Horizontal directional drilling tool with return flow and method of using same

• US 10,047,562 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin Cherrington
• Original Assignee: Martin Cherrington
• Inventors: Cherrington, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Wei
• Application Number:
  US15/729,455
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/1014 Flexible or expansible centering means, e.g. with pistons pressing against the wall of the well E21B17/1042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/1078 Stabilisers or centralisers for casing, tubing or drill pipes devices for off-center positioning E21B17/10; E21B17/1007 - E21B17/1064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/18 Pipes provided with plural fluid passages E21B17/203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/002 Down-hole drilling fluid separation systems containers comprising collecting means with a strainer E21B27/005; subsoil filtering E21B43/02; down-hole production separators E21B43/38
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/12 using drilling pipes with plural fluid passages, e.g. closed circulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 3/02 Surface drives for rotary drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/046 horizontal drilling drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003

Abstract

A horizontal directional drilling tool and method for drilling a borehole through a subsurface formation between locations at a surface is disclosed. The drilling tool includes a bit, an outer tube, an inner tube, and rotational drivers. The outer tube is coupled to a surface driver. The inner tube is coupled between the surface driver and the bit to translate rotation therebetween. The inner tube has a drilling fluid passage therethrough, and is positioned within the outer tube to define a return flow passage therebetween. The rotational drivers include propulsors coupled to the inner tube. The propulsors comprise blades extending into the return flow passage and rotationally driven therein whereby returns in the borehole are urged uphole.

Claims

1. A horizontal directional drilling tool for drilling a borehole through a subsurface formation between locations about a surface, the drilling tool comprising:

a bit;

an outer tube coupled to a surface driver;

an inner tube coupled between the surface driver and the bit to translate rotation therebetween, the inner tube having a drilling fluid passage therethrough, the inner tube positioned within the outer tube to define a return flow passage therebetween; and

rotational drivers comprising a series of propulsors positioned along the inner tube, each of the propulsors comprising blades circumferentially distributed about a portion of the inner tube, each of the blades extending into the return flow passage and rotationally driven therein whereby returns in the borehole are urged uphole.

2. The drilling tool of claim 1, wherein an inlet to the return flow passage is defined between the outer tube and the bit to receive returns from the borehole.

3. The drilling tool of claim 2, wherein the outer tube has an outer cone and the bit has an inner cone, the inlet positioned between the inner cone and the outer cone.

4. The drilling tool of claim 3, wherein the inner cone and the outer cone each have an angled surface, the inlet tapered between the angled surfaces to define a returns grinder.

5. The drilling tool of claim 1, wherein the inner tube has an upset on a distal end thereof and the bit has an inner cone having an opening to receive the upset.

6. The drilling tool of claim 2, wherein the inlet to the return flow passage is defined between an angled inlet surface of the outer tube and an angled outer surface of the bit, the inlet having a narrowing tapered shaped to break down cuttings generated by the bit from the borehole.

7. The drilling tool of claim 1, wherein the rotational drivers comprise a pipe protector between the inner tube and the outer tube.

8. The drilling tool of claim 7, wherein the pipe protector comprises a flexible blade rotatably extending from the inner tube, the flexible blade comprising an elastomeric material.

9. The drilling tool of claim 8, wherein the flexible blade has a helical shape with a flow assist surface.

10. The drilling tool of claim 1, further comprising stabilizers positionable about the outer tube and engagable with a wall of the borehole.

11. The drilling tool of claim 10, wherein the stabilizers comprise one of:

fixed stabilizers, adjustable stabilizers, and combinations thereof.

12. The drilling tool of claim 11, wherein the fixed stabilizers are fixedly positioned within a pocket extending into an outer surface of the outer tube, the fixed stabilizers having a cavity therein to storingly receive components therein.

13. The drilling tool of claim 11, wherein the adjustable stabilizers are radially extendable and retractable from an outer surface of the outer tube.

14. The drilling tool of claim 13, further comprising an inflatable bladder, backing plate, and draw bolts coupled to the adjustable stabilizers to selectively extend and retract the adjustable stabilizers.

15. The drilling tool of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the outer tube and the inner tube comprises a drill string and a second portion of the outer tube and the inner tube comprises a bottom hole assembly.

16. The drilling tool of claim 15, further comprising at least one x-over sub coupled between the drill string and the bottom hole assembly.

17. The drilling tool of claim 15, wherein the outer tube of the bottom hole assembly comprises a distal housing and a proximal housing, with a coupling housing therebetween.

18. The drilling tool of claim 15, wherein the inner tube comprises tubular shafts connected in series with the drilling fluid passage extending therethrough.

19. The drilling tool of claim 18, further comprising a spline connection between at least one adjacent pair of the tubular shafts.

20. The drilling tool of claim 1, wherein the drilling fluid passage of the inner tube is in fluid communication a bit passage through the bit to pass a drilling fluid therethrough.

21. The drilling tool of claim 1, further comprising supports positioned between the inner tube and the outer tube.

22. The drilling tool of claim 21, wherein the supports comprise at least one of a radial and thrust bearing, a radial carrier bearing, and combinations thereof.

23. The drilling tool of claim 21, wherein the supports comprise an inner bearing race and an outer bearing race.

24. The drilling tool of claim 23, wherein the rotational drivers further comprise flow assist surfaces positioned about flow passages of the inner bearing race.

25. The drilling tool of claim 21, wherein the inner tube and the outer tube are one of:

independently and integrally coupled to the surface driver.

26. A horizontal directional drilling system for drilling a borehole through a subsurface formation between locations about a surface, the drilling system comprising:

a surface driver; and

a horizontal directional drilling tool, comprising;

a bit;

an outer tube coupled to the surface driver;

an inner tube coupled between the surface driver and the bit to translate rotation therebetween, the inner tube having a drilling fluid passage therethrough, the inner tube positioned within the outer tube to define a return flow passage therebetween; and

rotational drivers comprising a series of propulsors positioned along the inner tube, each of the propulsors comprising blades circumferentially distributed about a portion of the inner tube, each of the blades extending into the return flow passage and rotationally driven therein whereby returns in the borehole are urged.

27. The drilling system of claim 26, further comprising a mud pump coupled to the drilling tool to pass a drilling fluid through the drilling fluid passage.

28. The drilling system of claim 26, further comprising a solids control coupled to the drilling tool to receive returns from the return flow passage.

29. A method for directionally drilling a horizontal borehole through a subsurface formation between locations about a surface, the method comprising:

providing a drilling tool comprising an inner tube, an outer tube, propulsors, and a bit, the inner tube positioned within the outer tube to define a return flow passage therebetween;

positioning a series of the propulsors positioned along the inner tube, each of the propulsors comprising blades circumferentially distributed about a portion of the inner tube, each of the blades extending into the return flow passage;

advancing the bit into the subsurface formation by axially driving the outer tube and rotationally driving the bit via the inner tube;

passing a drilling fluid through the inner tube and out the bit, the drilling fluid mixing with cuttings generated by the bit to form returns; and

urging the returns from the borehole to the surface by rotating rotational drivers the propulsors in a return flow passage between the inner tube and the outer tube.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising selectively steering the drilling tool by radially extending stabilizers from the drilling tool.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising independently rotating the inner tube and the outer tube.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising coupling portions of the inner tube together via splines.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising unsettling returns during drilling in the drilling tool by selectively rotating the drilling tool and extending stabilizers about the drilling tool.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising unsettling the returns during drilling by selectively rotating the outer tube relative to a tool face position of the inner tube.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising grinding the returns by passing the returns through an angled inlet between the inner tube and the outer tube.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising positioning a flexible pipe protector between the inner tube and the outer tube.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprises providing supports with passage having flow assist surfaces between the inner tube and the outer tube and rotating the supports with the inner tube.

38. The method of claim 29, further comprising controlling a ratio between a drilling rate of the advancing and a pumping rate of the passing.

39. A horizontal directional drilling tool for drilling a borehole through a subsurface formation between locations about a surface, the drilling tool comprising:

a bit;

an outer tube coupled to a surface driver;

an inner tube coupled between the surface driver and the bit to translate rotation therebetween, the inner tube having a drilling fluid passage therethrough, the inner tube positioned within the outer tube to define a return flow passage therebetween;

supports positioned between the inner tube and the outer tube, the supports comprising an inner bearing race and an outer bearing race; and

rotational drivers comprising propulsors coupled to the inner tube, the propulsors comprising blades extending into the return flow passage and rotationally driven therein whereby returns in the borehole are urged uphole.

40. The drilling tool of claim 39, wherein the rotational drivers further comprise flow assist surfaces positioned about flow passages of the inner bearing race.

41. A horizontal directional drilling tool for drilling a borehole through a subsurface formation between locations about a surface, the drilling tool comprising:

a bit;

an outer tube coupled to a surface driver;

an inner tube coupled between the surface driver and the bit to translate rotation therebetween, the inner tube having a drilling fluid passage therethrough, the inner tube positioned within the outer tube to define a return flow passage therebetween;

adjustable stabilizers positionable about the outer tube and engagable with a wall of the borehole;

the adjustable stabilizers comprising an inflatable bladder, backing plate, and draw bolts to selectively extend and retract the adjustable stabilizers; and

rotational drivers comprising propulsors coupled to the inner tube, the propulsors comprising blades extending into the return flow passage and rotationally driven therein whereby returns in the borehole are urged uphole.

42. A method for directionally drilling a horizontal borehole through a subsurface formation between locations about a surface, the method comprising:

providing a drilling tool comprising an inner tube, an outer tube, and a bit;

advancing the bit into the subsurface formation by axially driving the outer tube and rotationally driving the bit via the inner tube;

passing a drilling fluid through the inner tube and out the bit, the drilling fluid mixing with cuttings generated by the bit to form returns;

urging the returns from the borehole to the surface by rotating rotational drivers in a return flow passage between the inner tube and the outer tube; and

unsettling returns during drilling in the drilling tool by selectively rotating the drilling tool and extending stabilizers about the drilling tool.