Directional drilling system with cartridges
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsJames Wilson Moore, Scott James Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A directional drilling system includes a housing and a motor positioned within the housing and operably coupled to a drill bit to rotate the drill bit. The system further includes a primary pad assembly comprising a primary pad and a primary actuator coupled to the primary pad to selectively extend from an exterior of the housing, and a backup pad assembly to back up the primary pad assembly, the backup pad assembly comprising a backup pad and a backup actuator coupled to the backup pad to selectively extend from the exterior of the housing.
Claims18
A directional drilling system for use with a drill bit, the directional drilling system comprising:
- a housing separate from and coupled to the drill bit;
- a first pad assembly comprising a first pad and a first actuator coupled to the first pad to selectively extend the first pad from an exterior of the housing;
- and
- a second pad assembly to back up the first pad assembly, the second pad assembly comprising a second pad and a second actuator coupled to the second pad to selectively extend the second pad from the exterior of the housing, the second pad assembly azimuthally aligned with and spaced axially apart from the first pad assembly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
- wherein the second pad assembly is operable to steer the direction of the drilling of the borehole by selectively extending the second pad while the first pad remains retracted, and
- wherein the housing comprises a cavity within the housing, the system further comprising a cartridge comprising at least one of a drive shaft operatively coupled to the drill bit or a motor to rotate the drill bit, the cartridge removably positionable within the cavity of the housing.
A method to drill a borehole with a directional drilling system, the method comprising:
- drilling with a drill bit separate from and operably coupled to the directional drilling system;
- inserting a cartridge comprising at least one of a drive shaft configured to operatively couple to the drill bit or a motor to rotate the drill bit into a cavity of a housing of the directional drilling system;
- steering the direction of the drilling by operating the directional drilling system, wherein operation of the directional drilling system comprises:
- retracting a first pad of a first pad assembly into the housing of the directional drilling system;
- selectively extending a second pad of a second pad assembly from an exterior of the housing to apply a steering force against a wall of the borehole to steer the drill bit, the second pad assembly azimuthally aligned with and axially spaced apart from the first pad assembly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the housing;
- and
- continuing to steer the direction of the drilling of the borehole by selectively extending the second pad while the first pad remains retracted.
A directional drilling system for use with a drill bit, the directional drilling system comprising:
- a housing comprising a cavity formed within the housing;
- a cartridge comprising at least one of a motor to rotate the drill bit or a drive shaft operatively coupled to the drill bit, the cartridge removably positioned within the cavity of the housing;
- a first pad assembly comprising a first pad and a first actuator, the first pad extendable from an exterior of the housing to apply a steering force to the drill bit;
- and
- a second pad assembly comprising a second pad and a second actuator, the second pad extendable from an exterior of the housing to apply a second steering force to the drill bit, wherein the second pad assembly is azimuthally aligned with and axially spaced apart from the first pad assembly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.