Active controlled bottomhole pressure system & method

US7114581B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Deep Vision Inc. · US

Inventors

• Peter Aronstam · Houston, US
• Volker Krueger · Celle, DE
• Sven Krueger · Trossingen, DE
• Harald Grimmer · Celle, DE
• Roger Fincher · Conroe, US
• Larry Watkins · Houston, US
• Peter Fontana · London, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 20, 2004
• Grant date: Oct 3, 2006
• Expiry date: Nov 7, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC E): Fixed Constructions
• CPC primary: E21B21/085
• WIPO field: Civil engineering
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

A wellbore drilling system has an umbilical that carries a drill bit in a wellbore. Drilling fluid pumped into the umbilical discharges at the drill bit bottom and returns through an annulus between the umbilical and the wellbore carrying entrained drill cuttings. An active differential pressure device (APD device), such as a jet pump, turbine or centrifugal pump, in fluid communication with the returning fluid creates a differential pressure across the device, which alters the pressure below or downhole of the device. The APD device can be driven by a positive displacement motor, a turbine, an electric motor, or a hydraulic motor. A controller controls the operation of the APD device in response to programmed instructions and/or one or more parameters of interest detected by one or more sensors. A preferred system is a closed loop system that maintains the wellbore at under-balance condition, at-balance condition or over-balance condition.