Hydraulic fracturing while drilling and/or tripping

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean wellbore while drilling and/or tripping are disclosed. A method for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation may include rotating a drill string to drill the wellbore and hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation at a plurality of axially spaced locations along the wellbore while tripping the drill string out of the wellbore. The drill string may include a hydraulic fracturing assembly. The hydraulic fracturing operation may include translating the drill string in an uphole direction so that a set of frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly is adjacent a region of the formation selected for fracturing, expanding at least one pair of packers to seal an annular region of the wellbore exterior to the frac ports, and pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A downhole hydraulic fracturing assembly comprising:
 a downhole tool body including a through bore and configured for coupling with a drill string;   at least first and second axially spaced packers deployed on the tool body;   a first pair of under gauge stabilizers deployed axially about the first packer and a second pair of under gauge stabilizers deployed axially about the second packer;   a set of frac ports deployed axially between the first and second packers, the frac ports configured to selectively actuate between first and second, open and closed positions, the frac ports providing fluid communication between the through bore and an external region of the tool when in the open position;   a valve deployed in the through bore of the tool body, the valve configured to selectively actuate between first and second, open and closed positions, the valve providing fluid communication between first and second axial ends of the through bore when in the open position.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the valve is deployed on a downhole end of the tool body. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third axial spaced packer deployed on the tool body;   a third pair of under gauge stabilizers deployed axially about the third packer; and   a second sets of frac ports deployed axially between the second and third packers.   
     
     
         4 . A method for drilling and hydraulically fracturing a subterranean wellbore, the method comprising:
 (a) coupling the downhole hydraulic fracturing assembly of  claim 1  above a drill bit on a drill string;   (b) deploying the drill string in a subterranean wellbore;   (c) closing the frac ports, opening the valve, and rotating the drill string to drill a subterranean wellbore; and   (d) opening the frac ports, closing the valve, expanding the packers, and pumping fracturing fluid through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         5 . A method for drilling and hydraulically fracturing a subterranean wellbore, the method comprising:
 (a) coupling the downhole hydraulic fracturing assembly of  claim 1  above a drill bit and a logging while drilling tool on a drill string;   (b) deploying the drill string in a subterranean wellbore;   (c) closing the frac ports, opening the valve, and rotating the drill string to drill a subterranean wellbore;   (d) evaluating logging while drilling data obtained while drilling in (c) to identify at least one region for fracturing;   (e) lifting the drill bit off bottom such that the frac ports are adjacent the region for fracturing; and   (f) opening the frac ports, closing the valve, expanding the packers, and pumping fracturing fluid through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 (g) at least partially contracting the packers and lifting the drill bit further off the bottom such that the frac ports are adjacent a second region for fracturing; and   (h) repeating (f).   
     
     
         7 . A combined drilling fluid and fracturing fluid surface system for a combined downhole drilling and hydraulic fracturing operation, the surface system comprising:
 a pumping sub-system including at least one pump for pumping drilling fluid or fracturing fluid downhole;   a drilling fluid sub-system including a drilling fluid tank;   a fracturing fluid sub-system including a blender in fluid communication with a fracture fluid container and a proppant container;   a flushing fluid sub-system including a flushing fluid tank; and   a multiport valve configured to selectively hydraulically couple the drilling fluid sub-system, the fracturing fluid sub-system, or the flushing fluid sub-system with the pumping sub-system.   
     
     
         8 . The surface system of  claim 7 , further comprising a cement blender hydraulically coupled to the multiport valve. 
     
     
         9 . The surface system of  claim 7 , wherein the drilling fluid sub-system further comprises a degasser, a desilter, a desander, and a shale shaker; 
     
     
         10 . A method for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 (a) deploying a drill string in a subterranean wellbore, the drill string including a drill bit and a hydraulic fracturing assembly, the hydraulic fracturing assembly in hydraulic communication with the combined drilling fluid and fracturing fluid surface system of  claim 7 ;   (b) rotating the drill string in the subterranean wellbore to drill the wellbore;   (c) changing a position of the multiport valve so as to break hydraulic communication between the drilling fluid sub-system and the drill string and to establish hydraulic communication between the fracturing fluid sub-system and the hydraulic fracturing assembly;   (d) pumping formation fracturing fluid downhole to the hydraulic fracturing assembly to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         11 . A method for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating a drill string in a subterranean wellbore to drill the wellbore, the drill string including a drill bit and a hydraulic fracturing assembly;   (b) hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation at a plurality of axially spaced locations along the wellbore while tripping the drill string out of the wellbore, wherein hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formation includes (i) translating the drill string in an uphole direction so that a set of frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly is adjacent a region of the formation selected for fracturing, (ii) expanding at least one pair of packers to seal an annular region of the wellbore exterior to the frac ports, and (iii) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein (b) further comprises (iv) repeating (i), (ii), and (iii) at the plurality of axially spaced locations along the wellbore while tripping the drill string out of the wellbore. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein (a) further comprises acquiring and evaluating logging while drilling data to identify a plurality of regions for fracturing the formation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing assembly comprises first and second axially spaced sets of frac ports and wherein (b)(iii) comprises pumping the fracturing fluid simultaneously through the first and second axially spaced sets of frac ports to simultaneously hydraulically fracture adjacent regions of the formation. 
     
     
         15 . The method  claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing assembly comprises first and second axially spaced sets of frac ports and wherein (b)(ii) and (b)(iii) comprise:
 expanding a first pair of packers to seal a first annular region of the wellbore exterior to the first set of frac ports;   pumping fracturing fluid through the first set of frac ports to hydraulically fracture the formation adjacent the first annular region of the wellbore;   expanding a second pair of packers to seal a second annular region of the wellbore exterior to the second set of frac ports; and   pumping fracturing fluid through the second set of frac ports to hydraulically fracture the formation adjacent the second annular region of the wellbore.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the subterranean wellbore is a lateral wellbore extending from a pilot wellbore and the method further comprises:
 (c) repeating (a) and (b) to drill and hydraulically fracture a second lateral wellbore extending from the pilot wellbore.   
     
     
         17 . A method for drilling and hydraulically fracturing a multilateral wellbore system, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating a drill string in a subterranean wellbore to drill a first lateral wellbore from a pilot wellbore, the drill string including a drill bit and a hydraulic fracturing assembly;   (b) pumping fracturing fluid through frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly to fracture at least a portion of the first lateral wellbore;   (c) deploying a plug in the first lateral wellbore;   (d) rotating the drill string in a subterranean wellbore to drill a second lateral wellbore from the pilot wellbore; and   (e) pumping fracturing fluid through frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly to fracture at least a portion of the second lateral wellbore.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 (f) rotating the drill string in subterranean wellbore to drill third lateral wellbore from the first lateral wellbore; and   (g) pumping fracturing fluid through frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly to fracture at least a portion of the third lateral wellbore.   
     
     
         19 . A method for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating a drill string in a subterranean wellbore to drill the wellbore, the drill string including a drill bit and a hydraulic fracturing assembly;   (b) reconfiguring a combined drilling fluid and fracturing fluid surface system so as to break hydraulic communication between a drilling fluid sub-system and the drill string and to establish hydraulic communication between a fracturing fluid sub-system and the drill string;   (c) lifting the drill string off bottom such that a set of frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly is adjacent to a region of the formation to be fractured:   (d) expanding a pair of packers deployed about the frac ports to seal an annular region of the wellbore adjacent to the frac ports; and   (e) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein (a) further comprises acquiring and evaluating logging while drilling data to identify a plurality of regions for fracturing the formation. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein (b) further comprises opening the frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly and closing a valve in a through bore of the hydraulic fracturing assembly to break fluid communication between the fracturing fluid surface system and the drill bit. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 (f) at least partially contracting the packers and lifting the drill string further off bottom such that the set of frac ports is adjacent to another region of the formation to be fractured,   (g) re-expanding the packers; and   (h) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         23 . A method for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating a drill string having a drill bit in a subterranean wellbore to drill the wellbore;   (b) tripping the drill string out of the wellbore and replacing at least the drill bit with a hydraulic fracturing assembly including a pair of packers deployed about a set of frac ports;   (c) reconfiguring a combined drilling fluid and fracturing fluid surface system so as to break hydraulic communication between a drilling fluid sub-system and the drill string and to establish hydraulic communication between a fracturing fluid sub-system and the drill string;   (d) tripping the drill string, including the hydraulic fracturing assembly, into the wellbore so that the set of frac ports is adjacent a region of the formation to be fractured;   (e) expanding the packers to seal an annular region of the wellbore adjacent to the frac ports; and   (f) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein (a) further comprises evaluating logging while drilling data to identify a plurality of regions for fracturing the formation. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 (f) at least partially contracting the packers and tripping the drill string towards the surface such that the set of frac ports is adjacent to another region of the formation to be fractured;   (g) re-expanding the packers; and   (h) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.   
     
     
         26 . A method for hydraulically fracturing and casing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating a drill string in a subterranean wellbore to drill the wellbore, the drill string including a drill bit, a hydraulic fracturing assembly, and a length of casing string;   (b) reconfiguring a combined drilling fluid and fracturing fluid surface system so as to break hydraulic communication between a drilling fluid sub-system and the drill string and to establish hydraulic communication between a fracturing fluid sub-system and the drill string;   (c) lifting the drill string off bottom such that a set of frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly is adjacent to a region of the formation to be fractured;   (d) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the set of frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation; and   (e) releasing the length of casing string into the fractured subterranean formation.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the casing string includes perforations and the fracturing fluid is pumped out through the frac ports and the perforations to fracture the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         28 . A fracturing while casing and drilling assembly comprising:
 a drill bit deployed at a first axial end of a drill string;   a hydraulic fracturing assembly coupled with the drill string and including a pair of packers deployed about a set of frac ports, the hydraulic fracturing assembly further including an actuatable valve deployed in a through bore thereof; and   a length of casing string deployed about a second axial end of the drill string.   
     
     
         29 . The assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the casing string comprises a plurality of axially spaced perforations. 
     
     
         30 . The assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the hydraulic fracturing assembly is deployed internal to the casing string. 
     
     
         31 . The assembly of  claim 28 , further comprising a logging while drilling tool deployed between the drill bit and the casing string. 
     
     
         32 . A method for drilling, fracturing, and casing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating the fracturing while casing and drilling assembly of  claim 28  in a subterranean wellbore to drill the wellbore;   (b) lifting the drill string off bottom such that a set of frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly is adjacent to a region of the formation to be fractured;   (c) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the set frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation; and   (d) releasing the length of casing string into the fractured subterranean formation.   
     
     
         33 . A method for drilling, fracturing, and casing a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 (a) rotating the fracturing while casing and drilling assembly of  claim 29  in a subterranean wellbore to drill the wellbore;   (b) lifting the drill string off bottom such that a first perforation in the casing string is adjacent to a first region of the formation to be fractured and the set of frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly is adjacent to the first perforation;   (c) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the set of frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation;   (d) releasing the length of casing string into the fractured subterranean formation and lifting the drill string such that a second perforation in the casing string is adjacent to a second region of the formation to be fractured and the set of frac ports in the hydraulic fracturing assembly is adjacent to the second first perforation; and   (e) pumping fracturing fluid downhole through the set frac ports to hydraulically fracture the subterranean formation.