CA2438885A1 - Liquid lift method for drilling risers - Google Patents
Liquid lift method for drilling risers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2438885A1 CA2438885A1 CA002438885A CA2438885A CA2438885A1 CA 2438885 A1 CA2438885 A1 CA 2438885A1 CA 002438885 A CA002438885 A CA 002438885A CA 2438885 A CA2438885 A CA 2438885A CA 2438885 A1 CA2438885 A1 CA 2438885A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- low
- density
- drilling
- density liquid
- liquid
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 title claims abstract 35
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 title claims abstract 35
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract 22
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract 19
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims abstract 8
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims 12
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 claims 4
- 239000011236 particulate material Substances 0.000 claims 4
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims 3
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 claims 3
- 239000011324 bead Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 239000004005 microsphere Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 244000045947 parasite Species 0.000 claims 1
- 239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 claims 1
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B21/00—Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor
- E21B21/001—Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor specially adapted for underwater drilling
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B21/00—Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor
- E21B21/08—Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure
- E21B21/085—Underbalanced techniques, i.e. where borehole fluid pressure is below formation pressure
Abstract
A method for drilling a well below a body of water as disclosed which includes injecting into the well, at a depth below the water surface, a liquid (74) having a lower density than a density of a drilling mud (76) producing a mixture of drilling mud (76) and low-density liquid (74) in the well. The mixture of drilling mud (76) and low-density liquid (74) is withdrawn from an upper end of the well. The drilling mud (76) and the low-density liquid (74) are separated, with at least a portion of the separated low-density liquid (74) returned to the depth below the water surface and at least a portion of the separated drilling mud (76) returned to an upper end of the drill string (60).
Claims (20)
1. A method of drilling a well below a body of water in which a drill bit is rotated at the end of a drill string, comprising:
(a) injecting into the well at a depth below the water surface a liquid having a lower density than a density of a drilling mud producing a mixture of drilling mud and low-density liquid in the well;
(b) withdrawing the mixture of drilling mud and low-density liquid from an upper end of the well;
(c) separating at least a portion of low-density liquid from the mixture of drilling mud and low-density liquid, thereby producing a drilling mud depleted of low-density liquid;
(d) returning at least a portion of the separated low-density liquid to the depth below the water surface; and (e) returning at least a portion of the drilling mud depleted of low-density liquid to an upper end of the drill string.
(a) injecting into the well at a depth below the water surface a liquid having a lower density than a density of a drilling mud producing a mixture of drilling mud and low-density liquid in the well;
(b) withdrawing the mixture of drilling mud and low-density liquid from an upper end of the well;
(c) separating at least a portion of low-density liquid from the mixture of drilling mud and low-density liquid, thereby producing a drilling mud depleted of low-density liquid;
(d) returning at least a portion of the separated low-density liquid to the depth below the water surface; and (e) returning at least a portion of the drilling mud depleted of low-density liquid to an upper end of the drill string.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-density liquid is immiscible with the drilling mud.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the drilling fluid is water-based and the low-density liquid is at least one of oil-based, synthetic and non-aqueous liquid.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the low-density liquid comprises density-reducing particulate material.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-density liquid is miscible with the drilling mud.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein separating comprises:
at least one of mechanical separation, gravity separation and centrifugal separation.
at least one of mechanical separation, gravity separation and centrifugal separation.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
controlling a rate of the liquid injecting so that a bottom-hole pressure in the well is below a fracture pressure of an earth formation and above a pore pressure of the formation.
controlling a rate of the liquid injecting so that a bottom-hole pressure in the well is below a fracture pressure of an earth formation and above a pore pressure of the formation.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
controlling a rate of the liquid injecting into the lower end of riser so the cuttings within the riser pipe have an upward velocity in excess of the settling rate of the cuttings in the riser pipe.
controlling a rate of the liquid injecting into the lower end of riser so the cuttings within the riser pipe have an upward velocity in excess of the settling rate of the cuttings in the riser pipe.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-density liquid comprises density-reducing particulate material.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
ceasing the injection of the low-density fluid into the well at a depth below the water surface to switch from dual-gradient drilling to conventional drilling.
ceasing the injection of the low-density fluid into the well at a depth below the water surface to switch from dual-gradient drilling to conventional drilling.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially all of the separated low-density liquid is returned to the depth below the water surface, and substantially all of the separated drilling mud is returned to the upper end of the drill string in a closed system.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the depth below the water surface is between the drill string and the wellbore at a position below a wellhead.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the depth below the water surface is at a lower end of a riser pipe that extends from a drilling vessel on the surface of the ocean downwardly to wellhead equipment on the sea floor.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-density liquid is injected via a parasite string into an annular space between the drill string and a casing's inner wall at a position below a wellhead.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-density liquid is injected into a lower end of a riser pipe that extends from a drilling vessel on the surface of the body of water downwardly to wellhead equipment on the floor of the body of water.
6. The method of claim 9, wherein the particulate material comprises low-density glass beads.
7. The method of claim 9, wherein the particulate material comprises low-density microspheres.
8. A method of treating a drilling fluid used in drilling a wellbore in a earth formation below a body of water in which a drill string extends from a water-surface drilling facility into the wellbore and the drilling fluid passes through the drill string and flows from the drill string into the wellbore whereby cuttings resulting from the drilling becomes entrained in the drilling fluid and the drilling fluid with the entrained cuttings returns to the surface of the body of water by means of a return flow system, comprising (a) injecting into the return flow system at a depth below the surface of the body of water a liquid having a density lower than a density of the drilling fluid, thereby producing in a return flow system a mixture of drilling fluid and a low-density liquid;
(b) withdrawing the mixture of drilling fluid and low-density liquid from an upper end of the return flow system;
(c) separating at least a portion of the low-density liquid from the mixture of drilling fluid and low-density liquid, thereby producing a drilling fluid depleted of low-density liquid;
(d) returning at least a portion of the separated low-density liquid to the return flow system to the depth below the water surface; and (e) returning at least a portion of the drilling fluid depleted of low-density liquid to the drill string.
(b) withdrawing the mixture of drilling fluid and low-density liquid from an upper end of the return flow system;
(c) separating at least a portion of the low-density liquid from the mixture of drilling fluid and low-density liquid, thereby producing a drilling fluid depleted of low-density liquid;
(d) returning at least a portion of the separated low-density liquid to the return flow system to the depth below the water surface; and (e) returning at least a portion of the drilling fluid depleted of low-density liquid to the drill string.
19. The method of claim 18 in which the return flow system comprises a first annular space between the drill string and the wall of the wellbore, and a second annular space between the drill string and the inner wall of a casing positioned in the wellbore, and a third annular space between the drill string and a riser extending between the cased wellbore and the surface of the body of water, wherein the return of the separated low-density liquid of step (d) is to the annular space at the lower end of the third annular space.
20. The method of claim 18 in which the return flow system comprises a first annular space between the drill string and the wall of the wellbore, a second annular space between the drill string and the inner wall of a casing positioned in the wellbore, and a third annular space between the drill string and a riser extending between the cased wellbore and the surface of the body of water, wherein the return of the separated low-density liquid of step (d) is to the second annular space.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US27130401P | 2001-02-23 | 2001-02-23 | |
| US60/271,304 | 2001-02-23 | ||
| PCT/US2002/005159 WO2002068795A1 (en) | 2001-02-23 | 2002-02-21 | Liquid lift method for drilling risers |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2438885A1 true CA2438885A1 (en) | 2002-09-06 |
| CA2438885C CA2438885C (en) | 2010-01-19 |
Family
ID=23035014
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002438885A Expired - Fee Related CA2438885C (en) | 2001-02-23 | 2002-02-21 | Liquid lift method for drilling risers |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2002245482B2 (en) |
| BR (1) | BR0207407B1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2438885C (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2391572B (en) |
| MX (1) | MXPA03007387A (en) |
| NO (1) | NO325188B1 (en) |
| OA (1) | OA12493A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2002068795A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3955411A (en) * | 1974-05-10 | 1976-05-11 | Exxon Production Research Company | Method for measuring the vertical height and/or density of drilling fluid columns |
| NO321386B1 (en) * | 1997-03-19 | 2006-05-02 | Norsk Hydro As | A method and apparatus for separating a fluid comprising several fluid components, preferably separating a source fluid in conjunction with a hydrocarbon / water production rudder |
| US6197095B1 (en) * | 1999-02-16 | 2001-03-06 | John C. Ditria | Subsea multiphase fluid separating system and method |
| US6328107B1 (en) * | 1999-09-17 | 2001-12-11 | Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company | Method for installing a well casing into a subsea well being drilled with a dual density drilling system |
-
2002
- 2002-02-21 CA CA002438885A patent/CA2438885C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2002-02-21 WO PCT/US2002/005159 patent/WO2002068795A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2002-02-21 AU AU2002245482A patent/AU2002245482B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2002-02-21 OA OA1200300202A patent/OA12493A/en unknown
- 2002-02-21 GB GB0321638A patent/GB2391572B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2002-02-21 BR BRPI0207407-9A patent/BR0207407B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2002-02-21 MX MXPA03007387A patent/MXPA03007387A/en active IP Right Grant
-
2003
- 2003-08-21 NO NO20033720A patent/NO325188B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB0321638D0 (en) | 2003-10-15 |
| CA2438885C (en) | 2010-01-19 |
| BR0207407B1 (en) | 2011-09-06 |
| GB2391572B (en) | 2005-02-02 |
| BR0207407A (en) | 2005-04-12 |
| NO325188B1 (en) | 2008-02-11 |
| GB2391572A (en) | 2004-02-11 |
| NO20033720L (en) | 2003-08-21 |
| NO20033720D0 (en) | 2003-08-21 |
| AU2002245482B2 (en) | 2006-06-29 |
| MXPA03007387A (en) | 2003-12-04 |
| WO2002068795A1 (en) | 2002-09-06 |
| OA12493A (en) | 2006-05-24 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |
Effective date: 20140221 |