Drilling with concentric strings of casing

• US 6,857,487 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Galloway, Gregory G., Brunnert, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US10/331,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 175/171, 175/22, 175/57, 175/257, 175/262, 166/380, 405/253
• US Class Current: 175/171
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/07 Telescoping joints for varying drill string lengths; Shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/20 Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore in one run-in of a casing working string. In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a drilling system comprising concentric casing strings, with each casing string having a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end thereof. The drill bit pieces of adjacent casing strings are releasably connected to one another. In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore with the drilling system. In another aspect of the invention, the releasably connected drill bit pieces comprise a drill bit assembly.

Claims

1. A method for setting at least two strings of casing within a wellbore, the at least two strings of casing comprising a second string of casing disposed within a first string of casing, comprising:

running a casing working string into the wellbore, the casing working string comprising;

the at least two strings of casing releasably connected to one another; and

a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end of at least one of the at least two strings of casing;

setting the first string of casing within the wellbore;

releasing the releasable connection between the first string of casing and the second string of casing;

running the casing working string into the wellbore to a second depth while applying rotational force to the drill bit piece; and

setting the second string of casing within the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising disconnecting the casing working string from the strings of casing and retrieving the casing working string from the wellbore.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing pressurized fluid into the casing working string while running the casing working string into the wellbore to a first depth and while running the casing working string into the wellbore to the second depth.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the strings of casing comprises introducing setting fluid into an annular area between the wellbore and the string of casing which is being set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a setting fluid is introduced into an annular area between the wellbore and the strings of casing only after the casing working string is run into the wellbore to the second depth.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotational force is discontinued before setting the strings of casing within the wellbore.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotational force is supplied by a top drive motor or a rotary table at a surface of the wellbore.

8. A method for setting at least three strings of casing within a wellbore, the at least three strings of casing comprising a second string of casing disposed within a first string of casing and a third string of casing disposed within the second string of casing, comprising:

running a casing working string into the wellbore while applying rotational force to the casing working string, the casing working string comprising;

the at least three strings of casing; and

drill bit pieces disposed at the lower end of each string of casing, the drill bit pieces releasably connected to each other;

setting the first string of casing within the wellbore;

applying a first force to break the releasable connection between the first string of casing and the second string of casing;

running the casing working string into the wellbore to a second depth while applying rotational force to the casing working string;

setting the second string of casing within the wellbore;

applying a second force to break the releasable connection between the second string of casing and the third string of casing;

running the casing working string into the wellbore to a third depth while applying rotational force to the casing working string; and

setting the third string of casing within the wellbore.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising disconnecting the casing working string from the at least three strings of casing and retrieving the casing working string from the wellbore.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising introducing pressurized fluid into the casing working string while running the casing working string into the wellbore to a first depth, while running the casing working string to a second depth, and while running the casing working string into the wellbore to a third depth.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein setting the at least three strings of casing comprises introducing setting fluid into an annular area between the wellbore and the string of casing which is being set.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a setting fluid is introduced into an annular area between the wellbore and the at least three strings of casing only after the casing working string is run into the wellbore to the third depth.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the rotational force is discontinued before setting the at least three strings of casing within the wellbore.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the rotational force is supplied by a top drive motor or a rotary table at a surface of the wellbore.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the second force is greater than the first force.

16. A method of drilling with casing comprising:

forming a first section of wellbore with a first casing string, the first casing string having a bore forming member at a lower end thereof; and

forming a second section of wellbore with a second casing string, the second casing string selectively extending telescopically from the lower end of the first casing string, wherein first section of wellbore has a larger diameter than the second section of wellbore.

17. A drilling system for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore, comprising:

at least three strings of casing concentrically disposed;

a connector releasably connecting each adjacent strings of casing; and

a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end of at least one of the at least three strings of casing, wherein the force required to release the connectors increases as the diameter of the strings of casing decreases.

18. A drilling system for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore, comprising:

at least three strings of casing concentrically disposed;

a connector releasably connecting each adjacent strings of casing; and

a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end of at least one of the at least three strings of casing, wherein the connectors comprises an assembly that can be deactivated from the surface of the wellbore by establishing sufficient pressure within the casing strings.

19. A drilling system for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore, comprising:

at least two strings of casing, wherein the outer diameter of the inner string of casing is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer string of casing;

a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end of at least one of the at least two strings of casing;

a connector which releasably connects adjacent casing strings; and

a wiper disposed between the at least two strings of casing.

20. A drilling system for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore, comprising:

at least two strings of casing, wherein the outer diameter of the inner string of casing is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer string of casing;

a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end of at least one of the at least two strings of casing;

a connector which releasably connects adjacent casing strings; and

a torque key system, wherein the torque key system prevents rotational translation of the at least two strings of casing relative to one another.

21. A drilling system for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore, comprising:

at least two strings of casing, wherein the outer diameter of the inner string of casing is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer string of casing;

a drill bit piece disposed at the lower end of at least one of the at least two strings of casing;

a connector which releasably connects adjacent casing strings; and

a spline assembly, wherein the spline assembly prevents rotational translation of the at least two strings of casing relative to one another.

22. A drilling system for setting concentric casing strings within a wellbore, comprising:

an inner string of casing concentrically disposed within an outer string of casing;

a connector for releasably connecting the inner string to the outer string;

a first drilling member connected to the inner string; and

a circumferential drilling member connected to the outer string, wherein the drilling members are separable when the inner string is released from the outer string.

23. The drilling system of claim 22, further comprising a third string of casing concentrically disposed adjacent to at least one of the inner string or outer string of casings.

24. The drilling system of claim 23, wherein the third string of casing comprises a second circumferential drilling member.

25. The drilling system of claim 23, further comprising a second releasable connector for connecting the third string of casing to the drilling assembly.

26. The drilling system of claim 25, wherein a force required to release the connectors increases as the diameter of the strings of casing decreases.

27. The drilling system of claim 25, wherein the connectors comprise an assembly removable from the wellbore.

28. The drilling system of claim 23, wherein the connectors comprise an assembly that can be deactivated from the surface of the wellbore by establishing sufficient pressure within the casing strings.

29. The drilling system of claim 22, wherein at least one of the drilling members comprise perforations for fluid flow therethrough.

30. The drilling system of claim 22, further comprising a hanger disposed on the upper end of the outer string of casing, wherein the hanger supports the weight of the drilling system from a surface of the wellbore.

31. The drilling system of claim 22, further comprising a conveying member releasably connected to an inner diameter of the inner string of casing.

32. The drilling system of claim 22, wherein the connector comprises a weight sheared pin or locking mechanism.

33. The drilling system of claim 22, further comprising a sealing member disposed between the inner string of casing and the outer string of casing.

34. The drilling system of claim 22, further comprising a wiper disposed between the inner string and outer string of casing.

35. The drilling system of claim 22, further comprising a torque key system, wherein the torque key system prevents rotational translation of the two strings of casing relative to one another.

36. The drilling system of claim 22, further comprising a spline assembly, wherein the spline assembly prevents rotational translation of the two strings of casing relative to one another.