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US 6,378,633 B1Granted
Drill pipe protector assembly
AssigneeWestern Well Tool, Inc.
InventorsNorman Bruce Moore, Andrew Dale Fuller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeWestern Well Tool, Inc.
InventorsNorman Bruce Moore, Andrew Dale Fuller
Estimating the term…
A drill pipe protector assembly for providing hydraulic lift and improved sliding lubrication to a drill string. The protector defines a tubular sleeve that is attached to a section of drill pipe and resides over the outer diameter of the drill pipe while moving within an associated well casing or well hole. The sleeve is adapted to provide hydraulic lift and sliding lubrication relative to the well casing and thus, increase the proclivity of the drill pipe to slide down the hole while also reducing the development of cutting dams. The sleeve includes a plurality of radially oriented openings which direct drilling mud from the annular space between the sleeve and drill pipe to the annular space between the sleeve and the casing or outer well wall. The sleeve also includes a plurality of wedge shaped longitudinal channels in communication with the radial openings. The channels direct the longitudinal flow of the drilling fluid along the outside of the sleeve to lubricate the outer surface of the sleeve and create hydraulic lift. The sleeve also includes a number of raised curvature surfaces having low coefficient of friction inserts located on the curved surfaces.
A protective sleeve for installation around a drill pipe used to drill a wellbore in an underground formation, the protective sleeve preferentially contacting the I.D. of a well casing or bore when the drill pipe deflects off center in the casing or bore to protect the casing or bore from contact with the drill pipe or its tool joints during rotation of the drill pipe, and which the sleeve has a generally cylindrically configuration with an internal I.D. for contact with the O.D. of the drill pipe and a plurality of wedge shaped channels extending around the O.D. of the sleeve that narrow in width and depth to form a fluid bearing between the sleeve and well casing or bore.
A drill pipe protector for use in a wellbore comprising:
The protector of claim 7 wherein at least one of the channels is wedge shaped which narrows in width and depth from a first end to a second end, the wedge shaped channel forming a fluid bearing between the sleeve and wellbore.
A drill pipe protector for use on a drill string in a wellbore comprising:
A non-rotating drill pipe protector for use and the wellbore comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.