Cuttings bed detection

The present invention relates in general to wellbore drilling operations.

In conventional drilling operations, mud or other drilling fluid is pumped down a hollow bore in the drill string and is ejected from the drill bit to lift the drill cuttings out of the bore-hole.

In an inclined well-bore, at a certain deviation or sail angle, some of the drill cuttings being transported back to the surface by the drilling fluid fall out of the main flow and settle on the lower portion of the bore-hole forming a cuttings bed. These cuttings interfere with the drilling process and with the rotation of the rotating drill-pipe which also lies on the low side of the bore-hole. The cuttings bed may also jam up against the bottomhole assembly of the drillstring, leading to stuck pipe and potentially significant lost time and hole damage.

Therefore, it is a desire to provide an apparatus or method to alleviate the problem associated with cuttings beds.

In view of the foregoing, and other considerations, the present invention relates to detecting cuttings bed in a downhole environment.

Accordingly, systems and methods for detecting a cuttings bed are disclosed. In one example, a system for detecting includes a drill bit and a drillstring. The drillstring includes a cuttings bed detector to detect the cuttings bed. The cuttings bed detector is positioned uphole of the drill bit.

In another example, a system for detecting a cuttings bed includes a section of casing with a cuttings bed detector.

In another example, a system for detecting a cuttings bed includes a section of casing with an ultrasonic source, a drillstring with an ultrasonic receiver, and a cuttings bed detector that includes the ultrasonic source and the ultrasonic receiver.

In another example, a method for detecting a cuttings bed includes the steps of positioning a drill bit downhole, and positioning a cuttings bed detector uphole of the drill bit.

The foregoing has outlined some of the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and aspects of the present invention will be best understood with reference to the following detailed description of a specific example, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section view of a system for detecting cuttings beds using a drillstring mounted cuttings bed detector.

FIG. 2A is an example of the system using a shallow nuclear density measurement sensor.

FIG. 2B is an example of the system of FIG. 1, using an ultrasonic sensor.

FIG. 2C is an example of the system using a low frequency pulse echo sensor.

FIG. 2D is an example of the system of FIG. 1, using an acoustic attenuation sensor.

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Previous Patent Application:
Method and system for fracturing subsurface formations during the drilling thereof
Next Patent Application:
Drill bit having enhanced stabilization features
Industry Class:
Boring or penetrating the earth

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