Method and apparatus for cementing drill strings in place for one pass drilling and completion of oil and gas wells

• US 7,165,634 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Vail, William Banning III
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsay; Frank
• Application Number:
  US10/678,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 175/107, 175/402, 175/317, 175/318, 166/290, 166/285, 166/295
• US Class Current: 175/318
• 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 23/00 Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10
• 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 33/16 using plugs for isolating cement charge; Plugs therefor stage cementing E21B33/146; spacer compositions C09K8/424
• 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 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 steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. Methods of operation are described that provide for the efficient installation a cemented steel cased well wherein the drill string and the drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass down into the earth. The normal mud passages or watercourses present in the rotary drill bit are used for the second independent purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string into place during one single pass into the earth. A one-way cement valve is installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently under ambiently hydrostatic conditions while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the earth.

Claims

1. A method for forming a wellbore, comprising:

providing a drill string having a casing portion;

drilling the wellbore using the drill string;

locating the casing portion within the wellbore;

pumping a one-way valve down the drill string; and

placing a physically alterable bonding material in an annulus formed between the casing portion and the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the physically alterable bonding material in the annulus comprises flowing the bonding material through an earth removal member connected to the drill string.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising circulating drilling fluid through the earth removal member while locating the casing portion within the wellbore.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a hydrostatic pressure condition in the wellbore and allowing the bonding material to physically alter under the hydrostatic pressure condition.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the bonding material is allowed to physically alter by reducing fluid pressure within the drill string.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting the one-way valve to the casing portion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting an earth removal member to a lower end of the casing portion.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising positioning the one-way valve above the earth removal member.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing a first wiper plug in front of the bonding material and a second wiper plug behind the bonding material.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising landing the first wiper plug on the one-way valve.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising stabilizing the drill string while drilling the wellbore.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the casing portion in a substantially centralized position in relation to a diameter of the wellbore after locating the casing portion within the wellbore.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the physically alterable bonding material is cement.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein drilling the wellbore using the drill string comprises drilling with an earth removal member operatively connected to the drill string.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the earth removal member is connected to the casing portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the earth removal member is connected to a lower end of the casing portion.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a geophysical parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising disposing a first wiper plug in front of the bonding material and a second wiper plug behind the bonding material.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising landing the first wiper plug on the one-way valve.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising establishing a hydrostatic pressure condition in the wellbore and allowing the bonding material to physically alter under the hydrostatic pressure condition.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the bonding material is allowed to physically alter by reducing fluid pressure within the drill string.

22. A method for forming a wellbore, comprising:

providing a drill string having a casing portion;

drilling the wellbore using the drill string;

pumping a valve assembly down the drill string; and

locating the valve assembly in the casing portion.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein locating the valve assembly comprises latching the valve assembly to the casing portion.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising attaching a drill bit at a lower end of the casing portion.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising selectively blocking fluid flow through the casing portion.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein selectively blocking fluid flow through the casing portion comprises introducing a wiper plug into the casing portion.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the valve assembly is pumped down the drill string using a drilling fluid.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising introducing cement behind the drilling fluid.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising positioning a wiper plug between the drilling fluid and cement.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the valve assembly comprises a one-way valve.

31. The method of claim 22, further comprising selectively altering a trajectory of the wellbore.