IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,168,526
Granted Patent B1
US 11,168,526 · App. 17/240,946 · Granted Nov 9, 2021

Jet pump drilling assembly

Inventor: William James Hughes (Highlands Ranch, CO)
Assignee: HUGHES TOOL COMPANY LLC
E21B21/085E21B7/04E21B21/12E21B43/124
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,168,526
App. No.
17/240,946
Granted
Nov 9, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of methods and systems for drilling a wellbore into an oil or gas production zone to prevent formation damage in the reservoir using underbalanced or near-balanced drilling techniques, wherein a jet pump drilling assembly is used to create a vacuum around the drill bit. The design of this jet pump drilling assembly prevents the flow of all drilling/power fluid from entering a drill bit Only fluids from the reservoir are allowed to enter the drill bit. The assembly includes a barrier to ensure that no drilling/power fluid discharged from the jet pump located above the drill bit can flow back around to the jet pump jet pump suction ports located in the drill bit thus preventing any drilling/power fluid from ever contacting the drill bit.

Claims (20)

1. A system for drilling an oil, gas, geothermal, or sequestration well or disposal reservoir comprising;

a rotary drill bit;

a jet pump stabilizer attached to the rotary drill bit:

the jet pump stabilizer housing a jet pump, the jet pump having a suction side and a discharge side and

a pressure barrier surrounding the jet pump stabilizer between the suction side of the jet pump and the discharge side of the jet pump, and

wherein no drilling fluid is allowed to flow into or out of the rotary drill bit.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a ball and seat check valve connected to the rotary drill bit to prevent back flow through the rotary drill bit when fluid circulation is stopped.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the only fluid allowed to flow through the rotary drill bit is fluid produced from the formation being drilled.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotary drill bit is lubricated and cooled only by the fluids produced from the formation being drilled.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet pump and the rotary drill bit are designed such that the suction from the jet pump creates cavitation within the drill bit which cleans debris from the drill bit.

6. A system for drilling an oil or gas well wherein a vacuum is created in front of a rotary drill bit while maintaining underbalanced conditions in a return annulus from the rotary drill bit discharge ports back to the surface to allow the well to produce oil and gas while drilling, comprising;

a rotary drill bit;

a jet pump stabilizer attached to the rotary drill bit;

the jet pump stabilizer housing a jet pump, the jet pump having a suction side and a discharge side and

a pressure barrier surrounding the jet pump stabilizer between the suction side of the jet pump and the discharge side of the jet pump and

wherein no drilling fluid is allowed to flow into or out of the rotary drill bit.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the only fluid allowed to flow through the rotary drill bit is from a hydrocarbon bearing formation.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the rotary drill bit is lubricated and cooled only by the fluids from the formation being drilled.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the jet pump and the rotary drill bit are designed such that the suction from the jet pump creates cavitation within the drill bit which cleans debris from the drill bit.

10. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a ball and seat check valve connected to the rotary drill bit to prevent back flow through the rotary drill bit when fluid circulation is stopped.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2025
From: HUGHES TOOL COMPANY, LLC
To: NEW BRIDGE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FUND, LP
Reel/Frame 071311/0215 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2022
From: HUGHES, WILLIAM JAMES
To: HUGHES TOOL COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058897/0243 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63017850 · Apr 30, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,637,914