Drilling still depends on human judgment to solve many problems.
Some of the problems are big: How much volume is flowing out of the well, and how does that compare with how much was pumped in? These are critical measures for well control and efficient drilling.
Other observations are needed to improve the process. How well do the data coming to surface predict the wear on a drill bit?
And some problems are related to niggling details. There are few problems less compelling than coding the steps described in thousands of memos found in the daily drilling reports. But for those searching the reports to identify bits of wasted time, that information can be crucial.
This series discusses three innovations aimed at improving the data flows.
