Thursday, October 2, 2014

Information From MWD Drilling Software

By Karina Frost


MWD which in full is Measurement While Drilling is measurement taken when drilling on an angle of inclination to the vertical line. These measurements are taken by the MWD Drilling Software. This data is used to produce a 3-D plot of the path of the oil well. This software will transmit crucial information to the operator during operations.

One of the information transmitted by the software is on the direction of the well. They are able to directional surveys and transmitting them in real time. The magnetometers and accelerometers in it are utilized to measure the azimuth and also the angle at which the hole drilled incline at that location. This data is then transmitted immediately to the surface.

Analysis of data is done on the surface before calculation of the location of the wellbore after data transmission which takes data from 10m to 500m in intervals. This information is as crucial as it being prove enough that the company is not doing any operation outside its permitted site or circumference. It may not be used when creating vertical holes or near vertical direction because it is quite expensive.

The core use of the surveys is in directional-drilling. The well may be located at a certain zone and this information helps the driller in steering the process towards that target zone. MWD provides toolface measurements using downhole mud motors with bent housing or bent subs to aid in directional operations.

There is the smoothness of rotation, mud flow volume, downhole temperature, the drillstring speed of rotation, and the weight and torque on the bit, this information is sent to the mechanics of the drill bit which leads to more efficient operations. The tools are also used in accordance with their specifications thus cannot break down. Understanding the rock formation of the area is crucial to geologists.

MWD tools are capable of measuring the formation properties and send the data to drillers when drilling is ongoing. They use this information to perform geosteering to the target zone. The information varies from porosity, inclination at the bit, acoustic-caliper, density, and resistivity.

The internal gamma ray sensor using installed in MWD tools measures the natural gamma rays values at the well. The sensors are inexpensive, compact and are able to take the measurements when working on unmodified drill collars. MWD computer programs cuts the process costs and increases the life-span of the drill bits.

The data they get during the operations is either transmitted by the mud-pulse telemetry method and electromagnetic telemetry. In the mud-pulse telemetry method the mud valve downhole which restricts the flow of slurry creates pressure differences which are send to the surface as for analysis. It can either be positive, negative pulse/continuous wave.

MWD software analyzes voltage signals transmitted through electromagnetic telemetry method. These voltage signals are generated as a result of altered voltage differences in the lower and upper parts of the electrical insulator in the drillstring. Wires attached to the wellhead and the rod form the electrodes for information transmission.




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