Methods and apparatus for controlled directional drilling of boreholes
First Claim
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1. A method for determining the directional course of a borehole being excavated with rotatable earth-boring apparatus suspended from a tubular drill string comprising the steps of:
- while said earth-boring apparatus is excavating a borehole, obtaining a first series of measurements representative of the magnitudes of the bending moments and lateral forces that are acting on said earth-boring apparatus;
obtaining a second series of measurements representative of the azimuthal directions of said bending moments and lateral forces acting on said earth-boring apparatus; and
utilizing said first and second series of measurements for determining whether said earth-boring apparatus is then advancing along a selected course of excavation.
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Abstract
In the representative embodiments of the present invention described herein, new and improved methods and apparatus are disclosed for measuring various forces acting on an intermediate body between the lower end of a drill string and the earth-boring apparatus coupled thereto whereby the magnitudes and angular directions of bending moments and side forces acting on the earth-boring apparatus can be readily determined so that predictions can be made of the future course of excavation of the apparatus.
72 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for determining the directional course of a borehole being excavated with rotatable earth-boring apparatus suspended from a tubular drill string comprising the steps of:
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while said earth-boring apparatus is excavating a borehole, obtaining a first series of measurements representative of the magnitudes of the bending moments and lateral forces that are acting on said earth-boring apparatus; obtaining a second series of measurements representative of the azimuthal directions of said bending moments and lateral forces acting on said earth-boring apparatus; and utilizing said first and second series of measurements for determining whether said earth-boring apparatus is then advancing along a selected course of excavation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for excavating a borehole with rotatable earth-boring apparatus suspended from a tubular drill string comprising the steps of:
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while said earth-boring apparatus is excavating a borehole along a selected course of excavation, obtaining a first series of measurements representative of the magnitudes and azimuthal headings of the bending moments and lateral forces that may be tending to divert said earth-boring apparatus away from its said selected course of excavation during a first time period; obtaining a second series of measurements representative of the magnitudes and azimuthal headings of said bending moments and lateral forces that may be tending to divert said earth-boring apparatus away from its said selected course of excavation at a subsequent second time period; and combining said first and second measurements for determining whether said earth-boring apparatus is advancing along its said selected course of excavation. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method for determining the present course of earth-boring apparatus as it is excavating a borehole comprising the steps of:
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while said earth-boring apparatus is excavating a borehole, measuring the magnitude and azimuthal direction of a bending moment that is then acting on said earth-boring apparatus; measuring the magnitude and azimuthal direction of a side force that is then acting on said earth-boring apparatus; and determining the present directional course of said earth-boring apparatus resulting from said present bending moment and side force. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for determining the lateral side forces acting on rotatable earth-boring apparatus suspended from a tubular drill string and comprising the steps of:
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determining the elastic characteristics of the intervening portion of said drill string between said earth-boring apparatus and a force-measuring station located at a selected higher location in said drill string; while said earth-boring apparatus is excavating a borehole, obtaining a force measurement representative of the angular direction and the magnitude of the laterally-directed shear forces acting on said force-measuring station at a selected time; and combining the elastic characteristics of said intervening drill string portion with said force measurement for determining the angular direction and magnitude of the corresponding lateral side forces acting on said earth-boring apparatus at said selected time. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for determining the directional course of earth-boring apparatus suspended from a tubular drill string as said earth-boring apparatus is excavating a borehole and comprising the steps of:
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determining the elastic characteristics of the intervening portion of said drill string between said earth-boring apparatus and a force-measuring station located at a selected higher location in said drill string; at selected times during the excavation of a borehole by said earth-boring apparatus, successively obtaining a series of first force measurements representative of the angular directions and magnitudes of the laterally-directed shear forces acting on said force-measuring station and a series of second force measurements representative of the angular directions and magnitudes of the bending moments acting on said force-measuring station; and combining the elastic characteristics of said intervening drill string portion with said first and second force measurements for successively determining the angular directions and magnitudes of the lateral side forces and bending moments respectively acting on said earth-boring apparatus at said selected times. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus adapted for measuring downhole load conditions while drilling a borehole and comprising:
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a tubular load-bearing body adapted to be tandemly coupled in a tubular drill string and having upper and lower groups of lateral openings respectively arranged at circumferentially-spaced intervals around longitudinally-spaced upper and lower portions of said body; a first set of force-sensing means respectively mounted in a first group of said lateral openings and cooperatively arranged for respectively producing output signals representative of bending moments acting on the adjacent portion of said body; and a second set of force-sensing means respectively mounted in each of said upper and lower lateral openings cooperatively arranged for respectively producing output signals representative of laterally-directed shear forces acting on the adjacent portion of said body. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. Apparatus adapted for measuring downhole load conditions while excavating a borehole and comprising:
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a tubular load-bearing body adapted to be tandemly coupled in a tubular drill string and having upper and lower groups of lateral openings respectively arranged at circumferentially-spaced intervals around longitudinally-spaced upper and lower portions of said body; a first set of force-sensing means cooperatively arranged in a first group of said lateral openings and including at least two force sensors respectively mounted at the top and bottom of each of said first lateral openings for producing output signals representative of bending moments acting on the adjacent portion of said body; and a second set of force-sensing means cooperatively arranged in said upper and lower lateral openings and including at least two force sensors respectively mounted on opposite sides of each of said upper and lower lateral openings for producing output signals representative of laterally-directed shear forces acting on the adjacent portion of said body. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. Apparatus adapted for determining the directional course of a borehole being excavated with rotatable earth-boring apparatus suspended from a tubular drill string and comprising:
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means for obtaining measurements representative of the magnitudes of bending moments and lateral forces that are acting on earth-boring apparatus excavating a borehole; means for obtaining measurements representative of the azimuthal directions of said bending moments and lateral forces that are acting on said earth-boring apparatus; and means for combining said measurements for determining whether said earth-boring apparatus is advancing along a selected course of excavation. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. Apparatus adapted for determining the directional course of a borehole being excavated with rotatable earth-boring apparatus suspended from a tubular drill string and comprising:
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means defining a force-measuring station adapted to be located at a selected location in a tubular drill string supporting earth-boring apparatus adapted to be rotated for excavating a borehole; means adapted for successively measuring forces representative of the angular directions and magnitudes of the laterally-directed shear forces acting on said force-measuring station; means adapted for successively measuring forces representative of the angular directions and magnitudes of the bending moments acting on said force-measuring station; and means adapted for combining the elastic characteristics of the intervening portion of said drill string with said measurements for successively determining the angular directions and the magnitudes of the lateral side forces and bending moments respectively acting on said earth-boring apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification