Drilling formation tester, apparatus and methods of testing and monitoring status of tester

An integrated well drilling and evaluation system for drilling and logging a well and testing in an uncased well bore portion of the well, comprising:

• a drill string having an interior portion;
• a drill bit, carried on a lower end of the drill string, for drilling the well bore;
• a combination closure valve, carried on the drill string above the drill bit, operable to shut in a subsurface zone of interest, wherein the combination closure valve includes:
• a housing;
• an external inflatable packer element attached to an outer portion of the housing adjacent the well bore, wherein the external inflatable packer element is selectively positionable between an inflated position and a deflated position, and when placed in the inflated position, the external inflatable packer element is operable for sealingly closing a well annulus between the drill string and the uncased well bore;
• and
• an internal inflatable packer element attached to an inner portion of the housing adjacent the interior portion of the drill string, wherein the internal inflatable packer element is selectively positionable between an inflated position and a deflated position, and when placed in the inflated position, the internal inflatable packer element is operable for sealingly closing the interior portion of the drill string, and with the external packer element inflated, the internal packer element is operable to be selectively deflated to allow well fluid from the subsurface zone or formation to pass through the interior portion of the drill string to a surface location;
• monitoring means, inserted in the drill string, for monitoring a parameter of well fluid from the subsurface zone or formation, wherein the monitoring means receives the well fluid and tests the well fluid without removing the drill string from the well;
• an electronic control package that is cooperative operable with and controls the operation of at least one of the combination closure valve and the monitoring means;
• a function timer that is cooperatively operable with the electronic control package to control the sequence of sampling for collecting well fluid from the subsurface zone after receiving an initiating signal from a surface location;
• and
• a functional status monitor, included in the drill string and separate from the function timer and the electronic control package, comprising sensors in communication with at least one of the combination closure valve and the monitoring means.

A method for early evaluation of a well having an uncased well bore intersecting a subsurface zone of interest, comprising:

• drilling a well with a drill string having an interior portion and a drill bit carried on a lower end of the drill string, wherein the drill bit includes ports for communicating fluid between the interior portion of the drill string and the uncased well bore;
• during drilling operations, attaching a test string to the drill string and continuing to drill the well until the test string is at a position proximate the subsurface zone, wherein the test string includes:
• a packer having a set position for sealingly closing a well annulus between the drill string and the uncased well bore above the subsurface zone and having an unset position such that the drill bit may be rotated to drill the well bore, the packer being selectively positionable between the set position and the unset position;
• a tester valve having an open position and a closed position for sealingly closing the interior portion of the drill string, the tester valve being selectively positionable between the open position and the closed position and is cooperatively operable with the packer to shut in the subsurface zone, and with the packer in the set position, the tester valve is operable to be selectively moved to the open position to allow well fluid from the subsurface zone to pass through the interior portion of the drill string to a surface location;
• monitoring means for monitoring a parameter of well fluid from the subsurface zone;
• an electronic control package that is cooperative operable with and controls the operation of a least the packer, the tester valve, and the monitoring means;
• a function timer that is cooperatively operable with the electronic control package to control the sequence of sampling for collecting well fluid from the subsurface zone after receiving an initiating signal from a surface location;
• and
• a functional status monitor, included in the drill string and separate from the function timer and the electronic control package, comprising sensors in communication with at least one of the packer, the tester valve, and the monitoring means;
• without removing the drill string from the well, shutting in the subsurface zone by:
• positioning the packer above the subsurface zone and sealing a well annulus between the test sting and the well bore by placing the packer in the set position;
• and
• sealing the interior portion of the drill string by placing the tester valve in the closed position;
• receiving, at the monitoring means, well fluid communicated to the interior portion of the drill string through the ports in the drill bit;
• and
• monitoring at least one parameter of the well fluid from the subsurface zone.

A method for early evaluation of a well having an uncased well bore intersecting a subsurface zone of interest, comprising:

• drilling a well with a drill string having an interior portion and a drill bit carried on a lower end of the drill string;
• during drilling operations, attaching a test string to the drill string and continuing to drill the well until the test swing is at a position proximate the subsurface zone, wherein the test string includes:
• a combination closure valve operable to shut in the subsurface zone, wherein the combination closure valve includes:
• a housing;
• an external inflatable packer element attached to an outer portion of the housing adjacent the well bore, wherein the external inflatable packer element is selectively positionable between an inflated position and a deflated position, and when placed in the inflated position, the external inflatable packer element is operable for sealingly closing a well annulus between the drill string and the uncased well bore;
• and
• an internal inflatable packer element attached to an inner portion of the housing adjacent the interior portion of the drill string, wherein the internal inflatable packer element is selectively positionable between an inflated position and a deflated position, and when placed in the inflated position, the internal inflatable packer element is operable for sealingly closing the interior portion of the drill string and with the external packer element inflated, the internal packer element is operable to be selectively deflated to allow well fluid from the subsurface zone or formation to pass through the interior portion of the drill string to a surface location;
• monitoring means for monitoring a parameter of well fluid from the subsurface zone;
• an electronic control package that is cooperative operable with and controls the operation of a least one of the combination closure valve and the monitoring means;
• a function timer that is cooperatively operable with the electronic control package to control the sequence of sampling for collecting well fluid from the subsurface zone after receiving an initiating signal from a surface location;
• a functional status monitor, included in the drill string and separate from the function timer and the electronic control package, comprising sensors in communication with at least one of the combination closure valve and the monitoring means;
• receiving, at the monitoring means, well fluid from the subsurface zone;
• and
• monitoring at least one parameter of the well fluid.