Slotted liner drilling

Abstract

Drilling assemblies, systems and methods enable a wellbore to be drilled and lined with a slotted liner. A drilling system includes a liner assembly with a drill string in a bore thereof. The drill string and the liner assembly can be selectively coupled together to restrict relative motion between the liner assembly and the drill string. The liner assembly includes a slotted liner portion through which fluid may flow. As the drilling system is used to drill a wellbore, the liner assembly is simultaneously positioned within the wellbore. Once the wellbore is drilled to a desired depth, the drill string can be disengaged from the liner assembly and retrieved from the well. Production fluids such as oil and gas may then be transferred uphole through the liner assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drilling system comprising:
 a liner assembly having a bore formed therethrough, the liner assembly including:
 a segment of casing; and 
 a slotted liner portion coupled to the segment of casing, the slotted liner portion having a plurality of slots formed therethrough; and 
   a drill string disposed at least partially within the bore of the liner assembly, the drill string being selectively engageable with the liner assembly, wherein an annulus is formed between the liner assembly and the drill string.   
     
     
         2 . The drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the liner assembly includes a casing profile nipple coupled to the segment of casing and the slotted liner portion, and be drill string includes a drill lock assembly configured to selectively engage the casing profile nipple. 
     
     
         3 . The drilling system of  claim 2 , wherein the selective engagement of the drill lock assembly with the casing profile nipple is configured to cause one or more of:
 torque applied to the liner assembly to be transmitted to the drill string; or   axial force applied to the liner assembly to be transmitted to the drill string.   
     
     
         4 . The drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the liner assembly includes a casing shoe guide coupled to the slotted liner portion, and the drill string includes a casing shoe configured to engage with the casing shoe guide. 
     
     
         5 . The drilling system of  claim 4 , wherein the casing shoe is configured to sealingly engage with the casing shoe guide and restrict fluid flow in a portion of the annulus between the casing shoe and the casing shoe guide. 
     
     
         6 . The drilling system of  claim 4 , wherein the drill string includes a circulating sub configured to be selectively activated to seal the casing shoe against the casing shoe guide to restrict fluid flow through the engagement between the casing shoe and the casing shoe guide and to allow fluid flow from within the drill string into the annulus formed between the liner assembly and the drill string. 
     
     
         7 . The drilling system of  claim 6 , wherein the circulation sub is configured, upon activation, to cause fluid to flow from within the drill string into the annulus formed between the liner assembly and the drill string to clean one or more of the plurality of slots formed through the liner assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein the drill string includes an underreamer extending below the liner assembly. 
     
     
         9 . A method of drilling comprising:
 drilling a wellbore to a pre-determined depth with a slotted liner drilling assembly, the slotted liner drilling assembly including a drill string engaged with a liner assembly;   disengaging the drill string from with the liner assembly; and   removing the drill string from the wellbore.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the liner assembly includes a casing shoe guide configured to engage the drill string. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the drill string includes one or more seals configured to engage the slotted liner drilling assembly and restrict fluid flow in a portion of an annulus between the drill string and the slotted liner drilling assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 activating a circulating sub, wherein activating the circulating sub engages the one or more seals with the casing shoe guide to restrict fluid flow in an annulus between the casing shoe guide and the circulating sub.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 cleaning out one or more of a plurality of slots formed through a slotted liner portion of the liner assembly.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein cleaning out one or more of the plurality of slots includes:
 activating the one or more seals; and   flowing fluid from within the drill string into the annulus formed between the liner assembly and the drill string, and through one or more of the plurality of slots formed through the liner assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 producing a production fluid, wherein the production fluid is filtered through a slotted liner portion of the liner assembly.   
     
     
         16 . A method of drilling comprising:
 engaging a slotted liner assembly with a drill string to relative axial and rotational movement between the slotted liner assembly and the drill string, an inner annulus being formed between the slotted liner assembly and the drill string;   drilling a wellbore with the drill string engaged with the slotted liner assembly;   circulating drilling fluid downhole through the drill string; and   circulating the drilling fluid uphole.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , the slotted liner assembly including a slotted liner portion coupled to at least one casing segment by a casing profile nipple. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein circulating the drilling fluid uphole includes circulated the drilling fluid uphole through an outer annulus formed between the wellbore and the slotted liner portion of the liner assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 diverting the drilling fluid from the outer annulus to the inner annulus.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , the slotted liner assembly including a casing shoe guide, and the drill string including a casing shoe, the casing shoe configured to restrict the drilling fluid from circulating uphole within the inner annulus between the casing shoe guide and the casing shoe.