Control of downhole safety devices

Abstract

A drilling system for drilling a borehole includes a drill string including a bottom hole assembly and a telemetry system coupled together and a communication device coupled to the drillstring configured to transmit sensor data to and receive control data from a control unit located at a surface location through the telemetry system. The system also includes a sensor coupled to the drillstring, the sensor providing the sensor data to the communication device and a downhole safety device coupled to the drill string and in operable communication with the communication device, the downhole safety device configured to actuate after receiving an activation signal initiated by the control unit.

1 . A drilling system for drilling a borehole comprising:
 a drill string including a bottom hole assembly and a telemetry system coupled together;   a communication device coupled to the drillstring configured to transmit sensor data to and receive control data from a control unit located at a surface location through the telemetry system  1 ;   a sensor coupled to the drillstring, the sensor providing the sensor data to the communication device; and   a downhole safety device coupled to the drill string and in operable communication with the communication device, the downhole safety device configured to actuate after receiving an activation signal initiated by the control unit.   
     
     
         2 . The drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor senses one of: formation pressure of a formation surrounding the borehole, mud flow, and mud composition, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole safety device includes a blowout preventer. 
     
     
         4 . The drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the activation signal is automatically initiated. 
     
     
         5 . The drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the activation signal is initiated relative to a second signal that causes another portion of the drilling system to vary its operation, wherein the activation signal is created based on the sensor data. 
     
     
         6 . The drilling system of  claim 5 , wherein the activation signal and the second signal are initiated in a predetermined coordinated way. 
     
     
         7 . The drilling system of  claim 5 , wherein the other portion is a drill string actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The drilling system of  claim 5 , wherein the other portion is a surface blowout preventer. 
     
     
         9 . A method of actuating a downhole safety device in a drilling system, the method comprising:
 collecting information indicative of borehole conditions at a downhole location;   transmitting the information to a surface control unit;   determining that the downhole safety device should be actuated;   sending an actuation signal through a telemetry system to the downhole safety device; and   actuating the downhole safety device using the actuation signal.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the downhole safety device is a blowout preventer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 sending a variation signal to another portion of the drilling system that causes the other portion to vary its operation, the variation signal being sent relative to the actuation signal.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the variation signal and the actuation signal are initiated in a predetermined coordinated way 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the other portion is a drill string actuator. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the other portion is a surface blowout preventer. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telemetry system includes a plurality of joined wired pipe segments.