High power umbilicals for subterranean electric drilling machines and remotely operated vehicles

• US 6,857,486 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smart Drilling and Completion, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smart Drilling and Completion, Inc.
• Inventors: Skerl, Damir S., Dekle, Robert L., Chitwood, James E., Vail, William Banning III, Crossland, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, GIOVANNA COLLINS
• Application Number:
  US10/223,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20030034177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 175 97- 99, 175/101, 175/104, 166/65.1, 166/66.4, 405188-191, 114/312, 114/313, 114/322, 114/328, 114/337
• US Class Current: 175/104
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/206 with conductors, e.g. electrical, optical
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/10 Valve arrangements in drilling-fluid circulation systems
• 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 33/1243 with inflatable sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/126 with fluid-pressure-operated elastic cup or skirt E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/14 for cementing casings into boreholes
• 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 43/103 of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/105 Expanding tools specially adapted therefor
• 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: E21B 7/20 Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes

Abstract

The method of providing in excess of 60 kilowatts of electrical power to the electrical motor of a subterranean electric drilling machine through a substantially neutrally buoyant composite umbilical containing electrical conductors to reduce the frictional drag on the neutrally buoyant umbilical. Drilling and casing subterranean monobore wells are contemplated to distances of 20 miles from a wellsite. For drilling applications, the umbilical possesses a drilling fluid conduit. The umbilical also possesses high speed data communications such as a fiber optic cable or a coaxial cable that is used in the feedback control of the downhole electric drilling motor. Such umbilicals are also useful to provide power to remotely operated vehicles for subsea well servicing applications.

Claims

1. An apparatus to drill oil and gas wells comprising:

(a) a subterranean electric drilling machine disposed in a wellbore that possesses at least one electric motor that rotates a rotary drill bit at a selected RPM, whereby said electric motor possesses first electrical input, whereby said electric motor properly operates with a particular voltage level applied to first electrical input, and whereby said electric motor dissipates in excess of 60 kilowatts with said particular voltage level applied to said first electrical input;

(b) surface power supply means located on the surface of the earth providing first voltage output;

(c) umbilical means disposed in the wellbore surrounded by well fluids connecting said surface power supply means to said subterranean electric drilling machine that provides electrical power to said first electrical input of said electric motor, whereby said umbilical means possesses insulated electric wires, whereby said umbilical means possesses high speed data communications means, and whereby said umbilical possesses a fluid conduit for conveying drilling fluids through the interior of said umbilical means;

(d) means to measure first voltage applied to said first electrical input of said electrical motor;

(e) means to transmit information related to said measured first voltage through said high speed data communications means within said umbilical to a computer located on the surface of the earth

(f) computer controlled means to adjust said first voltage output so as to maintain first voltage input at said particular voltage level to provide proper operation of said electric motor within said subterranean electric drilling machine.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said umbilical means is approximately neutrally buoyant within said well fluids to reduce the frictional drag on said neutrally buoyant umbilical.

3. The method of feed-back control of an electric motor having at least one voltage input located within a subterranean electric drilling machine located in a borehole that dissipates at least 60 kilowatts that receives power from a surface power supply through an umbilical surrounded by well fluids that possesses at least two insulated electric wires, whereby said umbilical also possesses high speed data link for data communications, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring the voltage input to said electric motor;

(b) sending information related to said measured voltage input through said high speed data link to a computer located on the surface of the earth; and

(c) using said computer to adjust the voltage output of said surface power supply that is used to control the voltage input to said electrical motor.

4. The method in claim 3 wherein said umbilical is approximately neutrally buoyant within said well fluids to reduce the frictional drag on said umbilical.

5. The method of feed-back control of an electric motor having at least one voltage input located within a remotely operated vehicle that dissipates at least 60 kilowatts that receives power from a power supply located on a ship through an umbilical surrounded by sea water that possesses at least two insulated electric wires, whereby said umbilical also possesses high speed data link for data communications, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring the voltage input to said electric motor;

(b) sending information related to said measured voltage input through said high speed data link to a computer located on said ship; and

(c) using said computer to adjust the voltage output of said power supply located on said ship that is used to control the voltage input to said electrical motor.

6. An apparatus to drill an extended reach oil and gas well to lateral radial distance of between 7 miles to 20 miles from the location of a surface drill site, comprising:

(a) a subterranean electric drilling machine disposed in a wellbore that possesses at least one electric motor that rotates a rotary drill bit at a selected RPM, whereby said electric motor possesses first electrical input, whereby said electric motor properly operates with a particular voltage level applied to first electrical input, and whereby said electric motor dissipates in excess of 60 kilowatts with said particular voltage level applied to said first electrical input;

(b) surface power supply means located on the surface of the earth providing first voltage output;

(c) umbilical means disposed in the wellbore surrounded by well fluids connecting said surface power supply means to said subterranean electric drilling machine that provides electrical power to said first electrical input of said electric motor, whereby said umbilical means possesses insulated electric wires, whereby said umbilical means possesses high speed data communications means, whereby said umbilical possesses a fluid conduit for conveying drilling fluids through the interior of said umbilical means and whereby said umbilical means is a approximately neutrally buoyant within said well fluids to reduce the frictional drag on said neutrally buoyant umbilibal;

(d) means to measure first voltage applied to said first electrical input of said electrical motor;

(e) means to transmit information related to said measured first voltage through said high speed data communications means within said umbilical to a computer located on the surface of the earth

(f) computer controlled means to adjust said first voltage output so as to maintain first voltage input at said particular voltage level to provide proper operation of said electric motor within said subterranean electric drilling machine.

7. The method of feed-back control of an electric motor having at least one voltage input located within a subterranean electric drilling machine located in a borehole that dissipates at least 60 kilowatts that receives power from a surface power supply through an umbilical surrounded by well fluids that possesses at least two insulated electric wires, whereby said umbilical also possesses a high speed data link for data communications, whereby said umbilical is approximately neutrally buoyant within said well fluids to reduce the frictional drag on said umbilibal, comprising steps of:

(a) measuring the voltage input to said electric motor;

(b) sending information related to said measured voltage input through said high speed data link to a computer located on the surface of the earth;

(c) using said computer to adjust the voltage output of said surface power supply that is used to control the voltage input to said electrical motor; and

(d) using said feed-back control of said electric motor of said subterranean electric drilling machine to drill an extended reach oil and gas well to lateral radial distances of between 7 miles to 20 miles from the location of the surface drill site.