One trip liner drilling and cementing
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorMichael Eric Moffitt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liner drilling system and method to at least partially drill a wellbore with a liner and cement the liner in place in the wellbore, in a single downhole trip. An example system includes a liner releasably coupled to a drill string. The drill string extends through an axial bore of the liner and a downhole end includes a bottomhole assembly and a drill bit that rotate to drill a portion of a wellbore. A liner annulus is formed between the drill string and the liner. An annulus isolator is coupled to the liner and isolates flow within the bore of the liner from flowing through at least a portion of a wellbore annulus between the liner and the wellbore. A diverter in the drill string is positioned uphole of the bottomhole assembly and establishes a cement flow path into the liner annulus.
Claims19
A method of drilling, comprising,
- drilling at least a portion of a wellbore while running a liner into the wellbore, the liner coupled to a drill string extending through a bore of the liner, the drill string coupled to a drill bit, and the drill string and the liner defining a liner annulus radially therebetween;
- isolating the bore of the liner from a wellbore annulus defined radially between the liner and the wellbore;
- establishing a downhole cement path through a bore of the drill string and into the liner annulus through at least one diverter;
- hanging the liner from a liner hanger within the wellbore;
- decoupling the liner from the drill string;
- pumping cement along the cement path, the cement path extending downhole through the liner annulus, radially outward through the liner, and at least partially uphole into the wellbore annulus, wherein pumping cement along the cement path extending radially outward through the liner includes increasing fluid pressure in the liner annulus and thereby opening a cement port incorporated in a body of an annulus isolator isolating the bore of the liner from the wellbore annulus;
- pumping a displacement fluid along the cement path and thereby displacing the cement at least partially into the wellbore annulus;
- and
- withdrawing the drill string and drill bit from the wellbore, the method accomplished in a single downhole trip.
A system for drilling, hanging liner, and cementing in a single trip, comprising:
- a liner releasably coupled to a drill string, the drill string extending through an axial bore of the liner, the drill string including a bottomhole assembly and a drill bit at a downhole end portion thereof and arranged and designed to rotate to at least partially drill a wellbore, the drill string and the liner defining a liner annulus radially therebetween;
- a liner shoe coupled to the liner;
- an annulus isolator coupled to the liner, positioned in the liner shoe, and arranged and designed to isolate flow within the bore of the liner from flowing through at least a portion of a wellbore annulus defined between the liner and the wellbore;
- and
- a diverter in the drill string uphole of the bottomhole assembly, the diverter establishing a cement path into the liner annulus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.