Methods and apparatus for cementing drill strings in place for one pass drilling and completion of oil and gas wells
First Claim
1. A drilling apparatus to drill a borehole, comprising:
- a tubular drill string attached to a rotary drill bit, the drill bit having at least one mud passage for passing drilling mud from within the drill string to the borehole,a source of drilling mud,a source of cement, andat least one latching float collar valve installed within the drill string above the drill bit that is used to cement the drill string and the drill bit into the earth.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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 of 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. A stabilizer is attached to the drill string that is used to centralize the drill string in the well during cementing operations. A one-way cement valve is installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently under ambient hydrostatic conditions while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the earth.
526 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A drilling apparatus to drill a borehole, comprising:
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a tubular drill string attached to a rotary drill bit, the drill bit having at least one mud passage for passing drilling mud from within the drill string to the borehole, a source of drilling mud, a source of cement, and at least one latching float collar valve installed within the drill string above the drill bit that is used to cement the drill string and the drill bit into the earth.
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2. A method of forming a well, comprising:
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drilling the well using a retrievable drill bit attached to a casing; removing the retrievable drill bit from the casing; pumping down a one-way valve in the casing; and using the one-way valve to cement the casing. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of forming a well from an offshore platform through a formation of interest to produce hydrocarbons, comprising:
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attaching a retrievable drill bit to a casing string located on the offshore platform; drilling a borehole from the offshore platform to the formation of interest; retrieving the retrievable drill bit from the casing string; installing a cement valve in the casing string; providing a pathway for fluids to enter into the casing string from the formation of interest; completing the well adjacent to the formation of interest; and passing the hydrocarbons through the casing string to the surface of the earth. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of forming a well, comprising:
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latching the retrievable drill bit to the casing string; rotating the casing string and the retrievable drill bit to form a wellbore; removing the retrievable drill bit from the casing string; pumping down a one-way valve in the casing string; and using the one-way valve to cement the casing string. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification