Reverse circulation directional and horizontal drilling using concentric drill string

• US 7,204,327 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Presssol Limited
• Original Assignee: Presssol Limited
• Inventors: Livingstone, James I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay; Jennifer H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stephenson; Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US10/644,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20040079553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 175/213, 175/215, 175/61, 175/324, 175/62, 175/318
• US Class Current: 175/318
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/18 Pipes provided with plural fluid passages E21B17/203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/203 with plural fluid passages
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/12 using drilling pipes with plural fluid passages, e.g. closed circulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/04 Directional drilling

Abstract

Method and apparatus for drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation using concentric drill string having an inner pipe and an outer pipe defining an annulus there between. A bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means such as an air hammer or a rotary drill bit and driving system is provide at the lower end of the concentric drill string and drilling medium is delivered through the annulus or inner pipe for operating the directional drilling means to form a borehole. Exhaust drilling medium, drilling cutting and hydrocarbon are removed from the wellbore by extracting the exhaust drilling medium, drilling cutting and hydrocarbon through the other of the annulus or inner pipe.

Claims

1. A method of drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

providing a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

connecting a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole, to the concentric drill string;

delivering drilling medium through one of said annulus or inner pipe to the directional drilling means and removing exhaust drilling medium by extracting said exhaust drilling medium through the other of said annulus or inner pipe to the surface of the wellbore; and

providing a downhole flow control means positioned at or near the directional drilling means, said downhole flow control means having an open position and a closed position, whereby said downhole flow control means is in the open position during active drilling to allow the flow of drilling medium or exhaust drilling medium through the inner pipe and the annulus and in the closed position when well control is necessary to prevent the flow of hydrocarbons through the inner pipe and the annulus to the surface of the wellbore.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the drilling medium is delivered through the annulus and the exhaust drilling medium is extracted through the inner pipe.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the drilling medium is delivered through the inner pipe and exhaust drilling medium is extracted through the annulus.

5. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein drilling cuttings are extracted together with the exhaust drilling medium.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein drilling cuttings and hydrocarbons are extracted together with the exhaust drilling medium.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said directional drilling means is a reverse circulating directional drilling means.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2 further comprising providing a surface flow control means positioned at or near the surface of the wellbore for preventing flow of hydrocarbons from a space between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore.

9. The method of claim 8, said surface flow control means further comprising a discharging means, said method further comprising removing said exhaust drilling medium through said discharging means from said wellbore.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said discharging means further comprises a flare means for flaring hydrocarbons produced from the wellbore.

11. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said drilling medium comprises air and said directional drilling means comprises a reciprocating air hammer, a drill bit and a bent sub or housing.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said reciprocating air hammer is a reverse circulating reciprocating air hammer.

13. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said drilling medium comprises air and said directional drilling means comprises a rotary drill bit and a bent sub or housing, said directional drilling means being operated by a rotary table or top drive drilling system.

14. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said drilling medium comprises air and said directional drilling means comprises a drill bit, a steerable downhole air motor and a bent sub or housing.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said steerable downhole air motor is a reverse circulating steerable downhole air motor.

16. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said drilling medium comprises drilling mud and said directional drilling means comprises a drill bit, a mud motor and a bent sub or housing.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said mud motor is a reverse circulating mud motor.

18. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said drilling medium is selected from the group consisting of drilling mud, drilling fluid, gases and a combination thereof, and said directional drilling means comprises a drill bit and a bent sub or housing.

19. The method of claim 1 or 2, said directional drilling means further comprising a venturi, said method further comprising accelerating said exhaust drilling medium through said venturi so as to facilitate removal of said exhaust drilling medium from the concentric drill string.

20. The method of claim 1 or 2 further comprising providing a shroud means positioned between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore for preventing release of exhaust drilling medium outside the concentric drill string and into the formation.

21. The method of claim 1 or 2 further comprising providing a suction type compressor means for extracting said exhaust drilling medium through said annulus or inner pipe.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an interchange means for directing said exhaust drilling medium through said annulus or inner pipe.

2. A method of drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

providing a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

connecting a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole and one or more tools selected from the group consisting of a downhole data collection and transmission means, a shock sub, a drill collar and an interchange means, to the concentric drill string;

delivering drilling medium through one of said annulus or inner pipe to the directional drilling means and removing exhaust drilling medium by extracting said exhaust drilling medium through the other of said annulus or inner pipe to the surface of the wellbore; and

providing a downhole flow control means positioned at or near the directional drilling means, said downhole flow control means having an open position and a closed position, whereby said downhole flow control means is in the open position during active drilling to allow the flow of drilling medium or exhaust drilling medium through the inner pipe and the annulus and in the closed position when well control is necessary to prevent the flow of hydrocarbons through the inner pipe and the annulus to the surface of the wellbore.

23. The method of claim 2 wherein said downhole data collection and transmission means comprises a measurement-while-drilling tool or a logging-while drilling tool or both.

24. An apparatus for drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole and a downhole flow control means having an open position and a closed position, operably connected to the concentric drill string;

a drilling medium delivery means for delivering drilling medium through one of said annulus or inner pipe to the directional drilling means for entraining and removing drill cuttings through the other of said annulus or inner pipe;

whereby when the downhole flow control means is in the open position drilling medium can flow through both the inner pipe and the annulus and when the downhole flow control means is in the closed position hydrocarbons are prevented from flowing through both the inner pipe and the annulus to the surface of the wellbore.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a surface flow control means positioned at or near the surface of the wellbore for preventing flow of hydrocarbons from a space between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising a discharging means attached to said surface flow control means for discharging said drilling medium and said entrained drill cuttings from the wellbore.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising a flare means attached to said discharging means for flaring hydrocarbons produced from the wellbore.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said directional drilling means is a reverse circulating directional drilling means.

29. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein drilling medium comprises air and directional drilling means comprises a reciprocating air hammer, a drill bit and a bent sub or housing.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said reciprocating air hammer is a reverse circulating reciprocating air hammer.

31. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein drilling medium comprises air and directional drilling means comprises a rotary drill bit and a bent sub or housing, said directional drilling means being operated by a rotary table or top drive drilling system.

32. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said drilling medium comprises air and said directional drilling means comprises a drill bit, a steerable downhole air motor and a bent sub or housing.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said steerable downhole air motor is a reverse circulating steerable downhole air motor.

34. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said drilling medium comprises drilling mud and said directional drilling means comprises a drill bit, a downhole mud motor and a bent sub or housing.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said downhole mud motor is a reverse circulating downhole mud motor.

36. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein drilling medium is selected from the group consisting of drilling mud, drilling fluid and gases and a combination thereof, and said directional drilling means comprises a drill bit and a bent sub or housing.

37. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the directional drilling means further comprising a venturi for accelerating said drilling medium so as to facilitate removal of said drill cuttings from the concentric drill string.

38. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a shroud means positioned between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore for preventing release of drilling medium or entrained drill cuttings or both outside the concentric drill string and into the formation.

39. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a suction type compressor means positioned at or near the top of the wellbore for extracting said entrained drill cuttings through said annulus or inner pipe.

40. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said bottomhole assembly further comprises one or more tools selected from the group consisting of a downhole data collection and transmission means, a shock sub, a drill collar, and an interchange means for directing said drilling medium and entrained drill cuttings through said annulus or inner pipe.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said downhole data collection and transmission means comprises a measurement-while-drilling tool or a logging-while drilling tool or both.

42. A method of drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

providing a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe, said inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

connecting a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole, to the concentric drill string; and

delivering drilling medium through said inner pipe to said directional drilling means and removing exhaust drilling medium by extracting said exhaust drilling medium primary through said annulus to the surface of the wellbore;

providing a downhole flow control means positioned at or near the directional drilling means, said downhole flow control means having an open position and a closed position, whereby said downhole flow control means is in the open position during active drilling to allow the flow of drilling medium down through the inner pipe and exhaust drilling medium up through the annulus and in the closed position when well control is necessary to prevent the flow of hydrocarbons up through the annulus to the surface of the well bore.

44. The method of claim 42 or 43 whereby said drilling medium is selected from the group consisting of drilling fluid, drilling mud, a drilling fluid and gas mixture, and a drilling mud and gas mixture.

43. A method of drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising the steps of:

providing a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe, said inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

connecting a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole, to the concentric drill string;

delivering drilling medium through said annulus to said directional drilling means and removing exhaust drilling medium by extracting said exhaust drilling medium through said inner pipe to the surface of the wellbore; and

providing a downhole flow control means positioned at or near the directional drilling means, said downhole flow control means having an open position and a closed position, whereby said downhole flow control means is in the open position during active drilling to allow the flow of drilling medium down through the annulus and exhaust drilling medium up through the inner pipe and in the closed position when well control is necessary to prevent the flow of hydrocarbons up through the inner pipe to the surface of the wellbore.

45. A method of drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising the steps of:

providing a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe, said inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

connecting a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole, to the concentric drill string;

delivering drilling medium through one of said annulus or inner pipe to said directional drilling means and removing exhaust drilling medium by extracting said exhaust drilling medium through said other of said annulus or inner pipe;

providing a surface flow control means positioned at or near the surface of the wellbore for preventing flow of hydrocarbons from a space between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore, said surface flow control means having a discharging means and said discharging means having a flare means; and

removing said exhaust drilling medium through said discharging means from said wellbore and flaring any hydrocarbons produced from the wellbore.

46. An apparatus for drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe, said inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole and a downhole flow control means having an open position and a closed position, operably connected to the concentric drill string; and

a drilling medium delivery means for delivering drilling medium through the inner pipe to the directional drilling means for entraining and removing drill cuttings through the annulus;

whereby said downhole flow control means is in the open position during active drilling to allow the flow of drilling medium down through the inner pipe and up through the annulus and in the closed position during well control operations to prevent the flow of hydrocarbons up through the annulus to the surface of the well bore.

47. An apparatus for drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe, said inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole, operably connected to the concentric drill string;

a drilling medium delivery means for delivering drilling medium through one of said annulus or inner pipe to the directional drilling means for entraining and removing drill cuttings through said other of said annulus or inner pipe;

a surface flow control means positioned at or near the surface of the wellbore for preventing flow of hydrocarbons from a space between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore;

a discharging means attached to said surface flow control means for discharging said drilling medium and said entrained drill cuttings from the wellbore; and

a flare means attached to said discharging means for flaring any hydrocarbons produced from the wellbore.

48. An apparatus for drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

a concentric drill string comprising an inner pipe, said inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole and a downhole flow control means having an open position and a closed position, operably connected to the concentric drill string; and

a drilling medium delivery means for delivering drilling medium through the annulus to the directional drilling means for entraining and removing drill cuttings through the inner pipe;

whereby said downhole flow control means is in the open position during active drilling to allow the flow of drilling medium down through the annulus and up through the inner pipe and in the closed position during well control operations to prevent the flow of hydrocarbons up through the inner pipe to the surface of the well bore.

49. A method of drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

providing a concentric drill string consisting essentially of an inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

connecting a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole, to the concentric drill string;

delivering drilling medium through one of said annulus or inner pipe to the directional drilling means and removing exhaust drilling medium by extracting said exhaust drilling medium primarily through said other of said annulus or inner pipe and to the surface of the wellbore by means of said other of said annulus or inner pipe;

providing a surface flow control means positioned at or near the surface of the wellbore for preventing flow of hydrocarbons from a space between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore, said surface flow control means having a discharging means and said discharging means having a flare means; and

removing said exhaust drilling medium through said discharging means from said wellbore and flaring any hydrocarbons produced from the wellbore.

50. An apparatus for drilling a directional or horizontal wellbore in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:

a concentric drill string consisting essentially of an inner pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall and an outer pipe having an inside wall and an outside wall, said outside wall of said inner pipe and said inside wall of said outer pipe defining an annulus between the pipes;

a bottomhole assembly, said bottomhole assembly comprising a directional drilling means for forming a borehole and one or more tools selected from the group consisting of a downhole data collection and transmission means, a shock sub, a drill collar and an interchange means for directing said drilling medium and entrained drill cuttings through said annulus or inner pipe, operably connected to the concentric drill string;

a drilling medium delivery means for delivering drilling medium through one of said annulus or inner pipe to the directional drilling means for entraining and removing drill cuttings through said other of said annulus or inner pipe;

a surface flow control means positioned at or near the surface of the wellbore for preventing flow of hydrocarbons from a space between the outside wall of the outer pipe and a wall of the wellbore;

a discharging means attached to said surface flow control means for discharging said drilling medium and said entrained drill cuttings from the wellbore; and

a flare means attached to said discharging means for flaring hydrocarbons produced from the wellbore.