Eliminating Drilling and Surveying Delays from Solar Storms with a Deployed Magnetic Observatory and Modern Workflow

Abstract Solar storms create large fluctuations in the magnetic field over short time scales. Most wellbores today are surveyed using magnetic survey tools and, if handled improperly, these fluctuations can cause large wellbore positioning errors. Historically, this has plagued high-latitude drilling and been solved through installing permanent magnetic observatories. With the approaching solar maximum in 2025, the affected geographic range has increased southwards into US oil plays. These solar storms can cause hours of non-productive time or misplaced wells if not accounted for. A portable magnetic observatory allows for the compensation of space weather effects and to drill ahead both accurately and without survey delays. A robust, compact, 3-axis magnetometer system with satellite communication has been built which can be rapidly installed near drilling locations to create a local magnetic observatory. This system utilizes recent advances in satellite-based internet allowing for increased reliability and greatly reduced cost. The hardware sends data to a server which ties in with a survey management web application for delivering real-time IFR1 (In-Field Reference 1), IFR2 (In-Field Reference 2), and facilitating MSA (Multi-station analysis) survey corrections. Validation of the system was performed by deploying it near a permanent magnetic observatory. Wellbore trajectories were calculated following IFR1, IFR2 and MSA corrections on an unconventional well from each source of data. The data received from the local magnetic observatory had high correlation and agreement with that of the permanent observatory. The data was delivered to the survey management web application with minimal delays. Calculated wellbore trajectories after IFR1, IFR2 and MSA corrections were applied were within tolerances expected by standard error models for both magnetic observatories. This validates both the data collection of the system and the efficiency of the data connectivity with downstream processes. This workflow delivered higher quality and more accurate survey corrections compared to IFR1 corrections alone in the presence of a solar storm. This trial demonstrates that by utilizing a portable magnetic observatory, IFR2 corrections can be delivered rapidly, enabling automated survey management, and facilitating MSA corrections during a solar storm without the need for a permanent fixed observatory. This modern, streamlined workflow was designed to provide IFR2 wellbore survey corrections with similar turnaround time as those that do not correct for magnetic disturbances due to space weather. The small footprint, easy installation, and decreased cost in deploying this technology makes it more attractive to drilling programs in the continental United States. This offers a novel solution to the surveying problems presented by increased solar activity during this solar cycle's maximum peak and beyond.