Apparatus and method for well operations
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsRonald Johannes Dirksen, Daniel David Gleitman, William W. Shumway
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for modifying a return fluid in a wellbore comprising disposing at least one valve along a drill pipe section of a drill string in the wellbore. At least one parameter of interest is determined at at least one location along the wellbore. At least one valve is controllably actuated to discharge at least a portion of at least one fluid from inside the drill string to an annulus in the wellbore to modify a local property of the return fluid in the annulus based at least in part on the measured parameter of interest.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of valve subs spaced at intervals along a drill pipe section of a drill string in a wellbore, the plurality of valve subs being in hydraulic communication with a first fluid in the drill string and a return fluid in an annulus in the wellbore,
- wherein a first valve sub of the plurality of the plurality of valve subs comprises a master controller having a processor and a memory, and
- wherein the master controller is operatively coupled with the first valve sub and each of the other valve subs to electronically actuate at least one valve of each of the first valve sub and the plurality of valve subs to discharge at least a portion of the first fluid from inside the drill pipe section into the annulus to change at least one parameter of interest of the return fluid.
A method of operating a valve sub, the method comprising:
- operating a master controller comprising a processor and a memory to electronically actuate at least one valve of a plurality of valve subs to discharge at least a portion of a first fluid from inside a drill pipe section into an annulus to change at least one parameter of interest of the return fluid,
- wherein the master controller is positioned within a first valve sub of the plurality of valves subs, and operatively coupled to each of the plurality of valve subs, and
- wherein the plurality of valves subs are spaced at intervals along a drill pipe section of a drill string in a wellbore, the plurality of valve subs being in hydraulic communication with a first fluid in the drill string and a return fluid in an annulus in the wellbore.
A drilling system comprising:
- a drill string positioned within a wellbore to form an annulus between the drill string and the wall of the wellbore, the drill string comprising a drill pipe section having a plurality of valve subs spaced at intervals along the drill pipe section,
- wherein the plurality of valve subs are in hydraulic communication with a first fluid in the drill string and a return fluid in an annulus in the wellbore,
- wherein a first valve sub of the plurality of the plurality of valve subs comprises a master controller having a processor and a memory, and
- wherein the master controller is operatively coupled with the first valve sub and each of the other valve subs to electronically actuate at least one valve of each of the first valve sub and the plurality of valve subs to discharge at least a portion of the first fluid from inside the drill pipe section into the annulus to change at least one parameter of interest of the return fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.