Reducing Effects of Rig Noise on Telemetry

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for reducing effects of rig noise on telemetry. A method may include commencing operation of a telemetry system of a drilling rig and commencing operation of an equipment controller of the drilling rig. Commencing operation of the equipment controller may cause the equipment controller to automatically output control commands to automatically change operational parameters of the telemetry system and/or rig equipment of the drilling rig to reduce interference by rig noise with a telemetry signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a telemetry system of a drilling rig, wherein the telemetry system comprises:
 a transmitter carried by a drill string and operable to transmit a telemetry signal; and 
 a receiver included in surface equipment of the drilling rig and operable to generate an output signal comprising:
 a telemetry signal signature based on the telemetry signal; and 
 a rig noise signature based on rig noise generated by rig equipment of the drilling rig; and 
 
   an equipment controller comprising a processor and a memory storing computer program code, wherein the equipment controller is operable to automatically reduce interference by the rig noise with the telemetry signal by outputting control commands to change operational parameters of the rig equipment and/or the telemetry system.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the telemetry signal comprises at least one of a mud-pulse telemetry signal and electromagnetic telemetry signal. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the telemetry signal signature is indicative of frequency of the telemetry signal and the rig noise signature is indicative of frequency of the rig noise. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the receiver is or comprises a pressure sensor; 
 the telemetry signal comprises pressure fluctuations propagating through drilling fluid flowing within the drill string and the surface equipment; 
 the receiver is further operable to receive the telemetry signal and the rig noise; and 
 the output signal is an electrical signal comprising the telemetry signal signature and the rig noise signature. 
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the receiver is or comprises an electromagnetic signal sensor; 
 the telemetry signal comprises an electromagnetic signal transmitted through rock formation extending between the transmitter and the receiver; 
 the receiver is further operable to receive the telemetry signal and the rig noise; and 
 the output signal is an electrical signal comprising the telemetry signal signature and the rig noise signature. 
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein changing the operational parameters of the rig equipment comprises changing the operational parameters of the rig equipment such that a frequency range of the rig noise signature does not overlap with a frequency range of the telemetry signal signature. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein changing the operational parameters of the rig equipment comprises changing starting and/or stopping operating time of the rig equipment such that operation of the rig equipment that generates the rig noise that interferes with the telemetry signal does not happen at the same time as operation of the telemetry system. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein changing the operational parameters of the telemetry system comprises changing the operational parameters of the telemetry system such that an operating frequency range of the telemetry system does not overlap with a frequency range of the rig noise signature. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein changing the operational parameters of the telemetry system comprises changing starting and/or stopping operating time of the telemetry system such that operation of the telemetry system does not happen at the same time as operation of the rig equipment that generates the rig noise that interferes with the telemetry signal. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the equipment controller is further operable to store associations between each instance of the rig equipment and a corresponding instance of the rig noise signature caused by each instance of the rig equipment, and wherein the equipment controller is operable to output control commands to an instance of the rig equipment to reduce a corresponding instance of the rig noise and thereby reduce interference of the rig noise with the telemetry signal based on the stored associations. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the equipment controller is further operable to store a digital well construction plan for operating the telemetry system and the rig equipment to construct a well, and wherein the equipment controller is further operable to change the digital well constriction plan and thereby reduce interference of the rig noise with the telemetry signal based on the stored associations. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the equipment controller is further operable to store a digital plan for operating the telemetry system and the rig equipment to construct a well, and wherein the equipment controller is further operable to change the digital plan to reduce interference of the rig noise with the telemetry signal. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein changing the digital plan to reduce interference of the rig noise with the telemetry signal comprises changing starting and/or stopping operating time of the rig equipment such that operation of the rig equipment that generates the rig noise that interferes with the telemetry signal does not happen at the same time as operation of the telemetry system. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 commencing operation of a telemetry system of a drilling rig; and   commencing operation of an equipment controller of the drilling rig, thereby causing the equipment controller to output control commands to change operational parameters of the telemetry system and/or rig equipment of the drilling rig to reduce interference by rig noise with a telemetry signal.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein commencing operation of the telemetry system of the drilling rig causes:
 the telemetry signal to be transmitted by a transmitter carried by a drill string; and 
 an output signal to be generated by a receiver included in surface equipment of the drilling rig, wherein the output signal comprises:
 a telemetry signal signature based on the telemetry signal; and 
 a rig noise signature based on the rig noise generated by the rig equipment of the drilling rig. 
 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the equipment controller is operable to store associations between each instance of the rig equipment and a corresponding instance of the rig noise signature caused by each instance of the rig equipment, and wherein commencing operation of the equipment controller causes the equipment controller to output control commands to an instance of the rig equipment to reduce a corresponding instance of the rig noise and thereby reduce interference by the rig noise with the telemetry signal based on the stored associations. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the equipment controller is operable to store a digital plan for operating the telemetry system and the rig equipment to construct a well, and wherein commencing operation of the equipment controller causes the equipment controller to change the digital plan to reduce interference of the rig noise with the telemetry signal. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 commencing operation of a telemetry system a drilling rig; and   manually operating a control workstation of the drilling rig by a rig personnel to change operational parameters of the rig equipment and/or the telemetry system to reduce interference by rig noise with a telemetry signal.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein:
 commencing operation of the telemetry system of the drilling rig causes:
 the telemetry signal to be transmitted by a transmitter carried by a drill string; and 
 an output signal to be generated by a receiver included in surface equipment of the drilling rig, wherein the output signal comprises:
 a telemetry signal signature based on the telemetry signal; and 
 a rig noise signature based on rig noise generated by rig equipment of the drilling rig; and 
 
 
 the method further comprises commencing operation of a processing device of the drilling rig, thereby causing the telemetry signal signature and the rig noise signature to be displayed by the processing system on a video output device for viewing by rig personnel; and 
 manually operating the control workstation of the drilling rig by the rig personnel to reduce interference by the rig noise with the telemetry signal is based on the displayed telemetry signal signature and the rig noise signature. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the processing device is operable to store associations between each instance of the rig equipment and a corresponding instance of the rig noise signature, and wherein commencing operation of the processing device further causes the associations between each instance of the rig equipment and the corresponding instance of the rig noise signature to be displayed on the video output device for viewing by the rig personnel.