Wellbore drilling and completion systems using laser head
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorSameeh Issa Batarseh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Wellbore drilling and completion systems using a laser head implement methods of completing a wellbore. A wellbore drill bit is rotated through a subterranean zone to form a wellbore. Rotating the wellbore drill bit through the subterranean zone causes portions of the subterranean zone to be released as drill cuttings into the wellbore. A laser head, attached to the wellbore drill bit, emits a laser beam that is incident on a portion of the drill cuttings. The laser beam heats the portion of the drill cuttings to consolidate and form a casing of the wellbore.
Claims20
A method of completing a wellbore, the method comprising:
- rotating a wellbore drill bit through a subterranean zone to form a wellbore, wherein rotating the wellbore drill bit through the subterranean zone causes portions of the subterranean zone to be released as drill cuttings into the wellbore;
- and
- emitting, by a laser head attached to the wellbore drill bit, a laser beam that is incident on a portion of the drill cuttings, wherein the laser beam heats the portion of the drill cuttings to consolidate and form a casing of the wellbore.
A wellbore completion comprising:
- a wellbore drill bit configured to rotate and drill through a subterranean zone to form a wellbore, wherein, while rotating and drilling through the subterranean zone, the wellbore drill bit is configured to release portions of the subterranean zone as drill cuttings into the wellbore;
- and
- a laser head attached to the wellbore drill bit, the laser head configured to emit a laser beam that, when incident on a portion of the drill cuttings, heats the portion of the drill cuttings to consolidate and form a casing of the wellbore.
A method of completing a wellbore, the method comprising:
- rotating, by a wellbore drilling assembly, a wellbore drill bit through a subterranean zone to form a wellbore, wherein rotating the wellbore drill bit through the subterranean zone causes portions of the subterranean zone to be released as drill cuttings into the wellbore, wherein a laser head is attached to the wellbore drill bit, wherein the laser head is configured to emit a laser beam;
- pushing, by the laser beam emitted from the laser head, the drill cuttings towards an inner wall of the wellbore;
- and
- heating, by the laser beam emitted from the laser head, the drill cuttings pushed to the inner wall of the wellbore, wherein the heating melts the drill cuttings and forms a casing on the inner wall of the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.