Research on the Development of Attitude and Trajectory Measurement Technologies for Oil and Gas Drilling

Wellbore attitude and trajectory are critical parameters for complex oil and gas drilling and geosteering. As global energy exploration extends to deep-earth, deep-water, and unconventional resources, higher demands are imposed on downhole navigation accuracy and real-time performance. This paper reviews the development status and future trends of wellbore attitude and trajectory measurement technologies. Attitude measurement mechanisms based on magnetometers and gyroscopes are comparatively analyzed, along with their respective research focuses. Recent advances in magnetic interference compensation and accuracy enhancement for magnetometer-based schemes are summarized. Differences in attitude determination algorithms between reduced and full gyroscope configurations are compared, and the common issue of performance degradation in near-vertical sections due to reduced accelerometer SNR is examined via numerical simulation. For trajectory measurement, traditional discrete reconstruction methods and their station-interval-induced accuracy limitations are evaluated, highlighting the urgent need for a transition from static discrete to dynamic continuous measurement. Strapdown inertial navigation-based real-time estimation methods are discussed, with error propagation characteristics analyzed. Kinematic constraints such as depth increments and zero-velocity updates are identified as effective means to mitigate inertial error divergence. Finally, future prospects are outlined, emphasizing that developing an integrated “underground positioning system” combining quantum sensing, multi-sensor fusion, and AI-assisted data processing represents an important direction for advancing intelligent drilling measurement and control.