Downhole cutting mill
First Claim
1. An apparatus for reducing the size of particles entrained in a drilling fluid returning up a wellbore, comprising:
- (a) a housing disposed in a wellbore upstream of a selected wellbore device, an inlet in fluid communication with the return fluid, an exit for directing the return fluid to said selected wellbore device, and a first stage including;
(i) at least one cutting surface formed in a chamber formed in said housing; and
(ii) a cutting head disposed in said chamber, said cutting head cooperating with said at least one cutting surface to reduce the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a predetermined size.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A downhole device processes particles entrained in a drilling fluid returning up a wellbore. In one embodiment, the device includes a housing having at least one cutting surface formed in a chamber of a housing. A cutting head disposed in the chamber crushes or comminutes the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a predetermined size. The device is disposed in the wellbore and processes the entrained particles before they enter a selected wellbore device such as a pump. In certain embodiments, the housing has at least two chambers, wherein the entrained particles are reduced to a first predetermined size in the first chamber, a second predetermined size in the second chamber, etc. Also, the housing can include an operator that generates an energy field that reduces the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a first predetermined size when the particles flow through the energy field.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An apparatus for reducing the size of particles entrained in a drilling fluid returning up a wellbore, comprising:
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(a) a housing disposed in a wellbore upstream of a selected wellbore device, an inlet in fluid communication with the return fluid, an exit for directing the return fluid to said selected wellbore device, and a first stage including; (i) at least one cutting surface formed in a chamber formed in said housing; and (ii) a cutting head disposed in said chamber, said cutting head cooperating with said at least one cutting surface to reduce the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a predetermined size. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An wellbore device for processing the size of particles entrained in a drilling fluid returning up a wellbore (the “
- return fluid”
), comprising;(a) a housing disposed in the wellbore, the housing having an inlet in fluid communication with the return fluid and including; (i) a first chamber for reducing the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a first predetermined size by disintergrating the particle; and (ii) a second chamber for reducing the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a second predetermined size. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
- return fluid”
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19. A wellbore device for processing the size of particles entrained in a drilling fluid returning up a wellbore (the “
- return fluid”
), comprising;(a) an operator positioned in the wellbore in fluid communication with the return fluid, said operator generating an energy field that reduces the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a first predetermined size when the particles flow through the energy field. - View Dependent Claims (20)
- return fluid”
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21. A method for reducing the size of particles entrained in a drilling fluid returning up a wellbore, comprising:
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(a) disposing a housing in a wellbore; (b) providing fluid communication between the return fluid and chamber associated with the housing; (c) reducing the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid to a predetermined size by disintergrating the particles as the particles flow through the chamber; and (d) directing the return fluid from the housing to a selected wellbore device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation, comprising:
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(a) a drill string having a drill bit at an end thereof, the drill bit forming cuttings during drilling that are entrained in a drilling fluid flowing up the wellbore; (b) an active pressure differential device (AFD Device) positioned in the wellbore controlling pressure of the drilling fluid flowing up the wellbore; (c) a controller controlling the APD Device; and (d) a comminution device positioned in the wellbore adapted to reduce the size of the particles entrained in the drilling fluid by disintegrating the particles. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A method for drilling a wellbore in a subterranean formation, comprising:
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(a) providing a drill string having a drill bit at an end thereof, the drill bit forming cuttings during drilling that are entrained in a drilling fluid flowing up the wellbore; (b) controlling pressure of the drilling fluid flowing up the wellbore using an active pressure differential device (APD Device) positioned in the wellbore; (c) controlling the APD Device with a controller; and (d) disintegrating the cuttings entrained in the drilling fluid using a comminution device positioned in the wellbore. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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Specification