INVENTORS

Cambre Allen Romero, St. Martinville, LA (US)

Clayton Allen Romero, New Iberia, LA (US)

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT [0003] Not applicable.

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

[0004] Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0005] 1. Field of the Invention

[0006] The present invention relates to devices and methods used in oil and gas drilling operations to diffuse aggregations of lost circulation materials (LCM) which are used to resolve lost circulation and fluid losses, and more particularly to such devices which include elements for breaking down larger masses of LCM during the diffusion step.

[0007] 2. Prior Art

[0008] When drilling oil and gas wells, under proper conditions during the drilling process, drilling fluids and drill cuttings are circulated away from the drill bit into the annulus around the drill stem and brought to the surface. Such drilling fluids are also important for providing hydrostatic pressure to prevent formation fluids from entering into the well bore, keeping the drill bit cool and clean during drilling, and suspending the drill cuttings while drilling is paused and when the drilling assembly is brought in and out of the hole. Because proper circulation is critical to the drilling process, any lost circulation is a significant problem that must be overcome for drilling to recommence.

[0009] Lost circulation is the partial or complete loss of drilling fluid or cement slurry to the formation during drilling or cementing operations or both. Lost circulation can be brought on by natural causes, such as naturally fractured formations or unconsolidated zones, or induced causes, such as when the hydrostatic fluid column pressure exceeds the fracture gradient of the formation and the formation pores break down enough to receive (rather than resist) the fluid. When lost circulation occurs, it typically results in the new expenditure of time and mud or cement, adding substantially to the overall cost of a well.

[00010] The consequences of lost circulation can be as little as the loss of a few dollars of drilling fluid, or as disastrous as a blowout and loss of life. If the amount of fluid in the wellbore drops due to lost circulation (or any other reason), hydrostatic pressure is reduced, which can allow a gas or fluid which is under a higher pressure than the reduced hydrostatic pressure to flow into the wellbore. Another consequence of lost circulation is dry drilling. Dry drilling occurs when fluid is completely lost from the well bore without actual drilling coming to a stop. The effects of dry drilling range from as minor as destroying a bit to as serious as major damage to the wellbore requiring a new well to be drilled. Dry drilling can also cause severe damage to the drill string, including snapping the pipe, and the drilling rig itself.

[00011] Lost circulation material (LCM) is the collective term for substances added to drilling fluids when drilling fluids are being lost to the formations downhole. Commonly used LCM types include fibrous (cedar bark, shredded cane stalks, mineral fiber and hair), flaky (mica flakes and pieces of plastic or cellophane sheeting) or granular (ground and sized limestone or marble, wood, nut hulls, Formica, corncobs and cotton hulls). The LCM, in combination with other fluids with increased viscosity, are used to fill fractures and heal the loss zone quickly.

[00012] As the LCM is delivered to the loss zone, accumulations and aggregations of the LCM can occur which may obstruct the necessary flow of fluids to the site. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent such obstructions by diffusing such aggregations or "clumps" as early and as quickly as possible. Given the nature of some types of LCM and their tendency to aggregate into such clumps, one solution is to cause such clumps to contact blades or cutters placed into the fluid path, but while not substantially decreasing the proper fluid flow during the healing process of the loss zone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[00013] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a downhole diffuser assembly, comprising a diffuser adapted to reside within a carrier sub, having an upper mounting member mountable within the carrier sub and having an fluid inlet port, and a lower section having a diffuser screen; and a plurality of cutters removably attached to the diffuser screen, wherein the cutters are radially oriented relative to a central axis of the diffuser screen.

[00014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a diffuser assembly, wherein the diffuser screen is a cylinder having a plurality of diffuser slots formed therein and a bottom cap having a fluid port.

[00015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a diffuser assembly, wherein each of the plurality of cutters includes a cutting edge and a mount flange, and wherein the mounting flange is adapted to matably engage one of the plurality of diffuser slots of the diffuser screen. [00016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a diffuser assembly, wherein a first set of cutters is mounted at a first selected height along the central axis of the diffuser screen, and wherein a second set of cutters is mounted at a second selected height along the central axis of the diffuser screen. The cutters may be mounted to the diffuser screen such that the cutting edges are either internal or external to the diffuser screen.

[00017] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a diffuser assembly, which further includes a plurality of centralizing members adjacent to the diffuser screen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [00018] For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements.

[00019] Figure 1 shows a side sectional view of a carrier sub containing a preferred embodiment of a diffuser screen of the present invention. [00020] Figure 2 shows a side view of the diffuser screen of Figure 1.

[00021] Figure 3 shows a bottom view of the diffuser screen of Figure 1.

[00022] Figure 4 shows a top view of the diffuser screen of Figure 1.

[00023] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the diffuser screen of Figure 1 depicting the screening cylinder having internal cutters. [00024] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the diffuser screen of Figure 1 without the screening cylinder to better depict the placement of the internal cutters.

[00025] Figure 7 shows an alternate embodiment of the diffuser screen having external cutters and a lower slotted screening cylinder.

[00026] Figure 8 shows a bottom view of the diffuser screen of Figure 7. [00027] Figure 9 shows a top view of the diffuser screen of Figure 7.

[00028] Figure 10 shows a perspective view of the diffuser screen of Figure 7 depicting the screening cylinder having external cutters. [00029] Figure 11 shows a perspective view of the diffuser screen of Figure 7 without the screening cylinder to better depict the placement of the external cutters.

[00030] Figure 12 shows a further alternate embodiment of the diffuser screen having external cutters and a lower screening constructed from vertical rods. [00031] Figure 13 shows a bottom view of the diffuser screen of Figure 12.

[00032] Figure 14 shows a top view of the diffuser screen of Figure 12.

[00033] Figure 15 shows a perspective view of the diffuser screen of Figure 12 depicting the screening cylinder having external cutters.

[00034] Figure 16 shows a perspective view of the diffuser screen of Figure 12 without the screening cylinder to better depict the placement of the external cutters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[00035] Before the subject invention is further described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments of the invention described below, as variations of the particular embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and is not intended to be limiting. Instead, the scope of the present invention will be established by the appended claims.

[00036] In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Unless otherwise specified herein, all materials of construction are preferably steel resistant to the corrosive effects common in downhole environments. [00037] Turning now to the figures, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1-6 as a downhole diffuser assembly 1 comprising a diffuser 2 adapted to reside within a carrier sub 3, having an upper mounting member 4 mountable within the carrier sub 3 and having an fluid inlet port 5, and a lower section having a diffuser screen 6. As shown in more detail in Figs. 4 and 6, a plurality of cutters 7 are removably attached to the diffuser screen 6, wherein the cutters 7 are radially oriented relative to a central axis 8 of the diffuser screen 6. The diffuser screen 6 is a cylinder having a plurality of diffuser slots 9 formed therein and a bottom cap 10 having a fluid port 11. [00038] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-6, the diffuser assembly 1 further includes a plurality of centralizing members 16 adjacent to the diffuser screen 6, wherein each of the centralizing members 16 extends between the mounting member 4 and the bottom cap 10. The three centralizing members 16 serve to keep the diffuser screen 6 centered within the carrier sub 3. It should be understood that the centralizing members 16 can take a wide range of structural forms which accomplish the purpose of centering the diffuser screen 6 within the carrier sub 3.

[00039] As shown best in Fig. 6, with the cylindrical diffuser screen 6 removed for clarity, each of the plurality of cutters 7 includes a cutting edge 12 and a mounting flange 13, and wherein the mounting flange 13 is adapted to matably engage one of the plurality of diffuser slots 9 of the diffuser screen 6. In a preferred embodiment, a first set 14 of cutters 7 is mounted at a first selected height HI along the central axis 8 of the diffuser screen 6, and a second set 15 of cutters 7 is mounted at a second selected height H2 along the central axis 8 of the diffuser screen 6. In this embodiment shown in Figs. 1-6, the cutters 7 are mounted to the diffuser screen 6 such that the cutting edges 12 are internal to the diffuser screen 6. It should be understood that each individual cutter 7 may reside in any slot 9 to provide a varied and irregular pattern of cutters 7 on the diffuser screen 6. However, it is believed that having organized sets of cutters 7 at selected heights may provide more consistent separation of LCM aggregations during the diffusion of the fluid through the diffuser assembly 1.

[00040] As best shown in Fig. 6, the diffuser assembly 1 further includes a bottom cutting device 17 extending from a post 19 affixed to the bottom cap 10 internal to the diffuser screen 6, wherein the cutting device 17 includes a plurality of radially disposed cutting edges 18 similar to the cutters 7 positioned above the cutting device 17. The cutting device 17 essentially serves as a third stage cutting step in addition to the first and second set 14, 15 of cutters 7, prior to the fluid 20 exiting the diffuser screen 6 through fluid port 11.

[00041] In an operational configuration, fluid 20 flows through the carrier sub 3 and into the inlet port 5 of the mounting member 4. Any LCM aggregations or clumps in the fluid 20 pass against the cutting edges 12 of cutters 7, and are separated into smaller portions to collect within the diffuser screen 6, while the fluid 20 can exit the diffuser screen 6 through diffuser slots 9 and the fluid port 11.

[00042] The preferred embodiment described above, as well as the alternate embodiments described below, are effective for diffusion of a wide range of fluids and materials, including oil and water based muds, barite drilling muds, cement, all drilling fluids, spotting acids for break-up of limestone formations, blended materials mixed in blending tanks, breakup of larger masses of carbide bombs, and any other "cake balls" mud clumps, LCM, cement, and the like that form in the string or from poor blending. [00043] In an alternate embodiment shown in Figs. 7-11, a similar diffuser assembly is configured to allow the flow of fluid 20 such that LCM aggregations are caused to contact cutters 24 positioned external to the diffuser screen 21, and where LCM too large for the diffuser slots 9 is collected on the outside of the diffuser screen 21. A mounting member 22 (similar to mounting member 4) includes an inlet port 23 for entry of fluids 20. The fluid 20 is then diverted by a cone-shaped diversion member 25 attached to a bridge 26 inside mounting member 22 and disposed between the fluid inlet port 23 of the mounting member 22 and the diffuser screen 21.

[00044] As shown best in Fig. 11, with the cylindrical diffuser screen 21 removed for clarity, each of the plurality of cutters 24 includes a cutting edge 27 and a mounting flange 28, and wherein the mounting flange 28 is adapted to matably engage one of the plurality of diffuser slots 9 of the diffuser screen 21. In this embodiment, three sets of cutters 7 are mounted at selected heights along the central axis 8 of the diffuser screen 21, similar to the arrangement seen in Fig. 6.

[00045] As shown in Figs. 7-11, the diffuser assembly further includes a lower diffuser element 30 attached below the diffuser screen 21, wherein the lower diffuser element 30 is constructed from a slotted cylinder. A bottom cap 31 is attached to the bottom of lower diffuser element 30, and which includes a fluid exit port 32. A further embodiment is shown in Figs. 12- 16 that is identical to the embodiment of Figs. 7-11, except for the lower diffuser element 30, which is constructed from vertical rods 33.

[00046] All references cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as though each reference was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The citation of any reference is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such reference by virtue of prior invention.

[00047] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention set forth in the appended claims. The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.