Breakout control to enhance wellbore stability
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorZiqiong Zheng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for encouraging breakout formation during the formation of hydrocarbon producing wellbores. Breakouts are encouraged during drilling operations to increase the stability of the formation rock immediately adjacent to the wellbore. The weight of drilling mud is selected to provide breakout control, and the path of the wellbore can be selected in directions to help breakout control. Efficient drilling operations are facilitated, and the resulting wellbore provides enhanced stability as hydrocarbon fluids arc produced from a subsurface reservoir into the wellbore interior.
Claims17
A method for drilling a wellbore through subsurface geologic formations, comprising the steps of:
- operating a drill bit through the geologic formations to create a wellbore having a wall formed by the geologic formations;
- determining a drilling fluid weight sufficient to prevent breakout of said wellbore wall;
- and
- circulating a drilling fluid within the wellbore, wherein said drilling fluid has a weight less than the weight sufficient to prevent breakout of the wellbore wall.
A method for limiting hydrocarbon reservoir damage adjacent a wellbore through geologic formations, comprising the steps of:
- operating a drill bit through the geologic formations to create a wellbore having a wall formed by the geologic formations;
- determining a drilling fluid weight sufficient to prevent breakout of said wellbore wall;
- circulating a drilling fluid within the wellbore as the drill bit creates the wellbore, wherein said drilling fluid has a weight less than the weight sufficient to prevent breakout of the wellbore wall, so that breakout of the wellbore is controlled as the drill bit creates the wellbore;
- and
- producing fluid into the wellbore from the hydrocarbon reservoir.
A method for producing hydrocarbon fluids from a wellbore through subsurface geologic formations, comprising the steps of:
- operating a drill bit through the geologic formations to create a wellbore having a wall formed by the geologic formations;
- determining the geologic formation composition at selected locations along the wellbore;
- determining a drilling fluid weight sufficient to prevent breakout at a selected location along the wellbore;
- circulating a drilling fluid within the wellbore as the drill bit creates the wellbore, wherein said drilling fluid has a weight less than the weight sufficient to prevent breakout of the wellbore wall, to control breakout of the wellbore at a selected location;
- and
- producing the hydrocarbon fluids into the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.