EA022156B1 - High pressure shear nozzle for inline conditioning of drilling mud - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for conditioning drilling fluid includes a conditioning device having a first conduit configured to receive the drilling fluid, a flow restriction disposed adjacent the first conduit, the flow restriction comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, an impact plate disposed downstream of the flow restriction, a first chamber disposed between the flow restriction and the impact plate, and a second chamber disposed downstream of the impact plate, wherein the first chamber is fluidly connected to the second chamber. A method for conditioning drilling fluid using a conditioning device, includes pumping a drilling fluid through a flow restriction, accelerating the drilling fluid into a mixing chamber, subjecting the drilling fluid to elongational shearing, decelerating the drilling fluid against an impact plate, subjecting the drilling fluid to impact shearing, and emptying drilling fluid from the mixing chamber.

Description

(57) In the invention, the drilling fluid conditioning system comprises an conditioning device having a first drilling fluid receiving pipe, a flow restrictor located adjacent to the first pipe and having a drilling fluid inlet and outlet, an impact plate located downstream of the flow restrictor, a first chamber located between the flow limiter and the impact plate, and a second camera located downstream of the impact plate, the first camera communicating with the second cameras d. A method for conditioning a drilling fluid through an air conditioning device comprises pumping a drilling fluid through a flow restrictor, accelerating the flow of the drilling fluid into the mixing chamber, providing a longitudinal shift of the drilling fluid, slowing the flow of the drilling fluid to the shock plate, providing an impact shift of the drilling fluid and draining the drilling fluid from the mixing chamber.

Technical field

The embodiments described herein generally relate to mixing drilling fluids. In particular, the embodiments described herein generally relate to drilling fluid conditioning devices, systems, and methods, i.e. bringing them to the required parameters.

State of the art

For many reasons, various fluids can be used when drilling or completing wells in the formation. Common use of downhole fluids includes lubricating and cooling the drill bit, cutting the surface while drilling at all or opening the intended oil reservoir, transporting drill cuttings (rock particles displaced by the cutting action of the teeth on the drill bit) to the surface, controlling the pressure of the formation fluid to prevent emissions, maintaining well stability, keeping suspended solids in the well, minimizing water loss and stabilizing pl the fluid through which the well is being drilled, crushing the formation near the well, replacing the fluid in the well with another fluid, cleaning the well, testing the well, transferring hydraulic power to the drill bit, the fluid used to put the packers in place, shutting the well, or preparing the well for shutting and other treatment of the well or formation.

In general, drilling fluids should be pumped under pressure through the drill string, then through the head of the drill bit and around it deep into the ground and then return to the earth's surface through the annular space between the outside of the drill rod and the borehole wall or casing. In addition to providing lubrication and drilling efficiency and slowing down wear, drilling fluids must be kept in suspension and transported solid particles to the surface for screening and disposal. In addition, fluids should hold weighting additives in suspension (to increase the specific gravity of the solution), usually finely ground barites (barite ore), and transport clay and other substances that adhere to and adhere to the surface of the borehole.

Drilling fluids are generally characterized as thixotropic systems. Thus, during shear, they exhibit low viscosity, for example, during circulation (as occurs during pumping or contact with a moving drill bit). However, when the shear action ceases, this fluid, in order to prevent gravitational separation, must keep the solid particles in suspension. In addition, when the drilling fluid is under shear conditions and is practically free flowing, it must maintain a sufficiently high viscosity to transfer unwanted solid impurities from the bottom of the well to the surface. The composition of the drilling fluid should also allow the removal of drill cuttings and other undesirable material or its deposition from the liquid fraction in another way.

Depending on the particular well being drilled, the operator selects a water-based, hydrocarbon-based or synthetic-based drilling fluid. Each water-based and hydrocarbon-based drilling fluid typically includes many additives to produce a drilling fluid having a rheological profile required for a particular drilling application. For example, typically a variety of formulations are added to water-based or salt-based drilling fluids, including but not limited to thickeners, corrosion inhibitors, lubricants, pH control additives, surfactants, solvents, diluents, thinners and / or weighting agents. Some common thickeners for water-based or salt-water based drilling fluids include clays, synthetic polymers, natural polymers and their derivatives, such as xanthan gum and hydroxyethyl cellulose. In addition, in the same way, various formulations are typically added to a hydrocarbon-based drilling fluid, including weighting agents, moisturizers, organophilic clays, thickeners, fluid loss reducers, surfactants, dispersants, surface tension reducers, pH buffers, common solvents, diluents, thinners and cleaning agents.

When the shear action stops for long periods of time, the rheological properties of certain drilling fluids may change. Due to other operational requirements during the implementation of conventional deepwater drilling projects, there are many such periods. Since during a small shift a change in the properties of the drilling fluid occurs, drilling operations can be delayed or limited until the drilling fluid is again subjected to a sufficient shift to restore its original properties. Mud recycling through the drill string can help restore the original rheological properties of the drilling fluid; however, if the desired rheological properties are not achieved by circulating the entire volume of the drilling fluid through the drill string, it can take from several hours to more than a day. Since drilling cannot continue until the properties of the drilling fluid are restored, drilling operations for the duration of this recirculation of the drilling fluid are stopped.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved technologies that provide a productive and efficient drilling fluid to the required parameters.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, embodiments described herein relate to a drilling fluid conditioning system comprising a pump for pumping drilling fluid from a drilling fluid source to an air conditioning device and a second conduit in communication with a second chamber for transporting drilling fluid from the second chamber to the zone storage of conditioned drilling fluid. The conditioning device may include a first pipe for receiving drilling fluid, a flow restrictor located next to the first pipe and including an inlet and outlet for the fluid, a shock plate located downstream of this flow restrictor, a first chamber located between the flow restrictor and a shock plate, and a second chamber, located downstream of the shock plate, and the first chamber is in communication with the second chamber.

In another aspect, embodiments described herein relate to a method of conditioning a drilling fluid through an air conditioning apparatus, comprising pumping a drilling fluid through a flow restrictor, accelerating the movement of the drilling fluid into the mixing chamber, providing a longitudinal shift of the drilling fluid, slowing the movement of the drilling fluid onto the shock plate providing shock displacement of the drilling fluid and draining the drilling fluid from the mixing chamber.

Other aspects and advantages of the embodiments described herein will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In FIG. 1A and 1B are schematic views of an offshore drilling system;

in FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a drilling fluid conditioning apparatus in accordance with embodiments described herein;

in FIG. 3Α-3Ό show cross-sections of flow restrictors in accordance with the embodiments described herein;

in FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an impact plate in accordance with embodiments described herein;

in FIG. 4B and 4C show cross sections of an impact plate in accordance with the embodiments described herein;

in FIG. 5A and 5B show perspective views of an impact plate holder in accordance with the embodiments described herein.

Detailed description

In one aspect, embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus, system, or method for mixing drilling fluids. In particular, the embodiments described herein generally relate to drilling fluid conditioning devices, systems, and methods.

In FIG. 1A and 1B show two schematic views of offshore drilling systems. The floating platform 102 may be connected to an outer casing 104 located around the inner casing 106. The drill string 108 may extend through the inner casing 106, and an annular space 110 may be formed between the outer surface of the drill string 108 and the inner surface of the inner casing 106. The drill bit 112 may be located at the far end of the drill string 108 and extend into the borehole 118 drilled at the surface of the seabed 116. The blowout preventer block can can be located on the seafloor 116 around the outer surface of the outer casing 104. The offshore riser 120 may extend from blowout preventer unit 114 to the platform 102 and be adapted to connect to the outer casing 104 and the inner casing 106. Those skilled in the art will understand that the outer casing 104, the inner casing 106, and the offshore riser 120 may be one piece or an assembly of several sections of the casing. In certain offshore drilling operations, the construction of the offshore riser 120 may extend several miles from the platform 102 through seawater before it reaches the seafloor 116.

As indicated above, drilling operations require that the drilling fluid be pumped into the drill string 108 and through the drill bit 112 to lubricate and cool the drill bit 112 and remove drill cuttings from the borehole 118. At certain times, procedures may be performed while drilling the borehole, which require drilling operations to be stopped, for example, when repairing drill string components or replacing a bit. Typically, the circulation of the drilling fluid through the drill string 108 and up through the annular space 110 also stops.

In marine drilling environments, synthetic-based drilling mud and hydrocarbon-based drilling mud can be used. Over time, if certain types of synthetic-based drilling mud and hydrocarbon-based drilling mud remain static, their rheology may change. In particular, in certain synthetic and hydrocarbon-based drilling fluids, the ultimate static shear stress can change, and uniformity

- 2 022156 additives distributed in synthetic and hydrocarbon-based drilling fluids may deteriorate, which leads to the fact that the drilling fluid will have undesirable rheological properties. As described above, offshore riser 120 can travel several miles, and thus the properties of synthetic and hydrocarbon-based drilling fluids contained in it can vary significantly from platform 102 to seafloor 116 and can be considered unreliable due to uncertainty in regarding the ability of the drilling fluid to lubricate and cool the drill bit 112, transport the drill cuttings from the borehole 118 and maintain the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of the borehole 118. Thus, require recovery of desirable rheological properties and homogeneity of the drilling fluid.

As indicated above, one way to condition the drilling fluid is to pump the drilling fluid through the drill string 108 and then through the drill bit 112 and up through the annular space 110. It may be necessary to pump the entire volume of drilling fluid several times through the drill string 108 before desired rheological properties of the drilling fluid. Since the drill string 108 can travel several miles, multiple circulation of the drilling fluid can take hours or days, and thus significant costs associated with the down time of the drilling rig can occur. The embodiments described herein may provide a more efficient apparatus, system and method for conditioning a drilling fluid.

In FIG. 1A shows a first mud conditioning system 100A located on an onboard platform 102. Mud from a mud source 122 may be pumped into an air conditioning device 126 by a pump 124. The mud source 122 may include a mud reservoir, which may be a large reservoir for storing drilling fluid or a storage reservoir of drilling fluid located in the body of the platform 120. The pump 124 may be a pump specifically for conditioning the drilling fluid if, as a variant, the pump can be used on-board a platform 120 for other purposes. For example, pump 124 may be a pump used to supply a well killing solution if adjusting the flow rate of the well is required. Moreover, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that an auxiliary booster pump (not shown) may be used to accelerate the progress of the drilling fluid to the conditioning device 126, as will be described in more detail below. From the conditioning device 126, the reconstituted drilling fluid may, as indicated by arrow A, be directed back to the drilling fluid source 122. Alternatively, reconstituted drilling fluid may be pumped into the mud storage zone 128 or into the drill string 108, as indicated by arrow B and arrow C, respectively.

In FIG. 1B shows a second drilling fluid conditioning system 100B located on an on-board platform 102. In system 100B, drilling fluid from annulus 110 may be pumped by pump 122 into conditioning device 126. The reconstituted drilling fluid may be pumped into the drilling fluid storage area 128, as indicated by arrow B, or into the drill string 108, as indicated by arrow C.

In FIG. 2, an air conditioning device 126 is shown in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Air conditioning device 126 may include a first pipe 202 for receiving drilling fluid. The drilling fluid may then enter into the inlet 206 of the flow restrictor 204 and exit through the outlet 208 into the first chamber 212, as shown by arrow A. The first chamber 212 may be formed as a zone in the second pipe 224 located between the outlet 208 and the impact plate 210 Impact plate 210 may be attached to holder 211 by means of fasteners known in the art, such as, for example, mechanical fasteners, adhesives, welding, and the like. Alternatively, the impact plate 210 may be integral with the holder 211. The impact plate 210 may include a surface element 234 designed to provide the desired flow of drilling fluid through the conditioning device 126. The element 234 may include a flat or convex surface (not shown) or a concave surface 236. The drilling fluid may enter from the first chamber 212 through the channel 216 for drilling fluid into the second chamber 214, from where it can exit the conditioning device 126 through the outlet 218 as shown by arrow B.

In FIG. 3Α-3Ό, flow restrictors 204 are shown in accordance with the embodiments described herein. In FIG. 3A shows a flow restrictor 204 having a single variable diameter nozzle 302a. In particular, the nozzle 302a may include a decreasing diameter portion 304, a constant diameter portion 306, and an increasing diameter portion 308. Otherwise, as shown in FIG. 3B, flow restrictor 204 may include a constant diameter nozzle 302b. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any number of nozzles having the desired geometry may be located in flow restrictor 204. For example, in FIG. 3C shows three nozzles 302c of constant diameter, and in FIG. 3Ό, four nozzles of a 302nd variable diameter are shown. In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that nozzles of various sizes and configurations may be in the same flow restrictor.

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The flow restrictor 204 can wear out quickly and therefore be made of a wear-resistant material, such as, for example, tungsten carbide or ceramic. Shown in FIG. 2, flow restrictor 204 may be designed for remotely mounting in air conditioning device 126. In certain embodiments, the flow restrictor 204 may be mounted using, for example, mechanical fasteners such as clamps, bolts, screws, and threaded connections. In certain embodiments, a flow restrictor 204 may be located between two flanges 220, 222, the first flange 220 being located on the first pipe 202 and the second flange 222 being located on the second pipe 224.

The flow restrictor 204 may be designed to accelerate the flow of the drilling fluid through it and may subject the drilling fluid to longitudinal shear as the drilling fluid passes through it. Longitudinal shear can reduce the ultimate static shear stress of the drilling fluid, which helps return the drilling fluid to its original rheological properties.

In certain embodiments, the drilling fluid may be pumped through a flow restrictor 204 at a flow rate of from about 100 to about 800 gallons / min. In addition, drilling fluid may be pumped through a flow restrictor 204 at a pressure of from about 100 to about 3,000 psi.

In FIG. 2, 4A-4C show embodiments of the impact plate 210 in accordance with this description. A perspective view of the impact plate 210a is shown in FIG. 4A, and cross sections of shock plates 210b and 210c are shown in FIG. 4B and 4C. Impact plate 210a may include a first surface 402a having an element 234 for contacting a drilling fluid stream exiting the flow restrictor 204. Although the flow restrictor 204 is designed to accelerate the flow of the drilling fluid therethrough, the impact plate 210 may be adapted to rapidly slow down the flow of the drilling fluid, thereby providing a shock shift of the drilling fluid.

Impact plate 210 may include at least a flat surface, a convex surface, or a concave surface. As shown in FIG. 4A, the plate 210a may include one convex protrusion 404 to prevent the accelerated drilling fluid from advancing from the outlet 208 of the flow restrictor 204 (FIG. 2). In FIG. 4B shows an impact plate 210b having a plurality of elements 234 having convex protrusions 404 separated by concave recesses 406. Otherwise, as shown in FIG. 4C, the impact plate 210c may have an element 234 including a protrusion 408 with rectangular surfaces.

As shown in FIG. 4A-4C, the impact plate 210 may include a protrusion 404 centered relative to the outlet 208 of the flow restrictor 204 (FIG. 2); however, the protrusion 404 and / or recesses 406 can be offset relative to the outlet 208. In addition, the protrusions 404 and / or recesses 406 can have any profile shape, such as, for example, round, oval, triangular, square, or the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any number of protrusions and / or recesses having any desired geometry can be used.

In FIG. 2 and 4A-4C, it is shown that the impact plate 210 can be subjected to severe wear, and therefore, the impact plate 210 can be made of a wear-resistant material, such as, for example, tungsten carbide or ceramic. In addition, the shock plate 210 may be made in the form of a removable component of the conditioning device 126. In certain embodiments, the impact plate 210 may be attached to the holder 211 using interchangeable fasteners, such as, for example, threaded joints, bolts, screws, rivets, and the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other removable compounds may also be used.

The position of the impact plate 210 relative to the outlet 208 of the flow restrictor 204 may determine the force acting on the drilling fluid. In general, increasing the distance between the outlet 208 and the impact plate 210 can reduce the impact force on the drilling fluid, while decreasing the distance between the outlet 208 and the effect plate 210 can increase the impact force on the drilling fluid.

In FIG. 2, 5A and 5B show embodiments of a shock plate holder 211. In FIG. 5A shows that the holder 211a may include an arcuate notch 502 having an upper arc 504 for aligning with the lower periphery of the impact plate 210 so that the drilling fluid can come into contact with the impact plate 210, pass through the notch 502 located below, and enter into the second chamber 214 (FIG. 2). In certain embodiments, the cutout 502 may be sized to allow the drilling fluid to exit the first chamber 212 with a flow rate substantially equal to or greater than the flow rate with which the drilling fluid enters the first chamber 212. In this embodiment, the accumulation of drilling fluid in the first camera 212.

In FIG. 5B shows another impact plate holder 211b. The holder 211b may include a plurality of holes 506, so that drilling fluid can exit the holes 506 into a second chamber 214 (FIG. 2). Those skilled in the art will recognize that any number of holes 506 having any desired size can be used. In certain embodiments, the openings 506 may be sized and so arranged to allow the drilling fluid to enter the second chamber 214 at a rate approximately equal to or greater than the rate at which the drilling fluid enters

- 4 022156 first chamber 212. In this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the filling of the first chamber 212 with liquid.

In FIG. 5A and 5B show holders 211a, 211b, which may include a plurality of holes 508 located at the periphery of the holders. In certain embodiments, holders 211a, 211b may be located between a third flange 228 located around the second pipe 224 and a fourth flange 230 located around the third pipe 226 (FIG. 2). The third and fourth flanges 228, 230 may include several holes (not shown) corresponding to the holes 508, so that bolts 232 can be removed through them.

In FIG. 2 shows that after entering the second chamber 214, drilling fluid may enter a conduit (not shown) connected to the second chamber 214 and may exit the conditioning device 126 through an outlet 218. In certain embodiments, the chamber 214 and a conduit (not shown) ) connected to the second chamber 214 may be of such a size as to allow the drilling fluid to exit the second chamber 214 with a flow rate approximately equal to the flow rate with which the drilling fluid enters the second chamber 214. Thus, it is possible to prevent there is accumulation of drilling fluid in the second chamber 214. In addition, in certain embodiments, the second chamber 214 may be positioned such that gravity forces the drilling fluid to flow out of the second chamber 214 through a connected pipe (not shown).

After the longitudinal shear and impact shear have been carried out, the rheological properties of the drilling fluid may improve, and thus, the reconstituted drilling fluid may be suitable for use during drilling. In embodiments where the reconstituted drilling fluid is pumped into the drill string 208, drilling operations can resume without having to repeatedly recirculate the drilling fluid through the annulus 210 and the drill string 208.

An advantage of the options described herein is the ability to recover drilling fluid in a shorter period of time, thereby saving time and money. In addition, since the air conditioning system described in this document can use equipment that is already present on offshore drilling platforms, it can be quite compact.

Although the invention has been described for a relatively limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised that are within the scope of the present invention, limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (18)

CLAIM 1. The drilling fluid conditioning device containing the first pipeline for receiving the drilling fluid, a flow restrictor located near the first pipeline and having an inlet and outlet holes for the drilling fluid, a shock plate located downstream of the flow restrictor, the first chamber located between the restrictor flow and a shock plate, and the second chamber, located downstream from the shock plate, with the first chamber communicated with the second chamber. 2. The conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the flow restrictor comprises at least one nozzle disposed therein and selected from a nozzle of constant diameter or a nozzle of variable diameter. 3. The conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the impact plate comprises at least one element located on a surface directed towards the outlet for the flow restrictor and selected from the group consisting of a flat surface, a concave surface and a convex surface. 4. The conditioning device of claim 1, wherein the flow limiter and the impact plate are made of a material selected from tungsten carbide or ceramic. 5. A drilling mud conditioning system containing a pump for pumping drilling mud from a source of drilling mud into a mud conditioning device containing a first pipeline for receiving drilling mud, a flow restrictor located near the first pipeline and having an inlet and outlet for drilling mud, a shock plate located downstream of the flow restrictor, the first chamber located between the flow limiter and the impact plate, and the second chamber located far e downstream of the impact plate, the first chamber communicating with the second chamber and the second pipeline communicating with the second chamber and intended to transport the drilling fluid from the second chamber to the storage area of the conditioned drilling mud. 6. The system according to claim 5, in which the flow restrictor contains at least one nozzle located therein selected from a nozzle of constant diameter or a nozzle of variable diameter. 7. The system according to claim 5, in which the shock plate contains at least one element located on the surface directed to the outlet of the flow restrictor, and selected from - 5 022156 group consisting of a flat surface, a concave surface and a convex surface. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the flow limiter and impact plate are made of a material selected from tungsten carbide or ceramic. 9. The system according to claim 5, in which the source of the drilling fluid is selected from the existing capacity for the drilling fluid or sea drilling riser. 10. The system according to claim 5, in which the storage area of the conditioned drilling mud is selected from the group consisting of a working tank for storing the drilling mud and a sea drilling riser. 11. Method of conditioning the drilling fluid through the device conditioning of the drilling fluid according to any one of claims 1 to 4, containing the following stages: pumping mud through a flow restrictor; accelerating the flow of drilling fluid into the mixing chamber; ensuring longitudinal shift of drilling mud; slowing the flow of drilling mud on the shock plate; providing shock shear of drilling mud; drainage of the drilling fluid from the mixing chamber. 12. The method according to claim 11, in which the drilling fluid is pumped through a flow restrictor with a flow rate of from about 100 to about 800 gallons / min. 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the drilling fluid is pumped through a flow restrictor at a pressure of from about 100 to about 3000 psi. 14. The method according to claim 11, in which the flow limiter contains at least one located therein a nozzle selected from a nozzle of constant diameter and a nozzle of variable diameter. 15. The method according to claim 11, in which the impact plate contains at least one surface element located on a surface directed to the outlet of the flow restrictor and selected from the group consisting of a flat surface, a concave surface and a convex surface. 16. The method according to claim 11, in which the flow limiter and impact plate are made of a material selected from tungsten carbide or ceramic. 17. The method according to claim 11, in which the source of the drilling fluid is selected from the existing tank for storing the drilling mud or the sea drilling riser. 18. The method according to claim 11, in which the pumping of the drilling fluid is provided by the pump of the drilling rig.