Real-time downhole drilling mud viscosity and density estimations

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method includes operating a mud circulation system having drilling mud flowing therethrough and performing a plurality of measurements from a plurality of sensors coupled to the mud circulation system. The method includes modeling, in real-time, drilling mud flow dynamics using a mathematical dynamics model and predicting physical states of the drilling mud with the mathematical dynamics model. Further, the method described herein includes inputting the measurements into the mathematical dynamics model and adapting the mathematical dynamics model based, at least in part, on discrepancies between the model physical state predictions and the measurements. The method further includes changing an operational parameter of the mud circulation system based on at least one value derived from the adapted mathematics dynamics model.

The following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a system comprising a mud circulation system having drilling mud flowing therethrough, the method comprising:
 performing a plurality of measurements from a plurality of sensors coupled to the mud circulation system;   modeling in real-time drilling mud flow dynamics in the drilling mud using a mathematical dynamics model;   predicting physical states of the drilling mud with the mathematical dynamics model, thereby producing model physical state predictions;   inputting the measurements into the mathematical dynamics model; and   adapting the mathematical dynamics model based at least in part on discrepancies between the model physical state predictions and the measurements; and   changing an operational parameter of the mud circulation system based on at least one value derived from the adapted mathematics dynamics model.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 estimating an uncertainty interval of the plurality of measurements and the mathematical dynamics model; and 
 updating the uncertainty intervals for the mathematical dynamics model and the measurements, thereby producing an updated mathematical dynamics model. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 repeating foregoing steps: performing, modeling, estimating, and inputting steps with the updated mathematical dynamics model. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 calculating a real-time downhole density of the drilling mud using the updated mathematical dynamics model.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 calculating a real-time downhole viscosity of the drilling mud using the updated mathematical dynamics model.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 calculating a real-time downhole density, a real-time downhole viscosity, or both of the drilling mud using the updated mathematical dynamics model; and   calculating an equivalent circulating density based on the real-time downhole density, the real-time downhole viscosity, or both.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 changing a composition of the drilling mud of the mud circulation system based on the equivalent circulating density. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the model physical state predictions comprises a prediction of a density of the drilling mud or a prediction of a viscosity of the drilling mud. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein predicting the physical states of the drilling mud with the mathematical dynamics model, thereby producing the model physical state predictions comprises generating a fusion-determined drilling mud physical state value. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein updating the uncertainty intervals for the mathematical dynamics model and the measurements, thereby producing the updated mathematical dynamics model comprises utilizing a feedback loop to improve an accuracy of the mathematical dynamics model. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause a system comprising a mud circulation system having drilling mud flowing therethrough to perform a method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of measurements from a plurality of sensors coupled to the mud circulation system;   modeling in real-time drilling mud flow dynamics in the drilling mud using a mathematical dynamics model;   predicting physical states of the drilling mud with the mathematical dynamics model, thereby producing model physical state predictions;   inputting the measurements into the mathematical dynamics model; and   adapting the mathematical dynamics model based at least in part on discrepancies between the model physical state predictions and the measurements; and   changing an operational parameter of the mud circulation system based on at least one value derived from the adapted mathematics dynamics model.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 estimating an uncertainty interval of the plurality of measurements and the mathematical dynamics model; and   updating the uncertainty intervals for the mathematical dynamics model and the measurements, thereby producing an updated mathematical dynamics model.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
 calculating a real-time downhole density of the drilling mud using the updated mathematical dynamics model.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
 calculating a real-time downhole viscosity of the drilling mud using the updated mathematical dynamics model.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein predicting the physical states of the drilling mud with the mathematical dynamics model, thereby producing the model physical state predictions comprises generating a fusion-determined drilling mud physical state value. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15  further comprising:
 merging, through probability-based techniques, the plurality of measurements from the plurality of sensors to account for redundancies in the measurements. 
 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein updating the uncertainty intervals for the mathematical dynamics model and the measurements, thereby producing the updated mathematical dynamics model comprises utilizing a feedback loop to improve an accuracy of the mathematical dynamics model. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
 calculating a real-time downhole density, a real-time downhole viscosity, or both of the drilling mud using the updated mathematical dynamics model; and   calculating an equivalent circulating density based on the real-time downhole density, the real-time downhole viscosity, or both.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18  further comprising: changing a composition of the drilling mud of the mud circulation system based on the equivalent circulating density. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the model physical state predictions comprises a prediction of a density of the drilling mud or a prediction of a viscosity of the drilling mud.