performance as the view into the downhole environment becomes clearer.