Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02672360 2016-01-29
RCD HYDRAULIC STRIPPING ADAPTER.
B.ACKGROUND
Held of the Disclosure
Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to apparatuses and methods for
providing a seal during drilling operations. Specifically, enibodiments
disclosed herein relate
to a sealing device that is configured to seal around a drill string.
Background Art
An earth-boring drill bit is typically mounted on the lower end of a drill
string and is
rotated by rotating the drill string at the surface or by actuation of
downhole motors, turbines,
or both. During operations, the drill string may be translated through the
wellbore created by
the drill bit. Further, during operation, high pressure fluid within the
wellbore may need to be
prevented from being released. As such, a seal may be provided that is capable
of sealing the
wellbore during drilling operations.
Generally, a rotating control device ("RCD") that seals around a drill string
is used to
seal the wellbore during operations. As shown in Figure 1, the RCD 30 includes
a stripping
element 31 disposed within an annulus 32 of the RCD 30. During operation, the
annulus 32
of the RCD 30 is in fluid communication with the wellbore. As such, the
pressure within the
wellbore may be exerted upon the stripping element 31 of the RCD 30. An
example of a
rotating control device may be found in U.S. Patent Application Serial No.
111556,938. filed
on November 6, 2006 and entitled Rotating Control Device Apparatus and Method.
Further, during operation, the drill string. may be translated through the RCD
30 and .
into the wellbore. Typically, the drill string includes a plurality of drill
pipes connected by
threaded connections located on both ends of the plurality of drill pipes. As
such, threaded
connections may be flush with the remainder of the drill string outer diameter
or may be
"upset," having an outer diameter larger than the remainder of the drill
string. As the drill
string is translated through the wellbore and the RCD 30, the stripping
element 31 may
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squeeze against an outer surface of at least one of the plurality of drill
pipes, thereby sealing
the wellbore. Typically, the stripping element 31 is made up of an elastic
material that may
mechanically deform to seal around various diameters of drill pipe. However,
over time the
stripping element 31 may become worn and unable to substantially deform to
provide a seal
around the drill string. Consequently, the stripping element 31 must be
replaced, which may
lead to down time during drilling operations that can be costly to a drilling
operator.
Accordingly, there exists a need for methods and apparatuses for improving the
sealing of a wellbore during stripping operations.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an adjustable
sealing
device including a housing configured to be engaged within an annulus of a
rotating control
device, at least one sealing element disposed within the housing, and a
variable pressure
control device configured to energize a fluid disposed within the housing to
maintain a seal
between the sealing element and a drill string.
In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a rotating
control
device including an adjustable sealing device installed in an annulus between
a drill string and
a wellbore, the adjustable sealing device including a housing, at least one
sealing element
disposed within the housing, a variable pressure control device configure to
energize a fluid
disposed within the housing to maintain a seal between the sealing element and
the drill
string.
In yet another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a
method of
sealing a wellbore, the method including providing an adjustable sealing
device to a rotating
control device, positioning at least one sealing element of the adjustable
sealing device
between the wellbore and a drill string, tripping the drill string through the
wellbore, sensing
changes in a diameter of the drill string as it is tripped, and regulating a
fluid pressure to
maintain a seal between the at least one sealing element and the drill string
when the drill
string is tripped through the at east one sealing element.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the
following
description and the appended claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows a rotating control device in accordance with the prior art.
Figure 2 shows a cross-section of a sealing device in accordance with
embodiments of
the present disclosure.
Figure 3 shows a cross section of a sealing device in accordance with
embodiments of
the present disclosure.
Figure 4 shows a cross section of a sealing device in accordance with
embodiments of
the present disclosure.
Figure 5 shows a cross section of a sealing device in accordance with
embodiments of
the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatuses and methods
to
provide a seal during drilling operations. Specifically, embodiments disclosed
herein relate to
a sealing device that is configured to seal around a drill string. During
operation, the sealing
device is configured to maintain a seal with the drill string as the drill
string is translated
through the wellbore. Additionally, the sealing device may be configured to
control a
pressure of a fluid, thereby allowing the sealing device to seal around
various shapes and sizes
of components of the drill string.
Referring now to Figure 2, an adjustable sealing device 200 in accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown, the adjustable
sealing device 200
includes a housing 210, a sealing element 220, a fluid (e.g., hydraulic fluid)
230, and a
pressure control device (i.e., a pressurized fluid source) 240. In one
embodiment, the
adjustable sealing device 200 may be in fluid communication with a wellbore
(not shown) and
configured to maintain a seal around a drill string 10 while the drill string
10 is translated
through the wellbore and the adjustable sealing device 200.
Housing 210 may be configured to allow a drill string 10 to be translated
through the
adjustable sealing device 200. In one embodiment, the housing 210 may include
an annulus
212 that allows the drill string 10 to extend and be translated through the
adjustable sealing
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device 200. During operation, the annulus 212 of the housing 210 may be
configured to be in
fluid communication with the wellbore. As such, a pressure of the wellbore may
be exerted
on the sealing element 220 of the adjustable sealing device 200.
Further, the housing 210 may be configured receive the fluid 230 and the
sealing
element 220. In one embodiment, the housing 210 includes a chamber 214 that is
configured
to receive the fluid 230 and at least a portion of the sealing element 220.
Moreover, the
housing 210 may include an aperture 216 that allows the chamber 214 to be in
fluid
communication with at least one pressure control device 240.
Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the housing 210 may include at least two
sections that allow the sealing element 220 to be removably disposed within
the chamber 214
of the housing 210. For example, the housing 210 may include upper and lower
sections (not
shown) coupled together through bolts, threads, or other attachments known in
the art.
Accordingly, the upper section may be disconnected from the lower section to
allow sealing
element 220 to be inserted or removed from chamber 214 of housing 210.
Additionally, in select embodiments, the housing 210 may include at least one
connection (not shown) that is configured to couple the adjustable sealing
device 200 to the
wellbore. The at least one connection may include bolts, threads, bearings, or
any other
attachment method known in the art. In one embodiment, the at least one
connection may be
configured to removably connect the adjustable sealing device within an RCD
coupled to the
wellbore.
In selected embodiments, sealing element 220 may be at least partially
disposed within
chamber 214 of housing 210 and configured to seal around drill string 10,
which may result in
sealing the wellbore that is in fluid communication with adjustable sealing
device 200. For
example, sealing element 220 may deform against an outer surface 12 of the
drill string 10
extending through the adjustable sealing device 200, thereby not allowing
pressure within the
well bore to be released through the adjustable sealing device 200. As such,
the sealing
element 220 may include rubber, metal, or any other deformable materials that
allow sealing
element 220 to form a seal around the drill string 10. Further, in selected
embodiments,
sealing element 220 may comprise a single piece of material, whereas in other
embodiments,
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sealing element 220 may include multiple pieces of material coupled together
to form a seal
around drill string 10.
In certain embodiments, the sealing element 220 may include a circular shape,
a
rectangular shape, an irregular shape, or any other shape able to seal around
drill string 10. In
further embodiments, the sealing element 220 may include chamfers 222 disposed
proximate
an inner surface 224 of sealing element 220. One skilled in the art will
appreciate that
chamfers 222 may allow various shapes and diameters of the drill string to
more effortlessly
pass through sealing element 220, while still maintaining the seal between the
sealing element
and outer surface 12 of the drill string 10.
Hydraulic fluid 230 may be disposed within in chamber 214 of housing 210 and
configured to exert a pressure upon sealing element 220 to maintain the seal
between it and
the drill string 10. For example, in one embodiment, fluid 230 may be pumped
into the
chamber 214 of the housing 210 through an aperture 216 that is in fluid
communication with
the fluid line 242 of the pressure control device 240. As the fluid 230 is
pumped into the
chamber 214, a pressure of the fluid 230 within the chamber 214 may increase,
which may
cause the sealing element 220 to deform against the outer surface 12 of the
drill string 10. In
another embodiment, the fluid 230 may be released from the chamber 214 to
allow the
pressure of the fluid 230 within the chamber 214 to be decreased. One skilled
in the art will
appreciate that decreasing the pressure of the fluid 230 within the chamber
214 may allow a
portion of the drill string 14 having a diameter greater (i.e., an upset
portion) than the
remainder of drill string 16 to pass through adjustable sealing device 200,
while maintaining
the seal around drillstring 10. In selected embodiments, fluid 230 may include
hydraulic
fluid, water, drilling mud, air, or any other fluid capable of applying
pressure on sealing
element 220.
The pressure control device 240 may be in fluid communication with the chamber
214
of the housing 210. As shown, in one embodiment, the pressure control device
240 may be in
connected to the housing 210 through the flow line 242. Further, the pressure
control device
240 may be configured to control the pressure of the fluid 230 within the
chamber 214 of the
housing 210. For example, the pressure control device 240 may pump fluid 230
into the
chamber 214 of the housing 210 through the fluid line 242, thereby increasing
the pressure of
CA 02672360 2009-07-16
the fluid 230 within the chamber 214. In addition, the pressure control device
240 may allow
fluid 230 to be released from the chamber 214 of the housing 210 through fluid
line 242. One
skilled in the art will appreciate that the pressure control device 240 may
include a pump, a
motor, a valve or any other components known in the art to control the
pressure of the fluid
230.
Referring now to Figure 3, in select embodiments, adjustable sealing device
200 may
include at least one ring 250 to transfer the pressure of fluid 230 to sealing
element 220. For
example, in one embodiment, as the pressure of fluid 230 within chamber 214 is
increased,
ring 250 may be configured to be translated in the U direction and exert a
force on sealing
element 230. Additionally, in another embodiment, as the pressure of the fluid
230 within the
chamber 214 is decreased, ring 250 may be configured to be translated in the D
direction,
which may decrease the force exerted on sealing element 220. Ring 250 may
comprise a
metallic material or any other material capable (i.e., a rigid material) of
transferring the
pressure of the fluid 230 to the sealing element 220. One skilled in the art
will appreciate that
ring 250 may be configured to seal the fluid 230 within the chamber 214 of the
adjustable
sealing device 200. Furthermore, one skilled in the art will appreciate that
the ring 250 may
uniformly transfer the pressure of the fluid 230 to the sealing element 220.
In certain embodiments, the adjustable sealing device 200 may include sensors
260,
262 that configured to sense a diameter of the drill sting 10, as shown in
Figure 3. In one
embodiment, the adjustable sealing device 200 may include an upper sensor 260
disposed
above the sealing element 220 on the housing 210 of the adjustable sealing
device 200.
Accordingly, the upper sensor 260 may be configured to sense a diameter of the
drillstring 10
above the sealing element 220. In another embodiment, the adjustable sealing
device 200
may include a lower sensor 262 disposed below the sealing element 220 on the
housing 210
of the adjustable sealing device 200. As such, the lower sensor 262 may be
configured to
sense a diameter of the drillstring 10 below the sealing element 220.
In select embodiments, the sensors 260, 262 may be electrically connected to
the
pressure control device 240 and configured to send a signal to the pressure
control device 240.
The signal may then be used by the pressure control device 240 to regulate the
pressure of
fluid 230 within the chamber 214 of the housing 210. One skilled in the art
will appreciate
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that the sensors 260, 262 may include a trip switch, a limit switch, or any
other sensor capable
of sensing a diameter of the drill string 10. As such, as a large diameter
portion (e.g., a
threaded connection or "tool joint") is about to pass through adjustable
sealing device 200
from below, lower sensor 262 may detect the increased diameter and instruct
pressure control
240 to lower pressure of fluid 230 in chamber 214 to ease the passage of the
tool joint. Once
through, upper sensor 260 may instruct pressure control 240 to increase
pressure of fluid 230
in chamber 214 to a level that is optimized for the remainder of the drill
string.
Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, during operation, the adjustable sealing
device 200
is positioned to be in fluid communication with the wellbore. Further, during
operation, the
drillstring 10 may be translated through the adjustable sealing device 200
into or out of the
wellbore. In one embodiment, as the drill string 10 is translated through the
adjustable sealing
device 200, the pressure of the fluid 230 within the chamber 214 of the
housing 210 may be
increased or decreased to maintain the seal between the sealing element 220
and the outer
surface 12 of the drill string 10. This may be accomplished by pumping fluid
230 into and/or
releasing fluid 230 out of the chamber 214 of the housing 210 using the
pressure control
device 240. In another embodiment, at least one of the sensors 260, 262 may
detect the
diameter of the drill string 10 before the drill string 10 is translated
through the adjustable
sealing device 200. The at least one sensor 260, 262 may then send a signal to
the pressure
control device 240 that may be used by the pressure control device 240 to
control the pressure
of the fluid 230 within the chamber 214, thereby allowing the adjustable
sealing device 200 to
seal around various shapes and diameters of the drill string 10.
Referring now to Figure 4, an adjustable sealing device 300 in accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The adjustable sealing device
300 includes a
housing 310, a fluid 330, and a pressure control device 340 similar to the
adjustable sealing
device 200 shown in Figure 2. However, the adjustable sealing device 300
includes a
plurality of sealing elements 320 that are configured maintain a seal around
the outer surface
12 of the drillstring 10. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the
plurality of sealing
elements 320 may increase the reliability of the adjustable sealing device 300
by providing
multiple seals along the outer surface 12 of the drill string 10.
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In certain embodiments, a housing 410 of an adjustable sealing device 400 may
have
various geometries that allow a fluid 430 from a pressure control device 440
to be disposed on
various surfaces of a sealing element 420, as shown in Figure 5. One skilled
in the will
appreciate that the various geometries of the housing 420 and disposition of
the fluid 430 does
not depart from the present disclosure.
Embodiments disclosed herein may provide for one or more of the following
advantages. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure enable an
adjustible sealing
device (e.g., 200, 300, 400) to be used in conjunction with an RCD to prevent
premature wear
of the stripping element (e.g., 31). If, during a drilling operation using an
RCD, the drill
string is to be retrieved, the stripping element may be removed and replaced
with an
adjustable sealing device in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein. As
such, the
adjustable sealing device (e.g., 200, 300, or 400) would be capable of
adjusting the pressure
of fluid (230, 330, or 440) when upset threaded connection joints are passing
therethrough so
that sealing elements (220, 320, or 420) are not damaged. Once the trip in or
trip out
operation is completed, the adjustable sealing device may be retrieved and the
stripping
element reinstalled.
While the present disclosure has been described with respect to a limited
number of
embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will
appreciate that
other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the
disclosure as
described herein. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure should be limited
only by the
attached claims.
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