Progress and Prospects of Sinopec’s Intelligent Drilling Technologies

Intelligent drilling has functions such as self-perception, self-learning, self-decision-making, self-execution, and self-adaptation. It is expected to significantly improve drilling efficiency and reduce operating costs. In order to accelerate the development of intelligent drilling technologies, Sinopec has conducted research on key technologies such as automated drilling rigs and key equipment, geological parameter perception while drilling engineering, intelligent drilling analysis and decision-making, and intelligent drilling system integration in terms of real-time perception, intelligent decision-making, integrated control, and other aspects. Integration and demonstration applications have been carried out on site, achieving multi-objective collaborative optimization of application scenarios such as intelligent optimization of drilling parameters, intelligent warning of wellbore risks, and intelligent navigation of wellbore trajectories. The closed-loop control level of intelligent assistance and manual decision-making in consulting mode has been achieved, which effectively supports cost reduction and efficiency improvement in key oil and gas exploration and development fields. In order to better develop intelligent drilling technologies, based on the analysis of the current problems, the latest progress in the research on key technologies for intelligent drilling in Sinopec was summarized. It was proposed to further strengthen the research on key technologies such as fully automated drilling rigs and equipment, high-performance measurement and control systems, and digital twin decision-making systems, increase technological iteration and upgrading, and promote the transformation of intelligent drilling from consulting mode to semi-autonomous and autonomous control modes.