Pressure balanced inner chamber of a drilling head

Abstract

A system for maintaining an optimum pressure balance within an inner chamber of a drilling head for improved seal life and integrity. The system maintains a pressure differential across the seals thereby preventing well fluids from contaminating the seals and improving their useful life. The drive ring of a drilling head is rotatably supported by a series of bearings disposed within a bearing chamber. The secondary chamber of the drilling head is sealed to prevent contaminants from entering the chamber and fouling the seals. The seals withstand the borehole well pressures to prevent the introduction of contaminants, by maintaining a pressure differential across the seals. The present system compensates for variations in the borehole pressure. A pressure compensator is in communication with the borehole to activate a lubricant pump for increasing lubricant pressure within the inner chamber in response to increased borehole pressures. A relief valve associated with the inner chamber relieves pressure in the seal chamber to maintain lubricant pressure at optimum levels when borehole pressure decreases for controlled operation of the seals. Additional check valves are included in the inner chamber to control the chamber pressure while preventing contamination of the lubricant.