Testing while fracturing while drilling
First Claim
1. A method for performing a drilling procedure to drill a wellbore into a subterranean formation to produce hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir therein, comprising:
- using a drilling system comprising a drillstring and a drill bit to drill the wellbore into the subterranean formation, wherein the drilling procedure comprises circulating drilling fluids through the wellbore, down the drillstring and up through a drilling annulus;
fracturing a section of the subterranean formation at a location along the wellbore;
pumping a low density drilling fluid into the wellbore to decrease the bottom hole pressure below a pressure of the subterranean formation, thereby flowing formation fluids from the subterranean formation into the wellbore at the location prior to completing the wellbore; and
measuring properties of the flow of formation fluids into the wellbore.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A drilling procedure is operated such that a formation around the wellbore being drilled is fractured and then reservoir fluids from a hydrocarbon reservoir contained in the formation are flowed into the wellbore where the flow of the reservoir fluids is tested. Production predictions for the wellbore are processed from the measurements made on the flow of reservoir fluids and decisions regarding further drilling operations are made based upon the reservoir fluid measurements. By testing reservoir fluids prior to completing the wellbore, drilling operations such as, for example, continuing to drill the wellbore may be made without tripping the drillstring from the wellbore.
46 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method for performing a drilling procedure to drill a wellbore into a subterranean formation to produce hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir therein, comprising:
-
using a drilling system comprising a drillstring and a drill bit to drill the wellbore into the subterranean formation, wherein the drilling procedure comprises circulating drilling fluids through the wellbore, down the drillstring and up through a drilling annulus; fracturing a section of the subterranean formation at a location along the wellbore; pumping a low density drilling fluid into the wellbore to decrease the bottom hole pressure below a pressure of the subterranean formation, thereby flowing formation fluids from the subterranean formation into the wellbore at the location prior to completing the wellbore; and measuring properties of the flow of formation fluids into the wellbore. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for performing a drilling procedure to drill a wellbore into a subterranean formation to produce hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir therein, comprising:
-
using a drilling system comprising a drillstring and a drill bit to drill the wellbore into the subterranean formation, wherein the drilling procedure comprises circulating drilling fluids through the wellbore, down the drillstring into a bottom of the wellbore and up through a drilling annulus; pumping a first drilling fluid into the wellbore; pumping a second drilling fluid with a density higher than the first drilling fluid into the wellbore to increase a pressure at the bottom of the wellbore; fracturing the subterranean formation; pumping a third drilling fluid with a density lower than the second drilling fluid into the wellbore; lowering the pressure at the bottom of the wellbore below a pressure of the subterranean formation; and measuring properties of a flow of formation fluids flowing from the subterranean formation into the wellbore. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A method for performing a drilling procedure to drill a wellbore into a subterranean formation to produce hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon reservoir therein, comprising:
-
using a managed pressure drilling system comprising a drillstring and a drill bit to drill the wellbore into the subterranean formation, wherein the drilling procedure comprises circulating drilling fluids through the wellbore, down the drillstring and up through a drilling annulus surrounding the drillstring, wherein return flow out of the annulus at the surface is controlled with an adjustable choke; drilling while restricting flow out of the annulus by means of the choke so as to maintain a surface pressure in the annulus and maintain a downhole pressure above a pressure of the subterranean formation to prevent entry of formation fluids but without fracturing the surrounding subterranean formation; increasing downhole pressure and thereby fracturing a section of the subterranean formation at a location along the wellbore; after fracturing at the said location, opening the choke and reducing downhole pressure below the pressure of the subterranean formation to allow flow of formation fluids from the subterranean formation into the wellbore at the location prior to completing the wellbore; and measuring properties of the flow of formation fluids into the wellbore. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification