Claims
- 1. A method of well drilling incorporating pressured mud comprising the steps of:
- (1) connecting a drive shaft between a mud-driven motor and a drill bit;
- (2) surrounding a portion of said drive shaft with a tubular housing defining an annular chamber containing a pair of axially spaced face seal housing bearings respectively cooperating with bearing surfaces on said shaft portion to absorb thrust forces on said drive shaft;
- (3) positioning a spring backed annular piston in one axial end of said annular chamber to permit expansion of the volume of said annular chamber;
- (4) displacing said annular piston and compressing said spring in said housing by filling said chamber with pressurized lubricating oil at the surface to maintain a fluid pressure on the oil in said chamber by said spring pressed piston at all times in excess of the mud pressure to prevent mud flow through said bearing surfaces;
- (5) providing a mud passage through said drive shaft to circumvent the oil filled chamber portions of said housing; and
- (6) connecting the housing to a hollow work string by which the assemblage is inserted in the well and supplied with pressured mud.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of resiliently maintaining said housing face seal bearings in engagement with said bearing surfaces on said shaft portion.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division application of Ser. No. 023,420 filed Mar. 23, 1979 which in turn is related to the subject matter in the following co-pending applications, each assigned to the same assignee as this application: co-pending application Ser. No. 023,202 filed Mar. 23, 1979 entitled "Fluid Pressure Actuated By-Pass and Release Valve"; co-pending application Ser. No. 023,200 filed Mar. 23, 1979 entitled "Apparatus and Method for Closing a Failed Open Fluid Pressure Actuated Relief Valve"; co-pending application Ser. No. 023,199 filed Mar. 23, 1979 entitled "Universal Joint Apparatus for Separating Thrust and Torque Forces"; co-pending application Ser. No. 023,423 filed Mar. 23, 1979 entitled "Universal Joint Apparatus having Sliding Plate Construction for Separating Thrust and Torque Forces"; co-pending application Ser. No. 023,422 filed Mar. 23, 1979 entitled "Improvements in Fluid Sealing of a Universal Joint for a Downhole Drilling Apparatus"; co-pending application Ser. No. 023,421 filed Mar. 23, 1979 entitled "Marine Bearing for a Downhole Drilling Apparatus"; and copending application Ser. No. 023,419 filed Mar. 23, 1979 entitled "Apparatus for Applying Pressure to Fluid Seals".
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1923282 |
Mar 1969 |
DEX |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
023420 |
Mar 1979 |
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