Drill string component

Details Drill string component Drill string component

1991-12-30

1993-11-16

Britts, Ramon S.

Boring or penetrating the earth

With tool shaft detail

Shaft carried guide or protector

E21B 1710

Patent

active

052614980

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a drill string component, that is a component which, in use, forms part of a drill string for drilling a subterranean well, for example an oil or gas well.
It is conventional in drilling deep subterranean wells to line at least the upper regions of the well with a metal casing. The drill string used for drilling a well is made up of a number of sections interconnected by screw threaded joints and during drilling operations the joints are liable to beat against the casing. During prolonged periods of drilling this can lead to damage to the casing. The problem is particularly acute in the case of wells which deviate from the vertical and in cases where the rate of penetration of the drill string is slow so that one particular joint will beat against the same region of casing for a prolonged period. In extreme cases, the prolonged contact of the tool joint against the casing will damage the casing to the extent that it will be unable to withstand the designed operating pressures.
In an attempt to alleviate this problem it is known to apply an elastomeric protector around the drill string in order to protect the casing from the effects referred to above. However, elastomeric protectors are liable to deteriorate with the result that the elastomeric material may creep away from the joint and allow the joint to beat against the casing as described above. Further, elastomeric protectors of this type are inconvenient in use since they must be assembled onto the drill string as the drill string is made up at the surface of the well.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drill string component which will reduce or eliminate wear on the casing resulting from rotary contact between the tool joints and the casing for prolonged periods.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a drill string component adapted to form part of a drill string, the drill string component being provided at opposite ends thereof with threaded connections for connection to adjacent components of the drill string and being provided intermediate the ends thereof with a sleeve which is freely rotatably mounted on the remainder of the drill string component and has an outside diameter larger than that of any other part of the drill string component whereby if the drill string component abuts the wall of a well during a drilling operation the sleeve will rest against the wall of the well and rotatably support the remainder of the drill string component out of contact with the well wall.
The drill string component of the present invention may be embodied as a sub for insertion between two adjacent elements of the drill string, or may be embodied as a standard length of drill pipe. Each drill string component according to the invention may be provided with a single sleeve or, if desired, may be provided with a multiplicity of sleeves at various points along its length.
Preferably, the sleeve is retained on the remainder of the drill string component between a pair of opposing shoulders whereby the sleeve will be retained on the components even after extensive wear to the various elements of the component.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention a sub is provided having a central mandrel which is formed as two parts which are screw threadedly interconnected in the zone of the sleeve. In this way, the mandrel parts may be unscrewed from each other to permit removal of the sleeve and any supporting bearings from the sub for service purposes.
The invention will be better understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic half-section view of a drill string component according to the present invention; and
FIG. 2 illustrates the drill string component of FIG. 1 incorporated within a drill string extending through a deviated cased well.
Referring firstly to FIG. 1 there is illustrated an embodiment of the present invention embodied as a sub

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