Gamma Logging

Noralis Integrated Software Environment (NISE) offers gamma logging services within the software package.

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Free of charge for imported data, NISE allows users to generate PDF graphs and use our powerful plotting software.  It’s as simple as grabbing the file and dragging it in.

The data doesn’t need to be limited to gamma data; graph any type of .las file you prefer!

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To keep software costs down and get rid of “licenses” Noralis charges a small daily rate to produce .las files and 1″, 2″, and 5″ plots in real-time.  See the pay-as-you go strategy to learn more.

Combine your downhole NDM tool with NISE and automatically depth tag the memory data.  No more fussing about with time/depth matching or messy spreadsheets.

Noralis has all the standard features of a gamma log, including tool and casing runs.

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Noralis also calculates the gamma ray corrections from standard inputs such as mud weight, calibration factor, hole size, collar size, etc.

Powerful graphing capabilities in NISE, lets users control which curves are visible.  Create a custom graph or use the templates available.

Make a great visual graph that you want your coworkers to use?  “Share” the graph with your team on the HUB and make it available for others.

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Control which runs are graphed, color scheme, wrapping characteristics, and more.

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Did we mention it’s free?  Contact us to learn more.

 

Short Collar Correction

Short Collar Corrections adjust and provide confidence in azimuth readings when magnetic qualifiers are “out of spec’ due to drill string interference.

Successful application of short collar corrections will decrease the MWD tool’s ellipse of uncertainty.

Scenario’s where Short Collar Correction algorithms should not be applied:

  • External magnetic influence in x or y direction (Causes:  Adjacent well-bores, highly magnetized BHA components, magnetized tool barrels, magnetic mud, ferrous formations, etc.).
  • When drilling high-angle east/west.  (Cause:  Estimation of z-bias is unreliable in these geometric positions relative to Earth’s magnetic field)
  • Tool performing out of specified tolerances (Causes: Sensor error or improper calibration can mask the source of errors when performing single-point corrections).

Get rid of 3rd party spreadsheets and programs requiring manual data entry and switch to Noralis Integrated Software Environment (NISE).  For a hyper-competitive rate per survey Noralis offers automated short collar corrections and reduces ellipses of uncertainty in real-time.

NISE will not perform a SCC and the user will not be charged if:

  • The interference is too great (NISE will assume an improper reference field or cross-axial interference)
  • The tool is oriented too close to east/west and high angle (NISE will notify the user SCC is not valid in these zones)
  • The azimuth correction is too high (NISE will inform the user applying SCC will alter azimuth more than is reasonably expected)

NISE can not detect cross-axial influence, tools out of calibration, or small errors in the reference field.  The rules will restrict SCC from applying but can not fully guarantee if SCC is appropriate.

How it Works (Basic Version)

Developed in the late 70’s/early 80’s, short collar algorithms are designed to compensate for axial magnetic interference.  Using a known reference field and other raw sensor measurements the Z-axis magnetometer can be altered to provide a better fitting value.  The azimuth is then recalculated using the new Z-value.

Note:  Using an incorrect magnetic reference field can prove particularly devastating for survey correction techniques.  Use the most accurate magnetic model before proceeding.

Technique #1

The simplest version, solving for the z-axis magnetometer using the total magnetic field equation:

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Where Bx and By are assumed to be valid; solving for Bz provides a new Z-axis measurement which can then be used to re-calculate the survey.

While this technique will make Total Magnetic Field 100% accurate; in some cases it may “harm” the dip angle QC criteria and/or azimuth reading.

Technique #2

A more advanced algorithm taking into account both total magnetic field and dip angle to provide the best representation of the z-axis measurement.

SCC

In this example above the horizontal dotted line represents the reference field values for total magnetic field and dip angle.  The graph has been scaled so reference values overlap for better visual representation.

The original raw measured z-axis is represented by the black line.  This survey would pass standard QC values with error well within MWD QC criteria.

The yellow line represents adjusting the z-axis reading by 42 nT, to provide the same absolute error in dip angle but has improved the total magnetic field error by 36 nT.

A potential “better” solution would find the best z-axis solution .  That point could possibly be represented by the green z-axis measurement.

Note:  This example is for illustration purposes only and do not represent the actual algorithm used nor is it intended to make the case that SCC should be applied in this scenario.  This graphic is only intended to provide an understanding of the process.

Additional Techniques

This listing is by no means comprehensive.  The NISE software uses a similar method described in technique #2 for short collar correction.  The algorithms embedded in NISE perform all of the hard work, users just need to check results!  Switch over and save today.

Multi-Station Analysis is a more advanced survey algorithm technique designed to adjust all 3 magnetometer readings.  Noralis will soon offer an automated Multi-Station Analysis solution within the software.  Stay tuned for details.

For more information regarding survey corrections and general survey theory reference the ISCWSA (Industry Steering Committee on Wellbore Survey Accuracy – www.iscwsa.net, www.iscwsa.org), the free survey e-book by Angus Jamieson @ https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/wellbore-positioning-download,  and also the Society of Petroleum Engineers (www.spe.org) for technical documents and case studies.

Real-Time Calibration Verification

Noralis Integrated Software Environment (NISE)  provides a real-time verification the instrument downhole is performing within it’s calibrated specification limits.

Not to be confused with standard field MWD QC qualifiers, NISE displays graphs derived from the instrument performance model (IPM).

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This is a differential graph.  The black lines represent the raw calculated Dip Angle, Total Magnetic Field, and Total Gravity Field errors when compared to the magnetic reference model.  The blue lines show the error after a Short Collar Correction is applied.

The red lines represent a 3σ (3-sigma) limit.  Over 99% of surveys without magnetic interference should fall within the 3σ limit.

If the surveys are not within the limit the tool is failing to meet the MWD instrument performance model (or error model).  The MWD standard IPM/error model can be found at the ISCWSA website (www.iscwsa.org).

Besides tool failure there are other possibilities why a survey may fail to meet the IPM;

  • Magnetic interference
  • Error in the reference model
  • Motion while taking a survey

The 3σ limit is typically much tighter than what a standard MWD service company may use if looking at raw, uncorrected surveys.  It’s important to understand the difference.  Applying the 3σ rule with insufficient magnetic spacing and no survey correction algorithms is not recommended.

Example: 

A MWD service company may assume a raw or calculated survey is valid if it meets the following criteria

  • Dip Angle:                          ±0.60°
  • Total Gravity Field:          ±0.003 g
  • Total Magnetic Field:       ±500 nT

These values may vary from company to company.

The error model QC parameters NISE calculates account for the orientation of the tool.  In this specific example at 10° inclination and 220° azimuth the 3σ limits are:

  • Dip Angle:                          ±0.25°
  • Total Gravity Field:          ±0.00195 g
  • Total Magnetic Field:       ±221 nT

This service is built into the NISE.  It’s free to use; a simple tool to help field operators do their job.

Remote MWD/LWD Logging

Consider:

  • The largest cost to provide MWD services to oil companies is personnel on location running the job.  
    • It’s not batteries, equipment, transportation, administration, or maintenance.
  • Stress:  People running the job endure.
    • Long periods of time away from home
    • Shift-Work: 12 Hours/day until project is complete
    • Sleeping on location
    • Assisting coworkers above and beyond the 12 hour work window
    • Juggling multiple project managers whose instructions may be conflicting.
    • Irregular work schedule. Fortunate field operators on a rotation may get guaranteed days off, others may work over 300 days a year.
  • Accidents:  The largest risk of a fatal accident is getting to/from the rig itself
    • According to the CDC statistics over 1/3rd of oilfield related fatalities in the past 5 years occurred during transporting individuals to/from the rig.
    • Human fatigue is a major contributor to oilfield related accidents.

 

Fortunately, there is away to address all 3 of these factors.  By implementing Remote MWD Operations into your service offering you can instantly save on cost, improve employee morale, and improve your safety culture.

 

Noralis wants to make this as simple as possible.

 

 

Manual Alarm – Set the High and Low boundary on a parameter.

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Drift Alarm – Set a percentage drift over a period of time for a parameter.  Useful for pump pressure, ROP, etc.

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Auto Alarm – Set a percentage change in the field based upon the last current value.  Useful for data types such as gamma or RPM where sudden spikes indicate a change in drilling activity.

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Noralis Integrated Software Environment (NISE)

The Noralis Integrated Software Environment (NISE) is a single software platform unifying MWD software functionality into a single package.  Jam-packed with features NISE does much more than display a tool-face and survey.

NISE keeps the traditional components of a traditional MWD decoding software system:

  • Display common MWD software elements, tool-face rose, pulse signal, data listing

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  • Customizable fields to input basic well information (control what data you want stored)Image 2
  • Transmit and Receive WITS
  • Report out surveys, data listings, decoded data, etc.

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Field Operations

Launch NISE Control and choose a task from the start-up wizard:

  • Start a New Well
    • Restricted to just the operator (not common)
    • Share locally (any PC on the network running NISE can access the well)
    • Share to the HUB (any PC running NISE and connected to the HUB with the appropriate credentials can view/edit the well)
  • Monitor an Existing Well
    • Locally (Great for Company Man or Rig-Floor, restricted functionality)
    • Remotely (Great for clients, office personnel)
  • Control an Existing Well
    • Locally (if NPD is on the rig floor connected to the RFD)
    • Remotely (if running remote operations with no personnel on location)

NISE can also:

  • Instant Message
    • Running a job remotely and need to communicate with the drill floor?  Type them a note which pops up on their screen.
  • Replay Well
    • Replay the entire well database or replay signal files when troubleshooting difficult decoding situations.  NISE records exactly what the user did.
  • Lock
    • Input a password to restrict operations when running a single NISE copy of software on the rig-floor
  • Surface Test
    • No need to pack another box to simulate a pulse signal.  When connected to the NDM with NISE select this mode to have the tool start pulsing and decode data before running in hole.
  • Roll Test
    • A simplified field roll test is available to provide quality assurance prior to putting tools in the BHA.
  • Downlink Wizard
    • Have the driller click the downlink wizard to follow step-by-step on-screen the pumps on/off sequencing.  NISE senses the pump pressure and switches modes if the task was executed properly
  • Custom Data Entry
    • Utilizing “Feature” files is a great way to gain consistency with data input.  Available to person’s in charge managers can change/add/edit which data types they’d like users to input at the start of each run/well.  Share the feature file to the HUB and automatically any employee using NISE will be synced with the latest data files.
  • Alarms
    • Great for remote operations centers or even on location.  Apply an alarm to any type of transmitted or drilling parameter.

 

Shop Operations

Utilize the same software (NISE Control) and start testing.   

  • Customize your Roll Test
    • Selecting the “Shop” Roll test allows for a more complete Roll Test
    • By default includes 8 positions per azimuth (N, E, S) as well as vertical for full roll test results
    • Change shot positions, number of shots to take, stability boundaries through the Options Menu or the MS Excel based root configuration file
  • Live Stream
    • Available for both shop and field users, view live streaming data of all 27 sensors updated once per second
  • Memory Dumps
    • Perform tool memory dumps and use the same software for advanced graphing options
    • Set up advanced high-speed logging intervals
  • Graphing Options
    • Set up high-performing default graphs.  Share with the HUB, any user in the “shop” team has access to that exact graph and graph settings.  Gain consistency on your QA/QC process
  • Re-charge the HASP’s
    • Concerned with who can re-charge the HASP?  Set up a “shop” team with rights to recharge units.