Apparatus and Method for Steerable Drilling
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for drilling a wellbore comprising:
- a rotatable drill string;
a bottom hole assembly coupled to the drill string, the bottom hole assembly comprising an upper section and a lower section, the lower section comprising a drilling motor, and a steering apparatus having a toolface reference;
a sensor disposed in the bottom hole assembly to provide at least a measure of the toolface angle;
a controllably adjustable clutch coupling the upper section to the lower section; and
a controller in data communication with the sensor and with the controllably adjustable clutch, the controller adjusting the clutch to maintain a steering assembly toolface angle in a predetermined range about a target steering apparatus toolface angle while drilling.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for drilling a wellbore comprises extending a rotatable drill string in the wellbore, where the drill string has a bottom hole assembly coupled to a bottom end thereof. A lower section of the bottom hole assembly comprising a steering apparatus is coupled to an upper section of the bottom hole assembly with a controllably adjustable clutch. A steering apparatus toolface angle is detected. The clutch is controllably adjusted to maintain the steering apparatus toolface angle within a predetermined range about a target steering apparatus toolface angle while rotating the upper section with the drill string.
32 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for drilling a wellbore comprising:
-
a rotatable drill string; a bottom hole assembly coupled to the drill string, the bottom hole assembly comprising an upper section and a lower section, the lower section comprising a drilling motor, and a steering apparatus having a toolface reference; a sensor disposed in the bottom hole assembly to provide at least a measure of the toolface angle; a controllably adjustable clutch coupling the upper section to the lower section; and a controller in data communication with the sensor and with the controllably adjustable clutch, the controller adjusting the clutch to maintain a steering assembly toolface angle in a predetermined range about a target steering apparatus toolface angle while drilling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for drilling a wellbore comprising:
-
extending a rotatable drill string in the wellbore, the drill string having a bottom hole assembly coupled to a bottom end thereof; coupling a lower section of the bottom hole assembly comprising a steering apparatus to an upper section of the bottom hole assembly with a controllably adjustable clutch; detecting a steering apparatus toolface angle; controllably adjusting the clutch to maintain the steering apparatus toolface angle within a predetermined range about a target steering apparatus toolface angle while rotating the upper section with the drill string. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification