Methods and apparatus for drilling with casing

• US 8,276,689 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Giroux, Richard L., Odell, Albert C. II, Xu, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDRISH, SEAN D
• Application Number:
  US11/750,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20070267221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 175/171, 175/257, 175/22, 175/23
• US Class Current: 175/171
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/06 Blow-out preventers , i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers rotating blow-out preventers E21B33/085
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/10 Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/20 Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/208 using down-hole drives E21B7/203 and E21B7/206 take precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of forming a wellbore includes running a liner drilling assembly into the wellbore, the liner drilling assembly having a liner, a conveying member, one or more connection members, and a drilling member. The method includes temporarily suspending the liner at a location below the rig floor; releasing the conveying member and the drilling member from the liner; re-connecting the conveying member to the liner; releasing the liner from its location of temporary suspension; and advancing the liner drilling assembly.

Claims

1. A method of forming a wellbore, comprising the steps of:

running a liner equipped with a bottom hole assembly (“

BHA”

) into the wellbore using a drill string;

extending the wellbore using the BHA and then suspending the liner in the wellbore at a location below a rig floor;

releasing a tubular member from the suspended liner and retrieving the drill string and the BHA to surface;

running the BHA on the drill string through the suspended liner;

attaching the drill string to the suspended liner;

releasing the suspended liner from the location of attachment; and

advancing the liner and the drill string to further extend the wellbore.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the liner is suspended below the rig floor using a re-settable liner hanger.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the liner is suspended below the rig floor within a housing comprising selectively actuatable rams.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

re-suspending the liner below the rig floor;

detaching the drill string from the re-suspended liner; and

retrieving the drilling BHA to the surface.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

running the drilling BHA on a drill string through the re-suspended liner;

attaching the drill string to the re-suspended liner;

releasing the re-suspended liner from the liner'"'"'s location of suspension; and

thereafter advancing the liner through the wellbore on the drill string.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the tubular member to a location above the suspended liner.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tubular member and the drill string comprise drill pipe.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the tubular member is the drill string.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising repairing the BHA after retrieval and before being run in through the suspended liner.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising replacing a drill bit of the BHA after retrieval and before being run in through the suspended liner.

11. A method of forming a wellbore comprising:

positioning a ram above the wellbore;

running a liner equipped with a drilling bottom hole assembly (“

BHA”

) into the wellbore;

drilling the wellbore using the drilling BHA and then using the ram to suspend the liner;

retrieving the drilling BHA from the suspended liner;

running the drilling BHA through the liner suspended in the ram;

attaching the drilling BHA to the suspended liner;

releasing the suspended liner from the ram; and

then advancing the liner and the drilling BHA by drilling through the wellbore.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the liner is run in using a conveying member selected from a group consisting of drill pipe, coiled tubing, corod, wireline, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

attaching the conveying member to the liner prior to releasing the liner from the liner'"'"'s location of suspension.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

re-suspending the liner at a different location below the ram;

detaching the drilling BHA from the re-suspended liner; and

retrieving the drilling BHA to the surface.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

running the drilling BHA through the re-suspended liner;

attaching the drilling BHA to the re-suspended liner;

releasing the re-suspended liner from the liner'"'"'s location of suspension; and

thereafter advancing the liner through the wellbore using the conveying member.

16. A method of forming a wellbore, comprising:

running a liner drilling assembly into the wellbore, the liner drilling assembly including a liner, a conveying member, one or more connection members, and a drilling member;

drilling the wellbore using the liner drilling assembly and then suspending the liner in the wellbore;

releasing the conveying member and the drilling member from the suspended liner;

retrieving the drilling member to the surface;

re-connecting the conveying member to the suspended liner;

releasing the liner from the liner'"'"'s location of suspension; and

then

advancing the liner and the drilling member.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more connection members include a re-settable liner drilling tool.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more connection members include a drilling latch.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the conveying member comprises drill pipe.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein suspending the liner comprises activating a re-settable liner hanger.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein suspending the liner comprises activating a ram.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more connection members include a running tool.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein suspending the liner comprises engaging the liner to a previously set casing.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising cementing the liner in the wellbore.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein cementing the liner comprises installing a packer in the liner.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising an extension joint coupled to the conveying member.

27. A method of forming a wellbore, comprising the steps of:

a. providing a liner drilling assembly having a drilling member and a liner connected to a conveying member using one or more connection members;

b. positioning the liner drilling assembly in the wellbore then operating the liner drilling assembly to drill the wellbore, and then attaching the liner to the wellbore;

c. releasing the one or more connection members from the liner, thereby leaving the liner in the wellbore;

d. retrieving the conveying member to a position above the liner;

e. running in the conveying member to reconnect to the liner; and

then

f. drilling and advancing the liner through the wellbore.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein leaving the liner below the rig floor comprises suspending the liner below the rig floor using a selectively actuatable ram.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more connection members include a running tool.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising engaging the liner to a previously set casing after drilling and advancing the liner to a target depth.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising cementing the liner in the wellbore.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein cementing the liner comprises installing a packer in the liner.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising advancing the drilling member to a target depth.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising an extension joint coupled to the conveying member.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein leaving the liner comprises suspending the liner below the rig floor using a re-settable liner hanger.

36. The method of claim 27, further comprising cementing the liner in the wellbore.

37. A method of forming a wellbore, comprising the steps of:

drilling a wellbore while carrying a liner on a drill string; and

then

attaching the liner to the wellbore at a location below a rig floor, thereby suspending the liner in the wellbore; and

then

releasing the drill string from the liner; and

then

reattaching the liner to the drill string; and

then

releasing the liner from the location of attachment; and

then

drilling further while carrying the liner.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the liner is attached to the location using a re-settable liner hanger.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the liner is attached to selectively actuatable rams.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising retrieving the drill string and repairing a BHA after retrieval and before releasing the liner from the location of attachment.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising retrieving the drill string and replacing a drill bit after retrieval and before releasing the liner from the location of attachment.