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US 8,708,064 B2Granted
System and method to control steering and additional functionality in a rotary steerable system
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsGeoffrey C. Downton, Brian Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and methodology provide control over the directional drilling of a wellbore while enabling additional functionality. A rotational valve is mounted within a drill collar of a rotary steerable system to control flow of actuating fluid to one or more steering pads which are selectively moved in a lateral direction with respect to the rotary steerable system. The rotational valve also is controlled to carry out at least one additional function while controlling the direction of drilling.
Claims20
A system for drilling a wellbore, comprising:
- a rotary steerable system comprising:
- a drill collar having a plurality of activation ports and a plurality of vent ports fixed at circumferential positions with respect to each other, the plurality of activation ports and the plurality of vent ports being oriented to receive fluid flow from a valve opening of a rotational valve, the valve opening being sized to selectively enable the fluid flow through an activation port, through a vent port, or simultaneously through both an activation port and a vent port depending on the angular orientation of the rotational valve with respect to the drill collar;
- and
- a plurality of movable steering pads mounted to the drill collar, the plurality of movable steering pads being hydraulically actuated by a fluid selectively directed through the plurality of activation ports, the plurality of vent ports being utilized for telemetry signals via pressure pulses;
- the rotational valve being positioned in the drill collar to control access of the fluid to the plurality of activation ports for selectively actuating the plurality of movable steering pads and to the plurality of vent ports for providing telemetry signals.
2 more elements
A method for drilling a wellbore, comprising:
- providing a rotary steerable system with a drill collar having a plurality of ports exposed along a surface of the drill collar and arranged circumferentially with respect to each other on the drill collar;
- rotatably positioning a valve in the drill collar to control flow of fluid under pressure to individual ports or simultaneously to more than one port of the plurality of ports;
- and
- using some ports of the plurality of ports to control extension of movable steering pads mounted to the drill collar to steer the rotary steerable system and using other ports of the plurality of ports to perform a second function by generating pressure pulses through the other ports at a frequency different from a drill collar frequency during rotation of the drill collar, the flow through selected other ports being toggled on and off while maintaining the valve in a position enabling flow to at least one of the plurality of ports which control extension of the movable steering pads.
1 more element
A method of forming a wellbore, comprising:
- mounting a spider valve, having a spider valve opening, in a drill collar to control flow of an actuating fluid to at least one movable steering pad and to control telemetry signals via flow through the spider valve opening to a plurality of ports fixed in the drill collar for rotation with the drill collar during drilling;
- coupling a motor to the spider valve;
- and
- rotating the spider valve with the motor in a manner which moves the spider valve opening along the plurality of ports for controlling flow of the actuating fluid through selected ports of the plurality of ports to cause drilling of the wellbore along a desired path and to cause a desired pattern of the telemetry signals by simultaneously flowing actuating fluid through a desired port of the plurality of ports and toggling another port of the plurality of ports to create the desired pattern of telemetry signals.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.