Methodology and system for utilizing rig mud pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024309727-A1
Application number	US-202318351204-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2023
Priority date	Mar 17, 2023
Publication date	Sep 19, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A technique facilitates a drilling operation, e.g. a land-based drilling operation, by enabling a substantial reduction in the number of equipment components. According to an embodiment, a mud pump assembly is provided with at least one mud pump located on a rig positioned at a wellsite. The mud pumps may be run to perform a mud pumping operation by pumping mud downhole during drilling of a borehole, e.g. a wellbore. During stoppage of the mud pumping operation, the same mud pumps are utilized to perform a cementing operation in which cementing fluid is pumped downhole for cementing of casing. The use of the same mud pumps enables the operator to eliminate not only the separate cement pumps otherwise used for the cementing operation but also the motive units that would be associated with those separate cement pumps.

First claim

1 . A method performed at a wellsite, the method comprising:
providing a mud pump assembly with mud pumps positioned on a rig located at the wellsite; operating the mud pumps to perform a mud pumping operation by pumping mud through the mud pumps to a mud outlet of the mud pump assembly to provide the mud downhole during drilling of a borehole; clearing the mud from the mud pump assembly by flowing a flushing fluid through a flush out line of a suction manifold of the mud pump assembly to a cleanout port of the mud pump assembly; and subsequently operating the mud pumps to perform a cementing operation by pumping cementing fluid through the mud pumps to a cement outlet of the mud pump assembly to provide the cementing fluid downhole to cement casing in the borehole, thus utilizing the same mud pumps to pump the mud for the mud pumping operation and to pump the cementing fluid for the cementing operation.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising using a cement mixer skid to mix of the cementing fluid.

3 . The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising delivering the cementing fluid to the mud pumps via a flowline.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising flushing the cementing fluid from the mud pump assembly.

5 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the flushing comprises flushing the cementing fluid from the mud pump assembly by flowing the flushing fluid through the flush out line of the suction manifold of the mud pump assembly to the cleanout port of the mud pump assembly.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a discharge pressure of the mud pumps via a pressure transducer.

7 . The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising tracking a flow rate of the cementing fluid discharged at the cement mixer skid.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising using a common control system during the mud pumping operation and the cementing operation.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cement outlet of the mud pump assembly is a separate discharge port to discharge the cementing fluid to provide the cementing fluid downhole to cement the casing in the borehole.

10 . A system for use in a well, comprising:
a rig located at a wellsite; a mud pump assembly having a plurality of mud pumps, the mud pump assembly being positioned on the rig; a cement mixer to mix a cementing fluid that is used during a cementing operation with respect to the well; a mud supply to provide mud during a mud pumping operation, the cement mixer and the mud supply both being in fluid communication with the mud pumps such that the mud pumps are used to perform the mud pumping operation by pumping mud through the mud pumps to a mud outlet of the mud pump assembly and the cementing operation by pumping the cementing fluid through the mud pumps to a cement outlet of the mud pump assembly; and a flushing fluid supply to provide a flushing fluid to a flush out line of a suction manifold of the mud pump assembly between the mud pumping operation and the cementing operation to flush the mud, the cementing fluid, or both through a cleanout port of the mud pump assembly.

11 . The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the cement mixer is located on a skid.

12 . The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the cement mixer is located on the rig.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the mud pump assembly comprises the mud outlet and the cement outlet as separate discharge ports for the mud during the mud pumping operation and the cementing fluid during the cementing operation, respectively.

15 . The system as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of sensors to monitor discharge pressure of the mud pumps and displacement flow rate of the cementing fluid.

16 . A method for use at a wellsite, the method comprising:
providing a rig with a mud pump assembly having at least one mud pump; using the at least one mud pump to perform a mud pumping operation by pumping mud through the at least one mud pump to a mud outlet of the mud pump assembly and a cementing operation by pumping a cementing fluid through the at least one mud pump to a cement outlet of the mud pump assembly without having separate cementing operation pumps at the wellsite; and flushing the mud through a cleanout port of the mud pump assembly by providing a flushing fluid through a flush out line of a suction manifold of the mud pump assembly after the mud pumping operation and prior to the cementing operation.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising flushing the cementing fluid through the cleanout port of the mud pump assembly by providing the flushing fluid through the flush out line of the suction manifold of the mud pump assembly after the cementing operation.

19 . The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising using a cement mixer skid to mix the cementing fluid.

20 . The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising monitoring a discharge pressure of the at least one mud pump and tracking a flow rate of the cementing fluid.

21 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the clearing comprises:
opening a first valve at an upstream end of the flush out line to enable the flowing of the flushing fluid into the flush out line of the suction manifold of the mud pump assembly; and opening a second valve at a downstream end of the flush out line of the suction manifold of the mud pump assembly to enable the flowing of the flushing fluid through the cleanout port of the mud pump assembly.

22 . The method as recited in claim 21 , comprising closing the first valve and the second valve while subsequently operating the mud pumps to perform the cementing operation.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Patton Bartley
• Huey William Troy
• Vaughan Mark

Classifications

• B28C9/004 Primary

  Making slurries, e.g. with discharging means for injecting in a well or projecting against a wall · CPC title

• E21B33/13 Primary

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• E21B21/062

  by mixing components · CPC title

• E21B7/00

  Special methods or apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• E21B21/08

  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