1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates in general to assemblies for gripping polished rods in hydrocarbon production operations, and in particular to interchangeable adapters with gripping surfaces for use in such assemblies.
2. Description of Related Art
During some hydrocarbon production operations, a drive can be used to rotate a polished rod that extends into a subterranean well. The rotating polished rod in turn drives a pump that provides lift to fluids that are within the subterranean well and can be used to force such fluids to the surface and be produced into a flow line. Such a production system can be used, for example, with a steam assisted gravity drainage process, which is undertaken at high temperatures.
In order to perform service on the production system that requires the polished rod to be locked in a non-rotating condition, a gripping surface of a piston ram can engage the polished rod. The piston rams can be part of a lock-out device, or can part of a blowout preventer (BOP) that has one or more sets of rams with various functions. When in the closed position the piston rams can clamp around the polished rod and secure the rod string. In certain embodiments, the piston rams can also seal off the well bore. The sealing function and gripping function can be carried out by a single set of rams. The clamping action of the piston rams reduces environmental and safety risks while performing services on the production system.
The polished rods used to drive the pump can have different diameters, depending on the make, model, and size of pump that is being run downhole. Therefore, the piston ram gripping surface and polished rod clamp gripping surface will both need to be properly sized to fully engage and grip the polished rod of the specific size used in the particular production operation. The gripping surfaces must provide a sufficient grip to both support the weight of the rod string and pump, as well as resist any rotation or torque applied to the polished rod. If the pump is replaced with a new pump that requires a different sized polished rod, the gripping surfaces for the polished rod clamp and the piston ram may not properly grip the new polished rod and will need to be resized. There may also be times when the gripping surfaces of the polished rod clamp and the piston ram become worn and need to be replaced.
Embodiments of this disclosure describe systems and methods for providing replaceable adapters with gripping surfaces of various sizes in the piston ram and polished rod clamp. Embodiments of the adapters described herein provide time and cost savings compared to current systems, where the entire piston ram would need to be replaced. The adapters described herein are also lighter and would result in less scrap material over the life of the production operation compared to such current systems. Operators can have a series of adapters on hand that could be utilized for different polished rod sizes as specified per API Spec 11B, without investing as much money or using as much storage space as maintaining the required replacement parts of some current systems. Systems and method described herein therefore provide reduced costs and improved serviceability for production systems that utilized polished rods.
In an embodiment of the current disclosure, a system for gripping a polished rod that extends into a hydrocarbon production well includes a clamping assembly that is moveable between an unengaged position where the clamping assembly is spaced apart from the polished rod, and an engaged position where the clamping assembly engages the polished rod. The clamping assembly includes a recess located in a moveable clamping member, the recess having a supporting surface. The clamping assembly also includes an adapter sized to fit within the recess and to be supported on the supporting surface, the adapter having a gripping surface facing out of the recess. The adapter is positioned to grip the polished rod with the gripping surface when the clamping assembly is in the engaged position.
In an alternate embodiment of the current disclosure, a system for gripping a polished rod that extends into a hydrocarbon production well includes a clamping assembly of a blowout preventer that is moveable between an unengaged position where the clamping assembly is spaced apart from the polished rod, and an engaged position where the clamping assembly engages the polished rod. The clamping assembly includes a pair of piston rams extendable into a central bore of the blowout preventer when the clamping assembly is in the engaged position. The clamping assembly also includes at least one recess located in each piston ram, each of the at least one recesses having a supporting surface. An adapter is sized to fit within each of the at least one recesses and to be supported on the supporting surface. The adapter has a gripping surface facing out of the recess. The adapter is positioned to grip the polished rod with the gripping surface when the clamping assembly is in the engaged position.
In yet another alternate embodiment of the current disclosure, a method for gripping a polished rod that extends into a hydrocarbon production well includes providing a clamping assembly that has: a recess located in a moveable clamping member, the recess having a supporting surface; and an adapter sized to fit within the recess and to be supported on the supporting surface. The adapter has a gripping surface facing out of the recess. The clamping assembly is moved between an unengaged position where the clamping assembly is spaced apart from the polished rod, and an engaged position where the clamping assembly engages the polished rod so that the adapter grips the polished rod with the gripping surface.
Some of the features and benefits of the present disclosure having been stated, others will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
While the disclosure will be described in connection with the example embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to that embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
The method and system of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments are shown. The method and system of the present disclosure may be in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey its scope to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
It is to be further understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, exact materials, or embodiments shown and described, as modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed illustrative embodiments and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation.
Referring to
Well 10 can have a casing 12 and production tubing 14 extending into the well through casing 12. In order to provide lift to fluids within well 10 so that such fluids are produced to the surface, pump 16 can be located within production tubing 14 of well 10. Pump 16 can be powered by a rotating rod such as polished rod 18 that extends through production tubing 14 to pump 16. Polished rod 18 can be rotated by drive unit 20 that is located at the surface outside of well 10. Polished rod 18 extends through drive unit 20 and can be supported by polished rod clamp 22.
In the example of
Blowout preventer 28 can be located above well 10 and be in fluid communication with production tubing 14. Polished rod 18 extends through a central bore 27 of blowout preventer 28. Looking at
In certain embodiments, the sealing and clamping functions can be provided by a single set of piston rams 30. In the example embodiment of
In the example of
Looking at
Each recess 38 can house adapter 42. Therefore where there is one recess 38 there can be one adapter 42 and where there are additional recesses 38 there can be additional adapters 42. Adapter 42 is sized to fit within recess 38 and to be supported on supporting surface 40. Adapter 42 can be formed of hardened steel, tungsten carbide, or other suitable material known in the art.
Adapter 42 can be releasably secured to ram block 33 with fastener 44. Fastener 44 in the examples shown extends axially through adapter 42 and can be accessed through the open end of recess 38. Fastener 44 extends between adapter 42 to ram block 33. Fastener 44 allows for limited relative movement between adapter 42 and ram block 33. Fasteners 44 can be, for example, threaded members that pass through adapter 42 and thread into ram block 33. The opening in adapter 42 through which fastener 44 passes can be larger than an outer diameter of fastener 44 to allow for some relative movement between adapter 42 and ram block 33. Adapters 42 are removable from the piston rams 30 by removing fasteners 44 from ram block 33.
Adapter 42 has gripping surface 46. Gripping surface 46 faces out of recess 38 and adapter 42 is positioned within recess 38 so that adapter 42 grips polished rod 18 with gripping surface 46 when clamping assembly 34 is in the engaged position. Gripping surface 46 can have, for example, carburized teeth, a helical thread shape, concentric protrusions, or other shape of gripping features that maximizes the friction between gripping surface 46 and polished rod 18 and enables gripping of polished rod 18 by adapter 42. In the example of
Gripping surface 46 can also have profile shape 48 configured to mate with an outer diameter surface of polished rod 18. As can be seen in
Because adapter 42 can be held axially in place with fasteners 44 that allow for some relative movement radially between adapter 42 and ram block 33, adapter 42 can move a limited amount to position around polished rod 18 to form and maintain a grip on polished rod 18. Fasteners 44 will not take a load of polished rod 18. The load of polished rod 18 will instead be transferred from adapters 42 to clamping assembly 34 by way of supporting surface 40 and sidewalls of recess 38.
Polished rod clamp 22 is also located above well 10 and includes clamping assembly 34 for supporting pump 16. Looking at
Each clamp arm 50 has recess 38. Recess 38 is located in a face of clamp arm 50 that faces towards the opposite clamp arm 50. Each clamp arm 50 can have one recess or can have additional recesses 38. In the example embodiment shown, each clamp arm 50 has one recess 38. Recess 38 houses adapter 42. Adapter 42 has the features discussed herein and is supported in recess 38 as discussed herein in relation to ram block 33.
In an example of operation, in order to secure polished rod 18 with clamping assembly 34, clamping assembly 34 is moved from the unengaged position to the engaged position so that adapter 42 grips polished rod 18 with gripping surface 46. In the example of using clamping assembly 34 of blowout preventer 28, an operator may wish to perform service on the production system that requires the polished rod 18 to be locked in a non-rotating condition. In the example of using clamping assembly 34 of polished rod clamp 22, the operator can use polished rod clamp 22 to suspend and support polished rod 18 within well 10.
The polished rod 18 used to drive pump 16 can have different diameters, depending on the make, model, and size of pump 16 that is being run downhole. Therefore, gripping surface 46 will need to be properly sized to fully engage and grip polished rod 18 of the specific size used in the particular production operation. If pump 16 is replaced with a new pump that requires a different sized polished rod 18, gripping surfaces 46 may not properly grip the new polished rod 18 and gripping surfaces 46 of both blowout preventer 28 and polished rod clamp 22 will need to be resized. There may also be times when gripping surfaces 46 of become worn and need to be replaced.
In order to remove and replace adapter 42, fasteners 44 can be removed, adapters 42 can be removed, and new adapter 42 can be releasably secured with fasteners 44. Recess 38 is shaped and sized to accept adapters 42 of various sizes so that the adapters 42 can be selected to grip the required size of polished rod 18. In this way, the entire blowout preventer 28 or polished rod clamp 22 does not need to be replaced when the polished rod 18 changes size. Instead, the adapter 42 of the correct size can be inserted into recess 38.
Where reference is made to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously except where the context excludes that possibility. The terms “vertical”, “horizontal”, “upward”, “downward”, “above”, and “below” and similar spatial relation terminology are used herein only for convenience because elements of the current disclosure may be installed in various relative positions.
The present disclosure described herein, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as others inherent therein. While example embodiments of the disclosure have been given for purposes of disclosure, numerous changes exist in the details of procedures for accomplishing the desired results. These and other similar modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be encompassed within the spirit of the present disclosure disclosed herein and the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/190,982, filed Jul. 10, 2015, titled “Adjustable Lock-Out Ram For Production BOP Applications,” the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
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62190982 | Jul 2015 | US |