Flexible Coiled Tubing Drill Rod for Ultra-Short Radius Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drill rods for sidetracking in branch wells require frequent connections, leading to increased drilling cycles and costs, and are difficult to achieve rapid deflection due to their length, resulting in high drilling risks and large deflecting radii.
Innovation Solution
A coiled tubing flexible drill rod system with a flexible drill rod and power drilling tool, utilizing a screw motor and turbine power unit to provide torque and weight on bit, allowing for ultra-short radius radial drilling with adjustable deflecting angles and reduced connection frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional drill rod is used for sidetracking, then torque and weight on bit can be provided, but frequent connections are required which increases drilling cycle and operation cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drill rod and coiled tubing into a single integrated flexible drilling system. The flexible drill rod is coupled with coiled tubing to form a unified structure that eliminates the need for frequent disconnections and reconnections, thereby reducing drilling cycle time and operational costs while maintaining torque transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible drill rod-coiled tubing system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides torque transmission, enables rapid deflection, and eliminates frequent connections. This multi-functional design replaces the conventional separate drill rod system, improving overall drilling efficiency and reducing operational complexity.
2Ease of operation
If conventional long drill rod is used, then torque can be transmitted to drill bit, but rapid deflection cannot be achieved and deflecting radius becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible drill rod is divided into multiple segmented sections that can flex and bend relative to each other. This segmentation allows the drill rod to achieve rapid deflection with a small radius by bending at the joints between segments, while still maintaining the ability to transmit torque from the surface to the drill bit.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill rod employs a flexible structure with articulated joints that allow bending and deflection. This flexible design enables the system to achieve sharp turns and rapid deflection with a small deflecting radius, overcoming the limitation of conventional rigid long drill rods that require large radii for deflection.
3Power
If screw motor and flexible power drilling tool are both activated, then sufficient torque and weight on bit are provided for ultra-short radius drilling, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic operation modes where the activation of power transmission components varies based on drilling conditions. In the first operation mode, both the screw motor and flexible power drilling tool are activated to provide sufficient torque and weight on bit for ultra-short radius drilling. The system can switch between modes to optimize performance and manage complexity based on specific operational requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A coiled tubing flexible drill rod ultra-short radius radial drilling method, including: when in a first operation mode, activating a screw motor and a flexible power drilling tool located at a lower part of a coiled tubing; when in a second operation mode, only activating the screw motor and deactivating the flexible power drilling tool; and when in a third operation mode, only activating the flexible power drilling tool connected to the drill bit below. A corresponding drilling string and system are also disclosed. The method and system can achieve the effects of a small deflecting radius, an adjustable deflecting angle, a high operating efficiency and a low risk.