This application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119 of the filing date of International Application Serial No. PCT/US11/31367 filed 6 Apr. 2011. The entire disclosure of this prior application is incorporated herein by this reference.
The present disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with drilling a wellbore and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a rotating control device with a gripping device for positive drive of a seal in the rotating control device.
A rotating control device includes a seal which seals about a drill string therein. Changing the seal is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and can be hazardous in certain situations. Therefore, it will be appreciated that it would be desirable to prevent wear of, or damage to, the seal.
Representatively illustrated in
A rotating control device (RCD) 20 seals off an annulus formed radially about the drill string 12, so that the well below the wellhead 16 is isolated from atmosphere. An outlet 22 allows for circulation of fluid (such as drilling mud, etc.) through the well below the RCD 20.
At this point it should be noted that the well system 10 is described herein as merely one example of a variety of well systems in which the principles of this disclosure can be incorporated. For example, it is not necessary for the drill string 12 to be rotated with the top drive 18, since in other examples the drill string could be rotated with a kelly and rotary table, or with a mud motor, etc. Thus, it will be appreciated that the principles of this disclosure are not limited in any manner to the details of the well system 10 and associated method depicted in the drawings or described herein.
Referring additionally now to
Rotating control devices are also known in the art as rotating blowout preventers, rotating heads, rotating control heads, rotating diverters, etc. Rotating control devices seal about drill strings while the drill strings rotate therein.
The seal 24 is mounted to a generally tubular mandrel 30. Bearings 32 provide for rotation of the mandrel 30 and seal 24 relative to the body 28.
Although the seal 24 and mandrel 30 can rotate with the drill string 12, friction between the seal and the drill string is relied on to cause rotation of the seal. Unfortunately, relative rotation between the drill string 12 and the seal 24 can cause damage to the seal, thereby shortening its useful life.
In some situations in the past, the mandrel 30 has been forced to rotate with the drill string 12 by engaging the mandrel with a bushing (not shown) on a kelly (not shown). However, this system only works if a kelly is used in the drilling operation (a kelly is not used if the top drive 18 of
Referring additionally now to
However, the RCD 20 further includes a gripping device 34 attached at an upper end of the mandrel 30. The gripping device 34 is depicted schematically in
The gripping device 34 grips the drill string 12 in a unique manner, and thereby forces the mandrel 30 and seal 24 to rotate with the drill string. This prevents (or at least mitigates) relative rotation between the drill string 12 and the seal 24. The drill string 12 can, however, displace longitudinally (e.g., in a direction along a longitudinal axis 35 of the drill string) through the gripping device 34 as a wellbore being drilled by the drill string deepens, or as the drill string is tripped into or out of the wellbore.
Referring additionally now to
As depicted in
Supports 42 inwardly support the jaws 36 when the supports are received in a reduced lateral dimension section 44 of the gripping device 34. Furthermore, torsion springs 46 bias the jaws 36 radially inward into gripping engagement with the drill string 12.
The jaws 36 are also biased upward relative to a body 48 of the gripping device 34 by compression springs 50. In particular, the springs 50 bias the pivots 38 upward, thereby tending to displace the supports 42 into the reduced lateral dimension section 44.
Referring additionally now to
The configuration of
Note that the jaws 36 rotate about axes 58 of the pivots 38 which are transverse relative to the drill string axis 35.
Referring additionally now to
The jaws 36 are pivotably mounted on carriers 60 which are laterally displaceable relative to the body 48. Biasing devices, such as springs (not shown), may be used to bias the carriers 60 and jaws 36 radially inward relative to the body 48.
The inclined surfaces 54 on the upper and lower ends of the jaws 36 cause the jaws to be displaced radially outward if an enlarged diameter section of the drill string 12 contacts the jaws, whether the enlarged diameter section is being displaced upwardly or downwardly through the gripping device 34. Note that inclined surfaces 54 could be provided on upper and lower ends of the jaws 36 in the configuration of
Referring additionally now to
Specifically, if the drill string 12 rotates in a clockwise (right-hand) direction as indicated by arrows 62 in
It may now be fully appreciated that the above disclosure provides several advancements to the art of constructing and operating rotating control devices. The rotating control device 20 mitigates wear of, and damage to, the seal 24 due to relative rotation between the seal and the drill string 12.
The above disclosure describes a rotating control device 20 which can include a rotatably mounted seal 24 which sealingly engages a drill string 12. A gripping device 34 grips the drill string 12, and thereby forces the seal 24 to rotate with the drill string 12.
The gripping device 34 may include a gripping jaw 36 which grips the drill string 12. The gripping jaw 36 may be biased into contact with the drill string 12. The jaw 36 may be displaceable radially relative to the drill string 12.
The jaw 36 may pivot about an axis 58 which is transverse relative to the drill string 12. The jaw 36 may pivot about an axis 58 which is parallel to a longitudinal axis 35 of the drill string 12.
Rotation of the drill string 12 relative to the gripping device 34 can cause a gripping force exerted by the gripping device 34 to increase.
Also described above is a drilling method. The method can include positioning a drill string 12 in a rotating control device 20, gripping the drill string 12 with a gripping device 34 of the rotating control device 20, and rotating the drill string 12, gripping engagement between the gripping device 34 and the drill string 12 causing a seal 24 of the rotating control device 20 to rotate along with the drill string 12.
Rotating the drill string 12 may include increasing a gripping force exerted by the gripping device 34 when the drill string 12 rotates relative to the gripping device 34.
Gripping the drill string 12 may include engaging a gripping jaw 36 of the gripping device 34 with the drill string 12. Engaging the gripping jaw 36 may include pivoting the gripping jaw 36.
The method may also include displacing the gripping jaw 36 radially outward relative to the drill string 12 as an increased diameter section of the drill string 12 displaces through the rotating control device 20.
The method may also include attaching the gripping device 34 to a mandrel 30 of the rotating control device 20, the mandrel 30 being fixed relative to the seal 24.
The above disclosure also describes a well system 10, which can include a drill string 12, and a rotating control device 20 including a seal 24 which sealingly engages the drill string 12, and a gripping device 34 which grippingly engages the drill string 12.
The well system 10 may also include a top drive 18 which rotates the drill string 12.
It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure described herein may be utilized in various orientations, such as inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., and in various configurations, without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. The embodiments are described merely as examples of useful applications of the principles of the disclosure, which is not limited to any specific details of these embodiments.
In the above description of the representative embodiments of the disclosure, directional terms, such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” etc., are used for convenience in referring to the accompanying drawings. In general, “above,” “upper,” “upward” and similar terms refer to a vertical direction upward from the earth's surface, and “below,” “lower,” “downward” and similar terms refer to a vertically downward direction.
Of course, a person skilled in the art would, upon a careful consideration of the above description of representative embodiments of the disclosure, readily appreciate that many modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, and other changes may be made to the specific embodiments, and such changes are contemplated by the principles of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.
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