Subterranean methods of processing hydrocarbon fluid-containing deposits and hydrocarbon recovery arrangements for recovering hydrocarbon-containing fluid from hydrocarbon-containing deposits

A subterranean method of processing a hydrocarbon fluid-containing deposit, comprising:

• from a subterranean room, providing a borehole in a deposit containing formation fluid comprising fluid hydrocarbon, the borehole having a first end at a wall of the subterranean room, the borehole having a second end remote from the subterranean room and received within the deposit, the first end being elevationally lower than the second end;
• providing a string of pipe within the borehole from the subterranean room, the string of pipe being connected with a cuttings removal fluid conduit received within the subterranean room, the conduit comprising a shutoff valve received within the subterranean room, a subterranean positive displacement pump being received in upstream fluid communication with the conduit, a fluid inlet to and a fluid outlet from the positive displacement pump which are connected with a subterranean pressure relief recirculation line comprising a pressure relief valve;
• conducting one of drilling, reaming, or jetting within the borehole while operating the positive displacement pump to facilitate injecting the cuttings removal fluid from the string of pipe into the borehole and against a wall of the borehole in underbalanced pressure conditions;
• and
• closing the shutoff valve in the subterranean room without turning off the positive displacement pump to cease injecting of the cuttings removal fluid into the borehole, the pressure relief valve opening when the shutoff valve is closed to result in recirculation within the pressure relief recirculation line.

A subterranean method of processing a hydrocarbon fluid-containing deposit, comprising:

• from a subterranean room, providing a borehole in a deposit containing formation fluid comprising fluid hydrocarbon, the borehole having a first end at a wall of the subterranean room, the borehole having a second end remote from the subterranean room and received within the deposit, the first end being elevationally lower than the second end;
• providing a string of pipe within the borehole from the subterranean room;
• conducting one of drilling, reaming, or jetting within the borehole while injecting a cuttings removal fluid from the string of pipe into the borehole and against a wall of the borehole in underbalanced pressure conditions;
• flowing formation fluid comprising fluid hydrocarbon from the deposit into the borehole during said injecting of the cuttings removal fluid;
• flowing the injected cuttings removal fluid and the formation fluid within the borehole at least in part by gravity downhole externally of the string of pipe and to a cuttings removal fluid return line received within the subterranean room;
• and
• operating a slurry pump received within the subterranean room in the cuttings removal fluid return line during said conducting of one of drilling, reaming, or jetting to facilitate maintaining underbalanced pressure conditions in the borehole.

A hydrocarbon recovery arrangement for recovering hydrocarbon-containing fluid from a hydrocarbon-containing deposit, comprising:

• a subterranean room;
• a borehole extending into the hydrocarbon-containing deposit from the subterranean room, the borehole having a first end at a wall of the subterranean room, the borehole having a second end remote from the subterranean room and received within the deposit, the first end being elevationally lower than the second end;
• a string of pipe extending into the borehole from the subterranean room;
• an underbalanced cuttings removal fluid conduit received within the subterranean room connected with the string of pipe;
• a subterranean positive displacement pump received in upstream fluid communication with the conduit, a fluid inlet to the positive displacement pump and a fluid outlet from the positive displacement pump;
• a subterranean pressure relief recirculation line connected in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, a pressure relief valve in the recirculation line;
• and
• a shutoff valve in the subterranean room in the conduit between the positive displacement pump and the first end of the borehole.

A hydrocarbon recovery arrangement for recovering hydrocarbon-containing fluid from a hydrocarbon-containing deposit, comprising:

• a subterranean room;
• a borehole extending into the hydrocarbon-containing deposit from the subterranean room, the borehole having a first end at a wall of the subterranean room, the borehole having a second end remote from the subterranean room and received within the deposit, the first end being elevationally lower than the second end;
• a string of underbalanced fluid feed pipe extending into the borehole from the subterranean room to feed underbalanced fluid from the subterranean room to the borehole;
• an underbalanced fluid return line received within the subterranean room in downstream fluid communication with the borehole;
• and
• a slurry pump received within the subterranean room in the underbalanced fluid return line.

A hydrocarbon recovery arrangement for recovering hydrocarbon-containing fluid from a hydrocarbon-containing deposit, comprising:

• a subterranean room;
• a borehole extending into the hydrocarbon-containing deposit from the subterranean room, the borehole having a first end at a wall of the subterranean room, the borehole having a second end remote from the subterranean room and received within the deposit, the first end being elevationally lower than the second end;
• a string of pipe extending into the borehole from the subterranean room;
• an underbalanced fluid return line received within the subterranean room in downstream fluid communication with the borehole;
• and
• a diaphragm slurry pump received within the subterranean room in the underbalanced fluid return line.

A hydrocarbon recovery arrangement for recovering hydrocarbon-containing fluid from a hydrocarbon-containing deposit, comprising:

• a subterranean room;
• a borehole extending into the hydrocarbon-containing deposit from the subterranean room, the borehole having a first end at a wall of the subterranean room, the borehole having a second end remote from the subterranean room and received within the deposit, the first end being elevationally lower than the second end;
• a string of pipe extending into the borehole from the subterranean room;
• an underbalanced fluid return line received within the subterranean room in downstream fluid communication with the borehole;
• and
• a slurry pump received within the subterranean room in the underbalanced fluid return line;
• and
• a separator in the subterranean room in downstream fluid communication with the underbalanced fluid return line, the separator being capable of separating at least oil, water and solids.

A hydrocarbon recovery arrangement for recovering hydrocarbon-containing fluid from a hydrocarbon-containing deposit, comprising:

• a subterranean room;
• a borehole extending into the hydrocarbon-containing deposit from the subterranean room, the borehole having a first end at a wall of the subterranean room, the borehole having a second end remote from the subterranean room and received within the deposit, the first end being elevationally lower than the second end;
• a string of pipe extending into the borehole from the subterranean room;
• an underbalanced cuttings removal fluid conduit received within the subterranean room connected with the string of pipe;
• a positive displacement pump received within the subterranean room in upstream fluid communication with the conduit, a fluid inlet to the positive displacement pump and a fluid outlet from the positive displacement pump;
• a pressure relief recirculation line received within the subterranean room connected in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, a pressure relief valve in the recirculation line;
• a shutoff valve in the subterranean room in the conduit between the positive displacement pump and the first end of the borehole;
• an underbalanced fluid return line received within the subterranean room in downstream fluid communication with the borehole;
• and
• a slurry pump received within the subterranean room in the underbalanced fluid return line.