U.S. patent application number 10/386990 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-18 for full bore selective location and orientation system and method of locating and orientating a downhole tool.
Invention is credited to Varchetta, Luca, Westgard, David J..
Application Number | 20030173089 10/386990 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28454662 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030173089 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Westgard, David J. ; et
al. |
September 18, 2003 |
Full bore selective location and orientation system and method of
locating and orientating a downhole tool
Abstract
A full bore selective location and orientation system includes a
nipple installable in a tubular string and having internal location
and orientation features of known configuration and a locating
device runable within the tubular string and having location and
orientation features engageable with said internal features of said
nipple. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool
including installing a tubular nipple having a particular inside
dimensions configuration in a tubular string running a locating
device having a complementary outside dimensions configuration to
engage with said inside dimensions configuration and rotating said
locating device to a position where a biased member extends from
said locating device into a recess in said tubular member.
Inventors: |
Westgard, David J.;
(Cypress, TX) ; Varchetta, Luca; (Egham,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CANTOR COLBURN LLP
55 Griffin Road South
Bloomfield
CT
06002
US
|
Family ID: |
28454662 |
Appl. No.: |
10/386990 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60365488 |
Mar 18, 2002 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/381 ;
166/117.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 23/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/381 ;
166/117.5 |
International
Class: |
E21B 023/12 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A full bore selective location and orientation system
comprising: a nipple installable in a tubular string and having
internal location and orientation features of known configuration;
and a locating device runable within the tubular string and having
location and orientation features engageable with said internal
features of said nipple.
2. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 1 wherein said internal features comprise at least one
groove arrangement and at least one recess.
3. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 2 wherein said at least one groove arrangement is at least
one collet groove.
4. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 2 wherein said at least one groove arrangement is a
plurality of collet grooves.
5. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 1 wherein said nipple is connectable into a tubular string
as a portion of that string.
6. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 5 wherein said nipple is threadably connectable into said
string.
7. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 2 wherein said at least one recess is at least one
slot.
8. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 1 wherein said system further includes a wiper plug
subsystem to protect said features from contamination.
9. A full bore selective location and orientation system as claimed
in claim 2 wherein said system includes a plurality of nipples
having unique features.
10. A full bore selective location and orientation system as
claimed in claim 2 wherein said at least one recess is located
uphole of said at least one groove arrangement.
11. A full bore selective location and orientation system as
claimed in claim 2 wherein said at least one recess is located
downhole of said at least one groove arrangement.
12. A full bore selective location and orientation system as
claimed in claim 2 wherein said at least one recess is located
within said at least one groove arrangement.
13. A full bore selective location and orientation system as
claimed in claim 1 wherein said orientation features include at
least one reverse cut.
14. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool
comprising: installing a tubular nipple having a particular inside
dimensions configuration in a tubular string; running a locating
device having a complementary outside dimensions configuration to
engage with said inside dimensions configuration; and rotating said
locating device to a position where a biased member extends from
said locating device into a recess in said tubular member.
15. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool as claimed
in claim 14 wherein said engaging said complementary configuration
prevents further downhole progress of said locating device.
16. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool as claimed
in claim 14 wherein said method further comprises installing a
wiper plug subsystem in said nipple.
17. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool as claimed
in claim 16 wherein said installation is before said nipple is
installed.
18. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool as claimed
in claim 16 wherein said installation is after said nipple is
installed.
19. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool as claimed
in claim 14 wherein said installing comprises installing one or
more tubular nipples, each nipple having a unique inside dimension
configuration.
20. A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool as claimed
in claim 16 wherein said wiper plug is a straddling wiper plug.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of an earlier filing
date from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/365,488 filed
Mar. 18, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In the hydrocarbon exploration and recovery industry,
operations commonly take place many thousands of feet below the
surface of the earth. Not an insubstantial number of these
operations require both a known positioned and known orientation in
order to ensure of the operation proceeds as intended. Many devices
have been used in the past to assist with positional and
orientational accuracy, however, most of those create a restriction
in the inside dimensions of the tubular member in which they are
installed. Since all restrictions present issues relative to tools
and equipment located farther downhole of the restriction, such
restrictions are not desirable.
SUMMARY
[0003] A full bore selective location and orientation system
includes a nipple installable in a tubular string and having
internal location and orientation features of known configuration
and a locating device runable within the tubular string and having
location and orientation features engageable with said internal
features of said nipple.
[0004] A method of locating and orientating a downhole tool
including installing a tubular nipple having a particular inside
dimensions configuration in a tubular string running a locating
device having a complementary outside dimensions configuration to
engage with said inside dimensions configuration and rotating said
locating device to a position where a biased member extends from
said locating device into a recess in said tubular member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are
numbered alike in the several figures:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a tubular member particularly
constructed for a specific purpose disclosed in this
application;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a locating device in
configured to interact with a nipple such as that shown in FIG. 1;
and
[0008] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a nipple with a wiper plug
system installed therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] The system described herein comprises two main sections, the
first being a nipple illustrated in FIG. 1 and the second being a
locating device illustrated in FIG. 2. The nipple is to be
installed positioned and oriented as part of whatever tubular
string is being deposited downhole and the locating device is
configured to interact with the nipple in a way that ensures both
positive position and positive orientation in the downhole
environment. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the
art that the figures presented hereinafter are illustrations of a
single embodiment of the system disclosed herein and that different
collet profiles, orientation slot locations, etc. may be employed
to render the system stackable and selectively engageable by a
locating device or simply to form different embodiments. In
addition, the collets (illustrated in FIG. 2) on the locating
device are to be interchangeable to allow late decision as to which
nipple is intended to be engaged.
[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, a nipple 10 is a tubular member having
the capability of being connected into a tubing string at an uphole
end 12, and a downhole end 14. The ends are respectively
illustrated to be threaded connections of the box thread (12) and
pin thread (14) type. Within an inside dimensions of the nipple is
machined one or more collet grooves 16 which will serve as a
position locator for the locating device. In the illustrated
embodiment of FIG. 1 there are two collet grooves, however, it will
be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that one or more
of those grooves could be machined into nipple 10. The width and
configuration of those grooves may be whatever is desirable to
serve the purpose. In a stack system where more than one nipple is
connected into the tubing string, it may be desirable to have the
nipples be selective with respect to the locating device to be run
thereafter. In one embodiment the largest collet groove width may
be on the deepest nipple within the well such that a locating
device being run will skip earlier collet grooves and engage the
smallest groove in which the collet can fit. Alternate embodiments
are also contemplated. For example, the particular collet groove
profile can allow a smaller collet to bridge over certain features
such as raised portions in a larger total collet groove size.
[0011] Still referring to FIG. 1, the nipple further includes an
orientation slot, which is a recess of any desired configuration,
for engagement with an orientation key existing on the locating
device discussed below. The orientation slot provides for the
angular orientation of the locating device within the wellbore.
More specifically, since the orientation of the slot is known, the
orientation of a locating device engaged therewith will be
known.
[0012] It is important to note that although orientation slot 18 is
illustrated downhole of collet grooves 16, the slot may also be
positioned uphole of or within collet grooves 16 with similar
results. Additionally, more than one slot could be employed if
desired.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 2, a locating device 32 is illustrated
which is configured to engage the nipple illustrated in FIG. 1. The
locating device includes a bull nose 20 which is known one of
ordinary skill in the art. The locating device comprises a tubular
body 22 having an orientation key 24 mounted therein. The key is
mounted such that the key may be urged radially inwardly so that an
outer surface 26 of key 24 rests within the cylinder defined by
tubular body 22. This allows the locating device to fit within the
inside dimensions of whatever size tubular in which it was designed
to travel. In the compressed position, orientation key 24 is urged
by any of number of means, illustrated herein as a spring 28, into
a position similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2 and wherein when
key 24 is positioned within nipple 10, key 24 will engage
orientation slot 18.
[0014] The collets 30 illustrated, in FIG. 2, are complementary in
shape to collet grooves 16 illustrated in FIG. 1. As mentioned in
the discussion of FIG. 1, the collets are interchangeable and may
be of any width and of any number in order to selectively engage a
specific collet groove arrangement 16 whose location in the well
will be known because of its intentional placement at that location
during installation of the string in which the nipple is installed.
The specific orientation of the nipple after installation is known
from either gyroscopic location or measurement while drilling
(mwd).
[0015] An additional degree of specificity is provided within
locating device 32 in that an adjustable spline connection 34 is
provided. The spline is adjustable in three degree increments about
360 degrees in order to ensure alignment as desired. For example,
it may be that it is desirable to exit a tubular string, within
which nipple 10 is installed, in a direction opposite that of the
orientation slot. By employing the spline adjustment at the surface
one can adjust the specific tool associated with the locating
device at any azimuth desired.
[0016] The method of employing the system is as follows. Regardless
of what the dimension of the tubular is, including 95/8, 31/2 or
other dimensions, nipple 10 is fitted into the tubing string at the
desired location and run downhole. In the event the tubing string
is to be cemented in place in the borehole, a wiper plug system
such as that commercially available from Baker Oil Tools, Houston,
Tex. is installed to bridge from an area uphole of any nipple
feature to an area downhole of any feature. For example, an area
uphole of collet groove 16 to an area downhole of orientation slot
18. An uphole facing wiper plug (FIG. 3) is installed to ensure the
cement being pumped down the tubing string is not provided an
opportunity to come in contact with collet groove 16 or orientation
slot 18. The wiper plug system 42 is schematically illustrated
within the nipple of FIG. 1, in FIG. 3. The wiper plug could be
preinstalled in the nipple or could be installed after the tubular
string is run with the nipple in it. If the nipple 10 is not to be
cemented in place within the borehole then the wiper plug system is
not necessary.
[0017] Subsequent to installation of nipple 10, and/or several
nipples 10 with distinct collet groove arrangements 16, when
location and orientation to the specific location is desired,
locating device 32 is fitted with an appropriate collet to land in
the desired collet grooves and is run downhole. The run can be
effected on any type of running tool. As illustrated in FIG. 2,
collet 30 includes a squared off downhole edge 31 which when
engaged with collet grooves 16 prevents further movement in the
downhole direction. It is noted that edge 31 may also be configured
as a reverse cut to hold a load in the downhole direction. Such a
reverse cut, in one embodiment, would have an angle of about
80.degree. to a longitudinal aspect of the nipple. It will be
appreciated that any angle more acute, in the uphole direction,
than 90.degree. measured such that a radially inward aspect of the
edge 31 is further uphole than a radially outward aspect of edge 31
would constitute a reverse cut. Locating device 32 is then rotated
from the surface, or from a downhole running tool as desired, until
orientation key 24 aligns with orientation slot 18 and is urged
thereinto by spring 28. The rotation as one of ordinary skill in
the art will appreciate could be as much as 359 degrees prior to
locking into orientation slot 18. Positive engagement is confirmed
when a torque buildup is sensed at the rotating initiator whether
that be at the surface or at the running tool.
[0018] It is further intended for the system disclosed herein that
a certain pull value on the collet groove or grooves for example,
20,000 pounds overpull, will release the locating device 32 from
the collet grooves 16 and the orientation slot 18.
[0019] While preferred embodiments have been shown and described,
various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly,
it is to be understood that the present invention has been
described by way of illustration and not limitation.
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