Dual motor systems and non-rotating sensors for use in developing wellbores in subsurface formations

• US 8,151,907 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shell USA Incorporated (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: MacDonald, Duncan Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US12/422,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20090272578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 175/61, 175/73, 175/24, 175/26, 175/95
• US Class Current: 175/95
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 21/22 Compounds containing sulfur, selenium, or tellurium
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 21/28 Recovery of used solvent
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/207 Acid gases, e.g. H2S, COS, SO2, HCN
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/301 Boiling range
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/302 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/308 Gravity, density, e.g. API
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4006 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4012 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/42 Hydrogen of special source or of special composition
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/807 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/02 Gasoline
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/003 with cutting edges facing in opposite axial directions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/08 Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 3/022 Top drives
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/001 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/02 using burners
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/04 using electrical heaters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/04 Electric drives E21B4/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/119 Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2401 by means of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2403 : by means of nuclear energy
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/243 : Combustion in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/281 : using heat
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/30 : Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/305 : comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 : of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 : Measuring temperature or pressure
• 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 7/18 : Drilling by liquid or gas jets, with or without entrained pellets E21B7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for forming a subsurface wellbore is disclosed. The method includes operating a drilling string in a first direction of rotation. A first motor located near the end of the drilling string is operated in a direction of rotation opposite that of the drilling string. A drill bit is rotated using a second motor that is coupled to the first motor.

Claims

1. A method for forming a subsurface wellbore, comprising:

operating a drilling string in a first direction of rotation;

operating a first motor located near the end of the drilling string to rotate a bottom hole assembly in a direction of rotation opposite the direction of rotation of the drilling string; and

rotating a drill bit using a second motor that is coupled to the first motor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a rotation of at least a portion of the bottom hole assembly coupled to the drilling string.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the drill bit by changing a rotation speed of the drilling string or a rotation speed of the first motor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a trajectory of drilling while the drilling string remains in a rotary mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein changing a trajectory of drilling while the drilling string remains in a rotary mode comprises:

reducing the speed of the drilling string to a neutral drilling speed in which the drilling string speed is substantially equal and opposite to a speed of the first motor; and

changing the direction of the drill bit to change the trajectory of drilling.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a differential pressure for the bottom hole assembly at a neutral drilling speed;

measuring a differential pressure for the bottom hole assembly during operation; and

using the measured differential pressure to control a speed of the drilling string relative to a neutral drilling speed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using at least one spatial offset or angular offset to determine a steering solution to move the trajectory of the drilling string back into convergence with a desired drilling geometry.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein combined rotation speed of the drilling string and the first moter results in a forward rotation speed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a rotation speed of the first motor is greater than the rotation speed of the drilling string.

10. A system for forming a subsurface wellbore, comprising:

a drilling string configured to rotate in a first direction;

a bottom hole assembly comprising a drill bit, the drill bit being configured to form the wellbore;

a first motor located near the end of the drilling string, the first motor being configured to rotate a portion of the bottom hole assembly in a direction opposite to that of the drilling string; and

a second motor configured to rotate the drill bit.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a control system configured to control the drill bit by changing a rotation speed of the drilling string or a rotation speed of the first motor.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first motor is installed in an inverted orientation.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first motor comprises a stator and a rotor, and wherein the rotor is coupled to a driveshaft of the drilling string.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first motor comprises a motor shaft coupled to the rotor, and wherein the motor shaft faces up-hole.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the motor shaft is coupled to the drilling string by way of a reverse threaded connection, and wherein the reverse threaded connection is configured to inhibit backing out of the motor shaft relative to the drilling string.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the motor shaft is coupled to the drilling string by way of a backoff-protected connection, and wherein the backoff-protected connection is configured to inhibit backing out of the motor shaft relative to the drilling string.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first motor is a straight mud motor, and the second motor is a bent sub or a bent housing steerable mud motor.

18. A system for forming a subsurface wellbore, comprising:

a drilling string;

a first motor located near the end of the drilling string configured to rotate in a direction of rotation opposite that of the drilling string;

a drill bit on an end of the drilling string, the drill bit being configured to form the wellbore;

a second motor configured to rotate the drill bit; and

a non-rotating sensor located on the drilling string.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the non-rotating sensor is coupled to the first motor, and wherein the first motor is configured to rotate in counter-rotation to at least a portion of a bottom hole assembly such that the rotation speed of the non-rotating sensor is substantially zero.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a control system configured to control a speed of the first motor to inhibit rotation of the non-rotating sensor.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the non-rotating sensor comprises one or more transceivers configured to communicate data for position measurement, and the system further comprises a control system configured to control drilling operations based on data from the one or more transceivers.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the first motor is a mud motor.

23. A method for forming a subsurface wellbore, comprising:

operating a drilling string in a first direction of rotation;

operating a first motor located near the end of the drilling string in a direction of rotation opposite that of the drilling string;

rotating a drill bit using a second motor that is coupled to the first motor; and

using at least one spatial offset or angular offset to determine a steering solution to move the trajectory of the drilling string back into convergence with a desired drilling geometry.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising controlling a rotation of at least a portion of a bottom hole assembly coupled to the drilling string.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising controlling the drill bit by changing a rotation speed of the drilling string or a rotation speed of the first motor.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising changing a trajectory of drilling while the drilling string remains in a rotary mode.

27. A method for forming a subsurface wellbore, comprising:

operating a drilling string in a first direction of rotation;

operating a first motor located near the end of the drilling string in a direction of rotation opposite that of the drilling string;

rotating a drill bit using a second motor that is coupled to the first motor;

determining a differential pressure for a bottom hole assembly at a neutral drilling speed;

measuring a differential pressure for the bottom hole assembly during operation; and

using the measured differential pressure to control a speed of the drilling string relative to a neutral drilling speed.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising changing a trajectory of drilling while the drilling string remains in a rotary mode.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein changing a trajectory of drilling while the drilling string remains in a rotary mode comprises:

reducing the speed of the drilling string to a neutral drilling speed in which the drilling string speed is substantially equal and opposite to a speed of the first motor; and

changing the direction of the drill bit to change the trajectory of drilling.

30. A system for forming a subsurface wellbore, comprising:

a drilling string configured to rotate in a first direction;

a bottom hole assembly comprising a drill bit, the drill bit being configured to form the wellbore;

a first motor located near the end of the drilling string, the first motor being configured to rotate a portion of the bottom hole assembly in a direction opposite to that of the drilling string, wherein the first motor is installed in an inverted orientation.