Drilling alignment system

• US 20030062168A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FMC Technologies Incorporated (TechnipFMC, plc)
• Original Assignee: FMC Technologies Incorporated (TechnipFMC, plc)
• Inventors: Yian Liew, Joseph Shu
• Granted Patent: US 6,736,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/313
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/047 for plural tubing strings

Abstract

A method for drilling a plurality of well bores through a single conductor housing which comprises providing a base plate which includes at least first and second well slots that extend therethrough, supporting the base plate on the conductor housing, suspending a temporary casing string from the first well slot, drilling a first well bore through the second well slot, removing the temporary casing string from the first well slot, and then drilling a second well bore through the first well slot.

Claims

1. A method for drilling a plurality of well bores through a single conductor housing which comprises:

providing a base plate which includes at least first and second well slots that extend therethrough;

supporting the base plate on the conductor housing;

suspending a temporary casing string from the first well slot;

drilling a first well bore through the second well slot;

removing the temporary casing string from the first well slot; and

drilling a second well bore through the first well slot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the temporary casing string is larger than the diameter of a casing string which is subsequently suspended in the first well slot during completion of a well through the second well bore.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising drilling an initial bore through the first well slot prior to suspending the temporary casing string from the first well slot.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching an upper end of the temporary casing string to a casing hanger which in turn is landed in the first well slot.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the casing hanger comprises an offset casing hanger.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising attaching an end cap guide to a lower end of the temporary casing string prior to suspending the casing string from the first well slot.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the diameter of the end cap guide is larger than the diameter of the casing string.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

constructing the temporary casing string from a number of individual lengths of casing string; and

connecting each pair of adjacent lengths of casing string together with a connector collar.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the diameter of the connector collars is larger than the diameter of the individual lengths of casing string.

10. A method for completing a plurality of wells through a single conductor housing which comprises:

providing a base plate which includes at least first and second well slots that extend therethrough;

supporting the base plate on the conductor housing;

suspending a temporary casing string from the first well slot;

mounting a first drilling riser to the base plate over the second well slot;

drilling a first well bore through the first drilling riser and the second well slot; and

suspending a first casing string in the second well slot.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing the first drilling riser from the base plate; and

mounting a first wellhead to the base plate over the second well slot.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

removing the temporary casing string from the first well slot;

mounting a second drilling riser to the base plate over the first well slot; and

drilling a second well bore through the second drilling riser and the first well slot; and

suspending a second casing string in the first well slot.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

removing the second drilling riser from the base plate; and

mounting a second wellhead to the base plate over the first well slot.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing the temporary casing string from the first well slot;

mounting a second drilling riser to the base plate over the first well slot; and

drilling a second well bore through the second drilling riser and the first well slot; and

suspending a second casing string in the first well slot.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

removing the second drilling riser from the base plate; and

mounting a second wellhead to the base plate over the first well slot.