Granted Patent B2

US 12,624,865 · App. 18/943,448 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Matthew Toews (Calgary, CA); Michael Holmes (Calgary, CA); Jonathan Hale (Calgary, CA); Andrew Curtis-Smith (Calgary, CA); Peter Andrews (Calgary, CA); Paul Cairns (Calgary, CA); Ariel Torre (Calgary, CA)

Assignee: Eavor Technologies Inc.

F24T10/10E21B21/003E21B33/10E21B33/138E21B36/001E21B36/003F24T10/15

Abstract

Claims (26)

1 . A method, comprising:

limiting, with an insulative drill string disposed in a wellbore and having a preselected thermal conductivity, thermal transfer between a drilling fluid introduced to a rock face and the drilling fluid returning to a terranean surface of said wellbore to maintain a temperature differential of at least 90° Celsius (C) between the rock face and the drilling fluid contacting the rock face;

drilling at a specified rate of penetration of said drill string into said a geothermal zone of a geological formation, the geothermal zone having a higher temperature than the drilling fluid contacting the rock face, while maintaining said temperature differential, the specified rate of penetration higher than a rate of penetration absent said maintaining said temperature differential; and

sealing, by flowing a sealant downhole, pore spaces along at least a portion of the wellbore.

2 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the rock face is part of a high temperature geologic formation having a temperature that is above a maximum rated operating temperature of the drill string, and wherein maintaining the temperature differential comprises maintaining a temperature of the drilling fluid between 90° C. and 190° C. below the temperature of the geologic formation when the drilling fluid exits the drill string to contact the rock face.

3 . The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the sealing comprises flowing the sealant while drilling.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising alternating between drilling with said drilling fluid and flowing the sealant.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said sealant comprises an alkali silicate composition.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating a chemical composition within said wellbore capable of inducing precipitate formation.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating a working fluid and wherein said working fluid comprises the sealant.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein drilling into said formation comprises drilling an inlet well and an outlet well to form a closed loop, at least a portion of said closed loop disposed within a thermally productive area of said formation.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said closed loop comprises an L shaped well with a closed terminal end, tube-in-tube well arrangement, grouped closed loop U shaped wells in spaced relation with an output well member in said group connected to an input well of another group member, a closed loop U shaped well having a plurality of lateral wells commonly connected to a respective inlet well and outlet well, a plurality of closed loop U shaped wells having a plurality of lateral wells commonly connected to a respective inlet well and outlet well arranged with lateral wells of said plurality arranged with said laterals at least partially interdigitated for thermal contact and combinations thereof.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said thermally productive area is a geothermal zone.

11 . A well system for use in drilling a wellbore:

a drill string disposed a wellbore;

a drilling fluid flowing through the drill string and returning to a terranean surface, the drill string being insulative and having a preselected thermal conductivity to limit thermal transfer between a drilling fluid introduced to a rock face and the drilling fluid returning to a terranean surface of said wellbore to maintain a temperature differential of at least 90° Celsius (C) between the rock face and the drilling fluid contacting the rock face to drill at a specified rate of penetration into a geothermal zone of a geological formation, the geothermal zone having a higher temperature than the drilling fluid contacting the rock face, the specified rate of penetration higher than a rate of penetration absent said maintaining said temperature differential; and

a supply of sealant configured to be flowed downhole in the wellbore to seal pore spaces along at least a portion of the wellbore.

12 . The system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the rock face is part of a high temperature geologic formation having a temperature that is above a maximum rated operating temperature of the drill string, and wherein maintaining the temperature differential comprises maintaining a temperature of the drilling fluid between 90° C. and 190° C. below the temperature of the geologic formation when the drilling fluid exits the drill string to contact the rock face.

13 . The system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the system is configured to be flow the sealant downhole while drilling.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the system is configured to alternate between drilling with said drilling fluid and flowing the sealant.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said sealant comprises an alkali silicate composition.

16 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a supply of chemical composition configured to, when disposed within the wellbore, induce precipitate formation.

17 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a supply of working fluid configured to be circulated in the wellbore, the working fluid comprising the sealant.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the wellbore is a wellbore of a closed loop well system, at least a portion of the wellbore disposed within a thermally productive area of said formation.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein said closed loop well system comprises an L shaped well with a closed terminal end, tube-in-tube well arrangement, grouped closed loop U shaped wells in spaced relation with an output well member in said group connected to an input well of another group member, a closed loop U shaped well having a plurality of lateral wells commonly connected to a respective inlet well and outlet well, a plurality of closed loop U shaped wells having a plurality of lateral wells commonly connected to a respective inlet well and outlet well arranged with lateral wells of said plurality arranged with said laterals at least partially interdigitated for thermal contact and combinations thereof.

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein said thermally productive area is a geothermal zone.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (237)