Shell Oil Comapny

Jan-Jette Blangé

Paul Anthony Donegan McClure

Mark William Dykstra

Rob Hendrikus Gerardus Marinus Grauwmans

Abhay Kumar Singh

Patricia Astrid

John Edward Huhman

Matthew Alan Stoever

Sergey Sotskiy

Koen Antoine Noy

Diana Westerwaal Gheorghe

A rotary steerable drill string () employs a drill bit () selected to positively contribute to underpressure in a preselected azimuthal segment of the borehole relative to an opposing azimuthal section. Generally, a high flow velocity of drilling fluid in the selected azimuthal segment relative to in other segments will result in a more pronounced underpressure in the selected azimuthal segment. Drill bit designs which locally enhance the drilling fluid flow velocity are proposed to be employed in the present rotary steerable drill string.

Rotary steerable drill string

An apparatus and method for downhole measurement during operation of a drilling system is disclosed. The apparatus () comprises: a first sensor () configured to detect a property of a subsurface formation (); a radiation source () configured to, when triggered, emit radiation to excite a part () of the formation; a processing unit () configured to trigger the radiation source if a change of the property of the formation is detected; a second sensor () positioned at a known distance from the radiation source and operably connected to the processing unit, the second sensor is configured to detect said excited part of the formation and is more distant from a drill bit () of the drilling system than the radiation source is; the processing unit is further configured to, after the excited part of the formation is detected, calculate a rate of penetration of the drill bit based on the following: a time duration between the radiation source is triggered and the excited part of formation is detected, and the distance between the radiation source and the second sensor.

Apparatus and method for downhole measurement

A system and method for optimized control of an assembly for drilling a borehole comprises a self-tuning, multivariable controller and an optimization engine that manipulates the setpoints of the controller such that drilling performance may be continuously optimized. The method includes evaluation of a characteristic system time constant, using this constant to compute bit ROP, using computed ROP to compute process gains, which are used to tune the multivariable controller, automatically refining controller setpoints based on controller performance, and using an optimization engine to systematically adjust controller setpoints such that drilling parameters are optimized based on any of several performance indicators, or a weighted combination of performance indicators. The method further comprises using at least one performance indicators which may be computed using estimated bit ROP: bit wear parameter; gradient of cost per foot; gradient of bit ROP versus WOB; simplified mechanical specific energy; and hydraulic specific energy.

Optimizing performance of a drilling assembly

An insert to convert a conventional rotary drill bit to a rotary steerable bit for a rotational directional drilling system. The insert comprises a cylindrical body adapted to be arranged within an intermediate space of the drill bit for receiving drilling fluid from a drill string and selectively directing the drilling fluid to nozzles of the drill bit. The insert may be rotatable and connected to a geostationary platform. Alternatively, the insert may be fixated in the drill bit, combined with a flow diverter connected to a geostationary platform. The insert is suitable to be introduced in the drill bit at a drilling location, including remote locations and off-shore rigs.

Insert and method for directional drilling

A system, method and drill string component for directional drilling of a borehole in a formation is presented. The system includes a rotatable drill string, a rotatable drill bit comprising an intermediate space for receiving drilling fluid from the drill string and at least two nozzles for ejecting the drilling fluid. The system also includes a first rotor section, a flow diverter connected to a downhole end of the first rotor section, and a second rotor section being directly drivable by the drilling fluid and being rotatable with respect to the first rotor section in a second direction opposite to the first direction and at a second rotational speed (&#x3c9;). In addition, the system includes a control unit for controlling the second rotational speed (&#x3c9;) of the second rotor section with respect to the first rotor section.

Method and system for directional drilling

A method, system and bit steering assembly for directional drilling of a borehole in a formation is presented. The method includes the steps of: providing a drill string having a central fluid passage extending along a longitudinal axis of the drill string for passing drilling fluid to the drill bit. The drill bit has a plurality of nozzles for expelling the drilling fluid, wherein each nozzle is arranged eccentrically with respect to the longitudinal axis. The method includes introducing a bit steering assembly, rotating the drill string, and pumping drilling fluid through the central fluid passage. The drilling fluid activates a first impeller of a first rotor section to rotate in a first direction, and activates a second impeller of a second rotor section to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction. The method includes adjusting a coupling between the first rotor section and the second rotor section.

A method for creating a second borehole in an earth formation at a selected orientation relative to a first borehole, wherein a position parameter represents a position of the first borehole. The method comprises: a) providing a borehole element that generates a magnetic field; b) measuring the magnetic field; c) installing the borehole element in the first borehole; d) measuring the magnetic field in the second borehole; e) providing a finite element model of the magnetic field; f) calculating the magnetic field in the second borehole using the finite element model, and determining a difference between the calculated magnetic field in the second borehole and the measured magnetic field in the second borehole; g) adjusting the position parameter so as to minimize said difference; and h) determining a selected direction dependent on the adjusted position parameter and further drilling the second borehole in the selected direction.

Method of orienting a second borehole relative to a first borehole

A distance holder for connection to, and rotation with, a drill string in an earth formation drilling device arranged to supply a jet of abrasive fluid for the purpose of providing a borehole by removing earth formation material through abrasion, comprises a chamber that is essentially rotational symmetric and which faces the earth formation material, and a jet nozzle arranged for discharging a jet of the abrasive fluid in the chamber. The chamber comprises a deflector positioned in the path of the fluid jet discharged from the jet nozzle.

Distance holder with jet deflector

A distance holder for connection to, and rotation with, a drill string in an earth formation drilling device arranged to supply a jet of abrasive fluid for the purpose of providing a borehole by removing earth formation material through abrasion, comprises a housing with a chamber which is essentially rotational symmetric and which is to face the earth formation material, and a jet nozzle which arranged for discharging a jet of the abrasive fluid in the chamber, the housing comprising at least one slot for allowing the abrasive fluid to leave the chamber. The slot is continued over the housing outer surface so as to counteract rolling motions of the particles which are comprised in the abrasive fluid.

Distance holder with helical slot

A method for supplying a jet of abrasive fluid for the purpose of providing a borehole by removing earth formation material through abrasion comprises a drill string and a drilling assembly connected to the drill string. The drilling assembly comprises a jetting device with a mixing space, a drilling fluid, a particle inlet, an abrasive fluid outlet for discharging a mixture of drilling fluid and magnetic particles, and a magnetic particle circulation system comprising a supporting surface which is exposed to a return stream along the drilling assembly. The method includes

Method and assembly for abrasive jet drilling

A device is provided for feeding a plurality of particles into a stream at a controlled rate, the device comprising a conduit having a flow passage for feeding the particles into the stream, and pulsating means for inducing a pulsed flow of the particles through the flow passage.

Device and method for feeding particles into a stream

A system and method for making a hole in an object, the system having jet means for generating an abrasive jet formed of a mixture of a fluid and abrasive particles, and for blasting the abrasive jet with an erosive power into impingement with the object in an impingement area, thereby eroding the object in the impingement area. The system further has a rotating means for moving the impingement area along a selected circular trajectory in the hole about its circumference, and modulation means for modulating the erosive power of the abrasive jet while the impingement area is being moved along the selected trajectory.

System and method for drilling using a modulated jet stream

A tool for excavating an object comprises a jetting system having a nozzle arranged to receive a fluid and abrasive particles via an abrasive particle inlet, and arranged to impinge the object to be excavated with a jetted stream of the fluid mixed with the abrasive particles, the tool further having a recirculation system arranged to recirculate at least some of the abrasive particles from a return stream, downstream of the impingement of the jetted stream with the object to be excavated, back to the jetting system via the abrasive particle inlet, the abrasive particle inlet having an entrance window in which a device in a path fluidly connecting the return stream with the entrance window keeps the abrasive particle inlet free from objects of the same size or larger than the size of the window while allowing passage of the abrasive particles.

Tool for excavating an object

A nozzle unit for generating an abrasive jet. The nozzle unit has a first nozzle connected to a pressurized carrier fluid supply; a mixing chamber in which the first nozzle discharges; and a second nozzle connected to the mixing chamber. An abrasive particle inlet discharges in the mixing chamber. A proportion of the cross sectional area of the first nozzle opening (A) and the cross sectional area of the second nozzle opening (A) is in a range of 0.50-1.0.

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Rijswijk, Netherlands

Jan-Jette Blangé