Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for riserless drilling

US7150324B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
32References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 4, 2002
Grant dateDec 19, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 4, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
  • CPC primaryE21B7/128
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An offshore riserless drilling system drills a subsea borehole from a platform and through a cased borehole. The system comprises a lightweight drill string suspending a bottomhole assembly and extending from the platform downwardly through a depth of water into the cased borehole; a first limiter limiting the range of motion of the drill string adjacent the platform; and a second limiter limiting the range of motion of the drill string adjacent the cased borehole. The preferred methods include lowering a bottomhole assembly suspended on a lightweight drill string from a platform through a depth of water; limiting the bend radius of the drill string adjacent the platform; guiding the bottomhole assembly into a cased borehole; limiting the bend radius of the drill string adjacent the cased borehole; maintaining the bottomhole assembly in the cased borehole, and drilling the subsea borehole.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.