WO2013110328A1 - Thermal spallation atomic hydrogen arc drilling - Google Patents
Thermal spallation atomic hydrogen arc drilling Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2013110328A1 WO2013110328A1 PCT/EP2012/051131 EP2012051131W WO2013110328A1 WO 2013110328 A1 WO2013110328 A1 WO 2013110328A1 EP 2012051131 W EP2012051131 W EP 2012051131W WO 2013110328 A1 WO2013110328 A1 WO 2013110328A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- rock
- plasma
- drill
- drilling
- gas
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 18
- YZCKVEUIGOORGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen atom Chemical compound [H] YZCKVEUIGOORGS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title description 2
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 21
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 238000005868 electrolysis reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 125000004429 atom Chemical group 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 125000004435 hydrogen atom Chemical group [H]* 0.000 claims abstract 5
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- HPALAKNZSZLMCH-UHFFFAOYSA-M sodium;chloride;hydrate Chemical compound O.[Na+].[Cl-] HPALAKNZSZLMCH-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000012267 brine Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- DGAQECJNVWCQMB-PUAWFVPOSA-M Ilexoside XXIX Chemical compound C[C@@H]1CC[C@@]2(CC[C@@]3(C(=CC[C@H]4[C@]3(CC[C@@H]5[C@@]4(CC[C@@H](C5(C)C)OS(=O)(=O)[O-])C)C)[C@@H]2[C@]1(C)O)C)C(=O)O[C@H]6[C@@H]([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](O6)CO)O)O)O.[Na+] DGAQECJNVWCQMB-PUAWFVPOSA-M 0.000 claims description 3
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005065 mining Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910052708 sodium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011734 sodium Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000005997 Calcium carbide Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- ZLMJMSJWJFRBEC-UHFFFAOYSA-N Potassium Chemical compound [K] ZLMJMSJWJFRBEC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052700 potassium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000011591 potassium Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- CLZWAWBPWVRRGI-UHFFFAOYSA-N tert-butyl 2-[2-[2-[2-[bis[2-[(2-methylpropan-2-yl)oxy]-2-oxoethyl]amino]-5-bromophenoxy]ethoxy]-4-methyl-n-[2-[(2-methylpropan-2-yl)oxy]-2-oxoethyl]anilino]acetate Chemical compound CC1=CC=C(N(CC(=O)OC(C)(C)C)CC(=O)OC(C)(C)C)C(OCCOC=2C(=CC=C(Br)C=2)N(CC(=O)OC(C)(C)C)CC(=O)OC(C)(C)C)=C1 CLZWAWBPWVRRGI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims 3
- 230000004907 flux Effects 0.000 claims 2
- 208000013201 Stress fracture Diseases 0.000 claims 1
- HSFWRNGVRCDJHI-UHFFFAOYSA-N alpha-acetylene Natural products C#C HSFWRNGVRCDJHI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 229910003460 diamond Inorganic materials 0.000 claims 1
- 239000010432 diamond Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 125000002534 ethynyl group Chemical group [H]C#C* 0.000 claims 1
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 abstract description 4
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 abstract description 4
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 abstract description 4
- 230000006798 recombination Effects 0.000 abstract description 2
- 238000005215 recombination Methods 0.000 abstract description 2
- 150000002431 hydrogen Chemical class 0.000 description 4
- XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Argon Chemical compound [Ar] XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052786 argon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 125000004122 cyclic group Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 238000010891 electric arc Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000284 extract Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010438 granite Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000001307 helium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052734 helium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- SWQJXJOGLNCZEY-UHFFFAOYSA-N helium atom Chemical compound [He] SWQJXJOGLNCZEY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000007800 oxidant agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005382 thermal cycling Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
- E21B7/14—Drilling by use of heat, e.g. flame drilling
- E21B7/15—Drilling by use of heat, e.g. flame drilling of electrically generated heat
Definitions
- the invention is to be used for drilling, excavating or mining.
- Standard drilling technology uses mechanical grinding, which as best is slow in hard rock and wears out drill-bits fast.
- Geothermal drilling using hot air spallation was developed in the 1970s, and demonstrated impressive drilling performance, producing 8 inch to 12 inch boreholes to depths of 1,100 feet at rates faster than 50 feet per hour in solid granite. But to get spalls out from deeper wells, a fluid has to be circulated, which is incompatible with the hot air technology. Also pumping down fuel and oxidizer is incompatible with using standard drill pipe, rotating drill bits, and standard drill rig operations including keeping within strict safety rules. Bringing down common plasma gasses like nitrogen, argon, oxygen or helium in pressurized containers is impractical and dangerous as well. Further, continuous heating can become highly ineffective when rock types are hit that will not spall rapidly , and might even melt, and block further drilling.
- Proposed technology omits the need to transport down fuel or gas, as the plasma generating gas, like hydrogen, is generated down-hole either through electrolysis of a brine which extracts water through osmosis from the drilling mud or by a chemical reaction between water or mud and a solid, like sodium, which might become liquid at down-hole conditions.
- Electricity for the electric arcs and for electrolysis is generated by a down-hole turbine, and only a limited amount of gas has to be generated as most can be recaptured and reused, as the gas does not have to be burned, but is only used to extract heat from the electric arc, which dissociated the gas molecules into atoms which transport the arc energy, and releases recombination heat upon hitting the colder formation rock.
- the generation of hydrogen in the plasma is important to prevent oxidation and wear of the hot electrodes of the plasma generators, and should be above 50%. Integrating the plasma generators in a rotating drill-bit, the temperature shock is cyclic, and will increase fractures until the rock spalls.
- Fig.l a schematic of a BHA (bottom hole assembly), with (1) drill pipe through which drilling mud (2) is pumped from the surface.
- a turbine (3) is powered by the pumped mud, and drives a generator to power the electrolysis of a brine (5) with electrodes generating hydrogen (6) and oxygen (7).
- the brine (5) is replenished by osmosis with water from the mud (2).
- a chemical reaction between water, and a solid like sodium, potassium or calciumcarbide could provide a plasma generating gas.
- the hydrogen, or other down-hole generated plasma gas is pressured by a pump (8) and vented through an arc (9), the arc being powered by the electricity from the turbine. Vented gas can be recaptured and reused.
- Drill pipe (1) can be standard drill- pipe, and control can be by standard MWD (measure while drilling), like mud-pulse.
- the drill-bits can be standard drill-bits, like PDC or tri-cone, with full mechanical
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Plasma Technology (AREA)
- Earth Drilling (AREA)
Abstract
A thermal spallation drilling technology is presented requiring no adaptation to standard drill-pipe or surface equipment. The technology omits the need to pump down fuel, as plasma gas is generated down-hole. Electricity for the electric arcs and electrolysis is generated by a down-hole generator, and most plasma generating gas can be recaptured and reused, as the gas is not burned, but atomised, extracting energy from the arc, which energy is released by recombination on the colder formation rock. No adaptation has to be made to the drill-pipe, and the technology can be integrated in standard tri-cone or PDC drill-bits to cyclically weaken the rock and enable the teeth of the drill bit to work faster. Very specific of the technology is that 50% or more of the atoms in the plasma are hydrogen atoms.
Description
Thermal Spallation Atomic Hydrogen Arc Drilling
Technology
The invention is to be used for drilling, excavating or mining.
Objects of the Invention
A drilling technology for hard rock, replacing or complementing mechanical drilling, needing no adaptation to standard drill pipe or need to pump down fuel, using down-hole generation of gas and electricity, using thermal cycling with plasma generators to weaken or break rock, and compatible with standard drill bits and hydraulics .
Background of the Invention
Standard drilling technology uses mechanical grinding, which as best is slow in hard rock and wears out drill-bits fast.
Geothermal drilling using hot air spallation was developed in the 1970s, and demonstrated impressive drilling performance, producing 8 inch to 12 inch boreholes to depths of 1,100 feet at rates faster than 50 feet per hour in solid granite. But to get spalls out from deeper wells, a fluid has to be circulated, which is incompatible with the hot air technology. Also pumping down fuel and oxidizer is incompatible with using standard drill pipe, rotating drill bits, and standard drill rig operations including keeping within strict safety rules. Bringing down common plasma gasses like nitrogen, argon, oxygen or helium in pressurized containers is impractical and dangerous as well. Further, continuous heating can become highly ineffective when rock types are hit that will not spall rapidly , and might even melt, and block further drilling.
Proposed technology omits the need to transport down fuel or gas, as the plasma generating gas, like hydrogen, is generated down-hole either through electrolysis of a brine which extracts water through osmosis from the drilling mud or by a chemical reaction between water or mud and a solid, like sodium, which might become liquid at down-hole conditions. Electricity for the electric arcs and for electrolysis is generated by a down-hole turbine, and only a limited amount of gas has to be generated as most can
be recaptured and reused, as the gas does not have to be burned, but is only used to extract heat from the electric arc, which dissociated the gas molecules into atoms which transport the arc energy, and releases recombination heat upon hitting the colder formation rock. The generation of hydrogen in the plasma is important to prevent oxidation and wear of the hot electrodes of the plasma generators, and should be above 50%. Integrating the plasma generators in a rotating drill-bit, the temperature shock is cyclic, and will increase fractures until the rock spalls.
No adaptation has to be made to the drill pipe, and the technology can be integrated with standard tri-cone or PDC drill bits, which can run in combination using the plasma generators to weaken the rock, so the teeth of the bits can now more easily grind spalls away out of the rock formation.
Description of the Drawing In Fig.l is shown a schematic of a BHA (bottom hole assembly), with (1) drill pipe through which drilling mud (2) is pumped from the surface. A turbine (3) is powered by the pumped mud, and drives a generator to power the electrolysis of a brine (5) with electrodes generating hydrogen (6) and oxygen (7). The brine (5) is replenished by osmosis with water from the mud (2). Alternatively a chemical reaction between water, and a solid like sodium, potassium or calciumcarbide could provide a plasma generating gas. The hydrogen, or other down-hole generated plasma gas, is pressured by a pump (8) and vented through an arc (9), the arc being powered by the electricity from the turbine. Vented gas can be recaptured and reused. Drill pipe (1) can be standard drill- pipe, and control can be by standard MWD (measure while drilling), like mud-pulse. The drill-bits can be standard drill-bits, like PDC or tri-cone, with full mechanical
functionality, adapted to accommodate the arcing electrodes and gas vents.
Claims
Claims:
1) Drilling, excavating or mining using thermal spallation technology extracting power from pumped drilling mud to drive a generator for electrical power for an electrical arc where energy is extracted from the arc under formation of a plasma jet, to create a heat flux towards a rock formation to spall the rock, where the plasma forming gas is generated underground by water or steam, or gas from a chemical reaction between water, drill fluid, or from drill fluid extracted water, and a solid, like sodium, potassium or calciumcarbide, where the plasma forming gas contains hydrogen, like in steam or acetylene, and where 50% or more of the atoms in the plasma are hydrogen atoms.
2) Drilling, excavating or mining using thermal spallation technology extracting power from pumped drilling mud to drive a generator for electrical power for an electrical arc where energy is extracted from the arc under formation of a plasma jet, to create a heat flux towards a rock formation to spall the rock, where the plasma forming hydrogen and/or oxygen is generated underground by electrolysis of a brine, and where 50% or more of the atoms in the plasma are hydrogen atoms.
3) A combination of methods of claim 1 or 2 where water for electrolysis or chemical reaction is extracted from the drill fluid by osmosis from a brine saltier than the drilling fluid.
4) A combination of the methods of claim 1,2 or 3 integrated in a drill head, where the rotation of the drill head creates a thermal cycle of heating and cooling parts of the rock, by which the rock weakens or spalls, where the plasma jet, from 1 or more plasma generators, follows a circular path and locally heats the rock, where after passing of the plasma jet, the drill fluid quickly cools the rock, creating mechanical stresses or weaknesses in the rock. 5) A combination of the methods of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 integrated in a drill head with fixed bits or teeth, like a standard PDC Polycrystalline Diamond Compact, to thermally
weaken the rock or create micro fractures in it, so the bits or teeth can more easily grind the rock.
6) As any one of claims 1 to 5, where part of the plasma forming gas, like hydrogen, is captured after being expelled by the plasma generators, and reused.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2012/051131 WO2013110328A1 (en) | 2012-01-25 | 2012-01-25 | Thermal spallation atomic hydrogen arc drilling |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2012/051131 WO2013110328A1 (en) | 2012-01-25 | 2012-01-25 | Thermal spallation atomic hydrogen arc drilling |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2013110328A1 true WO2013110328A1 (en) | 2013-08-01 |
Family
ID=45524568
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2012/051131 WO2013110328A1 (en) | 2012-01-25 | 2012-01-25 | Thermal spallation atomic hydrogen arc drilling |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO2013110328A1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN108252691A (en) * | 2018-01-12 | 2018-07-06 | 刘玉友 | A kind of oil/gas well energy supplement without pump with exploiting integrated device |
| CN108252690A (en) * | 2018-01-12 | 2018-07-06 | 刘玉友 | A kind of oil/gas well energy supplement and the application method without pump exploitation integrated device |
| WO2022047443A1 (en) * | 2020-08-28 | 2022-03-03 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Plasma chemistry derived formation rock evaluation for pulse power drilling |
| US11499421B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2022-11-15 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Plasma chemistry based analysis and operations for pulse power drilling |
| US11536136B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2022-12-27 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Plasma chemistry based analysis and operations for pulse power drilling |
| US11585743B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2023-02-21 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Determining formation porosity and permeability |
| US11619129B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2023-04-04 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Estimating formation isotopic concentration with pulsed power drilling |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3467206A (en) * | 1967-07-07 | 1969-09-16 | Gulf Research Development Co | Plasma drilling |
| US5168940A (en) * | 1987-01-22 | 1992-12-08 | Technologie Transfer Est. | Profile melting-drill process and device |
| WO2003069110A1 (en) * | 2002-02-12 | 2003-08-21 | University Of Strathclyde | Plasma channel drilling process |
| US20090200032A1 (en) * | 2007-10-16 | 2009-08-13 | Foret Plasma Labs, Llc | System, method and apparatus for creating an electrical glow discharge |
-
2012
- 2012-01-25 WO PCT/EP2012/051131 patent/WO2013110328A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3467206A (en) * | 1967-07-07 | 1969-09-16 | Gulf Research Development Co | Plasma drilling |
| US5168940A (en) * | 1987-01-22 | 1992-12-08 | Technologie Transfer Est. | Profile melting-drill process and device |
| WO2003069110A1 (en) * | 2002-02-12 | 2003-08-21 | University Of Strathclyde | Plasma channel drilling process |
| US20090200032A1 (en) * | 2007-10-16 | 2009-08-13 | Foret Plasma Labs, Llc | System, method and apparatus for creating an electrical glow discharge |
Cited By (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN108252691A (en) * | 2018-01-12 | 2018-07-06 | 刘玉友 | A kind of oil/gas well energy supplement without pump with exploiting integrated device |
| CN108252690A (en) * | 2018-01-12 | 2018-07-06 | 刘玉友 | A kind of oil/gas well energy supplement and the application method without pump exploitation integrated device |
| WO2022047443A1 (en) * | 2020-08-28 | 2022-03-03 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Plasma chemistry derived formation rock evaluation for pulse power drilling |
| US11459883B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2022-10-04 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Plasma chemistry derived formation rock evaluation for pulse power drilling |
| US11499421B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2022-11-15 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Plasma chemistry based analysis and operations for pulse power drilling |
| US11536136B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2022-12-27 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Plasma chemistry based analysis and operations for pulse power drilling |
| US11585743B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2023-02-21 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Determining formation porosity and permeability |
| US11619129B2 (en) | 2020-08-28 | 2023-04-04 | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | Estimating formation isotopic concentration with pulsed power drilling |
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