Controlling lost circulation while drilling
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorAbdulrahman K. Aleid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tubular defines a central flow passage. A camera has an aperture and attached to an outer surface of the tubular with the aperture oriented away from the outer surface of the tubular. A lost circulation media reservoir is circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the outer surface of the tubular. The lost circulation media reservoir is adjacent to the camera. The lost circulation media reservoir includes actuable gates along a periphery of the lost circulation media reservoir. A trigger is communicably coupled with the actuable gates and configured to actuate the actuable gates.
Claims20
A bottomhole assembly comprising:
- a tubular defining a central flow passage;
- a camera having an aperture and attached to an outer surface of the tubular and the aperture oriented away from the outer surface of the tubular;
- a lost circulation media reservoir circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the outer surface of the tubular, the lost circulation media reservoir being adjacent to the camera, the lost circulation media reservoir comprising actuable gates along a periphery of the lost circulation media reservoir;
- and
- a trigger communicably coupled with the actuable gates and configured to actuate the actuable gates, wherein the camera is configured to capture:
- a first image of a portion of a reservoir prior to release of lost circulation media from the lost circulation media reservoir in response to actuation of the actuable gates by the trigger, and a second image of the portion of the reservoir subsequent to release of the lost circulation media from the lost circulation media reservoir in response to actuation of the actuable gates by the trigger.
A workstring comprising:
- a camera oriented to face a wall of a wellbore, the camera configured to capture pictures of the wall of the wellbore before and after sealing operations;
- a lost circulation media reservoir comprising actuable gate along a periphery of the lost circulation media reservoir, the actuable gate configured to retain or release lost circulation media based upon a position of the actuable gate;
- a liquid sealant reservoir;
- a trigger configured to actuate the actuable gates responsive to a stimulus from a topside facility;
- and
- a drill bit at a downhole end of the workstring,
- wherein the camera is configured to capture:
- a first image of the wall of the wellbore prior to a first sealing operation that comprises release of the lost circulation media from the lost circulation media reservoir in response to actuation of the actuable gates by the trigger, and a second image of the wall of the wellbore subsequent to the first sealing operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.