IADC/SPE 108345 Method for Optimal Placement of Sensors in a Wired Pipe Drillstring

This paper introduces a method for selecting the best sensor layout when using wired pipe for drilling operations. The introduction of wired pipe in drilling operations increases the data rate significantly compared to standard telemetry systems. Various sensors systems are available, measuring parameters such as drillstring vibration, drillstring torque, downhole fluid temperature and downhole annulus pressure. Also available are measurements from various logging tools placed as a part of the bottomhole assembly. The data from the sensors can contain important information that can be used for preventing various operational problems, such as high vibrations, insufficient hole cleaning, kick incidents, and loss of circulation. The method described in this paper can be used for designing a sensor layout for a wired pipe drillstring. The method analyzes data available from the sensors to yield the information required to detect operational problems. The paper presents two different cases where the method is applied, one from a kick incident and the other from a loss of circulation incident. The results show that by optimizing the sensor layout for a wired pipe drillstring, cost efficient performance can be ensured with regards to potential drilling problems.