Non-stop circulation system for maintaining bottom hole pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11365594-B2
Application number	US-201816478842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2018
Priority date	Jan 18, 2017
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

A method for maintaining a constant bottom hole pressure during wellbore drilling operations, the method comprising supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via a top drive at a first pressure while flow of drilling fluid out of a wellbore annulus is restricted by a choke to hold pressure in a wellbore annulus and supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive at a second pressure lower than the first pressure and to a circulation coupler at a third pressure while flow of drilling fluid out of a wellbore annulus is restricted by a choke to hold pressure in the annulus, wherein the sum of the second and third pressures is approximately the same as the first pressure. The method also comprises supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler at the third pressure while pumping drilling fluid into the wellbore annulus by a back pressure pump, wherein the bottom hole pressure at the bottom of the wellbore is maintained substantially constant during all steps of supplying drilling fluid to the drill string.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for maintaining a bottom hole pressure at a bottom of a wellbore during wellbore drilling operations utilizing a drill string positioned within the wellbore, the method comprising:
supplying drilling fluid, at a first pressure, to the drill string via a top drive adjacent to an upper portion of the drill string such that the bottom hole pressure is provided at the bottom of the wellbore;
while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive: supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via (i) the top drive at a second pressure lower than the first pressure and (ii) a circulation coupler at a third pressure, wherein the sum of the second and third pressures is approximately the same as the first pressure such that the bottom hole pressure is provided at the bottom of the wellbore; and
supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler at the third pressure while pumping drilling fluid into an annulus of the wellbore via a back pressure pump such that the bottom hole pressure is provided at the bottom of the wellbore,
wherein the bottom hole pressure at the bottom of the wellbore is maintained at all times during performance of the method.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
restricting flow of drilling fluid out of the annulus of the wellbore via a choke to hold pressure in the annulus while supplying the drilling fluid, at the first pressure, to the drill string via the top drive.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
restricting flow of drilling fluid out of the annulus of the wellbore via the choke to hold pressure in the annulus while supplying the drilling fluid to the drill string via (i) the top drive at the second pressure and (ii) the circulation coupler at the third pressure.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
constantly circulating drilling fluid to the drill string while adding a new stand of drill pipe to the drill string.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
maintaining the bottom hole pressure at the bottom of the wellbore while adding the new stand of drill pipe to the drill string.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
constantly circulating drilling fluid to the drill string while removing a stand of drill pipe from the drill string.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
maintaining the bottom hole pressure at the bottom of the wellbore while removing the stand of drill pipe from the drill string.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the drilling fluid is pumped into the annulus by the back pressure pump at a fourth pressure.

9. A method for maintaining a bottom hole pressure at a bottom of a wellbore during wellbore drilling operations utilizing a drill string positioned within the wellbore, the method comprising:
controlling the bottom hole pressure at the bottom of the wellbore by maintaining flow of drilling fluid to a top drive connected to an upper portion the drill string;
while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive, positioning a circulation coupler around a circulation portion of the drill string having a radial port configured for supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler;
controlling the bottom hole pressure by decreasing flow of drilling fluid to the top drive and increasing flow of drilling fluid to the circulation coupler;
controlling the bottom hole pressure by terminating flow of drilling fluid to the top drive, maintaining flow of drilling fluid to the circulation coupler and pumping drilling fluid into an annulus of the wellbore via a back pressure pump;
while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler, either:
removing a first stand of drill pipe from the drill string, or
adding a second stand of drill pipe to the drill string after disconnecting the top drive from the drill string and connecting the second stand of drill pipe to the disconnected top drive; and

controlling the bottom hole pressure by decreasing flow of drilling fluid to the circulation coupler and increasing flow of drilling fluid to the top drive,
wherein the bottom hole pressure is maintained at all times during performance of the method.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
restricting flow of drilling fluid out of the annulus of the wellbore via a choke while maintaining the flow of drilling fluid to the top drive.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
restricting flow of drilling fluid out of the annulus of the wellbore via a choke while decreasing the flow of drilling fluid to the top drive and increasing the flow of drilling fluid to the circulation coupler.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the circulation coupler supplies drilling fluid to the drill string through a radial port of a circulation portion of the drill string.

13. A method for maintaining a bottom hole pressure at a bottom of a wellbore during wellbore drilling operations utilizing a drill string positioned within the wellbore, the method comprising:
supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via a top drive;
then, while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive, positioning a circulation coupler around a circulation portion of the drill string;
then, while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive, supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler; and
then, while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler, disconnecting the top drive from the drill string,
wherein supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive, before positioning the circulation coupler around the circulation portion, comprises supplying drilling fluid at a first pressure, and
wherein supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive comprises:
supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler at a second pressure; and
supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive at a third pressure, wherein the sum of the second and third pressures is approximately the same as the first pressure.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the circulation portion comprises a radial port through which drilling fluid is supplied to the drill string via the circulation coupler.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler, and after the top drive has been disconnected from the drill string, utilizing the top drive to add a stand of drill pipe to the drill string;
then, while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler, supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive; and
then, while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the top drive, removing the circulation coupler from the drill string.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein disconnecting the top drive from the drill string comprises utilizing the top drive to remove a stand of drill pipe from the drill string, and wherein the method further comprises:
while continually supplying drilling fluid to the drill string via the circulation coupler, disconnecting the removed stand of drill pipe from the top drive;
then, while continually supplying drilling fluid to

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Dow Blaine
• Tarique Zaurayze
• Coffey Scott
• Cremer Justin

Classifications

• E21B21/08 Primary

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title

• E21B21/106

  Valve arrangements outside the borehole, e.g. kelly valves (valves specifically for maintaining circulation of drilling fluid while connecting or disconnecting tubular joints E21B21/019) · CPC title

• E21B19/165

  Control or monitoring arrangements therefor · CPC title

• E21B17/1085

  Wear protectors; Blast joints; Hard facing · CPC title

• E21B21/019

  Arrangements for maintaining circulation of drilling fluid while connecting or disconnecting tubular joints · CPC title