Drilling with a high pressure rotating control device
First Claim
1. Method for drilling a wellbore in a formation with a fluid, comprising the steps of:
- casing a portion of the wellbore using a casing having a casing shoe;
determining a casing shoe pressure;
determining a formation fracture pressure;
positioning a rotating control device with said casing; and
drilling the wellbore at a fluid pressure calculated using the lesser of the casing shoe pressure and the formation fracture pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Drill-To-The-Limit (DTTL) drilling method variant to Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) applies constant surface backpressure, whether the mud is circulating (choke valve open) or not (choke valve closed). Because of the constant application of surface backpressure, the DTTL method can use lighter mud weight that still has the cutting carrying ability to keep the borehole clean. The DTTL method identifies the weakest component of the pressure containment system, such as the fracture pressure of the formation or the casing shoe leak off test (LOT). With a higher pressure rated RCD, such as 5,000 psi (34,474 kPa) dynamic or working pressure and 10,000 psi (68,948 kPa) static pressure, the limitation will generally be the fracture pressure of the formation or the LOT. In the DTTL method, since surface backpressure is constantly applied, the pore pressure limitation of the conventional drilling window can be disregarded in developing the fluid and drilling programs. Using the DTTL method a deeper wellbore can be drilled with larger resulting end tubulars, such as casings and production liners, than had been capable with conventional MPD applications.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. Method for drilling a wellbore in a formation with a fluid, comprising the steps of:
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casing a portion of the wellbore using a casing having a casing shoe; determining a casing shoe pressure; determining a formation fracture pressure; positioning a rotating control device with said casing; and drilling the wellbore at a fluid pressure calculated using the lesser of the casing shoe pressure and the formation fracture pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Method for providing a differential pressure on a first sealing element of a rotating control device having an inner member having the first sealing element and a second sealing element rotatable relative to an outer member, comprising the steps of:
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determining a wellbore pressure at a wellhead; calculating a predetermined fluid cavity pressure using the determined wellbore pressure; sealing said first sealing element and said second sealing element of the rotating control device with a tubular; and supplying the predetermined fluid cavity pressure in a first cavity defined by the rotating control device inner member, the rotating control device first sealing element and the rotating control device second sealing element when said first sealing element and said second sealing element are sealed on the tubular. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A rotating control apparatus, comprising:
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an outer member; an inner member having a first sealing element and a second sealing element;
said inner member, said first sealing element and said second sealing element rotatable relative to said outer member;a first cavity defined by said inner member, said first sealing element and said second sealing element; and said inner member having a port to said first cavity. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A rotating control system adapted for use with a tubular, comprising:
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a first rotating control device having; an outer member; an inner member having a first sealing element and a second sealing element;
said inner member, said first sealing element and said second sealing element rotatable relative to said outer member; anda first rotating control device cavity defined by said inner member, the tubular, said first sealing element and said second sealing element; a first fluid source communicating with said first rotating control device cavity to provide a predetermined fluid pressure to said first rotating control device cavity; a second rotating control device having; an outer member; an inner member having a first sealing element and a second sealing element;
said inner member, said first sealing element and said second sealing element rotatable relative to said outer member; anda second rotating control device cavity defined by said inner member, the tubular, said first sealing element and said second sealing element; and a second fluid source communicating with said second rotating control device cavity to provide a predetermined fluid pressure to said second rotating control device cavity. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A rotating control apparatus adapted for use with a tubular, comprising:
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an outer member; an inner member having a first sealing element and a second sealing element;
said inner member, said first sealing element and said second sealing element rotatable relative to said outer member;a first cavity defined by said inner member, the tubular, said first sealing element and said second sealing element; and a fluid source communicating with said first cavity to provide a predetermined fluid pressure to said first cavity. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A rotating control system adapted for use with a tubular, comprising:
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a housing for positioning with a borehole; an outer member sized to be received with said housing; an inner member having a first sealing element and a second sealing element;
said inner member, said first sealing element and said second sealing element rotatable relative to said outer member;a first cavity defined by said inner member, the tubular, said first sealing element and said second sealing element; a fluid in said borehole having a wellbore fluid pressure; a first fluid source communicating with said first cavity to provide a predetermined fluid pressure based on said wellbore fluid pressure to said first cavity. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification