U.S. patent application number 14/198504 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-11 for through tubing perpendicular boring.
This patent application is currently assigned to BOAZ ENERGY LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is BOAZ ENERGY LLC. Invention is credited to Karan Elaine Eves, David Randolph Smith.
Application Number | 20140251621 14/198504 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51486414 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140251621 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith; David Randolph ; et
al. |
September 11, 2014 |
THROUGH TUBING PERPENDICULAR BORING
Abstract
Methods for extracting more fluids from oil and gas wells
reservoirs than is currently possible using the current art of
drilling and hydraulic fracturing wells may be accomplished with
methods and apparatuses to directionally control the construction
of a plurality of substantially perpendicular boreholes from a
common wellbore at a plurality of positions along said common
wellbore. One method may include drilling a plurality of the
substantially perpendicular boreholes off a previously constructed
common wellbore using underbalanced methods and producing the
reservoir fluids while drilling the substantially perpendicular
boreholes. In some methods, injection of fluids from surface into
subterranean reservoirs may be used for the purpose of sequestering
fluids or recovering fluids to the surface.
Inventors: |
Smith; David Randolph;
(Midland, TX) ; Eves; Karan Elaine; (Midland,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BOAZ ENERGY LLC |
Midland |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
BOAZ ENERGY LLC
Midland
TX
|
Family ID: |
51486414 |
Appl. No.: |
14/198504 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61772798 |
Mar 5, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/305.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 21/085 20200501;
E21B 10/66 20130101; E21B 7/062 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/305.1 |
International
Class: |
E21B 43/16 20060101
E21B043/16 |
Claims
1. A method of increasing the recovery of fluid from a subterranean
strata by constructing boreholes from a previously drilled common
borehole comprising: attaching to a well tubular conduit a
directional guidance device having at least one internal conduit
passage; deploying said well tubular conduit and said directional
guidance device from a surface into said previously-drilled common
borehole, wherein said well tubular conduit has a proximal end at
the surface of the earth, and wherein said attached directional
guidance device is attached near a distal end of said well tubular
conduit; constructing a drilling string comprising a pseudoelastic
alloy; attaching a drilling device to a distal end of said drilling
string; translating said drilling string and said drilling device
from said surface into said well tubular conduit through said
directional guidance device; pumping a drilling fluid through said
drilling string and said drilling device; drilling new boreholes
from inside said previously-drilled common borehole into
subterranean substances with said drilling device and said drilling
string; flowing subterranean fluids into said common well borehole
from said new boreholes; and producing fluids to said surface.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said subterranean substance being
drilled is a subterranean strata.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said pseudoelastic alloy is
NITINOL.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string comprises at
least one tube having a distal end attached to said drilling device
and a proximal end attached on said surface to a fluid pumping
system.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein drilling fluid being pumped is at
least at surface a cryogenic fluid.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling fluid comprises a
fluid that has a hydrostatic weight less than a reservoir pressure
of said subterranean strata that is in said common wellbore.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string is attached
on a proximal end to a surface drilling or workover rig.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string is attached
on a proximal end to a coiled tubing injection device.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string is passed
through a blowout preventer device.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string comprises a
string of threaded and jointed pipe joints.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string comprises a
string of continuous tubing.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string comprises a
mixed string of jointed and continuous tubing.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling device comprises
at least one jet nozzle.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said translating comprises
translation that is at least assisted by a reactionary force of
fluid jets on said drilling device pulling said drilling string
away from said common wellbore.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein said translation is at least
assisted in moving said drilling string through said well tubular
conduit and said directional guidance device by hydraulic fluid
drag forces imposed on an outer diameter of said drilling string by
pumping a fluid from said surface down a well tubular conduit while
said drilling string and said drilling device are deployed inside
said well tubular conduit.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said produced fluid is a
reservoir fluid.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling device comprises a
drilling motor.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling device comprises a
pulsed data transmission device.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein said directional guidance device
is rotated at a given well depth or length by rotating said well
tubular conduit from said surface and a new borehole is drilled in
another direction from said common wellbore.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein said common wellbore has had
casing previously disposed in it and the method further comprises
drilling through said casing and out beyond said casing into said
subterranean strata.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein said directional guidance device
is translated to a new depth position after drilling said borehole
in said common wellbore and the method further comprises repeating
the step of constructing said boreholes from said common bore hole
at said a new depth position in said common wellbore.
22. The method of claim 1, wherein the drilling string is pulled
from a new wellbore through said directional guidance device placed
in said common wellbore.
23. The method of claim 1, wherein a core drilling device is first
translated through said well tubular conduit and said directional
guidance device, a core is cut of a subterranean substance of said
common wellbore, said core and coring device are pulled from the
common wellbore, and a drilling string with a drilling device is
thereafter deployed through said well tubular conduit and
directional guidance device and out through the void created by
said core device where drilling of substances is commenced off said
common wellbore.
24. The method of claim 1, wherein an explosive charge is first
translated through said well tubular conduit and directional
guidance device, said charge is detonated at or near said common
wellbore to form a passage or cavity out into said common wellbore,
the detonated explosive charge is pulled from said well tubular
conduit and said directional guidance device, said drilling string
with drilling device is thereafter deployed through said well
tubular conduit and said directional guidance device and out
through a void in said common wellbore created by the explosive
charge detonation where drilling said subterranean substances is
commenced off said common wellbore through said void created by
said explosive charge.
25. The method claim 1, wherein said common wellbore is a
substantially horizontal wellbore.
26. The method of claim 1, wherein said common wellbore is
substantially vertical.
27. The method of claim 1, wherein said new boreholes from said
common wellbore are substantially perpendicular to said common
wellbore.
28. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string comprises a
solid member comprising a super elastic alloy.
29. The method of claim 1, wherein said drilling string comprises a
pseudoelastic alloy.
30. A directional guidance apparatus, comprising: a body comprising
at least one proximal entry fluid passage starting at a proximal
end, said fluid passage extending through the said body and forming
a curvature radius that terminates at an exit port located on a
longitudinal side of said body.
31. The directional guidance apparatus of claim 30, further
comprising pipe threads on said proximal end.
32. The directional guidance apparatus of claim 30, further
comprising at least one additional fluid port hydraulically
connected to the fluid passage starting at the said proximal end of
said entry fluid passage, said at least one additional fluid port
terminating in a position different than said longitudinal exit
port.
33. The directional guidance apparatus of claim 30, further
comprising at least one drag tube to be disposed inside said
directional guidance apparatus fluid passage.
34. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of drilling boreholes
comprises drilling a plurality of common horizontal or vertical
wellbores from said surface into said subterranean strata.
35. A method of enhancing the injection of fluid from a surface
into at least one subterranean strata by constructing boreholes
from a previously drilled common borehole intersecting said
subterranean strata, comprising: attaching to a well tubular
conduit a directional guidance device having at least one internal
conduit passage; deploying said well tubular conduit and said
directional guidance device from said surface into said previously
drilled common borehole, wherein said tubular conduit has a
proximal end at said surface of the earth and said attached
directional guidance device is attached near a distal end of said
tubular conduit; constructing a drilling string comprising a
pseudoelastic alloy; attaching a drilling device to a distal end of
said drilling string; translating said drilling string from said
surface into said well tubular conduit through said directional
guidance device; drilling new boreholes into subterranean
substances with said drilling device and drilling string; injecting
surface fluids into said common wellbore and out into said
constructed boreholes; and injecting said surface fluids into said
subterranean strata.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein fluids from said at least one
subterranean strata are produced to said surface from at least one
additional wellbore not drilled from said common wellbore.
37. The method of claim 35, wherein said injected fluids comprise
at least one gas.
38. The method of claim 35, wherein said injected fluids comprise
supercritical fluids.
39. The method of claim 35, wherein said injected fluids comprise a
liquid.
40. The method of claim 35, wherein said injected fluids comprise
at least one cryogenic fluid.
41. The method of claim 35, wherein said injected fluids are
injected into said common wellbore and into said reservoir through
said new boreholes off of said common wellbore for a period of time
and then fluids are returned from said new boreholes and said
common wellbore to said surface.
42. The method of claim 35, wherein at least one hydraulic jarring
device is attached to said drilling string.
43. The method of claim 35, wherein at least a portion of said
drilling string comprises a super elastic form of NITINOL.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/772,798 to David Randolph
Smith filed Mar. 5, 2013, and entitled "Through Tubing
Perpendicular Boring Method and Apparatus," which is hereby
incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure is directed to methods and apparatus
to extract fluids from subterranean reservoirs, particularly
hydrocarbons and water reservoirs. More specifically, this
disclosure provides methods and apparatuses to increase the
recovery to surface of subterranean fluids, such as oil, water, and
gas, from subterranean reservoirs using novel drilling methods,
fluids and apparatus taught by my invention disclosure herein.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Conventionally, the oil and gas industry deploys massive
hydraulic fracture of subterranean reservoirs, commonly known as
"fracking," to enhance fluid production from wells when a
subterranean reservoir may not have sufficient conductivity to flow
fluid through the natural reservoir permeability and into a
wellbore connected to the surface of the earth at flow rates that
are timely and or commercial. This "fracking" method hydraulically
cracks the subterranean reservoir using water pumped down wells
from surface at high pressure with triplex pumps, injecting
chemicals such as polyacrylamides, and other chemicals into the
subterranean earth reservoir. The cracks that this "fracking"
method creates are uncontrolled and propagate in a direction
dictated by the in-situ stress of the reservoir and require vast
amounts of water and chemicals to be injected into said reservoirs.
Hence the current art of "fracking" cannot create or increase
reservoir conductivity in all directions from a wellbore placed in
a subterranean reservoir, but can only produce and propagate cracks
from the wellbore in directions perpendicular to the least
principal in-situ stress of the reservoir. This hydraulic fracture
treatment often allows reservoir fluids to be recovered at
commercial rates, but has significant environmental impact due to
large water injection volumes, induced micro-seismic events and
large surface location foot prints to accommodate hydraulic
fracturing equipment and sand injection with hydraulic fracture
fluids.
[0004] Another conventional method used in the oil and gas industry
to enhance a reservoir's fluid conductivity is to drill a
horizontal bore through the reservoir. This method of drilling a
wellbore horizontal in a fluid productive subterranean reservoir is
combined with the hydraulic fracture of said horizontal wellbore to
further enhance a reservoir's flow of fluid into wellbores.
However, once again using fracture or "fracking methods," the
direction of the crack and hence the direction of the enhanced
reservoir permeability due to said hydraulic fracturing is limited
to the predetermined direction driven by the in-situ rock stresses
and earth's overburden and tectonic stresses. What is needed are
methods and apparatuses to more homogenously stimulate and enhance
the reservoir's fluid flow that are not limited to directions
controlled by in-situ stress nor require large amounts of fracture
waters and chemicals to be pumped underground in both vertical or
horizontal wellbores.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] When it is desirous to produce a subterranean fluid to
surface without the use of hydraulic fracturing, so called
"fracking" technology, an alternative method for stimulating
subterranean reservoir fluid flow to the surface of the earth is
disclosed below. In one embodiment, enhanced subterranean fluid
extraction methods and apparatuses are disclosed that allow for the
directionally controlled drilling of a plurality of boreholes from
a principal or common wellbore. These methods and apparatuses may
enhance the injection of fluids into subterranean reservoirs for
the purposes of enhanced oil, water, brine, mineral, and gas
recovery, both in primary fluid recovery phases of a well's life as
well as the secondary recovery phase of a well's life, commonly
known as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Further, the disclosed
methods and apparatuses may enhance the disposal and sequestering
of fluids in subterranean rocks.
[0006] In some embodiments, methods and apparatuses for drilling
said horizontal bores off perpendicular to the common wellbore are
disclosed, such as using novel directional apparatus, using novel
drilling fluids like cryogenic fluids and supercritical fluids, and
using hydraulic assist methods to propel a small drilling string
into the reservoir through a tubing or drill pipe string disposed
in the wellbore.
[0007] In one embodiment, a method provides for the placement of a
plurality of bores substantially perpendicular to the common
wellbore at a given depth or position in the said common
wellbore.
[0008] In one embodiment, multiple common boreholes may be placed
in a subterranean reservoir wherein at least one of the common
boreholes has a plurality of additional boreholes substantially
horizontal to this common borehole.
[0009] Prior art practitioners attempting to drill boreholes from a
substantially perpendicular direction to the common wellbore taught
away from using metal alloy tubes and shafts and instead taught the
use of rubber hoses and other flexible non-metal substances. In
some embodiments, the use of super elastic and pseudoelastic alloys
for drilling strings is possible, as opposed to other alloys or
elastomeric tubes. In some embodiments, cryogenic fluids are pumped
through said drilling strings. Moreover in some embodiments, a
method may include the translation of a drilling tube through down
hole tubulars, and down hole directional guidance devices using
hydraulic drag forces, reverse thrusting hydraulic jets, and use of
a system of fluids being pumped to propel the drilling string away
from the common wellbore out into the reservoir using hydraulic
drag forces.
[0010] In some embodiments, a method of assisting the moving of a
drilling string may include applying a dragging hydraulic force
whereby the drilling tools and drilling string can be passed
through curved hydraulic conduits of a through tubing guidance
apparatus to direct the tight radius change of the new borehole
constructed to be substantially perpendicular to the common
borehole.
[0011] In some embodiments, a method of drilling the substantially
perpendicular bores to the common borehole may include using a
method of underbalanced drilling wherein the drilling fluid used
has a fluid hydrostatic pressure less than the reservoir pressure
thereby allowing the production of the drilling fluid and the
produced reservoir fluid simultaneously to the surface during the
construction of the substantially perpendicular bores.
[0012] In some embodiments, stimulating the substantially
perpendicular borehole to the common wellbore may be performed by
means of pumping stimulation fluids, such as acids, bases,
explosives, cryogenic fluids, and/or by deploying shaped charges
down the constructed substantially perpendicular boreholes and
thereafter detonating the shaped charges, further enhancing the
reservoir conductivity along the substantially perpendicular bores
constructed off the common wellbore without using massive hydraulic
fracture techniques. This greatly reduces the environmental
concerns of pumping billions of gallons per year of water, tons of
chemicals, and sand into reservoir using hydraulic fracture methods
and then flowing back these waters and chemicals to surface of the
wells where they have to be disposed.
[0013] To meet the needs of enhancing reservoir fluid conductivity
and increasing the recovery of fluids from subterranean strata as
discussed above and herein, and to address the disadvantages of
conventional drilled bore completions that use hydraulic fracture
methods, the present application discloses a simple low cost
method, small surface foot print system, and down hole apparatus to
construct from a common wellbore a plurality of directional
boreholes substantially perpendicular to said common wellbore.
[0014] In one embodiment, the method includes drilling a common
wellbore and thereafter deploying on or near the distal end of a
drill pipe string or tubing string a directional guidance tool. The
drill or tubing string is then oriented in the required direction
at the required depth by deploying, for example, a wire line
gyro-directional tool, and by rotating the drill or tubing string
at the surface. The exit direction of the distal end guidance tool
is selected and fixed per the wire line deployed gyro or other such
directional sensing tool deployed on wire line or communicated to
the surface via pressure pulses or other radio or electromagnetic
means. Once this guidance tool is oriented in the selected
direction, the wire line is pulled out of the drill or tubing
string and a guidance tubing string is disposed down the drill or
tubing string where said guidance string is landed on its distal
end inside the distal guidance tool. A drilling string or
continuous conduit is then deployed and lowered from the surface
through the guidance string and assisted through the guidance tool
with the pumping of fluid through the guidance string, thereby
hydraulically dragging the drill string through the guidance string
and guidance tool and out into the reservoir. The drilling string
has a drilling fluid pumped from the surface that is used to carry
drilling cuttings to surface. Further, the drilling fluids may have
a hydrostatic fluid weight less than the reservoir pressure,
thereby allowing the reservoir fluids and drilling cuttings and
drilling fluid to flow to the surface. The drilling string can be
equipped with any of the commonly known drilling assemblies having
a suite of devices such as drill bits, drilling motors,
stabilizers, hydraulic and electric pulsed data communication tools
(such as Logging While Drilling (LWD) tools), fluid jets, jars and
other well-known drilling devices. The drilling string comprises a
super elastic alloy that further assists the drilling string in
bending through the curved path of the down hole guidance tool and
guidance string.
[0015] In yet another embodiment, the drilling string can be
equipped with a core device on the distal end that cores out,
through a guidance device, a plug of well casing and cement prior
to drilling the substantially perpendicular borehole into the
subterranean reservoir. This core is extracted to the surface and
then the drilling string and assembly are deployed back out into
the position where the core was extracted by means of keeping the
distal guidance tool fixed during coring and construction of the
substantially perpendicular borehole from the common borehole. This
procedure can be repeated multiple times at the same well position
or depth by simply rotating the distal guidance tool and cutting
another core followed by another substantially perpendicular bore
to the common bore. Once the desired number of substantially
perpendicular bores are created off the common wellbore at a given
depth or position along a horizontal common bore, the drill or
tubing string having the distal directional guidance tool can be
moved to a new position and the above procedure is repeated,
thereby constructing a plurality of substantially perpendicular
bores to the common borehole at many positions along the length of
the common borehole. A further embodiment uses an explosive device
deployed into the well and through the guidance device to create a
passage through the previously-drilled common wellbore, casing, and
cement.
[0016] In another embodiment, a plurality of common wellbores are
constructed in a reservoir strata, for example a large shale strata
such as the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas, having hundreds of
feet of thickness wherein a horizontal wellbore is placed along the
top 20 feet of the strata and boreholes are drilled from the common
horizontal borehole radially like spokes from a wagon wheel hub,
and said spoke positions are radially drilled all along the length
of the horizontal common bore so that the horizontal common bore
has many hundreds or more boreholes drilled radially around it at
many hundreds of points along the horizontal length, and this is
repeated in further horizontal wellbores placed deeper and under
the previously mentioned horizontal borehole.
[0017] According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a method of
increasing the recovery of fluid from a subterranean strata by
constructing boreholes from a previously drilled common borehole
comprises attaching to a well tubular conduit a directional
guidance device having at least one internal conduit passage;
deploying said well tubular conduit and said directional guidance
device from a surface into said previously-drilled common borehole,
wherein said well tubular conduit has a proximal end at the surface
of the earth, and wherein said attached directional guidance device
is attached near a distal end of said well tubular conduit;
constructing a drilling string comprising a pseudoelastic alloy;
attaching a drilling device to a distal end of said drilling
string; translating said drilling string and said drilling device
from said surface into said well tubular conduit through said
directional guidance device; pumping a drilling fluid through said
drilling string and said drilling device; drilling new boreholes
from inside said previously-drilled common borehole into
subterranean substances with said drilling device and said drilling
string; flowing subterranean fluids into said common well borehole
from said new boreholes; and producing fluids to said surface.
[0018] In certain embodiments, said subterranean substance being
drilled is a subterranean strata; said pseudoelastic alloy is
NITINOL; said drilling string comprises at least one tube having a
distal end attached to said drilling device and a proximal end
attached on said surface to a fluid pumping system; drilling fluid
being pumped is at least at surface a cryogenic fluid; said
drilling fluid comprises a fluid that has a hydrostatic weight less
than a reservoir pressure of said subterranean strata that is in
said common wellbore; said drilling string is attached on a
proximal end to a surface drilling or workover rig; said drilling
string is attached on a proximal end to a coiled tubing injection
device; said drilling string is passed through a blowout preventer
device; said drilling string comprises a string of threaded and
jointed pipe joints; said drilling string comprises a string of
continuous tubing; said drilling string comprises a mixed string of
jointed and continuous tubing; said drilling device comprises at
least one jet nozzle; said translating comprises translation that
is at least assisted by a reactionary force of fluid jets on said
drilling device pulling said drilling string away from said common
wellbore; said translation is at least assisted in moving said
drilling string through said well tubular conduit and said
directional guidance device by hydraulic fluid drag forces imposed
on an outer diameter of said drilling string by pumping a fluid
from said surface down a well tubular conduit while said drilling
string and said drilling device are deployed inside said well
tubular conduit; said produced fluid is a reservoir fluid; said
drilling device comprises a drilling motor; said drilling device
comprises a pulsed data transmission device; said directional
guidance device is rotated at a given well depth or length by
rotating said well tubular conduit from said surface and a new
borehole is drilled in another direction from said common wellbore;
said common wellbore has had casing previously disposed in it and
the method further comprises drilling through said casing and out
beyond said casing into said subterranean strata; said directional
guidance device is translated to a new depth position after
drilling said borehole in said common wellbore and the method
further comprises repeating the step of constructing said boreholes
from said common bore hole at said a new depth position in said
common wellbore; said drilling string is pulled from a new well
bores directional placed from said common wellbore; a core drilling
device is first translated through said well tubular conduit and
said directional guidance device, a core is cut of a subterranean
substance of said common wellbore, said core and coring device are
pulled from the common wellbore, and a drilling string with a
drilling device is thereafter deployed through said well tubular
conduit and directional guidance device and out through the void
created by said core device where drilling of substances is
commenced off said common wellbore; an explosive charge is first
translated through said well tubular conduit and directional
guidance device, said charge is detonated at or near said common
wellbore to form a passage or cavity out into said common wellbore,
the detonated explosive charge is pulled from said well tubular
conduit and said directional guidance device, said drilling string
with drilling device is thereafter deployed through said well
tubular conduit and said directional guidance device and out
through a void in said common wellbore created by the explosive
charge detonation where drilling said subterranean substances is
commenced off said common wellbore through said void created by
said explosive charge; said common wellbore is a substantially
horizontal wellbore; said common wellbore is substantially
vertical; said new boreholes from said common wellbore are
substantially perpendicular to said common wellbore; said drilling
string comprises a solid member comprising a super elastic alloy;
said drilling string comprises a pseudoelastic alloy; and/or the
step of drilling boreholes comprises drilling a plurality of common
horizontal or vertical wellbores from said surface into said
subterranean strata.
[0019] In another embodiment, a directional guidance apparatus
comprises a body comprising at least one proximal entry fluid
passage starting at a proximal end, said fluid passage extending
through the said body and forming a curvature radius that
terminates at an exit port located on a longitudinal side of said
body.
[0020] In certain embodiments, the apparatus further comprises pipe
threads on said proximal end; at least one additional fluid port
hydraulically connected to the fluid passage starting at the said
proximal end of said entry fluid passage, said at least one
additional fluid port terminating in a position different than said
longitudinal exit port; and/or at least one drag tube to be
disposed inside said directional guidance apparatus fluid
passage.
[0021] In one embodiment, a method of enhancing the injection of
fluid from a surface into at least one subterranean strata by
constructing boreholes from a previously drilled common borehole
intersecting said subterranean strata, comprises attaching to a
well tubular conduit a directional guidance device having at least
one internal conduit passage; deploying said well tubular conduit
and said directional guidance device from said surface into said
previously drilled common borehole, wherein said tubular conduit
has a proximal end at said surface of the earth and said attached
directional guidance device is attached near a distal end of said
tubular conduit; constructing a drilling string comprising a
pseudoelastic alloy; attaching a drilling device to a distal end of
said drilling string; translating said drilling string from said
surface into said well tubular conduit through said directional
guidance device; drilling new boreholes into subterranean
substances with said drilling device and drilling string; injecting
surface fluids into said common wellbore and out into said
constructed boreholes; and injecting said surface fluids into said
subterranean strata.
[0022] In certain embodiments, fluids from said at least one
subterranean strata are produced to said surface from at least one
additional wellbore not drilled from said common wellbore; said
injected fluids comprise at least one gas; said injected fluids
comprise supercritical fluids; said injected fluids comprise a
liquid; said injected fluids comprise at least one cryogenic fluid;
said injected fluids are injected into said common wellbore and
into said reservoir through said new boreholes off of said common
wellbore for a period of time and then fluids are returned from
said new boreholes and said common wellbore to said surface; at
least one hydraulic jarring device is attached to said drilling
string; and/or at least a portion of said drilling string comprises
a super elastic form of NITINOL.
[0023] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and
technical advantages of the present invention in order that the
detailed description of the invention that follows may be better
understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention
will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims
of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the
art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be
readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other
structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present
invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art
that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit
and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The
novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the
invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,
together with further objects and advantages will be better
understood from the following description when considered in
connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly
understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the
purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as
a definition of the limits of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates three phases of well construction using
the deployment of the down hole direction guidance apparatus
according to one embodiment of the disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a drawing of a directional guidance device
attached to a well tubular member that extends to the surface of
the earth according to one embodiment of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] As used herein, "a" or "an" means one or more. Unless
otherwise indicated, the singular contains the plural and the
plural contains the singular. Where the disclosure refers to
"perforations" it should be understood to mean "one or more
perforations".
[0027] As used herein, "surface" may refer to locations at or above
the surface of the earth.
[0028] As used herein, "super elastic alloy" may refer to alloys
that have an elastic (reversible) response to an applied stress,
caused by a phase transformation between the austenitic and
martensitic phases of a crystal. It is exhibited in shape-memory
alloys. Super elasticity sometimes referred to as pseudoelasticity
is from the reversible motion of domain boundaries during the phase
transformation of an alloy, rather than just bond stretching or the
introduction of defects in the crystal lattice (thus it is not true
superelasticity but rather pseudoelasticity). Even if the domain
boundaries do become pinned, they may be reversed through heating.
Thus, a pseudoelastic material may return to its previous shape
(hence, shape memory) after the removal of even relatively high
applied strains. These alloys include but are not limited to a
family of alloys known as Nitinol (an alloy comprising nickel and
titanium and/or other elements).
[0029] Pseudoelasticity, sometimes referred to as superelasticity,
is an elastic (reversible) response to an applied stress, caused by
a phase transformation between the austenitic and martensitic
phases of a crystal. It is exhibited in shape-memory alloys.
Pseudoelasticity is from the reversible motion of domain boundaries
during the phase transformation, rather than just bond stretching
or the introduction of defects in the crystal lattice (thus it is
not true superelasticity but rather pseudoelasticity).
[0030] Superelastic alloys belong to the larger family of
shape-memory alloys. When mechanically loaded, a superelastic alloy
deforms reversibly to very high strains--up to 10%--by the creation
of a stress-induced phase. When the load is removed, the new phase
becomes unstable and the material regains its original shape.
Unlike shape-memory alloys, no change in temperature is needed for
the alloy to recover its initial shape.
[0031] The term drilling herein is intended to encompass the art of
cutting holes in substances, and includes but is not limited to the
use of high pressure fluid jets, abrasive cutting jets, cutting
bits, milling bits, which can include rotational methods, as well
as hammering methods.
[0032] A brief description of the method used to drill boreholes
through a previously constructed common borehole largely
perpendicular to said previously constructed common wellbore is
disclosed herein. It should be noted that this method may be
applied to all manners of recovery of subterranean substances, such
as, but not limited to, oil, gas, bitumen, kerogen, tar, water,
CO.sub.2, helium, methane, bromine, iodine, gold, silver, platinum,
lithium, rare earths, etc.
[0033] Once the common borehole is constructed to the subterranean
depth required, the well casing may or may not be grouted into the
common wellbore. For casing is grouted into place, an additional
step of this method includes first cutting or coring the casing.
Once the common wellbore is drilled to the required depth, the
drilling rig can be substituted with a work over rig, which may be
a smaller, more economical surface rig. The work over rig can be
used to deploy into the well a tubing or drill pipe string.
[0034] At a high level, the embodiment in FIG. 1 shows first phase
110. In this embodiment, direction guidance device 1 forms a
passage for the deployment of stick pipe 10, or other devices such
as cable, tubes, and solid rods 11 through said guidance device 1
as shown in second phase 120. Third phase 130 depicts a guidance
tube 3 disposed through the guidance apparatus device 1 body from
the surface down a well tubing 2 shown on the first phase 110. FIG.
1 further shows a drilling string 4 inserted through guidance tube
3 in the third phase 130. As shown in phase 130 of this embodiment,
the drilling string 4 is depicted as a tube having a drilling fluid
pumped from the surface down inside the drilling string 4 and out a
drilling device 5 at the distal end of drilling string 4 shown in
the third phase 130, where the depicted device 5 is a jetting
device having reverse jets imposing a reactionary force on the
drilling string 4 that pulls the drilling string 4 away from the
directional guidance apparatus 1 and away from common wellbore 12.
The third phase 130 further shows a fluid 6 being pumped down the
annular space between the drilling string 4 outer diameter and the
guidance tube 3 internal diameter, where said fluid pumping action
imposes a drag force on the drilling string 4 which assists in the
translation of the drilling string through the guidance tube 3 and
the curved passage of the directional guidance apparatus and out
into the reservoir 7. Other types of drilling devices 5 are also
contemplated. Drilling strings presented herein may be of types
commonly known in the art, such as, for example, threaded and
jointed pipe joints, electric wire line, or continuous tubing.
[0035] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the
directional guidance device comprises a body with at least one
proximal entry passage starting at a proximal end, said passage
extending through the directional guidance device body said passage
forms a curvature radius that terminates said passage through the
directional guidance device body at an exit port located on a
longitudinal side of said body representing an exit port
substantially perpendicular to the proximal entry passage. In one
embodiment, the directional guidance device has at least one
additional port hydraulically connected to the main passage through
the body wherein said additional port terminates in a position
different than the longitudinal exit port. For example, said
additional port in said passage through the directional guidance
device terminates on the distal end of the directional guidance
device.
[0036] Turning to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a sequential depiction of one
embodiment is depicted wherein string 2 is shown in a tubular
string of casing 14 deployed from the surface of the earth by way
of, for example, a work over rig and through a blowout preventer on
the top of the common wellbore at the surface. In this embodiment,
said string 2 is lowered into the common wellbore 12 with a tubular
guidance device 1 on or near the distal end of string 2. String 2
is lowered to the required position depth in said common well bore
12 where a subterranean reservoir 7 is located. At this point the
well tubular member, tubing string 2, is held stationary at the
surface of the earth with slips set on the floor of the work over
rig. This stationary holding of string 2 at surface holds tubular
guidance device 11 at the distal end of string 2 stationary at the
required position depth near the reservoir 7 in said common well
bore 12. In one embodiment, the common wellbore 12 is an open hole
completion wherein no casing is deployed, and as such the tubular
guidance device would be built to have an external diameter close
to or indeed the same as the diameter of the borehole 12. In
another embodiment, as shown in first phase 110, said common
wellbore 12 is completed with a casing string 14. Common wellbore
12, in one embodiment, is grouted into place with cement 15 across
the reservoir 7.
[0037] According to one embodiment, a second phase 120 of FIG. 1
depicts, by way of the surface workover rig draw works, the
lowering of drill string 10 having a drill rod 11 attached to the
distal end of said string 10 and a drilling device 20 on the distal
end of said drill rod 11. The drilling rod 11 in one embodiment
comprises an alloy known as Nitinol. Drill string 10 can be of
various sizes, such as 1.5'' OD and is lowered through tubing
string 2 previously disposed in common wellbore 12, through
directional guidance device 1, where drilling device 20 encounters
common wellbore 12 and casing 14. Drill string 10 is then rotated
from the surface using a workover rig rotary device, common to all
oil and gas rotary drilling rigs well known in the industry. Fluid
30 from the surface is pumped down well tubular 2 where said fluid
30 flows out of the directional guidance device 1 and flows up the
common wellbore 12 casing 14 to the surface. The pumping of fluid
30 assists to drag the drilling rod 11 through the passage in the
directional guidance device and out into the common wellbore. In an
alternative embodiment, drilling rod 11 device can be replaced with
a drilling tube 4 or electric wireline. In the embodiment shown in
phase 120 of FIG. 1, drag fluid 30 is pumped from surface down well
tubing 2 and into the proximal end of the directional guidance
device 1 connected to the distal end of well tubing 2 where fluid
30 passes out of the directional guidance device distal end ports.
Drag fluid 30 is used to propel drilling device 20 and drilling rod
11 through the passage of directional guidance device 1 into the
casing 14 where said drilling device bores through said casing and
out into the reservoir 7. Once the core or hole is cut in the
casing 14 and cement grout 15, drill pipe 10 and drilling device 20
are extracted back to the surface from well tubing 2.
[0038] According to one embodiment, during third phase 130, a drag
tube 3 is lowered through well tubing 2 into the directional
guidance device 1 from the surface using the workover rig draw
works. This drag tube 3 can be attached to a drill string 10 as
shown in phase 120 or other well tubular member well known to those
familiar with the art of well construction. Examples of other drill
strings include coiled tubing and jointed stick pipe. Once this
drag tube 3 is lowered into place through the passage in the
directional guidance device 1, it is held at the surface with
slips, and a further jet drilling tube 4 having a drilling jetting
bit assembly 5 on the distal end of said jet drilling tube 4 is
lowered into said drag tube 3 from the surface, through the
directional guidance device 1, and out into the cavity or bore
created in phase 120 process by the previously discussed drilling
device 20 of the second phase 120.
[0039] In one embodiment, the process of placing and passing the
jet drilling tube 4 and jet drilling assembly 5 is assisted by
pumping a drag fluid 6 from surface down drag tube 3 wherein said
drag fluid assists in pulling said jet drilling tube 4 through said
drag tube 3 which was previously disposed in the directional
guidance device 1. A surface pump then is attached to the jet
drilling tube 4 and fluid 21 is pumped down the jet drilling tube 4
and out the drilling jet bit assembly 5. Fluid 21 is returned to
the common wellbore 12 and into casing 14 along with drilling
substances and the combined fluid mix of fluid 6 and fluid 21 are
flowed back to the surface. In one embodiment fluid 21 is cryogenic
nitrogen. In another embodiment fluid 6 is a gas. In one
embodiment, the jet drilling assembly 5 comprises reverse thrusting
jet nozzles to assist in propelling the jet drilling tube 4 away
from the common wellbore 12 and out into the subterranean strata 7
to form a new substantially perpendicular borehole 25 connected to
the common borehole 12. In this embodiment, the method of surface
lowering devices for, pushing, and translating the jet drilling
tube 4 away from the common wellbore 12 can be accomplished with a
surface coiled tubing injector head well known to those in the
field of coiled tubing deployment in the oil and gas industry or a
drilling rigs draw works. In one embodiment, jet drilling fluid 21
is nitrogen, in whole or in part, such that the high pressure
nitrogen coming out of the jet nozzle 5 assists in lifting fluids
from common wellbore 12, cuts the formation 7, and propels the jet
drilling tube 4 with the reactionary force exerted on said jet
drilling string 4 from the reactionary force of the nitrogen
exiting the jets of jet drilling assembly 5.
[0040] Once the jet drilling bit of the third phase 130 extends a
sufficient distance from common wellbore 12, jet drilling tube is
extracted from the well to the surface and the drilling rig rotates
the tubular string 2 to a new radial position at the same depth in
common wellbore 12. The process of coring and creating a new
borehole 25 at the new position in the common wellbore is repeated
as depicted in phase 120. The step of coring can be eliminated in
some cases where the casing and cement grout are cut with high
pressure jetting fluids coming out of the jet bit drilling assembly
5. Or the core step can be replaced by an explosive perforating
step wherein a wire line device having an explosive charge attached
to a wireline truck is disposed down the drag tube 3 from the
surface, and moved through the directional guidance device 1 and
drag tube 3 by pumping a drag fluid 6 down the drag tube 3 whilst
lowering the wireline. Once the explosive charge is fired, and the
casing and cement grout is penetrated by the explosive charge, the
wireline is retracted to the surface and a jet drilling string 4 is
disposed down the drag tube, as discussed above in phase 130, to
start drilling the formation 7 and creating a borehole 25. In
embodiments involving open hole completions, the core or
perforating step can be eliminated and the extraction of drag tube
3 is not required between the construction of each new radially
drilled borehole 25. According to the present disclosure, different
jet drilling fluids 21 are contemplated, including, for example,
acids, nitrogen, gases, cryogenic liquids, bentonite gel fluids,
guar gel liquid systems, polyacrylamide gel liquid systems, oil
lubricants, salt waters, attipulgite clay salt water systems, and
the like.
[0041] In one embodiment, borehole 25 is enlarged by jetting with
high pressure fluid 21 and further enhancing the reservoir 7 fluid
conductivity to the substantially perpendicular borehole 25 to the
common wellbore 12. The enlargement by jetting of the borehole 25
can be done by pumping hydrochloric acid as fluid 6 down the jet
drilling tube 4 while boring out away from the common wellbore 12
or jetting with acid while returning the jet drilling tube 4 to the
common wellbore 12. In one embodiment, cold fluids, such as
cryogenic nitrogen, are pumped down the jetting tube 4 to assist in
cracking and jetting the formation 7 and casing 14. Furthermore, it
is understood that the construction for at least a portion of the
jet drilling tube 4 and drilling rod 11 may use alloys of
pseudoelastic and or super elastic materials. These materials
include the family of alloys known as NiTiNol.
[0042] FIG. 2 shows a drawing of a directional guidance device 1
attached to the distal end a well tubular member 2 that proceeds to
the surface of the earth according to one embodiment of the
disclosure. FIG. 2 further shows a guidance drag tube 3 disposed
inside the well tubular member 2 from the surface and terminating
on the distal longitudinal side end near the end of the curved path
of the directional guidance apparatus 1. Drilling string 4 is
loosely disposed inside guidance drag tube 3 and has attached, at
its distal end, jet drilling assembly 5. Drilling fluid 21 is
pumped down jet drilling string 4 through jet drilling assembly 5
and cuts a borehole 25 in reservoir 7. FIG. 2 further depicts
reservoir 7 producing reservoir fluid 8 from a previously bored
hole while jet drilling assembly 5 is drilling another hole 25.
Drilling fluid 21 and drag fluid 6 are mixed outside directional
guidance device 1 in common wellbore 12 and produced up the common
borehole 12 with reservoir fluid 8 to the surface while the drag
fluid 6 is being pumped down the guidance drag tube 3 such that the
drag forces of drag fluid 6 react on drilling tube 4, thereby
assisting to translate the drilling tube 4 down through drag tube 3
and out into the reservoir 7.
[0043] Although the present invention and its advantages have been
described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,
substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the
appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is
not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the
process, machine, manufacture, and composition of matter, means,
methods and steps described in the specification. As one of
ordinary skilled in the art will readily appreciate from the
disclosure of the present invention, processes, devices,
manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps,
presently existing or later to be developed that perform
substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same
result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be
utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the
appended claims are intended to include within their scope such
processes, devices, manufacture, compositions of matter, means,
methods, or steps.
* * * * *