Marathon Oil Company

Conocophillips Company

Gary J Collins

John Lindley Baugh

Aubrey Clifton Mills

Doug J Murray

Kevin O Trahan

Kenneth L Smith

Wilhelm E Benker

Edward Thomas Cousins

Ervin Baudoin

Marc E Leveque

A rotatable drilling shoe attachable to a section of casing that allows for drilling and casing of a well bore in a single trip. The drilling shoe includes a fixed section and a rotatable section that has a drillable bit attached thereto. The drilling shoe further includes a mechanism for inhibiting rotation of the rotatable section after the casing is cemented into place so that the drillable bit can be drilled out by a subsequent drilling operation.

Rotatable drill shoe

One or more templates are provided for circulating fluids in a main well bore and for drilling and completing at least one offset well bore from the main well bore. Each template has a body, an inlet leg, a main outlet leg, and an offset outlet leg. A straddle assembly is mounted in the template to configure the template for fluid circulation. The straddle assembly, in cooperation with the inlet and main outlet legs, effects a downhole flow path which directs fluids from the inlet leg through body of the template and out the main outlet leg, bypassing the offset outlet leg. The straddle assembly is distally displaced from the template to reconfigure the template for drilling. A diverter is placed in the body of the template upon displacement of the straddle assembly to define a drill string path from the inlet leg to the offset outlet leg. The offset well bore is drilled by conveying a drill string through the drill string path. The diverter may then be used to direct additional fluids or tools from the inlet leg to the offset outlet leg for completion of the offset well bore.

Process for pressure stimulating a well bore through a template

Template and system of templates for drilling and completing offset well bores

A buoyant drill pipe for drilling subterranean wells includes a tubular element, such as a length of metal pipe or tubing, and a buoyant element, such as an inflatable element, or a buoyant collar, attached to an outside diameter of the tubular element. The tubular element provides a conduit for injecting a drilling fluid into a well bore. The buoyant element interacts with the lo drilling fluid in the well bore to provide buoyancy for the drill pipe. The buoyant drill pipe can be used to construct a drilling system, and to perform a drilling method for an extended reach well bore having a horizontal or inclined segment. During drilling, the buoyant element interacts with the drilling fluid in the horizontal or inclined segment, such that a weight of the drill pipe, a torque required to rotate the drill pipe, and torsional stresses on the drill pipe are reduced.

Buoyant drill pipe, drilling method and drilling system for subterranean wells

A deformed multiple well template and a process for positioning the deformed template downhole, expanding the template and drilling at least one subterranean well bore via said template. The template has at least a portion thereof deformed and may be symmetrical or asymmetrical as deformed and/or expanded.

Deformed multiple well template and process of use

An apparatus and process are provided for drilling and completing multiple subterranean wells from a template which is secured within a cased well bore extending to the surface. An orienting cam having a bore therethrough is positioned above the template such that the bore through the orienting cam is automatically aligned with one of at least two bores through the template. Fluid tight seals are provided between the orienting cam and the casing and between the orienting cam and one of the at least two bores through the template. Thereafter, a drill string including a drill bit is lowered from the surface of the earth through the casing, the bore through the orienting cam and the one bore through said template to drill a first subterranean well bore. Drilling fluid and cuttings resulting from drilling a subterranean formation are circulated back to the surface via first subterranean well bore, one of the at least two bores through the template and the bore through the orienting cam and through the casing such that the drilling mud contacts the internal wall of the casing. The orienting cam is repositioned above the template such that the bore through the orienting cam is aligned with another of the at least two bores through the template. Thereafter, a second subterranean well bore is drilled via another of the bores through the template in a manner similar to that described for the first well bore.

Assembly and process for drilling and completing multiple wells

A subterranean well system and a process for drilling and completing such a system from a first subterranean well bore which extends to the surface of the earth. A second well bore may be drilled from the first well bore and a first tubular of a multiple well drilling template can be positioned within the first well bore while a second tubular of the template can be positioned within both the first and second well bores. Additionally, a third well bore can be drilled from the first well bore and the first tubular can be further positioned therein. The first and second well bores can penetrate subterranean formation(s) or additional well bore(s) can be drilled from the first, second and/or third well bores so as to penetrate subterranean formations. A second multiple well drilling template may be utilized to drill such additional well bore(s) from the second or third well bores. Fluid is produced from subterranean formation(s) to the surface via said first, second, third and/or additional well bores and/or through production casing and/or tubing positioned therein.

Apparatus and process for drilling and completing multiple wells

A process for drilling and completing multiple subterranean wells from a common well bore and an assembly for guiding a drill string during drilling and casing during completion of such multiple wells. The assembly comprises a wellhead located at or near the surface of the earth and positioned over the common well bore, at least two tubulars positioned within the common well bore, and means positioned at said wellhead for segregating and supporting the tubulars. In accordance with the process, at least one subterranean well bore is drilled through one of the tubulars and into a subterranean formation and hydrocarbons can be produced from the subterranean formation to the surface via production casing and/or production tubing positioned within the subterranean well bore. Other subterranean well bores can be drilled in a similar manner through other tubulars of the assembly.

A template and process for drilling and completing multiple wells in a subterranean formation. A template having a plurality of axially extending, divergent bores therethrough is secured to surface or intermediate casing and a like plurality of subterranean wells are drilled through the bores and into the subterranean formation. Each well is separately cased to the well head at the surface and separate production tubing is inserted into each well. Thus, remedial operations can be carded out in one well or fluid injected into a subterranean formation via one well while fluid, such as hydrocarbons, are simultaneously produced from a subterranean formation via the other well(s).

Growing community of inventors

Richmond, TX, United States of America

Gary J Collins