Direct wrap measurement during connection for optimal slide drilling

Abstract

A system or apparatus including: a controller configured to (i) deactivate and activate drilling fluid pump(s), (ii) provide operational control signals to connect tubular(s) to the tubular string, (iii) provide operational control signals to oscillate the connected tubular(s) and tubular string while the pump(s) are deactivated and activated, (iv) receive data, (v) determine a time at which motion is detected downhole, (vi) determine a number of oscillation revolutions of the tubular string required to affect toolface orientation based on the received toolface orientation data, and (vii) provide operational control signals to set a number of oscillation revolutions of the tubular string to less than the determined number; and a drive system configured to: (i) receive the operational control signals, and (ii) oscillate the connected tubular(s) and tubular string based on the set number of oscillation revolutions while maintaining a desired toolface orientation while slide drilling, and methods of providing and using the same for slide drilling.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 (i) deactivate and activate one or more pumps that deliver drilling fluid through a tubular string, 
 (ii) provide operational control signals to connect one or more tubulars to the tubular string, 
 (iii) provide operational control signals to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string while the one or more pumps are deactivated and activated, 
 (iv) receive data from a telemetry system, 
 (v) determine a number of oscillation revolutions of the tubular string required to affect toolface orientation based on the received telemetry data, and 
 (vi) provide operational control signals to set a number of oscillation revolutions of the tubular string to less than the determined number of oscillation revolutions; and 
   a drive system configured to:
 (i) receive the operational control signals from the controller, and 
 (ii) oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string based on the set number of oscillation revolutions so that the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string oscillate while maintaining a desired toolface orientation while slide drilling. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operational control signals to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string while the one or more pumps are activated comprise signals to increase a number of oscillation revolutions over time. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to repeat steps (i)-(vi) and the drive system is further configured to repeat steps (i) and (ii) for a majority of the connections of a plurality of connected tubulars to the tubular string. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telemetry system comprises a mud pulse telemetry system. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the mud pulse telemetry system is configured to wait a preprogrammed transmit delay time before transmitting telemetry data to the controller. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine a time that the toolface orientation data was affected or at which a bottom hole assembly (BHA) begins to experience vibration; and   subtract the preprogrammed transmit delay time from the time that the toolface orientation data was affected or from the time at which the BHAbegins to experience vibration.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telemetry system comprises an electromagnetic telemetry system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the electromagnetic telemetry system is configured to transmit toolface orientation data before the one or more pumps are activated. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the received telemetry data comprises a parameter indicating a time delay before or after a start of transmission of data that toolface orientation data was affected, toolface orientation data, or both 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the received telemetry data comprises a parameter indicating a time delay relative to a stop of a prior transmission. 
     
     
         11 . A method of oscillating a tubular string while slide drilling, which comprises:
 deactivating and activating one or more pumps that deliver drilling fluid through a tubular string;   instructing a drive system to connect one or more tubulars to the tubular string while the one or more pumps are deactivated;   instructing the drive system to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string while the one or more pumps are deactivated and activated;   receiving, from a telemetry system, data;   determining, based on the received data, when the toolface orientation data was affected by oscillation;   correlating a time that the toolface orientation data was affected with a number of oscillation revolutions applied by the drive system; and   instructing the drive system to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string at a number of oscillation revolutions less than the number of oscillation revolutions that affected the toolface orientation data so that the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string oscillate while maintaining desired toolface orientation while slide drilling.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein instructing the drive system to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string while the one or more pumps are activated comprise instructing the drive string to ramp up or step up oscillation over time. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein receiving data from a telemetry system comprises receiving delayed data from a mud pulse telemetry system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising subtracting a preprogrammed transmit delay time from the time that the data was affected or from the time at which a bottom hole assembly (BHA) begins to experience vibration. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein receiving data from a telemetry system comprises receiving toolface orientation data from an electromagnetic telemetry system while the one or more pumps are deactivated. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein receiving data from a telemetry system comprises receiving a parameter indicating a time delay after a start of transmission of data that toolface orientation data was affected, toolface orientation data, or both. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations that, when executed, comprise:
 deactivating and activating one or more pumps that deliver drilling fluid through a tubular string;   instructing a top drive to connect one or more tubulars to the tubular string while the one or more pumps are deactivated;   instructing the top drive to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string a certain number of oscillation revolutions while the one or more pumps are deactivated and activated;   instructing the top drive to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string a number of oscillation revolutions greater than the certain number of oscillation revolutions while the one or more pumps are activated;   receiving, from a telemetry system, data while the one or more pumps are activated;   determining, based on the received data, how many oscillation revolutions are needed to affect the toolface orientation data; and   instructing the top drive to oscillate the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string at a number of oscillation revolutions less than the determined number of oscillation revolutions so that the connected one or more tubulars and tubular string oscillate while maintaining desired toolface orientation while slide drilling.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein receiving data from a telemetry system while the one or more pumps are activated comprises receiving delayed toolface orientation data from a mud pulse telemetry system. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining a time that the toolface orientation data was affected; or at which a bottom hole assembly (BHA) begins to experience vibration; and   subtracting a preprogrammed transmit delay time from the time that the toolface orientation data was affected or from the time at which the BHA begins to experience vibration.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving data from a telemetry system while the one or more pumps are deactivated. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein receiving data from a telemetry system while the one or more pumps are deactivated comprises receiving toolface orientation data from an electromagnetic telemetry system.