Lateral drilling method

Abstract

An improved method of drilling a substantially lateral section of a wellbore is provided. A first segment of a drilling string with a bottom hole assembly is extended into a wellbore. At determined intervals of the drilling string, a plurality of friction reduction segments are connected as the wellbore is drilled and the drilling string is extended into the wellbore. The friction reduction segments comprise a friction reduction tool and corresponding activation tool for activating the friction reduction tool. The activation tool selectively diverts drilling fluid into a motor powering the friction reduction tool or away from the motor, and can be a ball catch assembly that is activated when a suitably sized projectile is seated in the assembly. Multiple friction reduction segments can be connected to the drilling string and one or more of the plurality of segments can be activated.

1 . A method of drilling a substantially lateral section of a wellbore using a drilling string, the wellbore comprising a substantially vertical section and a build section connecting the substantially vertical wellbore section and the substantially lateral section, the method comprising:
 providing a first segment of the drilling string having drill pipe connected thereto, the first segment comprising a bottom hole assembly;   at a first determined interval of drill pipe connected to the first segment, connecting a first friction reduction tool and a first activation tool, the first activation tool being in operable communication with the first friction reduction tool for activating the first friction reduction tool, the first friction reduction tool and the first activation tool providing a first friction reduction segment;   connecting further components of the drilling string above the first friction reduction segment;   drilling a portion of the substantially lateral section of the wellbore using the drilling string while the first friction reduction tool is not activated;   at a further determined interval of the drilling string above the first friction reduction segment, connecting a further friction reduction tool and a further activation tool to the drilling string to provide a further friction reduction segment, and connecting further components of the drilling string above the further friction reduction segment;   drilling a further portion of the substantially lateral section of the wellbore using the drilling string while the first friction reduction tool and the second friction reduction tool are not activated;   activating the first friction reduction tool using the first activation tool while at least the first friction reduction tool is positioned in the substantially lateral section of the wellbore; and   drilling still a further portion of the substantially lateral section of the wellbore using the drilling string while the first friction reduction tool is activated and the second friction reduction tool is not activated.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first friction reduction tool is activated while the further friction reduction tool is positioned in either the substantially vertical section or the build section of the wellbore. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising drilling further portions of the substantially lateral section of the wellbore until the further friction reduction tool is positioned in the substantially lateral section. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising activating the further friction reduction tool using the further activation tool while the further friction reduction tool is positioned in the substantially lateral section. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein connecting the further friction reduction tool, further activation tool, and drilling pipe, is repeated to provide at least three friction reduction segments in the drilling string. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom hole assembly comprises a drill bit and a corresponding motor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom hole assembly comprises at least one logging while drilling or measurement while drilling instrument. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the drill pipe comprises drill pipe having a higher stiffness to weight ratio than typical drill pipe or heavy weight drill pipe. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and further activation tools comprise a ball drop activation tool. 
     
     
         10 . A drilling string assembly for use in lateral drilling of a wellbore, the drilling string assembly comprising:
 a bottom hole segment, comprising a bottom hole assembly;   a first friction reduction segment spaced a first determined interval from the bottom hole segment, the friction reduction segment comprising:
 a friction reduction tool operably connected to a corresponding activation tool, the activation tool for activating the friction reduction tool within the wellbore; and 
 at least one further friction reduction segment spaced a further determined interval from a previous friction reduction segment, the at least one further friction reduction segment comprising a friction reduction tool operably connected to a corresponding activation tool, the activation tool for activating the friction reduction tool within the wellbore, 
 wherein each friction reduction segment comprises an activation tool configured to receive and retain a projectile received through the drilling string assembly, to thereby cause activation of the friction reduction tool. 
   
     
     
         11 . The drilling string assembly of  claim 10 , wherein at least one further friction reduction segment comprises a friction reduction tool and corresponding activation tool each having bores sized to permit passage of a projectile for receipt and retention by a downstream activation tool. 
     
     
         12 . The drilling string assembly of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the intervals between segments of the drilling string assembly comprises drill pipe having a higher stiffness to weight ratio than typical drill pipe or heavy weight drill pipe. 
     
     
         13 . The drilling string assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom hole assembly comprises at least one logging while drilling or measurement while drilling instrument. 
     
     
         14 . The drilling string assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom hole assembly comprises a drill bit and a corresponding motor. 
     
     
         15 . The drilling string assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one further friction reduction tool comprises a variable choke assembly having a rotary component configured to rotate within a stationary component,
 the rotary component comprising a bore and a plurality of ports in communication with the bore wherein at least one of the plurality of ports is blocked during rotation of the rotary component within the stationary component, the bore permitting passage of a projectile corresponding to the activation tool of the first friction reduction segment while the rotary component rotates.   
     
     
         16 . A method of drilling a substantially lateral section of a wellbore using a drilling string, the wellbore comprising a substantially vertical section and a build section connecting the substantially vertical wellbore section and the substantially lateral section, the drilling string comprising a bottom hole assembly, the method comprising:
 extending the drilling string into the wellbore;   when the drilling string is extended into the wellbore, connecting a plurality of friction reduction tools and a plurality of activating tools at different determined positions on the drilling string, each activating tool being operably connected to a corresponding friction reduction tool for selectively activating the corresponding friction reduction tool;   drilling at least a portion of the substantially lateral section of the wellbore;   selectively activating a first one of the plurality of friction reduction tools while it is located in the substantially lateral section using the corresponding activating tool;   selectively activating a second one of the plurality of friction reduction tools while it is located in the substantially lateral section using the corresponding activating tool.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first one of the plurality of friction reduction tools is located above the second one of the plurality of friction reduction tools. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first one of the plurality of friction reduction tools is activated while the second one of the plurality of friction reduction tools is located in either the substantially vertical section or the build section. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the drilling string comprises drill pipe having a higher stiffness to weight ratio than typical drill pipe or heavy weight drill pipe, the drill pipe connecting segments of the drilling string comprising the friction reduction tools and activating tools. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the bottom hole assembly comprises a drill bit and a corresponding motor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the bottom hole assembly comprises at least one logging while drilling or measurement while drilling instrument. 
     
     
         22 . A method of drilling a wellbore using a drilling string, the method comprising:
 providing a first segment of the drilling string having drill pipe connected thereto, the first segment comprising a bottom hole assembly;   at a first determined interval of drill pipe connected to the first segment, connecting a first friction reduction tool and a first activation tool, the first activation tool being in operable communication with the first friction reduction tool for activating the first friction reduction tool, the first friction reduction tool and the first activation tool providing a first friction reduction segment;   connecting further components of the drilling string above the first friction reduction segment;   extending the drilling string in the wellbore;   at further determined intervals of the drilling string above the first friction reduction segment, connecting one or more further friction reduction tools and one or more corresponding further activation tools to the drilling string to provide one or more further friction reduction segments, and connecting further components of the drilling string above each further friction reduction segment;   at any time while the drilling string is extended in the wellbore, and at least the first friction reduction tool is positioned below a casing of the wellbore, activating the first friction reduction tool or one of the one or more further friction reduction tools positioned below the casing.