Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

The proposed CRD project, ""Intelligent sensing and control of the drilling process for fully closed loop automated drilling systems"" will seek to attain complete closed loop automated control of drilling operations. Closed loop control has been achieved for many surface operations, however, for operations requiring sensor feedback from downhole sensors - such as directional steering - humans remain in the loop because of significant delays in acquiring data and the small number of data points, typically limited to a few per minute. Attaining full closed loop automation of drilling operations will reduce drilling time and well incidents, increase safety, separate personnel from moving machinery and reduce environmental impacts.This proposal has two aspects: sensing and control. First, we will develop and validate soft sensors, by combining existing sensors with models, which then can be used as inputs into feed forward control systems. As part of this sensor improvement and integration, we will improve data management and analytics through applications of big data, machine learning and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Secondly, we will develop, validate and implement control strategies that streamline directional drilling operations and improve detection of and reaction to drilling incidents.This project promises to speed the adoption of IIoT and big data by the drilling industry and at the same timestrengthen Canada's IIoT, Artificial Intelligence and Energy industries.