Target Line Dip Angle Adjusted For Azimuth Changes
Details improvements to the calculation of geo-steering target line and plan changes that involve azimuth changes in the lateral, in Well Seeker Pro version 2.2.0.40 or later.
Background
Software handling geo-steering updates has traditionally struggled with any azimuth change in the lateral due to the dip angle being retained during the turn, resulting in a plan which does not sit within the targeted geological plane.
As of version 2.2.0.40, Well Seeker Pro adjusts the dip angle of the Target line in any plans created using the Create Offset Plan tool, including geo-steering updates from the ROGII Star Steer integration, where an azimuth change occurs in the original plan after the target line change.
This document will explain the changes.
Description
Target line Logic (Old):
The Create Offset Plan tool would create a new plan line which would retain the new dip angle value, regardless of the azimuth change. For large azimuth changes, this would result in the new target line deviating from the intended geologic plane.
Red = 90° dip well for reference.
Blue = Target line plan change with a 94° dip using old logic. 94°dip retained throughout, resulting in deviation from the formation plane.
Target Line Logic (New)
The Create Offset Plan tool will recalculate the dip angle value incrementally as the azimuth changes. This keeps the plan and target line in the same plane as geologically intended.
In the below U-zontal example the plan update has a 95° dip angle on a 0° azimuth. As the azimuth changes from 0°, the dip angle also changes to remain in the same dip plane as the target line change intended.
Red = 90° dip well for reference.
Blue = Target line plan change with a 94° dip using new logic. 94°dip retained until azimuth change detected. Dip angle is then adjust to remain in the intended formation plane.
The comparison below clearly shows the difference between the old and new methods.
Red = 90° dip well for reference.
Magenta = Target line plan change with a 94° dip using old logic. 94°dip retained throughout, resulting in deviation from the formation plane.
Blue = Target line plan change with a 94° dip using new logic. 94°dip retained until azimuth change detected. Dip angle is then adjust to remain in the intended formation plane.
In addition, the display logic for the Target Zone that can be viewed on the plots has been updated. There are two scenarios:
Geo-Steering Updates table is blank. A 20ft up/down, 40ft left right target zone will be displayed around the principal plan trajectory.
Geo-Steering Updates table is populated. Geo-steering data will be displayed on the plots as per the table data.
Conclusion
Well Seeker Pro can now seamlessly calculate geo-steering target line and plan changes that involve azimuth changes in the lateral. Combined with the improved target zone visuals, this makes it the perfect tool for complex U-zontal wells and simple lateral azimuth adjustments alike.
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