Three dimensional steerable system and method for steering bit to drill borehole

• US 6,607,044 B1
• Filed: 12/20/1999
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Odell, Albert C. II, Terry, James B., Estep, James W., Trainor, William F., Wilson, Thomas Platt, Eppink, Jay M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JONG SUK
• Application Number:
  US09/467,588
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 175/61, 175/73, 175/92, 175/99, 175/320, 175/74, 175/256, 166/242.2, 138/103, 138/125, 138/130, 138/132, 138/138
• US Class Current: 175/61
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/028 Electrical or electro-magnetic connections
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/03 between drilling rod or pipe and drill motor or surface drive, e.g. between drilling rod and hammer
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/20 Flexible or articulated drilling pipes , e.g. flexible or articulated rods, pipes or cables
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/206 with conductors, e.g. electrical, optical
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/07 Slip-type elevators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/086 with a fluid-actuated cylinder E21B19/084, E21B19/087, E21B19/09 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/161 using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe E21B19/168 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/001 Self-propelling systems or apparatus, e.g. for moving tools within the horizontal portion of a borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/06 Cutting windows, e.g. directional window cutters for whipstock operations E21B29/005 and E21B29/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/006 Mechanical motion converting means, e.g. reduction gearings E21B4/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/04 Electric drives E21B4/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/18 Anchoring or feeding in the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/01 Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/08 Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/067 with means for locking sections of a pipe or of a guide for a shaft in angular relation, e.g. adjustable bent sub
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/068 drilled by a down-hole drilling motor down-hole drives per se E21B4/00, E21B7/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/30 operating with electromagnetic waves

Abstract

A steering assembly includes upper and lower tubular housings connected by a universal joint. An angle cam is disposed on the end of the lower housing and projects into the upper housing. A plurality of wedge members extend axially from the upper housing and into engagement with the angle cam. Drive trains are connected to the wedge members to move the wedge members toward and away from the angle cam so as to pivot the lower housing at the universal joint and change the angle and azimuth of the lower housing with respect to the upper housing. The lower housing is connected to a bearing pack supporting a drill bit such that upon changing the angle and azimuth of the lower housing, the direction of the drilling of the drill bit is also changed. The steering assembly being connected to composite tubing having conductors in the wall thereof for conducting data and commands between the steering assembly and a processor at the surface and for providing power to the steering assembly. Data on the position of the bit is transmitted to a processor which determines the direction of drilling and selectively transmits commands to the steering assembly to change the bend angle and direction of the drilling of the bit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for steering a bit while drilling a borehole from the surface, the bit being mounted on a shaft, comprising:

a body having a nose connected to said body by a jointed connection, said body and nose each having an axis;

the shaft passing through said nose with said nose operatively directing the shaft and with the bit rotating with respect to said body during drilling;

an actuator movably mounted on said body and engaging said nose to move the nose with respect to the body at said jointed connection and alter the nose axis with respect to the body axis at said jointed connection; and

said actuator having a first position altering the nose axis with respect to said body axis forming a first direction of drilling of the bit and a second position altering the nose axis with respect to said body axis forming a second direction of drilling, said actuator altering the nose axis from the first position to the second position while the bit is in the borehole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said actuator includes an electric motor connected to a piston to move said actuator between said first and second positions to change both azimuth and angle between said body axis and nose axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further including a power source at the surface providing power through conductors extending from said power source to said motor and actuating said actuator into engagement with said nose through the rotation and axial movement of said actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a processor at the surface in communication through conductors extending from said processor to said actuator, said actuator engaging said nose.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said actuator does not include a hydraulic distribution system.

6. An apparatus for steering a bit while drilling a borehole from the surface, comprising:

a body having a nose connected to said body by a jointed connection, said body and nose each having an axis;

said nose operatively connected to the bit;

an actuator movably mounted on said body and engaging said nose to alter the nose axis with respect to the body axis at said jointed connection;

said actuator having a first position altering the nose axis with respect to said body axis forming a first direction of drilling of the bit and a second position altering the nose axis with respect to said body axis forming a second direction of drilling; and

composite coiled tubing extending from said body to the surface including a tube which has a modulus of elasticity which is not the same in all axes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein sid composite coiled tubing includes a wall having conductors embedded among layers therein.

8. A method of steering a bit from the surface to drill a borehole, the bit being mounted on a shaft, comprising:

extending the shaft through a steering assembly, the steering assembly having first and second portions connected at a jointed connection, the first and second portions each having an axis with the first and second portions rotatably supporting the shaft;

lowering a bottom hole assembly having a sensor, the steering assembly and bit into the borehole on composite coiled tubing;

providing power to the bottom hole assembly from the surface through a wall of the composite coiled tubing;

transmitting data from the sensor to a processor at the surface through the wall of the composite coiled tubing;

processing the data at the surface to determine the direction of drilling;

transmitting commands to the steering assembly from the surface to change the direction of drilling; and

altering the axis of the first portion of the steering assembly with the axis of the second portion of the steering assembly at the jointed connection between the first and second portions, the second portion being non-rotational during the altering of the axis of the first portion.

9. A method of controlling the direction of a bit while drilling a borehole forming a wall, the bit being mounted on a shaft, comprising:

extending the shaft through a steering assembly, the steering assembly having upper and lower sections connected by a jointed connection and the lower section rotatably supporting the shaft and bit;

lowering a bottom hole assembly with a downhole motor and the steering assembly into the borehole;

drilling the borehole by rotating the bit and shaft on the downhole motor and applying a load to the bit; and

adjusting an axis of the lower section with respect to the upper section of the steering assembly at the jointed connection between the upper and lower sections while drilling by changing the angle of the axis of the lower section with the axis of the upper section while drilling and by changing the azimuth of the axis of the lower section with an upper section while drilling to change the angle and azimuth of the bit and thus the direction of drilling.

10. The method of claim 9 further including transmitting signals to and from the steering assembly to adjust the direction of drilling without engaging the actuator against the borehole wall and while rotating the bit, the upper section being non-rotational during actuation and drilling.

11. An apparatus for steering a bit while drilling a borehole from the surface, the bit being mounted on a shaft, comprising:

first and second housings having first and second axes, respectively, and connected by a jointed connection;

said second housing rotatably supporting the shaft and operatively connected to the bit;

an actuator movably mounted within said first housing and engaging said second housing to move the second housing with respect to the first housing at said jointed connection and alter the second axis with respect to the first axis at said jointed connection; and

said actuator having a first position altering the second axis with respect to the first axis forming a first direction of drilling of the bit and a second position altering the second axis with respect to the first axis forming a second direction of drilling, said actuator altering the second housing axis from the first position to the second position while the bit is in the borehole and with the bit rotating with respect to said first and second housings during drilling.

12. A method of controlling the direction of a bit while drilling a borehole forming a wall, the bit being mounted on a shaft, comprising:

extending the shaft through a steering assembly, the steering assembly having upper and lower housings connected by a joint and the lower housing supporting the shaft and bit;

lowering a bottom hole assembly with a downhole motor and the steering assembly into the borehole;

rotating the shaft and bit on the downhole motor to drill the borehole; and

bending the lower housing with respect to the upper housing at the joint with the upper housing being non-rotational while drilling by changing the angle of the shaft and bit with the downhole motor and the azimuth of the shaft and bit with the downhole motor to simultaneously change the angle and azimuth of the bit in one actuation while drilling and thus the direction of drilling.

13. The method of claim 12 further including adjusting the bend between the upper and lower housings while drilling.

14. The method of claim 12 further including sliding the bottom hole assembly along the borehole wall while adjusting the bend.

15. A method of controlling the direction of a bit while drilling a borehole forming a wall, comprising:

lowering a bottom hole assembly with a downhole motor and a steering assembly into the borehole;

rotating the bit on the downhole motor to drill the borehole;

bending the bottom hole assembly at a joint while drilling by changing the angle of the bit with the downhole motor while drilling and by changing the azimuth of the bit with the downhole motor while drilling to change the angle and azimuth of the bit and thus the direction of drilling; and

providing an actuator engaging a member associated with the bit to adjust the angle and azimuth of the bottom hole assembly where the actuator does not engage the borehole wall.

16. An assembly for steering a bit in a borehole, comprising:

a housing having a first portion with a first axis and a second portion with a second axis, said first and second portions being connected by a universal joint, said first portion being operatively connected to the bit;

an actuator movably mounted on said second portion and engaging said first portion to move said second portion with respect to said first portion at said universal joint and alter said first axis with respect to said second axis; and

said actuator moving against said first portion causing rotation of said first portion at said universal joint from a first angle and azimuth of said first axis with respect to said second axis forming a first direction of drilling to a second angle and azimuth of said first axis with respect to said second axis forming a second direction of drilling.

17. An assembly for steering a bit for drilling a borehole from the surface, the bit being mounted on a shaft having a shaft axis, comprising:

a body having a nose connected to said body by a universal connection, said body and nose each having an axis and rotatably supporting the shaft;

said nose operatively connected to the shaft and bit, said body axis and nose axis being collinear with the shaft axis;

an actuator movably mounted on said body and engaging said nose to move the nose with respect to the body at said universal connection and alter the nose axis with respect to the body axis at said universal connection while altering the shaft axis;

said actuator having a first position altering the nose axis with respect to said body axis forming a first direction of drilling of the bit and a second position altering the nose axis with respect to said body axis forming a second direction of drilling; and

coiled tubing extending from said body to the surface.

18. A method of controlling the direction of a bit while drilling a borehole, the bit being mounted on a shaft, comprising:

extending the shaft through a steering assembly, the steering assembly having a housing connected to a bearing pack by a universal joint, the bearing pack rotatably supporting the shaft and bit;

lowering a downhole motor and the steering assembly into the borehole on a work string with the bit being operatively connected to the housing of the steering assembly by the bearing pack and universal joint;

rotating the bit on the downhole motor while maintaining the housing of the steering assembly and the work string stationary during the drilling of the borehole; and

applying a force from the housing of the steering assembly to the bearing pack to change the angle and azimuth at the universal joint on the steering assembly while in the borehole to change the direction of drilling.