JP2010527418A - Particle jet boring method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
The present invention provides a cone with fluid and solid particle impactors that performs the functions of adjusting the well during boring and / or controlling the tilt and azimuth of deep underground wells during construction. Methods and systems are provided for forming, utilizing, processing, and maintaining fluid process circuits containing solid particle impactors composed of foreign components, including particle jet systems that generate cutting jets and fluid amplification jet heads.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

(Related application)
The present invention claims priority from US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 930,403, filed May 15, 2007, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

  The present invention relates to a method and system for particle jet boring, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to the oil, gas and geothermal drilling industries.

  In the oil, gas and geothermal drilling industries, the most readily available resources are located in relatively shallow storage locations, and the industry now seeks residual oil, gas, and high energy density geothermal reserves, In addition, we are facing the prospect of drilling a deeper, more expensive well at a higher rate. When using rotary mechanical drilling methods and equipment, the cost of drilling deep wells increases exponentially in relation to depth. Generally, it takes more than 70% of the total well drilling cost to drill the deepest part, which is 20% of the well. Lowering the cost of deep well drilling by increasing the rate of penetration (ROP), adjusting wells to mitigate related problems, drilling straight and vertical wells are commercial for the oil, gas and geothermal drilling industries Is important to. Lowering well drilling costs may maximize energy developers' current exploration and drilling development budgets.

  Particle jet drilling (PJD) has been studied over the last 45 years as a method that can reduce the cost of drilling deep, large boreholes. Throughout this period, during the drilling of oil, gas and / or geothermal wells, the ROP is raised, the rotary mechanical wear of the drill bit against the downhole drilling equipment is reduced, and the wells as close to vertical as possible are drilled. As a means for assisting, the practical and economical use of the PJD method has been pursued.

  PJD system research has focused primarily on raising ROP for deep borehole drilling. This technology is circulated through a pipe string to a well, accelerated by a fluid nozzle system at the end of the pipe string in the well, and drilled by various energy transfer mechanisms that vary depending on the materials and operating conditions present. It is best described as using a heterogeneous slurry containing solid particles mixed in a drilling fluid that impacts and collapses the underground formations.

  Research on PJD methods and well drilling equipment is divided into two main research categories. The first category is the use of relatively low density crystalline structure wear particles that are angular for wear jet drilling (AJD) studies, which ultimately results in relatively high for impact jet drilling (IJD). Move to the second research area of use of high density solid iron impactor. Although both processes have been studied for decades and significant progress has been made since millions of dollars have been invested in the research, the PJD process has been Is not commercially practiced in drilling.

  It can be seen that the history of this study begins with the use of crystalline sand particles as an abrasive in the early AJD drilling process. With the introduction of a relatively high density iron solid particle impactor in the form of a steel shot, the AJD process shifted to the IJD process. The process provides a fluid circuit that includes a surface drilling fluid system, a drill pipe system in the well, and a drill bit or nozzle system mounted on a drill string that accelerates the drilling fluid toward the bottom hole of the well. And circulating the excavated cut and drilling fluid to the ground for separation and treating the drilling fluid for reuse.

  A solid impactor is added to the drilling fluid by various means to produce an impactor slurry. The impactor slurry is then pumped through the pipe string to the drill bit and / or nozzle system to impact and deform the bottom hole formation. The cut material, impactor, and drilling fluid after excavation are circulated through the well to the surface equipment, where the cut material after excavation is separated. Drilling fluid and impactor are treated separately by various means for recirculation and reuse. The physical characteristics of the deformation process of the impactor and the underground formation are such that the impact force of the injected impactor necessarily exceeds the critical stress (CFCS) level of the formation cut in the underground formation. Early PJD studies conducted from the 1960s to the mid-1970s fully studied the basic physical properties and applications of the latest drilling techniques and equipment at the time.

  In accordance with the present invention, a particle jet boring method and system is provided that significantly solves or alleviates the disadvantages and problems associated with conventional systems and methods.

  In various embodiments of the present invention, providing a high pressure channel suitable for circulating a high pressure fluid, coupled to the high pressure channel, accelerating a plurality of impactors and injecting an acceleration impactor into the fluid, Providing an impactor jetting device suitable for forming an impactor and an impactor slurry mixed with fluid; conveying the impactor slurry to a pipe string in fluid communication with a high-pressure channel; passing through the pipe string; Conveying the impactor slurry to a jet head connected to the end of the pipe string and in fluid communication with the pipe string; accelerating the impactor slurry in the downhole direction and the tangential direction to cause vortex flow of the impactor slurry Generating, impacting the accelerated impactor slurry against the well formation and removing formation particles from the formation, impactor slurry and formation By transporting the child to the ground separator, separating at least a portion of the formation particles from the impactor slurry using a hydrocyclone separator, and separating at least a portion of the impactor from the fluid using a magnetic separator Well boring is considered.

  Various embodiments also include providing a plurality of nozzle ports arranged radially around the jet head and adapted to allow at least a portion of the impactor slurry to circulate and impact the side of the well. Good. Further, it may include generating deflection thrust in the jet head using at least a portion of the plurality of nozzle ports. Various embodiments also include the following: amount of impactor mixed into impactor slurry, size mix of impactor mixed into impactor slurry, well formation rate, impactor slurry density, ground surface Monitoring a plurality of conditions including one or more of the number of impactors returning to the impact, the pressure of the impactor slurry, and the weight of the drill string at the bottom surface may also be included. Various embodiments may also include adjusting one or more of the plurality of conditions to adjust at least one of the well diameter and the drill rate. Various embodiments may also include the use of a bending sub that provides an angular position of the jet head that allows directional boring.

  In some embodiments, well boring provides high pressure drive fluid flow, establishes venturi flow conditions at the access port to the high pressure drive fluid, and creates high pressure drive fluid to produce impactor slurry. Accelerating multiple impactors suitable for mixing, injecting the accelerated impactor into the high pressure drive fluid by passing the accelerated impactor through the low pressure area created by the Venturi flow conditions, Passing impactor slurry to a jet head connected to the end of the pipe string and in fluid communication with the pipe string, the jet head being suitable for circulating the impactor slurry The impactor slurry flowing through the jet head is accelerated, and the impactor slurry collides with the surface of the well and accumulates from the surface. It may include a removing particles.

  Various embodiments may include accelerating the plurality of impactors with sufficient kinetic energy to prevent the disappearance of venturi flow conditions. In addition, at least one of mechanical force, fluid force, and electromotive force is used to accelerate the plurality of impactors. Various embodiments may also include establishing venturi flow conditions with a double concentric orifice suitable for generating a low pressure region at the access port. In some embodiments, the concentric orifice is suitable for swirling the drive fluid. In some embodiments, an impeller wheel is used to accelerate the plurality of impactors.

  In some embodiments, providing a source of impactor, mixing the impactor with fluid to form impactor slurry, connecting through the pipestring to the end of the pipestring and pipe Passing the impactor slurry through a jet head housing having a stator therein suitable for conveying the impactor slurry to a jet head in fluid communication with the string and imparting a vortex shape to the impactor slurry flowing therethrough Allowing the impactor slurry to pass through a vortex enhancement device suitable for accelerating impactor slurry both axially and tangentially, concentrating and stabilizing the jet head while maintaining the velocity of the exiting impactor slurry Passing the impactor slurry through a conical exit orifice suitable for generating and impacting the well surface Well boring by removing formations particles from has been studied.

  Various embodiments may also include adjusting the impactor slurry to change the diameter of the impacted well. It may also include forming an inner curved toroidal flow morphology suitable for further polishing the surface for incorporating the formation particles into the impactor slurry. In some embodiments, the jet head housing may have a converging conical section at the inlet for accelerating impactor slurry flowing therethrough. In some embodiments, the jet head housing has a diffusive conical section at the outlet suitable for generating a conical impactor slurry jet shape. In some embodiments, the impactor slurry flows out of the jet head as a dual jet configuration that includes an inner cylindrical jet region and an outer conical jet region, with the majority of the impactor slurry flowing in the outer conical jet stream. Flow through the area. In some embodiments, the impactor has a diameter of. Solid particles of about 025 inches. The impactor, such as a solid particle impactor, is the minimum mass-momentum required to exceed the minimum critical formation cutting stress for the underground formation being excavated from the largest solid particle impactor processed throughout the circuit. The size may range up to the smallest solid particle impactor that can satisfy the impact force. In some embodiments, the impactor strikes the well at a minimum speed of 1200 feet per second. In some embodiments, the impactor strikes the well at a rate sufficient to remove formation particles having a mass greater than that of the impactor. In some embodiments, seven formations are removed each time the impactor hits the well. In some embodiments, the impactor impacts the well using a combination of shear, compression, and wear / corrosion forces. In some embodiments, the stator has a plurality of stator blades that extend axially along the outer surface of the stator and are suitable for applying tangential and radial forces to the flowing impactor slurry. In some embodiments, the stator is suitable for removal from the jet head.

  Some embodiments rotate the jet head, but some do not rotate the jet head. Some embodiments utilize a jet head with a roller cone drill bit, while some utilize a jet head with a fixed cutter drill bit. In some embodiments, low pressure formation fluid loss is reduced during drilling and preview operations, formation hydration is minimized, high pressure flow to the well is minimized, and fluid to the formation being formed In order to minimize the intrusion, improve the structural stability and reduce mechanical or thermal fracture, impactors are used for well deformation. In some embodiments, an impactor is utilized to deform the well wall in combination with other methods for improving aerodynamic circulation. In some embodiments, impactors are used to work harden the surface of the well and / or to form the casing connection. In some embodiments, ejection loss, diversion, and / or filter cake may be prevented or minimized to minimize cutting state differences.

  Another component subsystem is: a) a fluid amplifying device for impactor acceleration motion, b) the interior of the jet head is concentrated and stabilized by the jet head to create a straight, vertical or directional point drill well. C) Jet shape with bottom hole pattern cut, c) Jet shape to control impactor slurry, impactor size, impactor concentration by dynamically controlling the diameter of the well through circuit deformation, d) Neutral side Vertical flow jets that can be used to deform well walls while generating thrust or selectively deflected lateral thrust in the jet head, f) jets via cable or reverse circulating slurry flow pressure to change configuration Recovery of the internal stator system of the head, and / or g) does not require a conventional tubular pipe string to perform the operation. Jet head, may be one or some combination or jet head incorporating what not its either, the features including. In other aspects of various embodiments, the ability of the particle injection subsystem to continuously generate and adjust the impactor size, ratio, and concentration of the impactor slurry in concert with the operation of the jet head can be obtained. Good.

  Various embodiments of the invention may provide one or several of the advantages listed above, or none of them. The described aspects provide exemplary embodiments, and there are a variety of embodiments that fall within the spirit and principles of the present invention, and the description of the embodiments given above is the only one that incorporates the spirit and principles of the present invention. Note that this should not be construed as an embodiment.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like features, and in which:
Fig. 3 shows a circuit flow diagram outlining some circuit components. Figure 2 shows the physical components of an embodiment of a circuit. Fig. 3 further shows the injection device of Fig. 2; Fig. 3 further shows the injection device of Fig. 2; A pipe string and a jet head are shown. Indicates a pipe string. Various formation types, jet heads are shown. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a jet head. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a jet head. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a jet head. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a jet head. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a jet head. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a jet head. A diagram of the well and jet head is shown. A diagram of the well and jet head is shown. A diagram of the well and jet head is shown. A diagram of the well and jet head is shown. A diagram of a jet head is shown. A diagram of a jet head is shown. A diagram of a jet head is shown. A diagram of a jet head is shown.

  FIG. 1 outlines the various steps performed in drilling a deep large borehole according to various embodiments. Process 100 begins at step 102 where an impactor, eg, a solid material impactor such as steel shot particles, is provided for this process. Next, in step 104, the impactor is stored in a portable impactor processing and storage system that may be proximate to the drilling rig. In step 106, the particle injection system generates a small amount of high concentration impactor slurry that is sufficiently pressurized to be discharged in step 108 as a high pressure drilling fluid pumped solely by the slurry pump of the drilling rig. The impactor is fluidized or processed. In some embodiments, the particle ejector generates a high concentration and small amount of high pressure impactor slurry that can also be used to adjust the slurry concentration. The particle injection device and its function will be described in more detail later.

  When a high-concentration impactor slurry is added to the rig's high-pressure fluid flow path, an impactor slurry working fluid composed of different components is formed. The impactor slurry then flows through the rig's high-pressure channel system and pipe string to the end of the pipe string where a jet head, which may be suspended in a well, can be mounted. As used herein, other uses of the term drill, drill, drill pipe, drill rig, drilling fluid, drill (drill) broadly mean equipment, instruments, systems, methods related to hole boring in general. And is not limited to devices, instruments, systems and methods relating to mechanical drilling and / or drill bit rotation that require a drill bit. In step 110, the diluted impactor slurry is sent to the jet head to perform various functions. The jet head may have a variety of configurations, and various surface operating parameters may be varied to perform the functions of boring optimization, well hole adjustment, well direction and tilt. In some embodiments for fluid circuits and jet heads, the impactor slurry is fed continuously. The jet head and its function are described in more detail below.

  In step 112, excavation, formation adjustment, and well directional motion information are monitored. In step 114, the information from step 112 is used to determine whether the implementation of the jet head function is optimal. The monitoring data may be obtained from surface command and control means and / or underground means for monitoring excavation operations. If the operation of the jet head is not optimal, certain operating parameters may be changed at the surface at step 118, or internal components of the jet head, such as the stator housing, may be recovered through the use of cables, The internal parts of the jet head are transported to the ground and the configuration is physically changed in step 116 and returned to the jet head by lowering the internal parts with a pipe string and reinserting them into the jet head. The operation of the jet head may be optimized at step 120 for functions such as adjusting and / or controlling well tilt and azimuth.

  When the impactor slurry is passed through the jet head, formation cuttings such as formation particles are generated. In step 122, impactor slurry and formation cut are circulated to the surface equipment through an annular region between the outside of the pipe string and the interior of the well wall. The impactor slurry and formation cut continue to circulate through the surface equipment of the drilling rig to the point where it is separated from the fluid by a separator such as a vibration separator, hydrocyclone separator, or magnetic separator in step 124. Formation particles are discarded. The impactor is transported at step 126 and then separated from the formation cut by the separation device at step 130. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, each of the separations described herein may be performed with a single separation device, multiple separation devices, or in various orders. The impactor is then transported to the separation device at step 134, and at step 136, the impactor is separated from the hydraulic transport fluid according to mass and discharged into a storage tank, where the impactor is of constant mass and size. Are further processed in step 138 and / or stored in the impactor storage tank of the portable impactor processing and storage system for reuse in step 104. In step 128, the fluid separated from the impactor and formation cut is transferred to the fluid processing, conditioning and storage system of the drilling rig. The treated and stored fluid is then pumped to the drilling rig's high pressure flow path system at step 132 by the drilling rig pump, and the fluid is again mixed with the high-concentration impactor stream at step 108 to produce impactor slurry. Generated. This pressurized impactor slurry may include impactors that are both new and recovered after use and re-injected into a high pressure fluid for transport to a jet head.

  Referring now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of the system is illustrated. The rig fluid handling / adjustment / storage system 240 holds the adjusted fluid 245. A drilling rig pump suction path 235 is connected to both the storage tank 240 and the pump 230. The stored fluid 245 is sucked and supplied to the excavation rig surface high-pressure channel 220 by the excavation rig pump 230. The high-pressure channel 455 is connected to the high-pressure channel 220 of the drilling rig, and in this high-pressure channel, the high-concentration impactor discharge flow from the injection device 300 is mixed with the drilling fluid flow generated by the drilling rig pump 230 and impacted. A child slurry is formed.

  The impactor slurry is conveyed through the drill ring swivel 210 and the pipe string 200 connected to the jet head 800 in the well 700. The impactor and workpiece slurry 255 first passes through the annular region between the pipe string 200 and the well system 700, followed by the annular region between the pipe string 200 and the well head 100 in stages, the casing 110. The well pressure control facility (not shown), the bell nipple 120, finally the flow path 130, and the impactor and formation cut 255 are circulated to the separator 250 where it is separated from the fluid 245. The fluid 245 is processed, adjusted and stored in the processing / adjustment / storage system 240.

  In some embodiments, the impactor may be made of metal or magnetic. The impactor and formation cutting slurry 255 are separated from the fluid 245 by a separation device such as a stirring device 250 and discharged to the magnetic separation system 600. The magnetic drum 610 of the magnetic separation system 600 magnetically holds the impactor 335 while separating the formation cut material 259 into the formation cut material discharge pile 260 by gravity. Subsequently, the impactor 335 is discharged to the impactor collecting device 620 by the action of the magnetic drum 610, and the impactor is pumped from the flow path 465 passing through the discharge device 630 to the flow path 470, and the recovered impactor is liquidized. It is sent to the liquid discharger 630 driven by the driving fluid conveyed through the cyclone separator 450, and the recovered impactor is separated from the driving fluid and discharged to the holding tank 408. The separated impactor is discharged to the impactor storage tank 402 through the bottom flow orifice of the hydrocyclone separator 450. The fluid 245 is transferred to the fluid holding tank 408 in the portable impactor processing and holding tank skid assembly 400 by the vertical impeller pump 505 through the low pressure channel 460. The fluid 410 from the tank 408 is fed by gravity to the suction portion of the impeller pump 435 and discharged to the discharge devices 440 and 630. The discharge device 440 circulates and periodically circulates the impactor in the tank 402 so that the impactor flows freely into the injection system 300. The discharge system 440 receives the impactor from the holding tank 402 and circulates it to the hydrocyclone separator 445 where the impactor is separated from the drive fluid 410 and discharged to the tank 402. The driving fluid 410 is circulated in the liquid cyclone separator 445 and discharged to the tank 408. The fluid holding tank 408 is in fluid communication with the fluid holding tank 407. The fluid 410 is evenly distributed to the holding tank 407 where it is stored as a fluid supply fluid 405 for the centrifugal charge pump 420. The charge pump 420 precharges the high-pressure and low-flow plunger pump 425. Plunger pump 425 provides the drive fluid that operates impactor injection assembly 300. The injection assembly 300 adjusts the supply of the impactor from the impactor storage tank 402 and the high pressure / low flow rate fluid from the pump 425 to generate a high pressure / low flow rate / high concentration impactor slurry. Conditions necessary for discharging to the path 455 are adjusted.

  FIG. 3 b illustrates one embodiment of an injection assembly 300 that includes a supply and metering component 345, an impactor acceleration pump component 320, a liquid mixing venturi component 350, and a fluid amplification component 370. The components of the jet assembly 300 cooperate in sequence to pass the impactor from atmospheric conditions to the system and discharge the impactor in the form of a high pressure slurry. The impactor 335 is gravity fed from the tank 402 of FIG. 2 through a conduit 332 to a conduit 331 containing a screw type auger (not shown), and sent to the particle impeller pump 320 through the housing 330. A screw auger (not shown) rotates and its speed is controlled by the adjustment speed of the electric motor 333 to meter the flow of the impactor 335 through the housing 330 to the part 320.

  A hydraulic venturi system may be used to convert pressure to velocity and recover pressure. During the process, the venturi system creates a partial vacuum around a high speed jet that can be used to entrain solid particles. The hydraulic system has a steady state that receives solid particles that must be accelerated to the fluid system. This process absorbs hydraulic energy until a certain threshold is reached, the point at which the hydraulic system breaks down. To get a significant percentage of solid particles into a venturi-based discharge device, the solid particle velocity is first set to establish a neutral or positive relationship to the hydraulic discharge device. It would be desirable to raise it.

  FIG. 3a shows the impeller wheel 323 held between the housing 322 and the cover plate 325 of FIG. 3b removed for clarity. The impeller wheel 323 rotates in the direction 327 by the action of the electric motor 326 of FIG. The rotating impeller wheel blades 324 collect the impactor 335 flowing through the housing 330, accelerate the impactor 335 to high speed and send it to the tangential opening 328 of the housing 322 to flow through the tube 329. The flow tube 329 leads to the venturi housing 352 and forms a circumferential orifice 353 within the venturi housing 352. The sealing / adjusting plate 351 becomes a pressure seal including high pressure inside, and functions as an adjusting mechanism for controlling the separation distance of the circumferential orifice 353. The high pressure fluid is supplied to the internal cavity 334 of the venturi housing 352 through the flow path 426 by the fluid pump 425 of FIG. The high pressure fluid passes through the circumferential orifice 353 and causes a venturi jet action that functions to create a low pressure region in front of the end of the flow tube 329. The fluid flowing through the venturi mixes with the high speed impactor flowing through the flow tube 329 to the throat 354, thus functioning to form a slurry of the impactor and fluid. The slurry flows through the venturi throat 354 to the internal chamber of the fluid amplification component 370. The fluid amplification device 370 includes the top cap 378, the main body 371, the bottom cap 376, and the discharge channel 455 of FIG. Slurry from the flow path 354 flows tangentially to the internal chamber 372 and flows in a vortex motion, and a very high rotational speed occurs at the central orifice 373 as the slurry flows from the chamber 372 to the chamber 374 in accordance with the angular momentum conservation law. As the slurry flows through the orifice 373 to the chamber 374, the slurry moving according to the law of conservation of angular momentum decelerates significantly as it passes through the outermost diameter portion of the chamber 374 and connects tangentially to the outermost diameter portion of the chamber 374. The slurry flows into the discharged discharge channel 455. Both end caps of the fluid amplification device 370 have a central vortex stabilizer that includes stabilizers 377 and 379 that stabilize the vortex motion in the chambers 372 and 374.

  The impactor mixing into the high pressure liquid converts the fluid pressure to fluid velocity and then recovers a portion of the initial fluid pressure as the fluid expands at a deceleration rate in the downstream diffusion section of the discharge device. A hydraulically driven discharge device that operates in principle may be used. The evacuation system may generate a partial vacuum near the periphery of the system's fast axial flow driven fluid jet. This low pressure region sucks the particulate material around the jet stream as the particulate material is transported through the annular region in the venturi throat and the diffuser wall region of the discharge device as the jet stream expands, driving the material into the driving fluid Mixed in.

  The injector may be operated by first establishing the venturi flow conditions necessary to operate the vortex chamber component system against the pressure of the drilling rig channel pressure. Once the steady-state flow conditions have been established and balanced with the high pressure flow path pressure of the drilling rig, the impeller pump is activated and begins to inject the impactor into the center of the coaxial jet flow in the venturi section. The balance between the velocity imparted to the impactor by the impeller and the amount of venturi flow is maintained so that the target mixing ratio is obtained. The kinetic energy of the impactor exiting the impeller wheel is designed to obtain a high impactor mixing ratio while maintaining the continuous operation of the venturi jet and may be equal to or greater than the kinetic energy of the venturi jet. Thus, when the kinetic energy of the impactor is equal to or higher than the kinetic energy required to drive the venturi jet under stable flow conditions, the venturi jet will operate with increasing impactor mixing ratio. Efficiency can be maintained or increased. Under certain conditions, the injector venturi and vortex chamber sections provide a large amount of kinetic energy necessary to make the impactor mix with the driving liquid at a very high ratio, resulting in a variety of sizes and mixing conditions. The mass flow rate of the impactor is the majority of the mass flow rate at the venturi throat by achieving the goal of the particle injection device to adjust the amount of impactor mixing and generate a high concentration, high pressure impactor slurry flow May occupy. An impactor mixing ratio of 60% or more can be achieved. In order to obtain the flexibility of the injection system to optimize the design and operation of the jet head downhaul features, such as boring, adjustment and direction control of large boreholes, with high concentration of impactors, during construction It can be seen that a low hydraulic horsepower system can be used.

  FIG. 4 c shows an embodiment that includes a cross section of a large diameter well 700 in which the jet head assembly 800 is disposed. Subsurface formations 702 to 708 are located below the surface 701. Each of these formations has its own characteristics that become a challenge during boring. Formation 702 is illustrated as a siltstone formation, formation 703 is illustrated as a hydrous sandstone formation, formation 704 is illustrated as a shale formation, formation 705 is illustrated as a coal formation, formation 706 is Illustrated as a second shale formation, formation 707 is illustrated as a limestone formation, and formation 708 is illustrated as a natural gas generating sandstone formation. Pipe string 200 is suspended in well 725 and attached to jet head assembly 800. A ground casing 714 is disposed and fixed to the formation 702 with cement 715. As a means for isolating the hydrous formation 703, a casing 716 is disposed on the formation 704 and fixed with cement 718. As a means for isolating the coal formation 705, a casing 718 is arranged in the formation 706 and fixed with cement 719. As a means for isolating the limestone formation 707, a casing 720 is disposed on the formation 708 and fixed with cement 721. Limestone formation 707 may have natural cracks 709 and 710 as shown. The sandstone formation 708 may have natural cracks 711, 712, 713 as shown.

  FIG. 4a shows an enlarged view of the lower section of the well of FIG. 4c. Pipe string 200 is shown mounted on jet head assembly 800. A conical end jet 830 and a side jet 830 projecting from the jet head assembly 800 are shown. FIG. 4 b shows an isometric view of the pipe string 200 mounted on the jet head housing 801 with a side jet 860 and a conical end jet 830 protruding from the jet head housing 801.

  In some embodiments of the jet head subsystem of FIGS. 4a-4c, a conical liquid jet shape is generated to optimize impactor particle number, size, and mixing conditions to maximize impactor acceleration. Utilizing a vortex fluid amplifying device. Some embodiments of the circuit jet head subsystem increase the impactor speed sufficient to maintain a high ROP and form a cutting jet that can be adjusted by slurry characteristics to change the borehole drilling diameter. , Concentrate the jet head through the interaction between the jet head and the bottom of the hole, stabilize the jet head through the interaction between the jet head and the bottom of the hole, deform the well wall through the jet action of the jet head, It is designed to simultaneously perform the function of controlling the jet head method by changing the various jet actions of the jet head.

  FIG. 5 f shows an isometric view of one embodiment of jet head assembly 800. FIG. 5 a shows an exploded view of the components of the jet head assembly 800. The jet head housing 801 houses a stator housing 802 that houses a stator 803. A stator groove portion 820 extending in the axial direction along the outer surface of the stator 803 is formed in the stator. A swirl concentration stabilizer 814 extends from the end of the stator 803. The stem of the stator 803 is structured with a concave profile 813 for locking a recovery tool (not shown) to the stator assembly for removal. The stator 803 is permanently bonded to the stator housing 802. The stator housing 802 is detachably locked to the jet head housing 801 (the latch is not shown). Standard ports 804 and 805 are provided in the stator housing 802 such that fluid is circulated from within the stator assembly through corresponding standard ports 806 and 807 of the jet head housing 801. Nozzle 809 and nozzle retainer 808 are standard nozzles and retainers for radially spaced fluid ports with fluid ports 806 and 807 as standard examples and are shown in the fitted position in FIG. 5b.

  FIG. 5b shows a cross-sectional view along section line AA of FIG. 5e. A nozzle, typically a nozzle 809 and a nozzle retainer 808, is depicted at a predetermined location in the jet head housing 801. The stator 803 and the stator housing 802 are located at predetermined positions in the jet head housing 801. Surfaces 814 and 810 form a first inner cavity that imparts vortex motion to the fluid passing through this section of the stator assembly. Surfaces 812 and 814 form a second inner cylindrical vortex cavity for stabilizing the vortex slurry mass. The inner surface of the stator housing 802 forms an outlet orifice 811, and fluid passing through the cylindrical vortex stabilization chamber is discharged from the outlet orifice 811. The area of the exit orifice 811 is an area where the centrifugal force of the vortex slurry lump is released on a straight tangent line to form a diffusion cone jet shape. FIG. 5 c shows the jet head 801 and the pipe string 200 in a side view. FIG. 5 d shows an end view of the jet head 801. FIG. 5e shows an end view of the jet head 801 with the section line AA visible.

  Various embodiments of the jet head include a housing suitable for housing a removable stator assembly, and an array of nozzle ports disposed radially around the jet head. The stator housing has a first cylindrical inner passage with a stator rib joined to the surface. This cylindrical section leads to a converging conical section, and the conical section connects to a small diameter cylindrical chamber, where both the converging conical section and the small diameter cylindrical section form a vortex chamber of the stator assembly. The vortex chamber section of the stator assembly is connected to a diffusion conical exit orifice section. The relative dimensions of the stator assembly flow paths, chambers, and orifices may be optimized to provide operating feature ranges that are adjusted by changing slurry composition and flow conditions.

  In operation, slurry is pumped from the pipe string through the passage formed by the stator ribs and the stator housing, thus imparting an angular vortex motion to the slurry. The angle and initial speed of the slurry vortex motion are adjusted by the exit angle and the total flow area of the stator ribs. The slurry has a converging conical section of the vortex chamber that functions to impart an axial velocity component to the slurry vortex from the stator groove, and the slurry vortex flow velocity is significantly higher when the slurry flows in the form of a circle of constantly decreasing diameter It flows to the chamber for accelerating to the rotational speed and finally to the cylindrical flow stabilization section of the vortex chamber. The slurry that becomes vortex in the vortex chamber operates according to the law of conservation of angular momentum when the slurry vortex advances from the maximum diameter of the vortex chamber to the minimum diameter of the cylindrical vortex chamber section, and the slurry rotation flow is stabilized at the maximum speed, The impactor speed is maximized before passing to the exit orifice area of the stator housing. The drilling fluid component of the slurry during the acceleration of the slurry becomes a vortex with a higher velocity than the impactor. Due to the slurry residence time in the flow stabilization section of the vortex chamber, the drilling fluid acts on the impactor to allow energy transfer to the impactor before the slurry flow changes to the outlet orifice of the stator housing. maximize.

  The high velocity slurry vortex flows from the flow stabilization section of the vortex chamber and flows into the exit orifice region of the stator. Due to the movement of the tangential discharge fluid, the slurry flow forms a radial cutting jet flow that includes a relatively high momentum impactor and a high speed drilling fluid flow. The high speed slurry forms a conical cutting jet that diffuses in the radial direction within the exit orifice and then extends beyond the exit orifice to form a conical cutting jet, which is ultimately subject to the current operating conditions. Below, when the impact impactor energy drops to a level where the borehole diameter cannot be increased any further, it transitions to an inflection toroidal jet shape.

  Since the vertically moving jet head can move deeper into the formation being drilled, the conical cutting jet is pushed to the bottom of the well by the vertically moving jet head. The concave conical surface of the exit orifice is proximate to a well-formed underground formation bottom hole profile that is cut by the jet action of the jet head. The concave conical shape of the exit orifice is generated by the slurry jet cutting action simultaneously with the hydraulic action of the high speed slurry cutting jet which is further limited between the exit orifice wall and the formation drilled by the jet head vertical motion. There is a tendency to physically concentrate and stabilize the jet head along with the bottom hole profile. Because there is no lateral force acting on the jet head due to the operation of the jet head system during the drilling process, due to the concentrated and stable features of the operation of the jet head system, the jet head naturally drills straight holes vertically. . This is a well-structure aspect that is very important to reduce the cost of drilling deep wells.

  The impactor momentum in the cutting jet generated by the action of the slurry velocity advantage generated in the vortex chamber section of the stator assembly maintains the impactor velocity over a longer working distance than the drilling fluid contained in the slurry cutting jet. Therefore, maintain kinetic energy. The diffusion conical cutting jet formed in the exit orifice area of the stator assembly eventually causes the slurry stream to be released by the water pressure and flow upwards in the well to remove the mixed impactor and formation cut. Before being transported out of the chamber, an inner curved toroidal flow pattern is formed. The characteristics of the lever action due to the jet velocity of the slurry cutting jet of the jet head fluid amplifying device are very fine while satisfying the CFCS requirements for formation cutting purpose by leveraging the supply pressure of the slurry flow obtained by the jet head. Allows use of impactor. When the slurry impactor operation exceeds the CFCS, the target well diameter and ROP are established by adjusting the number of impactor collisions per unit time. The circuit injector adjusts the composition of the slurry according to the target well diameter and the mechanical requirements to establish the target ROP by adjusting the impactor size, mixing state, and volume of the slurry. .

  The ability to increase impactor speed, along with the use of existing drilling fluid working pressures obtained with conventional drilling rigs in deep well construction, and the selection of small impactors that increase the number of impactor impacts per unit quantity and Enable use. Using, for example, a US sieve size 25 small impactor with a nominal diameter of 0.025 inches that meets the CFCF when used in various embodiments at a flow rate of 12 GPM, generates approximately 275 million impacts per minute. can do.

  Since the removal of the underground formation becomes more efficient as the size of the impactor is closer to the underground formation grain size to be removed by the action of the impactor, formation removal efficiency can be obtained by using a small impactor. This is because the small impactor collides with the formation during shearing and gives a high impact force to the underground formation because of an approximation between the cutting depth and the diameter of the impactor. When large impactor particles are used that generate a large impact incident angle due to the discrepancy between impactor and grain size, the formation is efficiently removed by shear force rather than compression force. Therefore, if impactors with a diameter larger than the formation grain are used, the impact generated per unit slurry flow is reduced, and the impactor impact energy transmitted to the formation is much weaker due to the impact incident angle. In addition, from the point of view of easier mixing, circulation in the high-pressure channel of the fluid circuit, circulation outside the well, circulation in the low-pressure channel circuit, and circulation with existing downhole tools. It is desirable to use the smallest practical impactor.

  Point drill direction control mechanism when constructing wells when intentionally introducing lateral force used in jet head, such as deflection thrust generated as a result of adopting selective operation of circumferential jet provided in jet head Helps to set up. Since the operation of the present invention does not require the weight or rotational torque at the drill bit, the flow and pressure characteristics within the well annulus region as well as the parasitic pressure loss of the slurry circulated within the tubular string are reduced. Less expensive non-standard pipe strings such as tubular casings or pipe materials can be used to reduce. Due to the ability of the jet head to be provided with a well diameter that is larger than the physical outer dimensions of the jet head, single bore wells using solid expansion casing methods and / or narrow tolerance nested casing practices In order to save well construction costs achieved through the use of geometries, jet heads can be used to drill wells and / or expand downwards at high speeds and economically prepare bores.

  FIG. 6d shows a cross-sectional view of the lower section of the well showing one embodiment of the well casing 720 cemented to the formation 708 with a cement sheath 721. FIG. A deformed well wall 871 is shown next to the raw formation 870 of the formation 708. A well wall 874 formed by the cutting action of the cutting jet 830 is shown. Next to the modified well 871, a natural crack 711 is shown. A cross-sectional view of a portion of pipe string 200 and jet head assembly 800 is shown. Circulation of pressurized drilling fluid 380 containing impactor 335 is shown flowing through the interior of pipe string 200 and stator blades 820 where vortex motion is imparted to pressurized drilling fluid 380. Shown is the pressurized drilling fluid 380 flowing through the lower stator housing 802, followed by the outlet orifice 811 of FIG. 5b. At the exit orifice 811 of FIG. 5b, the pressurized drilling fluid 380 forms a diffusive conical cutting jet 830 that cuts the formation 708 to form a bottom hole pattern 732. The cutting action of the conical jet 830 cuts the formation surface 730 to generate a formation cut 259, and the annular space between the jet head body 802, the outer pipe string 200, the well wall 874, and the inner wall 722 of the casing 720. This cut material is mixed with the drilling fluid as the recovered drilling fluid slurry 255 for transport to the drilling fluid. The recovered drilling fluid slurry 255 containing the impactor and formation cut is shown in cross-section as flowing only on one side of the well annulus for clarity.

  FIG. 6 a shows the effect of the action of a diffusive conical cutting jet 830 that flows into an inflection toroidal flow form 832. The fluid jet 830 containing the impactor 335 cuts the formation surface 730 of FIG. 6d and conveys the formation cut 259 to the inner curved toroidal flow 832 where the drilling fluid, the impactor 335 and the formation cut. 259 and 733 continue to cut the formation surface 832. The formation cut 259 and impactor 335 circulate in the toroidal flow 832 to continue cutting the formation, and finally exit the toroidal flow 832 and circulate upward in the well annulus. , Sent to the surface equipment of the drilling rig for processing.

  FIG. 6b shows a circular side jet 861 that impinges on the well wall 874, where the well wall 874 has been deformed by the jet action of the impactor impinging on the well wall. The deformed well wall 871 forms a new well wall that includes a thin layer of dense formation material 872. The formation region 870 is a raw well region near the formation 708.

  FIG. 6 c shows a natural formation fissure 711 that is sealed by the action of a side jet 861, a deformation formation material 872 that isolates the inner path of the fissure 711 from the well, and the drilling fluid 255 in the well 708. Show.

  FIG. 7d shows a front view of the jet head 801 including horizontal section lines EE, HH, II. FIG. 7 a shows a cross section at horizontal section line EE showing the four side jet ports in the jet head 801, the two jet ports being sealed by nozzle port plugs 866 and 867. A nozzle with a circular orifice that provides the pressurized drilling fluid 380 of FIG. 6d to form horizontal jets 862, 863 that impinge vertically on the formation 708 is included in the two ports. FIG. 7 b shows a cross-section at horizontal section line HH showing the four side jet ports in jet head 801, the two jet ports being sealed by nozzle port plugs 864 and 865. A circular nozzle orifice providing the pressurized drilling fluid 380 of FIG. 6d forming horizontal jets 861, 860 that impinge vertically on the formation 708 is included in the two ports. FIG. 7 c shows a cross section at horizontal section line II showing the overlapping state of the eight jets located in jet head 801. In this case, four jets are selectively sealed 866, 864, 865, 867. The four jets are equipped with nozzles having orifices 862, 860, 863, 861. This jet configuration generates a final thrust force deflected along the thrust vector 820.

  While various embodiments of the method and system of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and is from the spirit of the invention presented. It goes without saying that numerous reconfigurations, modifications and substitutions are possible without departing.

Claims (27)

A borehole drilling method,
Providing a high-pressure channel suitable for circulating a high-pressure fluid;
An impactor coupled to the high-pressure channel to accelerate a plurality of impactors, inject the accelerated impactor into the high-pressure channel, and form an impactor slurry with the mixed impactor and high-pressure fluid Providing an injection system;
Conveying the impactor slurry through a pipe string in fluid communication with the high pressure flow path to a jet head in fluid communication with the end of the pipe string;
Accelerating the impactor slurry in a downhole direction and a tangential direction to generate a vortex flow of the impactor slurry;
Colliding the accelerated impactor slurry with a well formation to remove formation particles;
Conveying the impactor slurry and the formation particles to a separation system;
Separating at least a portion of the impactor from the formation particles using a magnetic separation device of the separation system;
Separating at least a portion of the impactor from the high pressure fluid using a hydrocyclone separator of the separation system;
Including the method. Providing a plurality of nozzle ports arranged radially around the jet head and suitable for allowing at least a portion of the impactor slurry to circulate and collide with a side of the well;
The method of claim 1 further comprising: Generating a deflection thrust in the jet head using at least a portion of the plurality of nozzle ports;
The method of claim 3 further comprising: The following:
The amount of impactor mixed into the impactor slurry;
The size mixing state of the impactor mixed in the impactor slurry,
Drilling rate in the well formation,
Density of the impactor slurry;
The number of impactors returning to the surface;
Pressure of the impactor slurry;
The weight of the drill string on the bottom,
Monitoring a plurality of conditions including one or more of:
The method of claim 1 further comprising: Adjusting at least one of the well diameter and the drilling rate by adjusting one or more of the plurality of conditions,
The method of claim 4 further comprising: Using a bending sub to generate an angular position of the jet head that enables directional boring;
The method of claim 1 further comprising: A borehole drilling method,
Providing a high-pressure fluid flow;
Accelerating multiple impactors;
Establishing venturi flow conditions at the access port to the driving fluid;
Injecting the accelerated impactor into the drive fluid by passing the accelerated impactor through a low pressure area formed by the Venturi flow conditions;
Mixing the impactor and driving fluid into the high pressure fluid stream to produce an impactor slurry;
Transporting the impactor slurry through a pipe string to a jet head connected to the end of the pipe string and in fluid communication with the pipe string, the jet head having the impactor slurry Suitable for distributing
Accelerating the impactor slurry flowing through the jet head, causing the impactor slurry to collide with the surface of a well to remove formation particles from the surface;
Including the method.   8. The method of claim 7, wherein accelerating the plurality of impactors is imparting sufficient kinetic energy to the impactor to prevent the venturi flow condition from disappearing.   The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of mechanical force, fluid force, and electromotive force is used to accelerate the plurality of impactors.   8. The method of claim 7, wherein the venturi flow conditions are established using a double concentric orifice suitable for generating a low pressure region at the access port.   The method of claim 10, wherein a concentric orifice of the double concentric orifice is suitable for swirling the drive fluid.   The method of claim 7, wherein an impeller wheel is used to accelerate the plurality of impactors. A borehole drilling method,
Providing a source of impactor;
Mixing the impactor with a fluid to form an impactor slurry;
Conveying the impactor slurry through a pipe string to a jet head connected to the end of the pipe string and in fluid communication with the pipe string;
Passing the impactor slurry through a jet head housing, the jet head housing having a stator suitable for imparting a vortex flow configuration to the passing impactor slurry;
Passing the impactor slurry through a vortex enhancement device suitable for accelerating the impactor slurry both axially and tangentially;
Passing the impactor slurry through a conical exit orifice suitable for concentrating and stabilizing the jet head while maintaining the velocity of the impactor slurry flowing therethrough;
Striking at least a portion of the impactor slurry against the surface of the well to remove formation particles;
Including the method. Adjusting the impactor slurry to change the diameter of the well to be impacted;
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: Forming an incurved toroidal flow morphology suitable for further polishing the surface for mixing the formation particles into the impactor slurry;
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:   14. The method of claim 13, wherein the jet head housing has a converging conical section at the inlet for accelerating the impactor slurry flowing therethrough.   14. The method of claim 13, wherein the jet head housing has a diffusive conical section at the outlet suitable for producing a conical impactor slurry jet shape.   The impactor is. 14. The method of claim 13, having a diameter of 025 inches.   14. The method of claim 13, wherein the impactor impacts the well at a speed of at least 1,200 feet per second.   14. The method of claim 13, wherein the impactor impacts the well at a rate sufficient to remove formation particles having a mass greater than the mass of the impactor.   14. The method of claim 13, wherein the impactor impacts the well using a combination of shear, compression and wear / erosion forces.   14. The method of claim 13, wherein the stator has a plurality of stator blades extending axially on the outer surface of the stator and suitable for applying a tangential-radial force to the flowing impactor slurry. A well boring system,
A high-pressure channel suitable for circulating a high-pressure fluid;
A venturi system coupled to the high pressure flow path and suitable for creating a low pressure area in the access port to the drive fluid;
An impactor injector coupled to the venturi system and suitable for continuously accelerating a plurality of impactors to the drive fluid through the low pressure area;
An amplifying device suitable for injecting the driving fluid and the impactor into the high-pressure channel to form an impactor slurry;
A pipe string in fluid communication with the high pressure flow path, suitable for transporting the impactor slurry from the high pressure flow path to a well region;
The impact in the downhole and tangential directions so that the impactor slurry, which is in fluid communication with the end of the pipe string and is accelerated to remove formation particles, collides with the formation of the well. A jet head suitable for accelerating the child slurry to form a swirl of impactor slurry;
Including system.   24. The system of claim 23, wherein the impactor injector is an impeller wheel.   24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a first separation device suitable for separating at least a portion of the formation particles from the impactor slurry.   24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a second separation device suitable for separating at least a portion of the impactor from the high pressure fluid.   24. The system of claim 23, wherein the jet head is suitable for applying a conical jet stream of impactor slurry at an outlet.

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