Regular Article

FSQGA based 3D complexity wellbore trajectory optimization

¹ Key Laboratory of Oil-Gas Measurement and Control Technology at Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Shiyou University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710065, PR China
² University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA

^* Corresponding author: e-mail: shalinxiu@xsyu.edu.cn

Received: 25 August 2017
Accepted: 26 February 2018

Abstract

Determination of the trajectory of a complex wellbore is very challenging due to the variety of possible well types, as well as the numerous complicated drilling variables and constraints. The well type could be directional wells, cluster wells, horizontal wells, extended reach wells, redrilling wells, and complex structure wells, etc. The drilling variables and constraints include wellbore length, inclination hold angles, azimuth angles, dogleg severity, true vertical depths, lateral length, casing setting depths, and true vertical depth. In this paper, we propose and develop an improved computational model based on Fibonacci sequence to adjust the quantum rotation step in quantum genetic algorithm for achieving cost-efficient complex wellbore trajectories. By using Fibonacci sequence based quantum genetic algorithm (FSQGA) in a complex searching problem, we can find high-quality globally optimal solutions with high speed through a parallel process. The simulation results show that FSQGA can significantly reduce computation complexity, and reach minimum objection values faster. Meanwhile, minimization of the true measurement depth of complex wellbore trajectory in actual gas-oil field shows that the drilling cost can be reduced up to 4.65%. We believe this new algorithm has the potential to improve drilling efficiency, to reduce the drilling time and drilling cost in real-time wellbore trajectory control.