Abstract: A process for underbalanced drilling into multiple coal and shale formations, and dewatering the drilled formations, which includes drilling a first borehole through several coal seams to a certain depth, defined as a cased borehole; lowering an upstock on the end of a carrier string to the depth of the upper coal seam; lowering a drill string in the carrier string, and angling off of the upstock, to drill a lateral or horizontal borehole within the coal seam; repeating the process for the second coal seam; setting a packer in place above the first coal seam in the annulus between the cased borehole and the carrier string; forming perforations in the wall of the carrier string below the packer; retrieving the upstock from the carrier string; lowering an electrical submersible pump to the bottom of the principal borehole, defined as a sump portion of the borehole; collecting methane gas from the two coal seams through the annulus between the second drill string and the carrier string to the surface; pumping wa

Abstract: A method and system of drilling straight directional and multilateral wells utilizing hydraulic frictional controlled drilling, by providing concentric casing strings to define a plurality of annuli therebetween; injecting fluid down some of the annuli; returning the fluid up at least one annulus so that the return flow creates adequate hydraulic friction within the return annulus to control the return flow within the well. The hydraulic friction should be minimized on the injection side to require less hydraulic horsepower and be maximized on the return side to create the desired subsurface friction to control the well.

Abstract: A method and system of drilling straight directional and multilateral wells utilizing hydraulic frictional controlled drilling, by providing concentric casing strings to define a plurality of annuli therebetween; injecting fluid down some of the annuli; returning the fluid up at least one annulus so that the return flow creates adequate hydraulic friction within the return annulus to control the return flow within the well. The hydraulic friction should be minimized on the injection side to require less hydraulic horsepower and be maximized on the return side to create the desired subsurface friction to control the well.

Abstract: A method and system of drilling straight directional and multilateral wells utilizing hydraulic frictional controlled drilling, by providing concentric casing strings to define a plurality of annuli therebetween; injecting fluid down some of the annuli; returning the fluid up at least one annulus so that the return flow creates adequate hydraulic friction within the return annulus to control the return flow within the well. The hydraulic friction should be minimized on the injection side to require less hydraulic horsepower and be maximized on the return side to create the desired subsurface friction to control the well.

Abstract: A method and system of drilling multiple radial wells using underbalanced drilling, by first drilling a principal wellbore; then providing a first carrier string having a deflection member on its lowermost end to a certain depth within the principal wellbore; orienting the deflection member into a predetermined direction; lowering a second drill string, such as coiled tubing or segmented drill pipe, down the bore of the carrier string, so that the drill bit on the end of the second string is deflected by the deflection member in the predetermined direction from the principal wellbore and a first multilateral well is drilled. When coiled tubing is used, fluid is pumped downhole through the annulus of the coiled tubing, and into an annular space between the coiled tubing and the carrier string so that it co-mingles with produced hydrocarbons; and the co-mingled fluids and any hydrocarbons are returned to the rig through the annular space between the borehole and the carrier string.

Abstract: A system for disposing of hazardous waste, such as nuclear waste, underground which provides the drilling of a wellbore down into a level of a underground bed of salt, for example, and forming a horizontal borehole through the salt bed next, drilling a plurality of radial wells off of the horizontal well to a predetermined length of each radial well extending outward from the horizontal wellbore; lowering a quantity of nuclear wastes contained within a specially designed pre-packed liner at the end of a drill string, into each of the radial wells drilled off of the horizontal wellbore; providing a packer at the entrance to each of the radial wells for packing off the borehole of each of the radial wells to completely isolate the nuclear wastes within the radial wellbore; retrieving the drillstring from the horizontal wellbore; cementing the entire length of the horizontal wellbore so as to further isolate each of the radial wells containing the spent nuclear waste; and capping off the vertical wellbore on the

Abstract: A method and system of drilling multiple radial wells using underbalanced drilling, by first drilling a principal wellbore. There would then be provided a first carrier string having a deflection member on its lowermost end to a certain depth within the principal wellbore. There is then lowered a second drill string, such as coiled tubing, down the bore of the carrier string, so that the drill bit on the end of the second string is deflected by the deflection member in a predetermined direction from the principal wellbore. A second fluid is then pumped into an annular space between the coiled tubing and the carrier string to a position that it co-mingles with the first fluid. The co-mingled fluids and any hydrocarbons are then returned upward to the rig through the annular space between the borehole and the carrier string. There is then provided a volume of fluid to establish an equilibrium within the carrier string. The drill bit at the end of the coil tubing is retrieved from the bore hole.

Abstract: A method for receiving hydrocarbon flow from multiple radial wells drilled in a single borehole which includes the steps of providing a principal vertical or horizontal cased well; positioning an inner casing within a portion of a cased well, the inner casing sealed at its upper and lower end portions against the wall of the outer casing and having a flowbore through it, the inner casing defining a radial tie back assembly; lowering a drill string into the assembly and drilling a radial well through the wall of the outer casing; retrieving the drill string and lowering a production liner into the inner casing; sealing around the wall of the liner so that all production from the formation flows through the liner to a point inside the inner casing; positioning a second length of inner casing at a point above the first length of casing, and repeating the steps of producing flow from a radial well out of that particular length of casing positioning a second radial tie back assembly at a point above the first radi

Abstract: A method of drilling radial boreholes from a first borehole without withdrawing the drill string from the hole, by providing a first carrier string, a drill string within the carrier string, and a method for orienting the position of the carrier string relative to the position of the inner string, so that the strings are co-oriented, without the need to retrieve either the carrier string or the inner drill string from the bore hole for drilling consecutive radial wells.

Abstract: An apparatus for filtering drilling mud that is being recirculated out of the drill hole. A flow conveying tubular section has at its first lower end a flanged base portion sealably attachable to the well casing or blow out preventer and is open-ended at its second end for allowing fluid flow therethrough. Also provided is an outer tank portion encapsulating substantially the upper half portion of the tubular section. The tank portion has an open-ended top for receiving flow out the upper end of the flow conveying tubular section and is integrally attached at its bottom portion to the outer surface of the tubular section to define a container for receiving fluid flow from the tubular section. An adjustable primary filter is provided on that portion of the tubular section enclosed by the tank portion for filtering and conveying fluid out of the tubular section into the tank portion. There is provided a secondary filter having a plurality of angulated vanes defining an angulated mud filtering surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for filtering drilling mud that is being recirculated out of the drill hole, which substantially comprises the flow conveying tubular section having at its first end a flanged base portion sealably attachable to the top portion of the hydril and open-ended at its second end for allowing fluid flow therethrough. Also provided is an outer tank portion encapsulating substantially the upper half portion of said tubular section, the tank portion having an open-ended top portion for receiving flow out of the end portion of the flow conveying tubular section and integrally attached at its bottom portion to the outer surface of the flow conveying tubular section, the outer tank portion defining a container for receiving the flow from the tubular section.