Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Joseph Michael Karigan

Owen Ransom Clark

Neal Gregory Skinner

Derrick Winston Lewis

Wesley J Burris, Ii

Christopher Allen Grace

Fredrick D Curtis

Raymond Ronald Bullock

Leonard Charles Linde

Anton Kelley Arnt

Travis David Watters

Matthew Hassett Wiggins

Patrick Looper

Mike Harvey

A reinforced seal for use in a rotating control device in a wellbore includes an annular elastomeric body and an internal support embedded within the elastomeric body and extending in an axial direction, the internal support comprising a plurality of overlapping petals. A system for sealing a drill string includes a rotating control device including the reinforced seal configured to accommodate the drill string therethrough.

Rotating control device element reinforcement petals

A rotating control device (RCD), for use in drilling a wellbore, includes an RCD body, a sealing element, and a bearing assembly disposed within the RCD body and supporting an inner mandrel to rotate relative to the RCD body. The sealing element is carried by the inner mandrel, and the bearing assembly includes a bearing sealed in an internal bearing fluid chamber. The internal bearing fluid chamber includes a bearing fluid maintained at a pressure greater than a pressure of wellbore fluid in an interior of the RCD body by a pressure compensating piston between the bearing fluid contacting a first end of the piston and the wellbore fluid contacting a second, opposite end of the piston.

Pressurizing rotating control devices

A seal bore protector for protecting a seal bore of a rotating control device (RCD) is provided. The seal bore protector includes a cylindrical body, a throughbore extending through the cylindrical body, and a sealing element disposed around an external surface of the cylindrical body. The sealing element includes a first sealing ring, a second sealing ring, and a sealed area between the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring. The sealed area is fluidly coupled with a port when the seal bore protector is installed in the rotating control device.

Frictional support of seal bore protector

A wellhead stack assembly is provided that includes pressure restriction devices. The pressure restriction devices are staged such that each pressure restriction device is coupled to another pressure restriction device for cascading pressure differentials across the pressure restriction devices. Each pressure restriction device includes an active element positionable about a drill pipe for controlling a gap between the drill pipe and the active element.

Pressure staging for wellhead stack assembly

An RCD can include a housing assembly containing a bearing assembly and a rotating seal which seals an annulus between a tubular string and a body of the RCD, and a remotely operable clamp device which selectively permits and prevents displacement of the housing assembly relative to the body. A method of remotely operating a clamp device can include rotating a threaded member which is secured relative to an RCD body, and displacing a clamp section in response to the threaded member rotation, thereby selectively securing and releasing a bearing assembly and an annular seal relative to the body. Another RCD can include a rotating seal which seals an annulus between a tubular string and a body of the RCD, and a remotely operable clamp device which selectively permits and prevents access to an interior of the body, the clamp device including a motor which rotates a threaded member.

Remote operation of a rotating control device bearing clamp

Disclosed are improved apparatus and methods of separation and control of drilling fluids in under-balanced drilling. Separation is conducted at reduced pressures to improve gas separation efficiencies. Preferably, separation is performed in multiple steps of pressure drops to eliminate foaming and to enhance gas removal. Solids are removed from the shaped bottom of a separation pressure chamber by creating a slurry and fluidizing and agitating the slurry to enhance solids removal.

Apparatus and methods of separation of materials in an under-balanced drilling operation

Disclosed are improved methods of separation and control of drilling fluids in under-balanced drilling. The separated returning stream materials are measured and used to control the additive gas mixing process to maintain under-balanced drilling conditions. Separation is conducted at reduced pressures to improve gas separation efficiencies. Preferably, separation is performed in multiple steps of pressure drops to eliminate foaming and to enhance gas removal.

Growing community of inventors

Carrollton, TX, United States of America

Joseph Michael Karigan