NO20180235A1

NO20180235A1 - A method and apparatus for simultaneously drilling and in-situ casing installation

Info

Publication number: NO20180235A1
Application number: NO20180235A
Authority: NO
Inventors: Mohammad Ali Taghipour Khadrbeik
Original assignee: Sintef Tto As
Priority date: 2018-02-14
Filing date: 2018-02-14
Publication date: 2019-08-15
Also published as: NO345937B1

Description

Field of the invention

[0001 ] The invention relates to an apparatus for making casings while drilling in situ.

Technical Background

[0002 ] The present invention relates to tools and methods which can be used in underground operations for mining, tunnelling and trenchless in civil industry and deep wells for water and geothermal applications and for oilfield drilling and well constructions.

[0003 ] The present background is described in the context of an oil and gas well.

In conventional manner, oil wells (wellbores) are drilled with a drill string having a drilling assembly with a drill bit at its bottom, and a tubular member (either a jointed pipe or coiled tubing) attached to the drilling assembly that extends to the surface. A well may be several kilometres deep traversing through many different types of geological layers. During drilling there is need for isolating different geological structures that may conduct different pressures. Casing performs the zonal isolation and seals off and prevent loss of drilling fluid from the well or contamination of the production fluid. Once a section of the well has been drilled, the drill string is retrieved to the surface and a casing, which extends to the surface, is set in the well to protect the open hole. The casing has a larger diameter than drill pipe and a smaller diameter than the drill bit. Then the annulus between the landed first casing and the borehole will be cemented and the next section of the wellbore is drilled below the first casing, and this procedure is repeated until the telescopically declining diameter wellbore is drilled to the desired depth.

[0004 ] The conventional design and construction of oilfield wells are cost intensive and complex. Typically, the wellbore is drilled and then a casing is inserted and installed in the newly drilled section of the wellbore. This delays the completion of a well, and in addition, control of the well is difficult during the period that the drill pipe is being removed and the casing is being run inside the borehole. There is risk for hydrocarbon gas influx from the formation fluid into the borehole which in worst case may results in a blowout or loss of the drilling fluid into the formation which cause periods of non-productive drilling. Conventionally, a wellbore casing cannot be formed during the penetrating operation and there are several attempts to improve the traditional way of settling casing in the borehole.

[0005 ] Numerous attempts have been made to provide proper casing operation.

Drilling with casing instead of drill pipe is one of the options which reduce the time for tripping out the drillstring and running the casing string into the borehole. The drill bit in this technique is connected to the lower casing section and the casing section needs to be rotated from surface drilling machine. This technique reduces the borehole control risks during the traditional casing operations. However, there are several limitations for using casing instead of drill pipe. Casing joints are not able to carry high torsional torque needed for penetrating the formation.

[0006 ] Prior art using a casing for drilling is disclosed in patent publications:

US6705413, US6758278, US6739392, US 4842081 A, US5197553, US 6196336 B1. The drilling with casing technique addresses some of the challenges for drilling into the depleted reservoirs where there is high risk of drilling fluid loss into the formation. However, there is still a need for alternative techniques for drilling depleted reservoirs.

[0007 ] A spiral-wound pipe lining technology can be used for rehabilitating water and sewer pipes and culverts. The system consists of a single, elongate continuous PVC or steel-reinforced polyurethane profile strip, which is spirally wound into the existing sewer or pipeline via a winding machine positioned in the pipe. The edges of the profile strip either interlock as it is spirally wound into the existing pipeline or are welded to form a liner that is water tight. Some of the patents related to this technique are: US 4678370

A, US 5145281 A, US 3972200 A, US 5388929 A, US 770894 A, EP

0450220 A1.

[0008 ] Traditional wellbore design is telescopic and because of this, the casing of the lower interval is of smaller diameter than the casing of the upper intervals. Thus, a relatively large borehole diameter is required at the upper part of the wellbore. Such a large borehole diameter involves increased costs due to heavy casing handling equipment, large drill bits and correspondingly large volumes of drilling fluid and drill cuttings.

Numerous attempts have been made to provide a mono size wellbore instead of a telescopic wellbore design. Some of the patents related to this technique are: US 20060096762 A1, US20050166388, US7146702, US7363690, US6029748, US6021850, and US2919741.

[0009 ] All the mentioned prior arts for simultaneously drilling and casing a wellbore focus on using metal casing sections which need to be made elsewhere, transported to the rig and stored at the rig. There are some attempts to make casings in-situ. Injecting epoxy or composite type’s material just after the drill bit could realize a simultaneous drilling and casing operation of the borehole. However, this technology has not been realized due to down hole extreme conditions of pressure and temperature and existence of drilling fluid.

[0010 ] The solution aims to in situ fabricate and install spiral wound casing simultaneously while drilling a borehole.

Disclosure of Invention

[0011 ] In accordance with the present invention it is provided a method and apparatus for simultaneously drilling and in situ making spiral wound casing, where the apparatus at least comprises: one winding system to form a spiral wound lock-seam casing and one drilling unit where it is adapted to penetrate the borehole.

[0012 ] In one embodiment the apparatus can be located inside a borehole and make spiral wound lock-seam casing/pipe, where a strip profile is carried through inside the wound pipe. The strip profile can be sheet metal.

[0013 ] In another aspect the apparatus at least comprises one winding drum positioned at a centre of wound casing/pipe which adapted to be rotated relative to the wound pipe and helically bend at least one strip profile and wind the spiral wound lock-seam pipe.

[0014 ] Moreover the apparatus may consist of at least one driving mean adapted to rotate the winding drum relative to the tool housing to continuously form/make the spiral casing and simultaneously move the rotating drum forward in the axial direction of said casing pipe.

[0015 ] The driving mean for rotating drum and moving forward may be a hydraulic mud motor or an electrical motor.

[0016 ] The apparatus can be located inside a borehole to produce spiral wound lock-seam casing and that a housing or a coiled tubing system connect the winding machine to the hydraulic or electric source of energy at the surface rig.

[0017 ] In one aspect the connecting housing or coil tubing carry at least one profile strip which is delivered to the winding unit.

[0018 ] The connecting housing can be spiral wound lock-seam type which dewounded at the winding system and re-wounded to form the casing of the size of the borehole.

[0019 ] A drilling unit can be located in front of the winding system and adapted to drill a pilot borehole appropriate for the winding system and the spiral wound casing.

[0020 ] The drilling unit can comprise one drill bit located along the axis of said wellbore in a housing which is axially connected to the winding system and the drill bit adapted to rotate relative to the tool housing (and) formation.

[0021 ] The drilling unit housing can be pushed forward by the winding unit and simultaneously produce the spiral wound casing.

[0022 ] The drilling unit may consist of said steering unit for changing the direction of said borehole and may consist of measurement and logging instruments.

[0023 ] The drill housing may consist of internal path ways for transfer of drilling fluid to the drill bit and reverse through the open hole annulus section.

[0024 ] In one aspect the driving mean for rotating the drill bit may be a hydraulic mud motor or an electric motor. The driving mean for the drill bit may be individual mean located in drilling unit tool housing or may be in common with the driving means in the winding unit.

[0025 ] The pilot hole can be drilled by high pressure water jet nozzle system.

[0026 ] It is disclosed a drilling and spiral casing system where the long less strip profile may have an interlock configuration on the cross-section edges which enable a lock-seam sealing mechanism while wounding process. Strip profile may also have different cross section configurations for example "S", "U", "W" or "O" shapes.

[0027 ] According to the present invention it is provided a drilling and spiral wound casing apparatus, where the apparatus simultaneously drills and spiral wounds a casing, the apparatus at least comprising:

a) one winding unit to form the spiral wound lock-seam casing, and b) one drilling unit, where the drilling unit at least comprises one drill bit.

[0028 ] In one aspect the apparatus is located inside a borehole to make the spiral wound lock-seam casing and where a strip profile is carried through on the interior of the spiral wound lock-seam casing.

[0029 ] The apparatus may at least comprise one winding/rotating drum. The winding/rotating drum can be arranged at the end of the winding unit and the winding unit can be operatively in communication with the drilling unit.

[0030 ] The winding/rotating drum can be adapted to be rotated relative to the spiral wound lock-seam casing and helically bend at least one strip profile and form/wind the spiral wound lock-seam casing using the bent strip profile.

[0031 ] The apparatus may further comprise at least one driving mean operatively in communication with the winding/rotating drum to rotate the winding/rotating drum relative to the winding unit to continuously make the spiral wound lock-seam casing.

[0032 ] Other advantageous features will be apparent from the accompanying claims.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0033 ] Following is a brief description of the drawings in order to make the invention more readily understandable, the discussion that follows will refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034 ] Feil! Fant ikke referansekilden. shows a perspective schematic view of a spiral wound casing section which is wound by a strip profile with "S" cross section,

[0035 ] Feil! Fant ikke referansekilden. shows a perspective schematic cut view of a spiral wound casing section which is wound by a strip profile with "S" cross section,

[0036 ] Feil! Fant ikke referansekilden. shows a perspective of one piece of spiral wound casing which the profile strip is delivered to the winding drum from the middle of the wound casing,

[0037 ] Feil! Fant ikke referansekilden. shows a perspective cut view of a drilling and spiral wound casing machine concept where a section of the wound casing has been produced, only principle shown,

[0038 ] Feil! Fant ikke referansekilden. shows a 3D perspective cut view of a drilling and spiral wound casing machine concept,

[0039 ] Feil! Fant ikke referansekilden. shows a schematic of a drilling and spiral wound casing machine located in a borehole where drilling fluid is pumped through a middle part of a connecting coil tubing in to winding and drilling unit and flushed out from the drill bit. The flow path of the return drilling fluid containing formation cutting debris is shown as dotted lines, and [0040 ] Figure 7 shows a schematic of the wound casing where the casing profile strip is itself from the de-winding of the connecting housing. The wound drum in this aspect simultaneously de-wind the connecting housing and rewind the external wound casing.

Detailed description of the invention

[0041 ] In the following it is firstly disclosed general embodiments in accordance to the present invention, thereafter particular exemplary embodiments will be described. Where possible reference will be made to the accompanying drawings and where possible using reference numerals in the drawings. It shall be noted however that the drawings are exemplary embodiments only and other features and embodiments may well be within the scope of the invention as described.

[0042 ] In the following the wording pipe and casing is used interchangeably, except where explicitly otherwise mentioned.

[0043 ] The main idea of the present invention is to provide a method and tools/apparatuses for drilling and making a casing in situ in a wounding process. The idea is to feed a winding unit with a strip profile. The strip profile is designed so that adjacent winding strips will lock together. An example of an S-lock type is disclosed in figure 2. The idea is that the strip profile is helically wound inside a hole such as a well bore where adjacent helically wound strips are locked together to build a casing/pipe.

[0044 ] Pipes made by helically winding sheet metal strips is mentioned as folded spiral-seam tubing/tubes, crimped tubing or spiral wound lock-seam casing/tubing.

[0045 ] A winding tool with a strip profile feeding mechanism is utilised for building helically wound strip casings. The winding tool (unit) can be a part of a drill string which also includes a drilling unit with a drill bit at one end, see figure 4.

[0046 ] A casing string in accordance with one embodiment comprises one or several metal or non-metallic profile strips which is wound spirally utilising a winding machine positioned inside a borehole. The profile strip continuously feed downward into the wellbore from inside the tubular. The profile strip has a special cross-section with interlock mechanism (spiral lock-seam) on the edges which can helically wind and form a lock-seam tube, see fig.2. The winding machine /winding unit produces the spiral lock-seam casing exactly fitted to the borehole sidewalls. A special housing/tubing will transfer drilling fluid and the profile/profiles strip to the drilling and winding unit. The winding and drilling unit can use the hydraulic energy of the drilling fluid to penetrate the borehole and make a wound casing. The winding unit and the drilling unit may also operate electrically. The spiral wound casing section support the drilling unit to move forward and penetrate the borehole simultaneously. Supporting and axially feeding the drilling unit by the formed casing at close distance to the drill bit may eliminate the torsional and axial vibrations at the drill bit. This enable high performance penetrating and increase the drill bit life time. The spiral wound casing can be formed to be exactly fitted to the borehole and there is an option for eliminate the need for cement behind the casing.

[0047 ] Due to sealing the formation while drilling, fluid losses scenarios will be eliminated which cause less formation damage and increased operational safety. The technique enables to seal the fluid loss zones and the fractures while continuing the drilling operation. This results in drilling safely into the depleted reservoirs and low consolidated formations, without risk of fluid loss and borehole collapse.

[0048 ] According to one embodiment of the invention the spiral-wound casing can be applied in oilfield wells where a main borehole is drilled simultaneously. According to this embodiment of the invention the winding unit is installed downhole inside the borehole. According to this embodiment of the invention the winding unit helically bends one or multiple profile strips and forms a spiral lock-seam casing inside the borehole.

[0049 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the winding unit consist of a rotating drum with a special helical profile driven by hydraulic energy from the drilling fluid. Alternatively the winding unit consist of a rotating drum with a special helical profile which can be driven electrically. The winding unit may comprise a mechanism to trim an inner diameter of the wound casing from inside. The trimming mechanism continuously expand the casing toward the borehole side walls.

[0050 ] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, while the rotational winding drum produce the spiral casing, the winding unit can be automatically pushed forward in an axial direction of the produced casing. According to this embodiment of the invention the winding unit movement support the forward movement of the drilling unit and forces the drilling unit to penetrate the formation.

[0051 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the winding unit is connected to a surface rig via a tubing system. The connecting tubing system can be either a flexible housing or metal tubing system. According to this embodiment of the invention the metal tubing can be either coiled tubing or drill pipe. According to this embodiment of the invention the connecting tubing carries the profile strips and provides it to the winding unit. According to this embodiment of the invention the connecting tubing can be of spiral wound lock-seam pipe which de-wounded at the winding system and re-wounded to form the casing with a bigger diameter of the size of the borehole.

[0052 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the profile strips for winding the casing is fed through the wellbore from inside of the preformed casing sections. According to this embodiment of the invention the profile strips material is metal or any non-metallic materials. And the strips have different sizes and different interlock configuration. According to this embodiment of the invention the strips can be different in the longitude length and may be permeable and therefore enable to form a permeable casing as needed.

[0053 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the drilling unit consists of internal drive system, specifically a mud motor which use the hydraulic energy of the drilling fluid to rotate the drill bit. According to this embodiment of the invention the drive system for rotating the drill bit can be electric where the electric cables are carried by the coil tubing until surface rig. According to this embodiment of the invention the drive system for the drill bit may be used for rotating the winding drum in the winding system. According to this embodiment of the invention the drilling unit is located in front of the winding unit toward the end of borehole.

[0054 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the drilling unit may include or facilitate the use of separate means for steering the borehole direction. According to this embodiment of the invention the drilling unit may include or facilitate the use of separate means for measuring and logging instruments.

[0055 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the drilling and spiral wound casing system can be used in continuation of the existed oilfield drilling systems. According to this embodiment of the invention the drilling and spiral wound casing system can be applied in the wellbores with traditional construction where it is needed to make a deeper borehole. According to this embodiment of the invention the drilling and spiral wound casing system can be applied to the traditional wells as a new casing section where it needs to drill through the unconsolidated and depleted formations.

[0056 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the drilling unit may include high pressure water jet systems for penetrating into the low consolidated formations.

[0057 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the drilling and spiral wound casing system can be used in another underground operation for mining, tunnelling and trenchless in the civil industry and deep wells for water and geothermal applications. According to this embodiment of the invention the drilling and spiral wound casing system can particularly be used for trenchless systems to enable simultaneously drilling and lining longer channels and sewers.

[0058 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the drilling and spiral wound casing system can be used for constructing of mono size wellbore.

[0059 ] According to another embodiment of the invention the spiral wound casing system may be used to produce spiral lock-seam pipes at the ground surface, in the seabed surface.

Claims

Patent claim

1. A drilling and spiral wound casing fabricating apparatus, where the apparatus simultaneously drills a borehole and in situ helically wounds a casing, the apparatus at least comprising:

c) one winding unit to form the spiral wound lock-seam casing, and d) one drilling unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, where the drilling unit comprises means to make/penetrate the borehole.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, where the drilling unit comprises at least one drill bit.

4. An apparatus according to any of the claims 1 - 3, where the apparatus is located inside a borehole to make the spiral wound lock-seam casing and where a strip profile is carried through on the interior of the spiral wound lock-seam casing.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, where the apparatus at least comprises one winding/rotating drum.

6. An apparatus according to claims 5, the winding/rotating drum is adapted to be rotated relative to the spiral wound lock-seam casing and helically bend at least one strip profile and form/wind the spiral wound lock-seam casing using the bent strip profile.

7. An apparatus according to any of the previous claims, where the apparatus further comprise at least one driving mean operatively in communication with the winding/rotating drum to rotate the winding/rotating drum relative to the winding unit to continuously make the spiral wound lock-seam casing.

8. An apparatus according to claims 7, where the driving mean operatively in communication with the winding/rotating drum to rotate the winding/rotating drum relative to the winding unit to continuously make the spiral wound lock-seam casing simultaneously moves the winding/rotating drum forward in an axial direction of said casing pipe.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, where the driving mean operatively in communication with the winding/rotating drum to rotate the

winding/rotating drum relative to the winding unit to continuously make the spiral wound lock-seam casing simultaneously moves the winding/rotating drum forward is one of: a hydraulic mud motor or an electrical motor.

10. An apparatus according to claim 2, where the apparatus is located inside the borehole to produce the spiral wound lock-seam casing and that a connecting housing or a coiled tubing system connect the winding unit to an hydraulic or electric source of energy at a surface rig.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, where the connecting housing or coil tubing carry the at least one profile strip which is fed to the winding unit.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, where the connecting housing is of a spiral wound lock-seam type which de-wounded at the winding system and re-wounded to form the casing of the size of the borehole.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, where the drilling unit is located in front of the winding unit and the drilling unit is adapted to drill a pilot borehole appropriate for the winding unit and the spiral wound lock-seam casing.

14. An apparatus according to any of the previous claims, where the drill bit is located in a housing which is axially connected to the winding unit and the drill bit is adapted to rotate relative to the apparatus.

15. An apparatus according to any of the previous claims where the drilling unit is pushed forward by the winding unit when producing the spiral wound lock-seam casing.

16. An apparatus according to any of the previous claims, where the drilling unit further comprises at least one direction change steering means.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, where the drilling unit further comprises measurement and logging instruments.

18. An apparatus according to any of the previous claims, where the drill unit further comprises internal path ways for transfer of drilling fluid to the drill bit, and

the drill unit further comprises internal reverse path ways through an open hole annulus section surrounding the drilling unit.

19. An apparatus according to any of the previous claims, where a driving mean for rotating the drill bit can be one of: a hydraulic mud motor or an electric motor.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, where the driving mean for rotating the drill bit is an individual mean located in the drilling unit.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, where the driving mean for rotating the drill bit is the driving mean operatively in communication with the winding/rotating drum to rotate the winding/rotating drum, alternatively with a gearing between the drill bit and the winding/rotating drum.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1 where the drilling unit comprises a high pressure water jet nozzle system to penetrate the borehole.

23. An apparatus according to any of the claims 2 - 22, where the strip profile comprises an interlock configuration on cross-section edges which enable a lock-seam sealing of the spiral wound lock-seam casing.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 where the strip profile have different cross section configurations having the shapes of one of: "S", "U", "W" or "O".