E!115437 Safe and High-efficiency well drilling using advanced autonomous pressure control and monitoring

Managed pressure drilling (MPD) is a closed, pressurized system that enables continuous and automatic control of the pressure in the well while drilling. MPD technology provides unique capabilities to handle pressure-related drilling problems, by ensuring the correct pressure in the well during all phases of the operation. There is, however, a high threshold for adopting MPD due to its complexity and need for specialists in operation. The SHIELD project (short for “Safe and High-efficiency well drilling using advanced autonomous pressure control and monitoring”) project set out to bridge longstanding gaps in state-of-the-art towards enabling reliable high-performance automated MPD operations. In particular, the project will improve how existing MPD control system software responds to possible system and operational failures, such as equipment failures, sensor failures, human errors, and downhole incidents such as influx of gas. In particular, the project will aim to provide a solution for automated handling of gas influx, from detection, suppression by increasing pressure, through to circulating out the gas. In summary, the project has involved the following (non-exhaustive): 1. Define and write up rig sensor requirement user needs and use cases. 2. Defined requirements and user needs for real-time HMI system, including architecture and external interfaces. 3. Validated LeidarSim against third party state-of-the-art hydraulic simulator for multiple influx scenarios 4. Upgraded digital twin LeidarSim and improved Leidar Control System 5. Improved real-time hydraulics model and IME - influx management envelope 6. Develop a framework to efficiently run dynamic IME's using LeidarSim 7. Improved algorithm and framework for gass detection and real-time tracking of gas in well bore 8. Developed concept for adaptive HMI together together with UK collaboration partner 9. Tested clamp-on flow and density measurements of mud for real-time hydraulic model usage. The project is now completed.

- Improved methods for detection and tracking of gas in wellbore - Improved and validated digital twin, LeidarSim, for simulating realistic gas influx scenarios testing of Leidar Control System software - Improved and robustified IME algorithm, including a framework for generating dynamic IMEs using LeidarSim. - New framework for developing adaptive and situational aware HMI's together with UK collaboration partner - Tested clamp-on flow and density meter for use in real-time hydraulics model together with Norwegian collaboration partner

The project will bridge longstanding gaps in state-of-the-art preventing an increased level of automation of managed pressure drilling operations. The project will improve how existing MPD control system software responds to possible hardware and operational failures, such as equipment failures, sensor failures, human errors and downhole incidents. The main result of the project is an MPD control system software with adaptive HMI and an enhanced sensor package that enables high-performance intelligent automated capabilities for effective Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD). This involves key improvements related to automated contingency management, adaptive HMI and enhanced sensor technology to enable high-performance automated capabilities for effective Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD). The main objective is to provide enhanced automation that simplifies the operation to allow the driller to focus on the more important aspects of pressure control in drilling operations.