Wells – Processes – Placing or shifting well part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-16
2001-02-20
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Wells
Processes
Placing or shifting well part
C166S250010, C166S077100, C166S241500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189621
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The field of invention relates to apparatus that uses the steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells for a second purpose as the casing that is cemented in place during typical oil and gas well completions. The field of invention further relates to methods of operation of said apparatus that provides for the efficient installation of a cemented steel cased well during one single pass down into the earth of the steel drill string. The field of invention further relates to methods of operation of the apparatus that uses the typical mud passages already present in a typical drill bit, including any watercourses in a “regular bit”, or mud jets in a “jet bit”, that allow mud to circulate during typical drilling operations for the second independent, and the distinctly separate, purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string into place during one single drilling pass into the earth. The field of invention further relates to apparatus and methods of operation that provides the pumping of cement down the drill string, through the mud passages in the drill bit, and into the annulus between the formation and the drill string for the purpose of cementing the drill string and the drill bit into place during one single drilling pass into the formation. The field of invention further relates to a one-way cement valve and related devices installed near the drill bit of the drill string that allows the cement to set up efficiently while the drill string and drill bit are cemented into place during one single drilling pass into the formation. The field of invention further relates to the use of slurry material instead of cement to complete wells, where the term “slurry material” may be any one, or more, of at least the following substances: cement, gravel, water, “cement clinker”, a “cement and copolymer mixture”, a “blast furnace slag mixture”, and/or any mixture thereof; or any known substance that flows under sufficient pressure. The field of invention further relates to the use of slurry materials for the following type of generic well completions: open-hole well completions; typical cemented well completions having perforated casings; gravel well completions having perforated casings; and for any other related well completions. The field of invention relates to using slurry materials to complete extended reach wellbores and extended reach lateral wellbores from offshore platforms. The field of the invention further relates to the use of retrievable instrumentation packages to perform LWD/MWD logging and directional drilling functions while the well is being drilled, which can be retrieved by a wireline attached to a smart shuttle having retrieval apparatus. The field of the invention further relates to the use of smart shuttles having retrieval apparatus that are capable of deploying and installing into pipes smart completion devices to automatically complete oil and gas wells after the pipes are disposed in the wellbore. These pipes includes a drill pipe, a drill string, a casing, a casing string, tubing, a liner, a liner string, a steel pipe, a metallic pipe, or any other pipe used for the completion of oil and gas wells. The smart shuttle may use internal pump means to pump fluid from below the smart shuttle to above it to cause the shuttle to move in the pipe to conveniently install smart completion devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At the time of the filing of the application herein, the applicant is unaware of any prior art that is particularly relevant to the invention other than that cited in the above defined “related” U.S. Patents, the “related” co-pending U.S. patent applications, and the “related” U.S. Disclosure Documents that are specified in the first paragraphs of this application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In previous disclosure, apparatus and methods of operation of that apparatus are disclosed that allow for cementation of a drill string with attached drill bit into place during one single drilling pass into a geological formation. The process of drilling the well and installing the casing becomes one single process that saves installation time and reduces costs during oil and gas well completion procedures. Apparatus and methods of operation of the apparatus are disclosed that use the typical mud passages already present in a typical rotary drill bit, including any watercourses in a “regular bit”, or mud jets in a “jet bit”, for the second independent purpose of passing cement into the annulus between the casing and the well while cementing the drill string in place. This is a crucial step that allows a “Typical Drilling Process” involving some 14 steps to be compressed into the “New Drilling Process” that involves only 7 separate steps as described in the Description of the Preferred Embodiments below. The New Drilling Process is now possible because of “Several Recent Changes in the Industry” also described in the Description of the Preferred Embodiments below. In addition, the New Drilling Process also requires new apparatus to properly allow the cement to cure under ambient hydrostatic conditions. That new apparatus includes a Latching Subassembly, a Latching Float Collar Valve Assembly, the Bottom Wiper Plug, and the Top Wiper Plug. Suitable methods of operation are disclosed for the use of the new apparatus. Methods are further disclosed wherein different types of slurry materials are used for well completion that include at least cement, gravel, water, a “cement clinker”, and any “blast furnace slag mixture”. Methods are further disclosed using a slurry material to complete wells including at least the following: open-hole well completions; cemented well completions having a perforated casing; gravel well completions having perforated casings; extended reach wellbores; and extended reach lateral wellbores as typically completed from offshore drilling platforms.
In the new disclosure, smart shuttles are used to complete the oil and gas wells. Following drilling operations into a geological formation, a steel pipe is disposed in the wellbore. The steel pipe may be a standard casing installed into the wellbore using typical industry practices. Alternatively, the steel pipe may be a drill string attached to a rotary drill bit that is to remain in the wellbore following completion during so-called “one-pass drilling operations”. Further, the steel pipe may be a drill pipe from which has been removed a retrievable or retractable drill bit. Or, the steel pipe may be a coiled tubing having a mud motor drilling apparatus at its end. Using typical procedures in the industry, the well is “completed” by placing into the steel pipe various standard completion devices, some of which are conveyed into place with the drilling rig. Here, instead smart shuttles are used to convey into the steel pipe various smart completion devices used to complete the oil and gas well. The smart shuttles are then used to install various smart completion devices. And the smart shuttles may be used to retrieve from the wellbore various smart completion devices. Smart shuttles may be attached to a wireline, coiled tubing, or to a wireline installed within coiled tubing, and such applications are called “tethered smart shuttles”. Smart shuttles may be robotically independent of the wireline, etc., provided that large amounts of power are not required for the completion device, and such devices are called “untethered shuttles”. The smart completion devices are used in some cases to machine portions of the steel pipe. Completion substances, such as cement, gravel, etc. are introduced into the steel pipe using smart wiper plugs and smart shuttles as required. Smart shuttles may be robotically and automatically controlled from the surface of the earth under computer control so that the completion of a particular oil and gas well proceeds automatically through a progression of steps. A wireline attached to a smart shuttle may b
Johnson Brian L.
Sliteris Joselynn
Smart Drilling and Completion, Inc.
LandOfFree
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