US20180216415A1 - Compliant module connections - Google Patents
Compliant module connections Download PDFInfo
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- US20180216415A1 US20180216415A1 US15/748,876 US201615748876A US2018216415A1 US 20180216415 A1 US20180216415 A1 US 20180216415A1 US 201615748876 A US201615748876 A US 201615748876A US 2018216415 A1 US2018216415 A1 US 2018216415A1
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- drill string
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Images
Classifications
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
- E21B17/02—Couplings; joints
- E21B17/028—Electrical or electro-magnetic connections
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
- E21B17/02—Couplings; joints
- E21B17/04—Couplings; joints between rod or the like and bit or between rod and rod or the like
- E21B17/07—Telescoping joints for varying drill string lengths; Shock absorbers
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
- E21B17/16—Drill collars
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
- E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
- E21B17/02—Couplings; joints
- E21B17/04—Couplings; joints between rod or the like and bit or between rod and rod or the like
- E21B17/042—Threaded
Definitions
- Some embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and apparatuses that allow modules of drill strings or bottomhole assemblies (BHA) to be securely and efficiently coupled, physically, electrically, hydraulically, or otherwise, to one another, such that the coupling can be reliably maintained between modules during drilling. Additional embodiments generally relate to methods of using such systems and apparatuses to drill holes in the earth.
- BHA bottomhole assemblies
- a drill string In the drilling of oil and gas wells, a drill string can be made of various different modules and can include a bottomhole assembly also made of various different modules. Drill strings and bottomhole assemblies are often formed from multiple individual modules to reduce the cost associated with lost or damaged modules and to provide the drill string or bottomhole assembly with greater flexibility and functionalities to drill various trajectories, acquire various measurements regarding the wellbore or formations in a reservoir, and to conform to curves or other features of a bore hole.
- a compliant module connection system can include a first module and a second module.
- the first module can include a first drill collar, a first electric component, a first hollow tube decoupled from the first drill collar along an entire length of the first hollow tube, a first wire that is electrically coupled to the first electrical component and that extends through the first hollow tube, and a first portion of a module connection system.
- the second module can include a second drill collar, a second electric component, a second hollow tube decoupled from the second drill collar along an entire length of the second hollow tube, a second wire that is electrically coupled to the second electrical component and that extends through the second hollow tube, and a second portion of the module connection system.
- the second portion of the module connection system can be complementary to the first portion of the module connection system, and the first hollow tube can include a helical portion of the first hollow tube.
- a method of making compliant module connections can include positioning a first electric component within a first drill collar of a first module, electrically coupling a first wire to the first electric component, and running the first wire through a first hollow tube decoupled from the first drill collar along an entire length of the first hollow tube.
- the method can further include positioning a second electric component within a second drill collar of a second module, electrically coupling a second wire to the second electric component, and running the second wire through a second hollow tube decoupled from the second drill collar along an entire length of the second hollow tube.
- the method can further include physically connecting the first module to the second module, thereby electrically coupling the first wire to the second wire.
- a drill string length adjustment system can include an inner hollow shaft, and outer hollow shaft, and an alignment key.
- the inner hollow shaft can have a threaded external surface and a longitudinally extending keyway formed in the threaded external surface.
- the outer hollow shaft can have a threaded internal surface complementary to the threaded external surface of the inner hollow shaft and an opening formed through an end portion of the outer hollow shaft.
- the alignment key can be configured to extend through the opening and into the keyway.
- FIG. 1 depicts a drilling rig and drill string according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 2 depicts a module of a drill string including a female portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 3 depicts a module of a drill string including a male portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 4 depicts the female portion of FIG. 2 coupled to the male portion of FIG. 3 according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 5 depicts a portion of a drill string including a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 6 depicts components of the drill string of FIG. 5 , including a coiled tube thereof, according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 7 depicts components of the drill string of FIG. 5 , including a multi-contact electrical connector assembly thereof, according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 8 depicts a module of a drill string including a female portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 9 depicts a module of a drill string including a male portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 10 depicts the female portion of FIG. 8 coupled to the male portion of FIG. 9 according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein;
- FIG. 11 depicts a telescopic joint of a hollow tube according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
- FIG. 12 depicts a tube- or collar-length adjustment mechanism according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a land-based platform and drilling rig 115 positioned over a wellbore 111 , and a drill string 112 (on-bottom) for drilling the wellbore 111 into a formation 10 .
- the wellbore 111 is formed by rotary drilling.
- rotary drilling Those of ordinary skill in the art given the benefit of this disclosure will appreciate, however, that the subject matter of this disclosure also finds application in directional drilling applications as well as rotary drilling, and is not limited to land-based rigs.
- the drill string 112 is suspended within the wellbore 111 and includes a bottomhole assembly 114 including a drill bit 105 at its lower, terminal, or bottom end.
- the drill string 112 is rotated by a rotary table 116 , energized by means not shown, which engages a kelly 117 at the upper end of the drill string 112 .
- the drill string 112 is suspended from a hook 118 , attached to a travelling block (also not shown), through the kelly 117 and a rotary swivel 119 which permits rotation of the drill string 112 relative to the hook 118 .
- the drill string 112 may be rotated using other methods, such as by using a topdrive.
- Drilling fluid 126 (also referred to as drilling mud) is stored in a pit 127 formed at the well site.
- a pump 129 delivers the drilling fluid 126 to the interior of the drill string 112 via a port in the swivel 119 , inducing the drilling fluid 126 to flow downwardly through the drill string 112 as indicated by the directional arrow 108 .
- the drilling fluid 126 exits the drill string 112 via ports in the drill bit 105 , and then circulates upwardly through the region between the outside of the drill string 112 and the wall of the wellbore 111 , called the annulus, as indicated by the direction arrows 109 . In this manner, the drilling fluid 126 lubricates the drill bit 105 and carries formation cuttings up to the surface as drilling fluid 126 returns to the pit 127 for recirculation.
- One or more wires 120 can extend along the length of the drill string 112 .
- the wires 120 can carry data between a receiver subsystem 190 , which can be communicatively coupled to a computer processor 85 and a recorder 145 , and components of the drill string 112 located down-hole.
- a computer processor 85 may be coupled to a monitor, which can employ a graphical user interface (“GUI”) 192 through which information can be graphically or otherwise presented to the user.
- GUI graphical user interface
- the computer processor 85 can also be communicatively coupled to a controller 160 .
- the controller 160 can serve multiple functions, in particular to control operation of the drill string 112 and the bottomhole assembly 114 at a terminal end thereof. Although depicted at the surface, the controller 160 and computer processor 85 may be arranged in any suitable manner. For example, the controller 160 and/or computer processor 85 may be part of the drill string 112 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of a female module 200 of a drill string, such as for use in the drill string 112 .
- the portion of the female module 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 can be either a bottom end or a top end of the female module 200 when it is positioned within a wellbore for a drilling operation.
- Female module 200 includes an outer shell or casing or drill collar 202 which houses other components of the module 200 .
- the drill collar 202 can house a female portion 204 of a male-female connection system at a first end of the female module 200 .
- the female portion 204 can include an open space at the end of the female module 200 that can receive a complementary mating portion of a male module, e.g., as described in greater detail below.
- the open space of the female portion 204 can have a relatively wide opening at the end of the female module 200 and can be tapered inward toward a center of the female module 200 , such that the inside diameter of the female portion decreases moving away from the relatively wide opening.
- the inner surface of the drill collar 202 at the first end of the female module, that is, the outer boundary of the female portion 204 can be threaded so as to facilitate the mating of the female portion 204 with the complementary mating portion of the male module.
- the drill collar 202 can also house a wire-carrying hollow tube 206 , which can include a terminal end portion 208 , a coiled or helical portion 210 coupled to the terminal end portion 208 , and a central portion 212 coupled to the helical portion 210 .
- the drill collar 202 can also house an internal body or chassis 214 , coupled to the central portion 212 of the tube 206 , which can house functional or operative components of the female module 200 , such as sensors, electronic or electrical components (electronic components being a subset of electric components), computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc.
- the wire-carrying hollow tube 206 can be hollow, that is, it can include an internal passageway that extends through the tube 206 , including through the terminal end portion 208 , through helical portion 210 , and through the central portion 212 thereof.
- the terminal end portion 208 of the tube 206 can include a plurality of electrical interconnects positioned thereon, such as on an external surface of the terminal end portion 208 or on an internal surface of the terminal end portion 208 .
- the internal passageway extending through the tube 206 can have an inside diameter large enough to carry a plurality of wires, such as for data or power transmission, therethrough.
- a plurality of wires 220 can be electrically coupled to the electrical interconnects positioned on the terminal end portion 208 of the tube 206 and can extend from the interconnects through the terminal end portion 208 , through the helical portion 210 , through the central portion 212 of the hollow tube 206 , and into the internal body 214 , where the plurality of wires can be coupled to the functional or operative components of the female module 200 .
- the wires can have some slack (e.g., not be taut) to allow for movement of the tube 206 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- the tube 206 can extend through an open space 216 within the female module 200 .
- the open space 216 can carry the drilling fluid 126 through the female module 200 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- the tube 206 can bend and otherwise deform within the open space 216 during operation of the drill string 112 , such as in response to relative motion of other components of the bottomhole assembly 114 within the various modules of the bottomhole assembly 114 , such as within drill collars of the drill string 112 , as may be caused by motion of the drill string 112 (e.g., vibration due to drilling or mud pulse activities), shockwaves, pressure differentials or temperature differentials within the wellbore, or as may be caused by deviations of the drill string 112 from a straight-line configuration.
- the tube 206 can bend or otherwise deform to compensate for relative motion between the female portion 204 or the drill collar 202 in the region of the female portion 204 and the internal body 214 or the drill collar in the region of the internal body 214 .
- the helical portion 210 of the tube 206 can act as a spring and provides the tube 206 with a localized flexible portion or compliant structure that can deform and move about within the open space 216 relatively freely, such as by elongating under tension, contracting under compression, twisting under torsion, bending under bending loads, and moving about within the open space 216 (e.g., transversely to a central longitudinal axis of the drill string 112 ) as the drill string 112 bends or experiences sheer loads.
- the drill collar 202 can also house a plurality of fins 218 which can be in contact with an outer surface of the tube 206 (such as an outer surface of the central portion 212 of the tube 206 ) and an inner surface of the drill collar 202 to stabilize and maintain the location of the tube 206 within the drill collar 202 (e.g., such that a central longitudinal axis of the drill collar 202 is coincident with a central longitudinal axis of the tube 206 ) while still allowing the drilling fluid 126 to pass through the open space 216 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- a central longitudinal axis of the drill collar 202 is coincident with a central longitudinal axis of the tube 206
- the fins 218 can be radially-oriented sheets of material or struts spaced at regular intervals about a central longitudinal axis of the hollow tube 206 , such as spaced at 180°, 120°, 90°, 72°, etc., such that large angular portions of the open space 216 remain open and available for the drilling fluid 126 to pass between the fins 218 .
- the fins 218 can be rigidly fixed to the outer surface of the tube 206 and not rigidly fixed to the inner surface of the drill collar 202 , or can be rigidly fixed to the inner surface of the drill collar 202 and not rigidly fixed to the outer surface of the tube 206 , or can be rigidly fixed to both of the outer surface of the tube 206 and the inner surface of the drill collar 202 .
- the fins 218 can be formed from a rigid material such as a metal, aluminum, steel, bronze, etc., and can be manufactured with close tolerances.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a male module 250 of a bottomhole assembly, such as for use in the drill string 112 and bottomhole assembly 114 .
- the portion of the male module 250 illustrated in FIG. 3 can be either a bottom end or a top end of the male module 250 when it is positioned within a wellbore for a drilling operation.
- Male module 250 includes a module coupler 252 and a module main body 254 .
- the module main body 254 can include a female portion 262 of a male-female connection system at a terminal end thereof.
- the female portion 262 of the module main body 254 can be identical to the female portion 204 of the female module 200 , such that each of these female portions can be complementary to a single male portion of a male-female connection system.
- the module coupler 252 can include an outer shell or casing or drill collar crossover sub 256 having a first male portion 258 of a male-female connection system at a first end thereof and a second male portion 260 of a male-female connection system at a second end thereof.
- the male portions 258 , 260 can be tapered such that their diameters increase in a direction toward a central portion of the module coupler 252 , and can include threads on the respective outer surfaces thereof.
- the male portions 258 , 260 can be identical to one another such that each of these male portions can be complementary to a single female portion of a male-female connection system.
- the male portions 258 and 260 can be complementary to the female portions 204 and 262 , such that either end of the module coupler 252 can be coupled to either the female module 200 or the male module 250 .
- the male portion 260 of the module coupler 252 is coupled to the female portion 262 of the module main body 254 , such that the module coupler 252 and the module main body 254 collectively form the male module 250 .
- the module coupler 252 can be uncoupled from the module main body 254 , such as to allow access to components within the module main body 254 .
- An outer diameter of the drill collar crossover sub 256 of the module coupler 252 can be equal to an outer diameter of a drill collar of the module main body 254 , such that the male module 250 can have a flush, continuous outer surface.
- the male module 250 includes a central open space 264 that extends through both the module coupler 252 and the module main body 254 .
- the open space 264 can carry the drilling fluid 126 through the male module 250 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- the male module 250 also includes a wire-carrying hollow tube 266 positioned within the open space 264 and extending from outside the module coupler 252 , through the module coupler 252 , and into the module main body 254 , which can house functional or operative components of the male module 250 , such as sensors, electronic or electrical components, computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc.
- the tube 266 can bend and otherwise deform within the open space 264 during operation of the drill string 112 , although to a lesser degree than the tube 206 can because the tube 266 does not include a coiled portion.
- a terminal end portion 268 of the hollow tube 266 can include a plurality of electrical interconnects positioned thereon, such as on an external surface of the terminal end portion 268 , on an internal surface of the terminal end portion 268 , or on an electrical coupling apparatus 270 coupled to the terminal end portion 268 of the hollow tube 266 .
- the internal passageway extending through the tube 266 can have an inside diameter large enough to carry one or more wires, such as for data or power transmission, therethrough.
- a plurality of wires 274 can be electrically coupled to the electrical interconnects positioned at the terminal end portion 268 of the tube 266 and can extend from the interconnects through the hollow tube 266 into the module main body 254 , where the plurality of wires can be coupled to the functional or operative components of the male module 250 .
- the drill collar crossover sub 256 can house a plurality of fins 272 which can be in contact with an outer surface of the hollow tube 266 and an inner surface of the drill collar crossover sub 256 to stabilize and maintain the location of the tube 266 within the drill collar crossover sub 256 while still allowing the drilling fluid 126 to pass through the open space 264 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- the fins 272 can be radially-oriented sheets of material or struts spaced at regular intervals about a central longitudinal axis of the hollow tube 266 , such as spaced at 180°, 120°, 90°, 72°, etc., such that large angular portions of the open space 264 remain open and available for the drilling fluid 126 to pass between the fins 272 .
- the fins 272 can be rigidly fixed to the outer surface of the tube 266 and not rigidly fixed to the inner surface of the drill collar crossover sub 256 , or can be rigidly fixed to the inner surface of the drill collar crossover sub 256 and not rigidly fixed to the outer surface of the tube 266 , or can be rigidly fixed to both of the outer surface of the tube 266 and the inner surface of the drill collar crossover sub 256 .
- the fins 218 can be formed from a rigid material such as a metal, aluminum-bronze, steel, etc., and can be manufactured with close tolerances.
- FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a bottomhole assembly such as bottomhole assembly 114 including the female module 200 coupled to the male module 250 , with the female portion 204 mated to the male portion 258 .
- the threads of the male portion 258 can be brought into proximity with the threads of the female portion 204 , for example, such that the electrical coupling apparatus 270 is positioned within the female portion 204 .
- the male portion 258 can be advanced toward and into the female portion 204 until the threads of the male portion 258 engage with the threads of the female portion 204 , at which point, the terminal end portion 268 of the hollow tube 266 and the electrical coupling apparatus 270 have begun to engage with the terminal end portion 208 of the hollow tube 206 , and at which point the electrical interconnects of the terminal end portion 268 and electrical coupling apparatus 270 have begun to engage with the electrical interconnects of the terminal end portion 208 .
- the electrical coupling apparatus 270 can include a guide fin assembly having a plurality of fins similar to the fins 218 or 272 to allow the drilling fluid 126 to flow through the electrical coupling apparatus 270 during a drilling operation.
- Electrical engagement of the electrical interconnects of the female module 200 and the electrical interconnects of the male module 250 can be achieved using any suitable multi-contact electrical connector assemblies.
- connector assemblies such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,074,064 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/717,412, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and in particular for what they teach regarding electrical connector assemblies, can be used to ensure engagement of the interconnects of the female and male modules 200 , 250 .
- Use of multi-contact electrical connector assemblies can increase bandwidth and decrease latency associated with communication, as well as increase power transfer capabilities between, drill string modules such as female and male modules 200 , 250 .
- the female and male modules 200 , 250 can be rotated with respect to each other to draw the male portion 258 further into the female portion 204 and to complete the electrical connection of the interconnects of the female and male modules 200 , 250 .
- data and power can be transferred between the modules 200 , 250 to improve the progress of the drilling operation. For example, data regarding the location of the drill string 112 and properties of the earth being drilled can be shared between the modules 200 , 250 .
- the drill string 112 can include multiple female modules 200 and multiple male modules 250 .
- a single, repeatable module can have a first end matching that of the female module 200 described above and a second end matching that of the male module 250 described above.
- the male end of a first repeatable module can be coupled to the female end of a second repeatable module, and the male end of the second repeatable module can be coupled to the female end of a third repeatable module, etc., until a drill string of suitable or desirable length has been formed.
- Such repeatable modules can be used throughout the bottomhole assembly 114 but not the rest of the drill string 112 , or throughout the entirety of the drill string 112 .
- drill strings In use, drill strings encounter many stresses, including those resulting from high pressures in the drilling fluid 126 , those resulting from vibrations caused by the drill bit 105 cutting into the earth, and those caused by the drill string 112 conforming to curves or other irregularities in the wellbore. These stresses and other stresses can cause relative motion of many of the components within the drill string 112 . In some cases relative motion between components can cause damage to electrical components and especially electrical connections and seal assemblies, such as those between modules, within the drill string 112 , or within the bottomhole assembly 114 .
- the helical portion 210 of the hollow tube 206 decouples the relative motion between electrical assemblies in adjacent drill string or bottomhole assembly modules with the electrical connections and seals.
- FIG. 4 illustrates that when the female module 200 is coupled to the male module 250 , the wire-carrying tube 206 and the wire-carrying tube 266 can be coupled to one another to form a single wire-carrying tube extending from the internal body 214 housing the functional or operative components of the female module 200 to an internal body (not shown) housing the functional or operative components of the male module 250 .
- This single wire-carrying tube can carry a plurality of wires directly from functional or operative components (e.g., electronic or electrical components) of the female module 200 directly to functional or operative components (e.g., electronic or electrical components) of the male module 250 .
- the entire lengths of the tube 206 and the tube 266 can be physically decoupled from (such that they are not rigidly coupled to) the drill collar 202 , the drill collar crossover sub 256 , and a drill collar of the module main body 254 , such that motions or relative motions of, and forces or stresses induces within, the drill collars, are not directly transferred to any portion of the tube 206 or tube 266 and therefore are not directly transferred to the electrical interconnections between the modules 200 , 250 or the elements sealing the electrical interconnections.
- the fins 218 and 272 can act to maintain the position of the tubes 206 , 266 at the center of the drill string 112 without rigidly coupling the tubes 206 , 266 to the drill collars or drill collar crossover subs.
- the motions or relative motions, and the forces or stresses, may be indirectly transferred to the tube 206 or tube 266 through the internal bodies (e.g., 214 ) of the modules 200 , 250 to which the tubes 206 , 266 are connected.
- Such indirectly transferred motions and forces can be readily compensated for by the flexibility of the helical portion 210 of the tube 206 .
- This configuration allows the helical portion 210 of the tube 206 to compensate for substantially all of the relative motion and associated forces arising between the end of the tube 206 in the female module 200 and the end of the tube 266 in the male module 250 .
- This configuration can thereby arrest relative motion between the terminal end portion 208 of the tube 206 and the terminal end portion 268 of the tube 266 , between the electrical interconnects of the female module 200 and of the male module 250 , and between elements sealing these electrical interconnects.
- static, rather than dynamic sealing elements e.g., 336 , illustrated in FIG. 7
- Static sealing elements 336 are more reliable than dynamic sealing elements, especially in harsh downhole conditions.
- FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of a drill string bottomhole assembly 300 , such as for use in the drill string 112 .
- the portion of the drill string 300 includes a female module 302 similar to the female module 200 and a male module 304 similar to the male module 250 .
- the portion of the drill string 300 can include various features of the female and male modules 200 , 250 described above, and the following discussion focuses on differences between the modules 200 , 250 and the modules 302 , 304 .
- FIG. 6 illustrates a portion of the female module 302 in greater detail.
- the female module 302 includes an outer drill collar 306 that encloses and houses various other components of the female module 302 .
- the drill collar 306 houses a wire-carrying hollow tube including a terminal end portion 308 , a coiled or helical portion 310 , and a central portion 312 .
- the helical portion 310 of the hollow tube is enclosed within an internal sheath 318 , which can prevent drilling fluid 126 flowing through an open space 316 within the female module 302 from coming into contact with the helical portion 310 during operation of the portion of the drill string 300 .
- Fins 314 can be positioned in contact with an outer surface of the sheath 318 and an inner surface of the drill collar 306 to stabilize and maintain the location of the helical portion 310 of the tube within the drill collar 306 .
- FIG. 7 illustrates the electrical interconnection features of the female module 302 and the male module 304 in greater detail.
- the female module 302 includes electrical interconnects 322 mounted on an inner surface of the terminal end portion 308 of the tube extending through the female module 302
- the male module 304 includes electrical interconnects 320 mounted on an outer surface of a distal portion of a hollow tube 328 extending through the male module 304 .
- a pair of springs 324 , 326 are positioned within the terminal end portion 308 of the tube extending through the female module 302 and within an electrical coupling apparatus 330 coupled to a terminal end portion of the hollow tube 328 extending through the male module 304 , respectively.
- the springs 324 , 326 bias wiper elements 332 , 334 of the terminal end portion 308 and the electrical coupling apparatus 330 , respectively, toward respective openings thereof, so as to prevent contamination of those components prior to engaging the electrical interconnects 320 , 322 .
- the springs 324 , 326 are compressed and the wiper elements 332 , 334 are pushed into their respective openings and over the electrical interconnects 322 , 320 , respectively, thereby wiping the interconnects 320 , 322 clean of contamination.
- the wiper elements 332 , 334 can include one or more sealing o-rings protruding from an external surface thereof to wipe the interconnects 320 , 322 clean of contamination as the springs 324 , 326 are compressed. Additional details and designs are available in the previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,074,064 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/717,412.
- Such an electrical interconnection system can interconnect single or multiple wires, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more wires, between drill string modules.
- the wires can have any suitable gauge, and can have different gauges from one another.
- the electrical interconnection system can couple 2 16 AWG wires and 4 20 AWG wires between drill string modules.
- the wires can be provided in twisted pairs, can be shielded, or have any other suitable characteristics.
- the electrical interconnection systems described herein can be used without being filled with an oil or a dielectric fluid. Such electrical interconnection systems can automate the interconnection process and reduce human interaction with the interconnects prior to their engagement.
- FIG. 8 illustrates a female module 400 similar to female module 200 and FIG. 9 illustrates a male module 450 similar to male module 250 , such as for use in the drill string 112 .
- FIG. 10 illustrates a portion of the drill string 112 including the female module 400 coupled to the male module 450 .
- the modules 400 , 450 can include various features of the modules 200 , 250 described above, and the following discussion focuses on differences between the modules 200 , 250 and the modules 400 , 450 .
- Female module 400 includes an outer shell or casing or drill collar 402 which houses other components of the module 400 .
- the drill collar 402 can house a female portion 404 of a male-female connection system at a first end of the female module 400 .
- the drill collar 402 can also house a wire-carrying hollow tube 406 which can carry a plurality of wires 420 , and which can include a terminal end portion 408 , a coiled or helical portion 410 coupled to the terminal end portion 408 , and a central portion 412 coupled to the helical portion 410 .
- the drill collar 402 can also house an internal body 414 , coupled to the central portion 412 of the tube 406 , which can house functional or operative components of the female module 400 , such as sensors, electronic or electrical components, computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc.
- the tube 406 can extend through an open space 416 within the female module 400 .
- the drill collar 402 can also house a plurality of fins 418 which can be positioned in contact with an outer surface of the tube 406 (such as an outer surface of the terminal end portion 408 of the tube 406 ) and an inner surface of the drill collar 402 to stabilize and maintain the location of the tube 406 within the drill collar 402 while still allowing drilling fluid 126 to pass through the open space 416 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- the male module 450 includes an outer shell or casing or drill collar 452 having a male portion 454 of a male-female connection system at a first end thereof.
- the male portion 454 can be complementary to the female portion 404 , such that the male portion 454 can be coupled to the female portion 404 to couple the male module 450 to the female module 400 .
- the male module 450 includes a central open space 456 that can carry the drilling fluid 126 through the male module 450 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- the male module 450 also includes a wire-carrying hollow tube 458 which can carry a plurality of wires 466 , and which can extend from outside the first end of the male module 450 where it is coupled to an electrical coupling apparatus 464 , through the open space 456 , and into an internal body 460 housed within the drill collar 452 .
- the internal body 460 can house functional or operative components of the male module 450 , such as sensors, electronic or electrical components, computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc.
- the drill collar 452 can house a plurality of fins 462 which can be in contact with an outer surface of the hollow tube 458 and an inner surface of the drill collar 452 to stabilize and maintain the location of the tube 458 within the drill collar 452 while still allowing the drilling fluid 126 to pass through the open space 456 during operation of the drill string 112 .
- the male module 450 does not include a module coupler and a module main body as the male module 250 does.
- a drill string including a male module 450 has one fewer male-female connections (relative weak points in a drill string) than does a drill string including a male module 250 .
- any of the hollow tubes described herein can include a telescopic joint 500 in place of a helical portion.
- the telescopic joint 500 can include a first, inner portion 502 of the joint 500 and a second, outer portion 504 of the joint 500 .
- the inner portion 502 can translate longitudinally within the outer portion 504 to compensate for substantially all of the relative motion and associated forces arising between the ends of the respective hollow tubes, as described above for the helical portion 210 .
- the telescopic joint 500 can include one or more dynamic sealing elements 506 to seal the inner and outer portions 502 , 504 to one another, and a spring 508 to bias the inner portion 502 to translate out of and away from the outer portion 504 .
- any one of the hollow tubes described herein, or any one of the drill collars described herein can include a length adjustment mechanism 600 .
- the length adjustment mechanism 600 can be used to accommodate variations in length arising, for example, from connection reworks or recuts performed in response to damage or wear to the components.
- the length adjustment mechanism 600 can include an inner hollow shaft 602 having a threaded external surface and a plurality of longitudinally-extending keyways 610 formed in its external surface.
- the mechanism 600 can also include an outer hollow shaft 604 having a threaded internal surface complementary to the threaded outer surface of the inner hollow shaft 602 and a plurality of openings 612 formed through an end portion thereof.
- the mechanism 600 can also include a plurality of alignment keys 606 and an outer, pressure-tight sealing sleeve 608 .
- the threads of the inner hollow shaft 602 can be engaged with the threads of the outer hollow shaft 604 and the two shafts 602 , 604 can be rotated with respect to one another until they form a tube or collar having a desired length.
- the alignment keys 606 can then be positioned to extend through the openings 612 at the end portion of the outer hollow shaft 604 and into the keyways 610 of the inner hollow shaft 602 to rotationally lock the inner and outer hollow shafts 602 , 604 to one another.
- the outer sealing sleeve 608 can then be positioned over the shafts 602 , 604 , and the alignment keys 606 to lock the alignment keys 606 and the rest of the mechanism 600 in position.
Abstract
Description
- The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 62/199,601 filed Jul. 31, 2015, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
- Some embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and apparatuses that allow modules of drill strings or bottomhole assemblies (BHA) to be securely and efficiently coupled, physically, electrically, hydraulically, or otherwise, to one another, such that the coupling can be reliably maintained between modules during drilling. Additional embodiments generally relate to methods of using such systems and apparatuses to drill holes in the earth.
- In the drilling of oil and gas wells, a drill string can be made of various different modules and can include a bottomhole assembly also made of various different modules. Drill strings and bottomhole assemblies are often formed from multiple individual modules to reduce the cost associated with lost or damaged modules and to provide the drill string or bottomhole assembly with greater flexibility and functionalities to drill various trajectories, acquire various measurements regarding the wellbore or formations in a reservoir, and to conform to curves or other features of a bore hole.
- This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
- In one non-limiting embodiment, a compliant module connection system can include a first module and a second module. The first module can include a first drill collar, a first electric component, a first hollow tube decoupled from the first drill collar along an entire length of the first hollow tube, a first wire that is electrically coupled to the first electrical component and that extends through the first hollow tube, and a first portion of a module connection system. The second module can include a second drill collar, a second electric component, a second hollow tube decoupled from the second drill collar along an entire length of the second hollow tube, a second wire that is electrically coupled to the second electrical component and that extends through the second hollow tube, and a second portion of the module connection system. The second portion of the module connection system can be complementary to the first portion of the module connection system, and the first hollow tube can include a helical portion of the first hollow tube.
- In another non-limiting embodiment, a method of making compliant module connections can include positioning a first electric component within a first drill collar of a first module, electrically coupling a first wire to the first electric component, and running the first wire through a first hollow tube decoupled from the first drill collar along an entire length of the first hollow tube. The method can further include positioning a second electric component within a second drill collar of a second module, electrically coupling a second wire to the second electric component, and running the second wire through a second hollow tube decoupled from the second drill collar along an entire length of the second hollow tube. The method can further include physically connecting the first module to the second module, thereby electrically coupling the first wire to the second wire.
- In another non-limiting embodiment, a drill string length adjustment system can include an inner hollow shaft, and outer hollow shaft, and an alignment key. The inner hollow shaft can have a threaded external surface and a longitudinally extending keyway formed in the threaded external surface. The outer hollow shaft can have a threaded internal surface complementary to the threaded external surface of the inner hollow shaft and an opening formed through an end portion of the outer hollow shaft. The alignment key can be configured to extend through the opening and into the keyway.
- In the drawings, sizes, shapes, and relative positions of elements are not drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements may have been arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility.
-
FIG. 1 depicts a drilling rig and drill string according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 2 depicts a module of a drill string including a female portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 3 depicts a module of a drill string including a male portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 4 depicts the female portion ofFIG. 2 coupled to the male portion ofFIG. 3 according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 5 depicts a portion of a drill string including a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 6 depicts components of the drill string ofFIG. 5 , including a coiled tube thereof, according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 7 depicts components of the drill string ofFIG. 5 , including a multi-contact electrical connector assembly thereof, according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 8 depicts a module of a drill string including a female portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 9 depicts a module of a drill string including a male portion of a male-female connection system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 10 depicts the female portion ofFIG. 8 coupled to the male portion ofFIG. 9 according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; -
FIG. 11 depicts a telescopic joint of a hollow tube according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein; and -
FIG. 12 depicts a tube- or collar-length adjustment mechanism according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein. -
FIG. 1 illustrates a land-based platform and drillingrig 115 positioned over awellbore 111, and a drill string 112 (on-bottom) for drilling thewellbore 111 into aformation 10. In the illustrated embodiment, thewellbore 111 is formed by rotary drilling. Those of ordinary skill in the art given the benefit of this disclosure will appreciate, however, that the subject matter of this disclosure also finds application in directional drilling applications as well as rotary drilling, and is not limited to land-based rigs. - The
drill string 112 is suspended within thewellbore 111 and includes abottomhole assembly 114 including adrill bit 105 at its lower, terminal, or bottom end. Thedrill string 112 is rotated by a rotary table 116, energized by means not shown, which engages a kelly 117 at the upper end of thedrill string 112. Thedrill string 112 is suspended from ahook 118, attached to a travelling block (also not shown), through the kelly 117 and arotary swivel 119 which permits rotation of thedrill string 112 relative to thehook 118. Although depicted with a kelly 117 and rotary table 116 inFIG. 1 , in some embodiments, thedrill string 112 may be rotated using other methods, such as by using a topdrive. - Drilling fluid 126 (also referred to as drilling mud) is stored in a
pit 127 formed at the well site. Apump 129 delivers thedrilling fluid 126 to the interior of thedrill string 112 via a port in theswivel 119, inducing thedrilling fluid 126 to flow downwardly through thedrill string 112 as indicated by thedirectional arrow 108. Thedrilling fluid 126 exits thedrill string 112 via ports in thedrill bit 105, and then circulates upwardly through the region between the outside of thedrill string 112 and the wall of thewellbore 111, called the annulus, as indicated by thedirection arrows 109. In this manner, thedrilling fluid 126 lubricates thedrill bit 105 and carries formation cuttings up to the surface as drillingfluid 126 returns to thepit 127 for recirculation. - One or
more wires 120, such as wires carrying power or data, can extend along the length of thedrill string 112. Thewires 120 can carry data between areceiver subsystem 190, which can be communicatively coupled to acomputer processor 85 and arecorder 145, and components of thedrill string 112 located down-hole. Such an arrangement can be referred to as “wired drill pipe,” and alternative arrangements can also be used, such as wireless data transmission arrangements including mud pulse and electromagnetic telemetry arrangements. Thecomputer processor 85 may be coupled to a monitor, which can employ a graphical user interface (“GUI”) 192 through which information can be graphically or otherwise presented to the user. Thecomputer processor 85 can also be communicatively coupled to acontroller 160. Thecontroller 160 can serve multiple functions, in particular to control operation of thedrill string 112 and thebottomhole assembly 114 at a terminal end thereof. Although depicted at the surface, thecontroller 160 andcomputer processor 85 may be arranged in any suitable manner. For example, thecontroller 160 and/orcomputer processor 85 may be part of thedrill string 112. -
FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of afemale module 200 of a drill string, such as for use in thedrill string 112. The portion of thefemale module 200 illustrated inFIG. 2 can be either a bottom end or a top end of thefemale module 200 when it is positioned within a wellbore for a drilling operation.Female module 200 includes an outer shell or casing ordrill collar 202 which houses other components of themodule 200. For example, thedrill collar 202 can house afemale portion 204 of a male-female connection system at a first end of thefemale module 200. Thefemale portion 204 can include an open space at the end of thefemale module 200 that can receive a complementary mating portion of a male module, e.g., as described in greater detail below. The open space of thefemale portion 204 can have a relatively wide opening at the end of thefemale module 200 and can be tapered inward toward a center of thefemale module 200, such that the inside diameter of the female portion decreases moving away from the relatively wide opening. The inner surface of thedrill collar 202 at the first end of the female module, that is, the outer boundary of thefemale portion 204, can be threaded so as to facilitate the mating of thefemale portion 204 with the complementary mating portion of the male module. - The
drill collar 202 can also house a wire-carryinghollow tube 206, which can include aterminal end portion 208, a coiled orhelical portion 210 coupled to theterminal end portion 208, and acentral portion 212 coupled to thehelical portion 210. Thedrill collar 202 can also house an internal body orchassis 214, coupled to thecentral portion 212 of thetube 206, which can house functional or operative components of thefemale module 200, such as sensors, electronic or electrical components (electronic components being a subset of electric components), computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc. - The wire-carrying
hollow tube 206 can be hollow, that is, it can include an internal passageway that extends through thetube 206, including through theterminal end portion 208, throughhelical portion 210, and through thecentral portion 212 thereof. Theterminal end portion 208 of thetube 206 can include a plurality of electrical interconnects positioned thereon, such as on an external surface of theterminal end portion 208 or on an internal surface of theterminal end portion 208. The internal passageway extending through thetube 206 can have an inside diameter large enough to carry a plurality of wires, such as for data or power transmission, therethrough. A plurality ofwires 220 can be electrically coupled to the electrical interconnects positioned on theterminal end portion 208 of thetube 206 and can extend from the interconnects through theterminal end portion 208, through thehelical portion 210, through thecentral portion 212 of thehollow tube 206, and into theinternal body 214, where the plurality of wires can be coupled to the functional or operative components of thefemale module 200. The wires can have some slack (e.g., not be taut) to allow for movement of thetube 206 during operation of thedrill string 112. - The
tube 206 can extend through anopen space 216 within thefemale module 200. Theopen space 216 can carry thedrilling fluid 126 through thefemale module 200 during operation of thedrill string 112. Thetube 206 can bend and otherwise deform within theopen space 216 during operation of thedrill string 112, such as in response to relative motion of other components of thebottomhole assembly 114 within the various modules of thebottomhole assembly 114, such as within drill collars of thedrill string 112, as may be caused by motion of the drill string 112 (e.g., vibration due to drilling or mud pulse activities), shockwaves, pressure differentials or temperature differentials within the wellbore, or as may be caused by deviations of thedrill string 112 from a straight-line configuration. In particular, thetube 206 can bend or otherwise deform to compensate for relative motion between thefemale portion 204 or thedrill collar 202 in the region of thefemale portion 204 and theinternal body 214 or the drill collar in the region of theinternal body 214. For example, thehelical portion 210 of thetube 206 can act as a spring and provides thetube 206 with a localized flexible portion or compliant structure that can deform and move about within theopen space 216 relatively freely, such as by elongating under tension, contracting under compression, twisting under torsion, bending under bending loads, and moving about within the open space 216 (e.g., transversely to a central longitudinal axis of the drill string 112) as thedrill string 112 bends or experiences sheer loads. - The
drill collar 202 can also house a plurality offins 218 which can be in contact with an outer surface of the tube 206 (such as an outer surface of thecentral portion 212 of the tube 206) and an inner surface of thedrill collar 202 to stabilize and maintain the location of thetube 206 within the drill collar 202 (e.g., such that a central longitudinal axis of thedrill collar 202 is coincident with a central longitudinal axis of the tube 206) while still allowing thedrilling fluid 126 to pass through theopen space 216 during operation of thedrill string 112. Thefins 218 can be radially-oriented sheets of material or struts spaced at regular intervals about a central longitudinal axis of thehollow tube 206, such as spaced at 180°, 120°, 90°, 72°, etc., such that large angular portions of theopen space 216 remain open and available for thedrilling fluid 126 to pass between thefins 218. Thefins 218 can be rigidly fixed to the outer surface of thetube 206 and not rigidly fixed to the inner surface of thedrill collar 202, or can be rigidly fixed to the inner surface of thedrill collar 202 and not rigidly fixed to the outer surface of thetube 206, or can be rigidly fixed to both of the outer surface of thetube 206 and the inner surface of thedrill collar 202. Thefins 218 can be formed from a rigid material such as a metal, aluminum, steel, bronze, etc., and can be manufactured with close tolerances. -
FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of amale module 250 of a bottomhole assembly, such as for use in thedrill string 112 andbottomhole assembly 114. The portion of themale module 250 illustrated inFIG. 3 can be either a bottom end or a top end of themale module 250 when it is positioned within a wellbore for a drilling operation.Male module 250 includes amodule coupler 252 and a modulemain body 254. The modulemain body 254 can include afemale portion 262 of a male-female connection system at a terminal end thereof. Thefemale portion 262 of the modulemain body 254 can be identical to thefemale portion 204 of thefemale module 200, such that each of these female portions can be complementary to a single male portion of a male-female connection system. - The
module coupler 252 can include an outer shell or casing or drillcollar crossover sub 256 having a firstmale portion 258 of a male-female connection system at a first end thereof and a secondmale portion 260 of a male-female connection system at a second end thereof. Themale portions module coupler 252, and can include threads on the respective outer surfaces thereof. Themale portions male portions female portions module coupler 252 can be coupled to either thefemale module 200 or themale module 250. - In the configuration illustrated in
FIG. 3 , themale portion 260 of themodule coupler 252 is coupled to thefemale portion 262 of the modulemain body 254, such that themodule coupler 252 and the modulemain body 254 collectively form themale module 250. In use, themodule coupler 252 can be uncoupled from the modulemain body 254, such as to allow access to components within the modulemain body 254. An outer diameter of the drillcollar crossover sub 256 of themodule coupler 252 can be equal to an outer diameter of a drill collar of the modulemain body 254, such that themale module 250 can have a flush, continuous outer surface. Themale module 250 includes a centralopen space 264 that extends through both themodule coupler 252 and the modulemain body 254. Theopen space 264 can carry thedrilling fluid 126 through themale module 250 during operation of thedrill string 112. Themale module 250 also includes a wire-carryinghollow tube 266 positioned within theopen space 264 and extending from outside themodule coupler 252, through themodule coupler 252, and into the modulemain body 254, which can house functional or operative components of themale module 250, such as sensors, electronic or electrical components, computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc. - The
tube 266 can bend and otherwise deform within theopen space 264 during operation of thedrill string 112, although to a lesser degree than thetube 206 can because thetube 266 does not include a coiled portion. Aterminal end portion 268 of thehollow tube 266 can include a plurality of electrical interconnects positioned thereon, such as on an external surface of theterminal end portion 268, on an internal surface of theterminal end portion 268, or on anelectrical coupling apparatus 270 coupled to theterminal end portion 268 of thehollow tube 266. The internal passageway extending through thetube 266 can have an inside diameter large enough to carry one or more wires, such as for data or power transmission, therethrough. A plurality ofwires 274 can be electrically coupled to the electrical interconnects positioned at theterminal end portion 268 of thetube 266 and can extend from the interconnects through thehollow tube 266 into the modulemain body 254, where the plurality of wires can be coupled to the functional or operative components of themale module 250. - The drill
collar crossover sub 256 can house a plurality offins 272 which can be in contact with an outer surface of thehollow tube 266 and an inner surface of the drillcollar crossover sub 256 to stabilize and maintain the location of thetube 266 within the drillcollar crossover sub 256 while still allowing thedrilling fluid 126 to pass through theopen space 264 during operation of thedrill string 112. Thefins 272 can be radially-oriented sheets of material or struts spaced at regular intervals about a central longitudinal axis of thehollow tube 266, such as spaced at 180°, 120°, 90°, 72°, etc., such that large angular portions of theopen space 264 remain open and available for thedrilling fluid 126 to pass between thefins 272. Thefins 272 can be rigidly fixed to the outer surface of thetube 266 and not rigidly fixed to the inner surface of the drillcollar crossover sub 256, or can be rigidly fixed to the inner surface of the drillcollar crossover sub 256 and not rigidly fixed to the outer surface of thetube 266, or can be rigidly fixed to both of the outer surface of thetube 266 and the inner surface of the drillcollar crossover sub 256. Thefins 218 can be formed from a rigid material such as a metal, aluminum-bronze, steel, etc., and can be manufactured with close tolerances. -
FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a bottomhole assembly such asbottomhole assembly 114 including thefemale module 200 coupled to themale module 250, with thefemale portion 204 mated to themale portion 258. To couple thefemale module 200 to themale module 250 as illustrated inFIG. 4 , the threads of themale portion 258 can be brought into proximity with the threads of thefemale portion 204, for example, such that theelectrical coupling apparatus 270 is positioned within thefemale portion 204. Themale portion 258 can be advanced toward and into thefemale portion 204 until the threads of themale portion 258 engage with the threads of thefemale portion 204, at which point, theterminal end portion 268 of thehollow tube 266 and theelectrical coupling apparatus 270 have begun to engage with theterminal end portion 208 of thehollow tube 206, and at which point the electrical interconnects of theterminal end portion 268 andelectrical coupling apparatus 270 have begun to engage with the electrical interconnects of theterminal end portion 208. Theelectrical coupling apparatus 270 can include a guide fin assembly having a plurality of fins similar to thefins drilling fluid 126 to flow through theelectrical coupling apparatus 270 during a drilling operation. - Electrical engagement of the electrical interconnects of the
female module 200 and the electrical interconnects of themale module 250 can be achieved using any suitable multi-contact electrical connector assemblies. For example, connector assemblies such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,074,064 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/717,412, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and in particular for what they teach regarding electrical connector assemblies, can be used to ensure engagement of the interconnects of the female andmale modules male modules - Once the threads of the
male portion 258 engage with the threads of thefemale portion 204, the female andmale modules male portion 258 further into thefemale portion 204 and to complete the electrical connection of the interconnects of the female andmale modules drill string 112 including the coupled female andmale modules modules drill string 112 and properties of the earth being drilled can be shared between themodules - In some embodiments, the
drill string 112 can include multiplefemale modules 200 and multiplemale modules 250. For example, a single, repeatable module can have a first end matching that of thefemale module 200 described above and a second end matching that of themale module 250 described above. In such an embodiment, the male end of a first repeatable module can be coupled to the female end of a second repeatable module, and the male end of the second repeatable module can be coupled to the female end of a third repeatable module, etc., until a drill string of suitable or desirable length has been formed. Such repeatable modules can be used throughout thebottomhole assembly 114 but not the rest of thedrill string 112, or throughout the entirety of thedrill string 112. - In use, drill strings encounter many stresses, including those resulting from high pressures in the
drilling fluid 126, those resulting from vibrations caused by thedrill bit 105 cutting into the earth, and those caused by thedrill string 112 conforming to curves or other irregularities in the wellbore. These stresses and other stresses can cause relative motion of many of the components within thedrill string 112. In some cases relative motion between components can cause damage to electrical components and especially electrical connections and seal assemblies, such as those between modules, within thedrill string 112, or within thebottomhole assembly 114. Thehelical portion 210 of thehollow tube 206 decouples the relative motion between electrical assemblies in adjacent drill string or bottomhole assembly modules with the electrical connections and seals. -
FIG. 4 illustrates that when thefemale module 200 is coupled to themale module 250, the wire-carryingtube 206 and the wire-carryingtube 266 can be coupled to one another to form a single wire-carrying tube extending from theinternal body 214 housing the functional or operative components of thefemale module 200 to an internal body (not shown) housing the functional or operative components of themale module 250. This single wire-carrying tube can carry a plurality of wires directly from functional or operative components (e.g., electronic or electrical components) of thefemale module 200 directly to functional or operative components (e.g., electronic or electrical components) of themale module 250. - Further, the entire lengths of the
tube 206 and thetube 266 can be physically decoupled from (such that they are not rigidly coupled to) thedrill collar 202, the drillcollar crossover sub 256, and a drill collar of the modulemain body 254, such that motions or relative motions of, and forces or stresses induces within, the drill collars, are not directly transferred to any portion of thetube 206 ortube 266 and therefore are not directly transferred to the electrical interconnections between themodules fins tubes drill string 112 without rigidly coupling thetubes tube 206 ortube 266 through the internal bodies (e.g., 214) of themodules tubes helical portion 210 of thetube 206. - This configuration allows the
helical portion 210 of thetube 206 to compensate for substantially all of the relative motion and associated forces arising between the end of thetube 206 in thefemale module 200 and the end of thetube 266 in themale module 250. This configuration can thereby arrest relative motion between theterminal end portion 208 of thetube 206 and theterminal end portion 268 of thetube 266, between the electrical interconnects of thefemale module 200 and of themale module 250, and between elements sealing these electrical interconnects. Thus, static, rather than dynamic sealing elements (e.g., 336, illustrated inFIG. 7 ) can be used to seal theterminal end portion 208 to theterminal end portion 268 and to seal the electrical interconnections between thefemale module 200 and themale module 250.Static sealing elements 336 are more reliable than dynamic sealing elements, especially in harsh downhole conditions. -
FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of a drill string bottomholeassembly 300, such as for use in thedrill string 112. The portion of thedrill string 300 includes afemale module 302 similar to thefemale module 200 and amale module 304 similar to themale module 250. The portion of thedrill string 300 can include various features of the female andmale modules modules modules -
FIG. 6 illustrates a portion of thefemale module 302 in greater detail. Thefemale module 302 includes anouter drill collar 306 that encloses and houses various other components of thefemale module 302. For example, thedrill collar 306 houses a wire-carrying hollow tube including aterminal end portion 308, a coiled orhelical portion 310, and acentral portion 312. Thehelical portion 310 of the hollow tube is enclosed within an internal sheath 318, which can preventdrilling fluid 126 flowing through anopen space 316 within thefemale module 302 from coming into contact with thehelical portion 310 during operation of the portion of thedrill string 300. This can prevent or reduce damage or wear on thehelical portion 310 during operation, and can reduce resistance to the flow of thedrilling fluid 126 through the portion of the drill string bottomholeassembly 300.Fins 314 can be positioned in contact with an outer surface of the sheath 318 and an inner surface of thedrill collar 306 to stabilize and maintain the location of thehelical portion 310 of the tube within thedrill collar 306. -
FIG. 7 illustrates the electrical interconnection features of thefemale module 302 and themale module 304 in greater detail. Thefemale module 302 includeselectrical interconnects 322 mounted on an inner surface of theterminal end portion 308 of the tube extending through thefemale module 302, and themale module 304 includeselectrical interconnects 320 mounted on an outer surface of a distal portion of ahollow tube 328 extending through themale module 304. A pair ofsprings terminal end portion 308 of the tube extending through thefemale module 302 and within anelectrical coupling apparatus 330 coupled to a terminal end portion of thehollow tube 328 extending through themale module 304, respectively. - The
springs terminal end portion 308 and theelectrical coupling apparatus 330, respectively, toward respective openings thereof, so as to prevent contamination of those components prior to engaging theelectrical interconnects electrical interconnects springs electrical interconnects interconnects interconnects springs - Such an electrical interconnection system can interconnect single or multiple wires, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more wires, between drill string modules. The wires can have any suitable gauge, and can have different gauges from one another. For example, the electrical interconnection system can couple 2 16 AWG wires and 4 20 AWG wires between drill string modules. The wires can be provided in twisted pairs, can be shielded, or have any other suitable characteristics. The electrical interconnection systems described herein can be used without being filled with an oil or a dielectric fluid. Such electrical interconnection systems can automate the interconnection process and reduce human interaction with the interconnects prior to their engagement.
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FIG. 8 illustrates afemale module 400 similar tofemale module 200 andFIG. 9 illustrates amale module 450 similar tomale module 250, such as for use in thedrill string 112.FIG. 10 illustrates a portion of thedrill string 112 including thefemale module 400 coupled to themale module 450. Themodules modules modules modules -
Female module 400 includes an outer shell or casing ordrill collar 402 which houses other components of themodule 400. For example, thedrill collar 402 can house afemale portion 404 of a male-female connection system at a first end of thefemale module 400. Thedrill collar 402 can also house a wire-carryinghollow tube 406 which can carry a plurality ofwires 420, and which can include aterminal end portion 408, a coiled orhelical portion 410 coupled to theterminal end portion 408, and acentral portion 412 coupled to thehelical portion 410. Thedrill collar 402 can also house aninternal body 414, coupled to thecentral portion 412 of thetube 406, which can house functional or operative components of thefemale module 400, such as sensors, electronic or electrical components, computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc. - The
tube 406 can extend through anopen space 416 within thefemale module 400. Thedrill collar 402 can also house a plurality offins 418 which can be positioned in contact with an outer surface of the tube 406 (such as an outer surface of theterminal end portion 408 of the tube 406) and an inner surface of thedrill collar 402 to stabilize and maintain the location of thetube 406 within thedrill collar 402 while still allowingdrilling fluid 126 to pass through theopen space 416 during operation of thedrill string 112. - The
male module 450 includes an outer shell or casing ordrill collar 452 having amale portion 454 of a male-female connection system at a first end thereof. Themale portion 454 can be complementary to thefemale portion 404, such that themale portion 454 can be coupled to thefemale portion 404 to couple themale module 450 to thefemale module 400. Themale module 450 includes a centralopen space 456 that can carry thedrilling fluid 126 through themale module 450 during operation of thedrill string 112. - The
male module 450 also includes a wire-carryinghollow tube 458 which can carry a plurality ofwires 466, and which can extend from outside the first end of themale module 450 where it is coupled to anelectrical coupling apparatus 464, through theopen space 456, and into aninternal body 460 housed within thedrill collar 452. Theinternal body 460 can house functional or operative components of themale module 450, such as sensors, electronic or electrical components, computers, reamers, stabilizers, flow diverters, etc. Further, thedrill collar 452 can house a plurality offins 462 which can be in contact with an outer surface of thehollow tube 458 and an inner surface of thedrill collar 452 to stabilize and maintain the location of thetube 458 within thedrill collar 452 while still allowing thedrilling fluid 126 to pass through theopen space 456 during operation of thedrill string 112. - The
male module 450 does not include a module coupler and a module main body as themale module 250 does. As a result, a drill string including amale module 450 has one fewer male-female connections (relative weak points in a drill string) than does a drill string including amale module 250. - As shown in
FIG. 11 , in some embodiments, any of the hollow tubes described herein can include a telescopic joint 500 in place of a helical portion. For example, the telescopic joint 500 can include a first,inner portion 502 of the joint 500 and a second,outer portion 504 of the joint 500. Theinner portion 502 can translate longitudinally within theouter portion 504 to compensate for substantially all of the relative motion and associated forces arising between the ends of the respective hollow tubes, as described above for thehelical portion 210. The telescopic joint 500 can include one or moredynamic sealing elements 506 to seal the inner andouter portions spring 508 to bias theinner portion 502 to translate out of and away from theouter portion 504. - As shown in
FIG. 12 , in some embodiments, any one of the hollow tubes described herein, or any one of the drill collars described herein, can include alength adjustment mechanism 600. Thelength adjustment mechanism 600 can be used to accommodate variations in length arising, for example, from connection reworks or recuts performed in response to damage or wear to the components. Thelength adjustment mechanism 600 can include an innerhollow shaft 602 having a threaded external surface and a plurality of longitudinally-extendingkeyways 610 formed in its external surface. Themechanism 600 can also include an outerhollow shaft 604 having a threaded internal surface complementary to the threaded outer surface of the innerhollow shaft 602 and a plurality ofopenings 612 formed through an end portion thereof. Themechanism 600 can also include a plurality ofalignment keys 606 and an outer, pressure-tight sealing sleeve 608. To use themechanism 600, the threads of the innerhollow shaft 602 can be engaged with the threads of the outerhollow shaft 604 and the twoshafts alignment keys 606 can then be positioned to extend through theopenings 612 at the end portion of the outerhollow shaft 604 and into thekeyways 610 of the innerhollow shaft 602 to rotationally lock the inner and outerhollow shafts outer sealing sleeve 608 can then be positioned over theshafts alignment keys 606 to lock thealignment keys 606 and the rest of themechanism 600 in position. - A few example embodiments have been described in detail above; however, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the example embodiments without materially departing from the scope of the present disclosure or the appended claims. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included in the scope of this disclosure. Likewise, while the disclosure herein contains many specifics, these specifics should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure or of any of the appended claims, but merely as providing information pertinent to one or more specific embodiments that may fall within the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims. Any described features from the various embodiments disclosed may be employed in combination. In addition, other embodiments of the present disclosure may also be devised which lie within the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims. Additions, deletions and modifications to the embodiments that fall within the meaning and scopes of the claims are to be embraced by the claims.
- Certain embodiments and features may have been described using a set of numerical upper limits and a set of numerical lower limits. It should be appreciated that ranges including the combination of any two values, e.g., the combination of any lower value with any upper value, the combination of any two lower values, or the combination of any two upper values are contemplated. Certain lower limits, upper limits and ranges may appear in one or more claims below. Numerical values are “about” or “approximately” the indicated value, and take into account experimental error, tolerances in manufacturing or operational processes, and other variations that would be expected by a person having ordinary skill in the art.
- The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include other possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
Claims (17)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US15/748,876 US20180216415A1 (en) | 2015-07-31 | 2016-07-29 | Compliant module connections |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201562199601P | 2015-07-31 | 2015-07-31 | |
US15/748,876 US20180216415A1 (en) | 2015-07-31 | 2016-07-29 | Compliant module connections |
PCT/US2016/044602 WO2017023711A1 (en) | 2015-07-31 | 2016-07-29 | Compliant module connections |
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US20180216415A1 true US20180216415A1 (en) | 2018-08-02 |
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Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US15/748,876 Abandoned US20180216415A1 (en) | 2015-07-31 | 2016-07-29 | Compliant module connections |
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US (1) | US20180216415A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE112016003495T5 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2017023711A1 (en) |
Citations (4)
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---|---|---|---|---|
US2000716A (en) * | 1934-04-07 | 1935-05-07 | Geophysical Service Inc | Insulated electrical connection |
US5626190A (en) * | 1991-02-06 | 1997-05-06 | Moore; Boyd B. | Apparatus for protecting electrical connection from moisture in a hazardous area adjacent a wellhead barrier for an underground well |
US5947198A (en) * | 1996-04-23 | 1999-09-07 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Downhole tool |
US7074064B2 (en) * | 2003-07-22 | 2006-07-11 | Pathfinder Energy Services, Inc. | Electrical connector useful in wet environments |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6899186B2 (en) * | 2002-12-13 | 2005-05-31 | Weatherford/Lamb, Inc. | Apparatus and method of drilling with casing |
US7913774B2 (en) * | 2005-06-15 | 2011-03-29 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Modular connector and method |
US9115544B2 (en) * | 2011-11-28 | 2015-08-25 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Modular downhole tools and methods |
US20140284103A1 (en) * | 2013-03-25 | 2014-09-25 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Monitoring System for Drilling Instruments |
-
2016
- 2016-07-29 US US15/748,876 patent/US20180216415A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2016-07-29 WO PCT/US2016/044602 patent/WO2017023711A1/en active Application Filing
- 2016-07-29 DE DE112016003495.4T patent/DE112016003495T5/en active Pending
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2000716A (en) * | 1934-04-07 | 1935-05-07 | Geophysical Service Inc | Insulated electrical connection |
US5626190A (en) * | 1991-02-06 | 1997-05-06 | Moore; Boyd B. | Apparatus for protecting electrical connection from moisture in a hazardous area adjacent a wellhead barrier for an underground well |
US5947198A (en) * | 1996-04-23 | 1999-09-07 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Downhole tool |
US7074064B2 (en) * | 2003-07-22 | 2006-07-11 | Pathfinder Energy Services, Inc. | Electrical connector useful in wet environments |
Also Published As
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DE112016003495T5 (en) | 2018-04-12 |
WO2017023711A1 (en) | 2017-02-09 |
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