Hydrocarbon recovery drill string apparatus, subterranean hydrocarbon recovery drilling methods, and subterranean hydrocarbon recovery methods

A hydrocarbon recovery drill string apparatus, comprising:

• an elongated assembly within which a rotatable drill rod is received, the assembly comprising a longitudinal axis;
• and
• the assembly comprising a non-rotating brush construction received about the drill rod, the brush construction having a plurality of brush bristles extending radially inward in contact with the rotatable drill rod, the brush construction comprising:
• a brush housing which encircles the drill rod;
• and
• at least five ring members to which the brush bristles connect and from which the brush bristles extend radial inward to the rotatable drill rod, the at least five ring members being removably received by the brush housing, the at least five ring members being slidably received by the brush housing for insertion and removal along the longitudinal axis, a spacer ring received between adjacent pairs of the ring members to space brush bristles extending from adjacent ring members from one another.

A subterranean hydrocarbon recovery drilling method, comprising:

• within a subterranean room, drilling into a hydrocarbon deposit at an initial angle which is from horizontal to upward vertical using an elongated assembly within which a rotating drill rod is received;
• flowing tailcuttings from the drilling within the assembly rearwardly along the rotating drill rod;
• and
• contacting the rotating drill rod with brush bristles which encircle the rotating drill rod to block at least some of the rearwardly flowing tailcuttings from flowing rearwardly of the brush bristles along the rotating drill rod.

A subterranean hydrocarbon recovery method, comprising:

• within a subterranean room, drilling into a hydrocarbon deposit at an initial angle which is from horizontal to upward vertical using an elongated assembly within which a rotating drill rod is received;
• the drilling forming a well bore that extends into the hydrocarbon deposit from the subterranean room;
• flowing tailcuttings from the drilling within the assembly rearwardly along the rotating drill rod;
• contacting the rotating drill rod with brush bristles which encircle the rotating drill rod to block at least some of the rearwardly flowing tailcuttings from flowing rearwardly of the brush bristles along the rotating drill rod;
• and
• after the drilling, removing the drill rod from the well bore and flowing hydrocarbon from the deposit into the subterranean room.

A hydrocarbon recovery drill string apparatus, comprising:

• an elongated assembly within which a rotatable drill rod is received;
• the assembly comprising a non-rotating brush construction received about the drill rod, the brush construction having a plurality of brush bristles extending radially inward in contact with the rotatable drill rod;
• and
• the assembly comprising an elastomeric seal received about the drill rod in contact with the brush construction.