Method and system for particle jet boring

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for the generation of, the utilization of, the processing of, and the maintenance of a heterogeneous solid-particle impactor-laden fluidic-process circuit that incorporates a particle-injector system and a fluidic-amplifier jet head to produce a conical-shaped cutting jet of fluid and solid-particle impactors that perform functions during the boring, well-bore conditioning, and/or controlling the inclination and azimuth of deep subterranean well bores during their construction.

1 . A method for boring a well bore, the method comprising:
 providing a high-pressure flow line adapted for high-pressure fluid to flow therethrough;   providing an impactor injector system coupled to the high-pressure flow line to accelerate a plurality of impactors and inject the accelerated impactors into the high-pressure flow line to form an impactor slurry of entrained impactors and high-pressure fluid;   transporting the impactor slurry through a pipe string in fluid communication with the high-pressure flow line to a jet head in fluid communication with a distal end of the pipe string;   accelerating the impactor slurry in a down-hole direction and in a tangential direction to create a swirling flow of impactor slurry;   impinging a formation of a well bore with the accelerated impactor slurry for removing formation particles therefrom;   transporting the impactor slurry and the formation particles to a separator system;   using a magnetic separator of the separator system to separate at least a portion of the impactors from the formation particles;   using a hydro-cyclone separator of the separator system to separate at ea a portion of the impactors from the high-pressure fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 providing a plurality of nozzle ports disposed radially around a periphery of the jet head and adapted to allow at least a portion of the impactor slurry to flow therethrough to impinge a side of the well bore.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 3  and further comprising:
 using at least a portion of the plurality of nozzle ports to generate a vectored thrust on the jet head.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 monitoring a plurality of conditions including one or more of the following:
 a volume of impactors entrained in the impactor slurry; 
 a size mixture of impactors entrained in the impactor slurry; 
 a rate of penetration on the well bore formation; 
 a density of the impactor slurry; 
 an impactor count returning to the surface; 
 a pressure of the impactor slurry; and 
 a drill-string weight on bottom. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  and further comprising:
 modulating one or more of the plurality of conditions to modulate at least one of a well bore diameter and the rate of penetration.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 using a bent sub to generate an angled position of the jet head to allow directional boring.   
     
     
         7 . A method of boring a well bore, the method comprising:
 providing a high-pressure fluid flow;   accelerating a plurality of impactors;   establishing venturi flow conditions at an access port into a motive fluid;   injecting the accelerated impactors into the motive fluid by passing the accelerated impactors through a low-pressure area created by the venturi flow conditions;   entraining the impactors and motive fluid into the high-pressure fluid flow to create an impactor slurry;   transporting the impactor slurry through a pipe string to a jet head connected to a distal end thereof and in fluid communication therewith, the jet head adapted for the impactor slurry to flow therethrough;   accelerating the impactor slurry flowing through the jet head for impinging a surface of a well bore therewith and removing formation particles therefrom.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the accelerating the plurality of impactors imparts enough kinetic energy to the impactors to prevent the venturi flow conditions from ceasing. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of a mechanical, a fluidic, and an electromotive force is used to accelerate the plurality of impactors. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the venturi flow conditions are established using a dual concentric orifice adapted to generate a low-pressure region at the access port. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a concentric orifice of the dual concentric orifice is adapted to swirl the motive fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein an impeller wheel is used to accelerate the plurality of impactors. 
     
     
         13 . A method of boring a well bore, the method comprising:
 providing a supply of impactors;   entraining the impactors into a fluid to form an impactor slurry;   transporting the impactor slurry through a pipe string to a jet head connected to a distal end thereof and in fluid communication therewith;   passing the impactor slurry through a jet head housing, the jet head housing having a stator therein adapted to impart a swirling flow regime to the impactor slurry passing therethrough;   passing the impactor slurry through a swirl intensifier adapted to accelerate the impactor slurry both in an axial direction and in a tangential direction;   passing the impactor slurry through a conical shaped exit orifice adapted to centralize and stabilize the jet head while preserving a velocity of the impactor slurry flowing therefrom; and   impinging a surface of a well bore with at least a portion of the impactor slurry to remove formation particles therefrom.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  and further comprising:
 modulating the impactor slurry to change a diameter of the well bore being impinged.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  and further comprising:
 forming a reentrant toroidal flow regime for entraining the formation particles into the impactor slurry and adapted to further abrade the surface.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the jet head housing has a converging conically shaped section at an entrance thereof for accelerating the impactor slurry flowing therethrough. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the jet head housing has an expanding conically shaped section at an exit thereof adapted to generate a conically-shaped impactor-slurry jet form. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the impactors have a diameter of 0.025 inches. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the impactors impinge the well bore at a speed of at least 1,200 feet per second. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the impactors impinge the well bore at a speed sufficient to remove formation particles having a mass greater than a mass of the impactors. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the impactors impinge the well bore using a combination of shear forces, compression forces, and abrasion/erosion forces. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the stator has a plurality of stator vanes running axially along an exterior surface thereof and adapted to impart tangential-radial forces on the impactor slurry flowing thereby. 
     
     
         23 . A system for boring a well bore, the system comprising:
 a high-pressure flow line adapted for high-pressure fluid to flow therethrough;   a venturi system coupled to the high-pressure flow line and adapted to create an area of low pressure at an access port to a motive fluid;   an impactor injector coupled to the venturi system and adapted to continuously accelerate a plurality of impactors through the area of low pressure and into the motive fluid,   an amplifier adapted to inject the motive fluid and the impactors into the high-pressure flow line to form an impactor slurry therein;   a pipe string in fluid communication with the high-pressure flow line and adapted to transport the impactor slurry from the high-pressure flow line to a region of a well bore;   a jet head in fluid communication with a distal end of the pipe string and adapted to accelerate the impactor slurry in a down-hole direction and in a tangential direction to create a swirling flow of impactor slurry for impinging a formation of a well bore with the accelerated impactor slurry for removing foil cation particles therefrom.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the impactor injector is an impeller wheel. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23  and further comprising a first separator adapted to separate at least a portion of the formation particles from the impactor slurry. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23  and further comprising a second separator adapted to separate at least a portion of the impactors from the high-pressure fluid. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the jet head is adapted to impart a conical shaped jet flow of impactor slurry at an exit thereof.