The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for drilling wells and, more particularly, to a reamer and corresponding method for enlarging the drift diameter and improving the well path of a wellbore.
Extended reach wells are drilled with a bit driven by a down hole motor that can be steered up, down, left, and right. Steering is facilitated by a bend placed in the motor housing above the drill bit. Holding the drill string in the same rotational position, such as by locking the drill string against rotation, causes the bend to consistently face the same direction. This is called “sliding”. Sliding causes the drill bit to bore along a curved path, in the direction of the bend, with the drill string following that path as well.
Repeated correcting of the direction of the drill bit during sliding causes friction between the wellbore and the drill string greater than when the drill string is rotated. Such corrections form curves in the well path known as “doglegs”. For example, the drill string presses against the inside of each dogleg turn, causing added friction. These conditions can limit the distance the wellbore can be extended within the production zone and can also cause problems getting the production string through the wellbore.
Similar difficulties can also occur during conventional drilling, with a conventional drill bit that is rotated by rotating the drill string from the surface. Instability of the drill bit can cause a spiral or other tortuous path to be cut by the drill bit. This causes the drill string to press against the inner surface of resulting curves in the wellbore and can interfere with extending the wellbore within the production zone and getting the production string through the wellbore.
When a dogleg, spiral path or tortuous path is cut by a drill bit, the relatively unobstructed passageway following the center of the wellbore has a substantially smaller diameter than the wellbore itself. This relatively unobstructed passageway is sometimes referred to as the “drift” and the nominal diameter of the passageway is sometimes referred to as the “drift diameter”. The “drift” of a passageway is generally formed by wellbore surfaces forming the inside radii of curves along the path of the wellbore. Passage of pipe or tools through the relatively unobstructed drift of the wellbore is sometimes referred to as “drift” or “drifting”.
In general, to address these difficulties the drift diameter has been enlarged with conventional reaming techniques by enlarging the diameter 16 of the entire wellbore. See
When rotary tools are used inside a bore there is a dynamic effect called “whirl” that can occur. This is a secondary mode of motion different from the spinning of the tool, but driven by the rotation of the tool. Whirl is caused when the tool begins to roll around the inner diameter of the wellbore very rapidly in tight eccentric orbits, often with multiple orbits per each revolution of the tool. Large radial forces develop that cause radial impact damage to the tool's cutters. These tools are often used in vertical and horizontal orientations, but the vertical orientation is the most susceptible to whirl. In horizontal applications the weight of the tool helps keep the tool to one side (the bottom). Whirl is a deleterious effect at the drill bit as well. In existing eccentric reaming tools, two eccentric reamers are opposed and spaced apart from each other, so in a whirl mode the two reamers hand off the radial forces to each other as the tool rolls around.
Therefore, there is a need for a reaming device that is able to reduce whirl while still conditioning the well bore.
To address these needs, the invention provides a method and apparatus for increasing the drift diameter and improving the well path of the wellbore. This is accomplished, in one embodiment, by cutting away material primarily forming surfaces nearer the center of the drift. Doing so reduces applied power, applied torque and resulting drag compared to conventional reamers that cut into all surfaces of the wellbore.
One embodiment of the invention is directed to a reamer for increasing the diameter of a wellbore. The reamer comprises an eccentric reamer lobe having at least one cutting blade and a roller, wherein the roller encompasses the circumference of the reamer.
Preferably, the lobe is positioned to urge at least one cutting blade into engagement with the surface of the wellbore nearest a center of drift of the wellbore. In a preferred embodiment, the roller is adapted to provide an opposing force to a force acting on the lobe. Preferably, the reamer is positioned at least 100 feet behind a drill bit. The reamer preferably further comprises a drill string to which the reamer is coupled.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the at least one cutting blades comprises a plurality of cutting teeth. Preferably, the plurality of cutting teeth extend tangentially to the reamer. Preferably, the teeth of each of the at least one cutting blades are offset from the teeth of an adjacent cutting blade. Preferably, each tooth is comprised of carbide or diamond. In a preferred embodiment, the teeth face the direction of rotation. The teeth of each of the at least one cutting blades are preferably longitudinally overlapping from the teeth of the adjacent cutting blades.
Preferably, each of the at least one cutting blades extends along a spiral path on a portion of the outer surface of the lobe, wherein the spiral path traverses an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the reamer. Preferably, each of the at least one cutting blades extends parallel or at an angle to an axis of the reamer. In a preferred embodiment, the lobe and the roller work in conjunction to limit whirl during drilling. The roller is preferably comprised of an abrasive material. Preferably, the roller further comprises grooves in an outer surface.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a drill string. The drill string comprises a bottom hole assembly and a reamer. The reamer comprises an eccentric reamer lobe having at least one cutting blade, and a roller, wherein the roller encompasses the circumference of the reamer.
In a preferred embodiment, the reamer is positioned at least 100 feet behind the bottom hole assembly. Preferably, the bottom hole assembly comprises a drill bit. Preferably, the lobe is positioned to urge at least one cutting blade into engagement with the surface of the wellbore nearest a center of drift of the wellbore. The roller is preferably adapted to provide an opposing force to a force acting on the lobe.
Preferably, each of the at least one cutting blades comprises a plurality of cutting teeth. Preferably, the plurality of cutting teeth extend tangentially to the reamer. In a preferred embodiment, the teeth of each of the at least one cutting blades are offset from the teeth of an adjacent cutting blade. Preferably, each tooth is comprised of carbide or diamond. Preferably, the teeth face the direction of rotation. Preferably, the teeth of each of the at least one cutting blades are longitudinally overlapping from the teeth of the adjacent cutting blades.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the at least one cutting blades extends along a spiral path on a portion of the outer surface of the lobe, wherein the spiral path traverses an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the reamer. Preferably, each of the at least one cutting blades extends parallel or at an angle to an axis of the reamer. Preferably, the lobe and the roller work in conjunction to limit whirl during drilling. Preferably, the roller is comprised of an abrasive material. Preferably, the roller further comprises grooves in an outer surface.
Other embodiments and advantages of the invention are set forth in part in the description, which follows, and in part, may be obvious from this description, or may be learned from the practice of the invention.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following Detailed Description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following discussion, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known elements have been illustrated in schematic or block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. Additionally, for the most part, specific details, and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not considered necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention, and are considered to be within the understanding of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art.
As shown in
In
Each of the sets 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D of teeth 108 is preferably arranged along a spiral path along the surface of lobe 105, with the downhole tooth leading as the reamer 100 rotates (e.g., see
Turning now to
Turning now to
Turning now to
Turning now to
The location and arrangement of Sets of teeth on an embodiment of a reamer as described above, and teeth within each set, may be rearranged to suit particular applications. For example, the alignment of the Sets of teeth relative to the centerline of the drill pipe, the distance between teeth and Sets of teeth, the diameter of rotational path of the teeth, number of teeth and Sets of teeth, shape and eccentricity of the reamer surface holding the teeth and the like may be varied.
Returning to
Roller 110 is preferably eccentric to the tool body and provides opposing force to the lobe 105, providing proper radial pressure to teeth 108. The eccentricity may be on the same side of reamer 100 as the lobe 105, opposite to lobe 105, or at another location about reamer 100. For example, roller 100 is preferably mounted 180 degrees opposing the tallest blade of lobe 105, but alternative alignments may be utilized for specific effect. Roller 110 preferably encompasses the entire circumference of the reamer 100, providing contact surfaces 360° around reamer 100. In other embodiments, roller 110 may only encompass a portion of the circumference of reamer 100. The tool joint on the end of reamer 100 with roller 110 is preferably eccentric to the tool body to preserve and enhance the pass thru ability for a given size of tool. Roller 110 may have recesses to allow drilling fluid and waste to pass around roller 110.
Lobe 105 preferably does the majority of the material removal in this configuration, but roller 110 can be designed to help condition the bore as roller 110 passes through. Roller 110 preferably has a wear resistant coating with various textures that abrade the rock, or cutting inserts that work using radial pressure. In another embodiment, roller 110 can be a wear resistant material itself such as ceramic.
Having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Many such variations and modifications may be considered desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.
This application is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/US2018/055230, filed Oct. 10, 2018; which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/570,163 filed Oct. 10, 2017, entitled “WELLBORE REAMING SYSTEMS AND DEVICES” which are specifically incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
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PCT/US2018/055230 | 10/10/2018 | WO | 00 |
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WO2019/075076 | 4/18/2019 | WO | A |
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