DrillDocs, a provider of digital shale shaker surveillance technology, has used computer vision technology to automatically detect cavings on the NCS for the first time. Working closely with Aker BP, DrillDocs’ CleanSight technology was deployed on the Noble Integrator rig while drilling in the Fenris field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. At the time of the achievement, 12 sections had been monitored, totaling over 13,000 m, including 16½-inch, 12¼-inch and 8½-inch sections.
The CleanSight system uses high-specification Axis Communications cameras designed for hazardous environments. The technology features on-board processing capability for real-time image analysis. DrillDocs’ patented and proprietary image-processing algorithms continuously monitor material as it exits the rig’s shale shakers.
This capability allows the technology to calculate the amount, shape, and size of solids being recovered. The data provided by CleanSight enables better and faster decision making that can lead to enhanced drilling performance, borehole stability, and solids control operations.
Prior to the introduction of DrillDocs’ technology, shale shakers were only monitored on a periodic basis by drilling rig staff making visual inspections. This meant that sporadic cavings, which offer an early warning of potential borehole instability, were frequently missed. By the time crews realized that the borehole was becoming unstable, the risk of a pack-off event—which often leads to the drill string becoming stuck in the hole—was already elevated.
The new approach allows the drilling crew to react in near-real-time to events happening in the wellbore, significantly reducing the risk of pack-off and the non-productive time and costs incurred when recovering from stuck pipe events.
