Patent Grant
7814979
1. Field of the Invention
This present invention is directed to blowout preventers, to tubular-shearing blades for them, and methods of their use.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a wide variety of blowout preventers and tubular-shearing blades for blowout preventer bonnets.
Typical blowout preventers have selectively actuatable rams bonnets secured to the body which are either pipe rams (to contact, engage, and encompass pipe and/or tools to seal a wellbore) or shear rams (to contact and physically shear a tubular, casing, pipe or tool used in wellbore operations). Rams typically upon activation and subsequent shearing of a tubular, seal against each other over a center of a wellbore.
Blowout preventers and tubular-shearing blades for them are disclosed in many U.S. patents, including, but not limited to, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,946,806; 4,043,389; 4,313,496; 4,132,267, 4,558,842; 4,969,390; 4,492,359; 4,504,037; 2,752,119; 3,272,222; 3,744,749; 4,253,638; 4,523,639; 5,025,708; 5,056,418; 5,400,857; 5,575,452; 5,655,745; and 5,918,851; 4,313,496; 4,550,895; 5,360,061; 4,923,005; 4,537,250; 5,515,916; 6,173,770; 3,863,667; 6,158,505; 5,575,451; 4,057,887; 5,505,426; 3,955,622; 3,554,278; and 5,013,005.
There has long been a need, recognized by the present inventor for a blowout preventer which can effectively and efficiently shear tubulars, e.g. tubulars used in wellbore operations, including relatively large tubulars such as casing, drill collars, and drill pipe tool joints. In certain prior tubular shearing systems, a tool joint is located so that shearing rams do not encounter the tool joint, but shear only a relatively smaller portion of the tubular. Proper location takes time and, if a tool joint is improperly located, no or ineffectual shearing may result.
In one aspect, the present invention discloses a blowout preventer and methods of its use, the blowout preventer having movable ram blocks, one or both of which has a cutting blade that produces one, two, or more holes, openings, or punctures of a tubular as the tubular is sheared to facilitate complete shearing of the tubular.
In certain aspects, the present invention discloses a blowout preventer with a body with a top, a bottom, and a bore therethrough from the top to the bottom; and ram apparatus movable within the body, the ram apparatus including two ram blocks, each with a cutting blade thereon according to the present invention.
In certain aspects, the present invention discloses cutting blades for blowout preventers, each blade with one, two, three or more projections, points or pronounced portions which form an opening hole or puncture area in a tubular to facilitate shearing of the tubular.
It is, therefore, an object of at least certain embodiments of the present invention to provide new, useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious blowout preventers and methods of their use, cutting blades for such blowout preventers, and methods of their use; and
Such a blowout preventer with one or two cutting blades, at least one of which has at least one part for making a hole, etc. in a tubular to facilitate shearing of the tubular.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures, functions, and/or results achieved. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the previously-mentioned problems and long-felt needs and provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one of skill in this art who has the benefits of this invention's realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description of certain preferred embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent's object to claim this invention no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form, changes, or additions of further improvements.
The Abstract that is part hereof is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and scientists, engineers, researchers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent terms or legal terms of phraseology to determine quickly from a cursory inspection or review the nature and general area of the disclosure of this invention. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is done by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting of the scope of the invention or of the claims in any way.
It will be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention may include one, some, or all of the disclosed, described, and/or enumerated improvements and/or technical advantages and/or elements in claims to this invention.
A more particular description of embodiments of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by references to the embodiments which are shown in the drawings which form a part of this specification. These drawings illustrate certain preferred embodiments and are not to be used to improperly limit the scope of the invention which may have other equally effective or legally equivalent embodiments.
As shown in
An upper cutting blade 36 (any blade according to the present invention) is on the ram 24 and a lower cutting blade 38 (any blade according to the present invention) is on the ram 26. The cutting blades 36 and 38 are positioned so that the cutting edge of the blade 38 passes just below the cutting edge of the blade 36 in shearing of a section of a tubular, e.g. the drillstring D.
The shearing action of cutting blades 36 and 38 shears the drillstring D (see
In certain aspects (as is true for any blade according to the present invention) the cutting surfaces are slopped from the vertical and in one particular aspect, as shown in
Optionally, in a two-stroke (or multiple stroke operation) the tubular 230 is put in tension and the blades 233, 234 impact the tubular; then the tubular is put in compression and the blades 233, 234 then completely sever the tubular; or vice-versa. A tensioning step or steps and/or a compression step or steps may be used with any method according to the present invention, including but not limited to, methods as illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Optionally, only one blade 301 or 302 is used and the other blade has no projection or projections.
As shown in the various drawing figures (e.g.
It is within the scope of the present invention to coat any blade according to the present invention (or any prior blade) or part thereof, and/or cutting surfaces thereof, and/or top and/or bottom thereof, and/or a tubular-puncturing part thereof with a low friction coating, e.g., but not limited to, polytetrafluoroethylene coating, electroless nickel coating, and/or titanium/nickel coating, including but not limited to, low friction coatings applied by a physical vapor deposition (“PVD”) process. Such coatings are shown, e.g., as a coating 69 (
The present invention, therefore, provides in some, but not in necessarily all, embodiments a blowout preventer with a body with a top, a bottom, and a bore therethrough from the top to the bottom, ram apparatus movable within the body, the ram apparatus including two ram blocks each with a cutting blade according to the present invention.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least some embodiments, methods for using a blowout preventer according to the present invention.
The present invention, therefore, provides in certain, but not necessarily all embodiments, a method for severing a tubular, the tubular useful for wellbore operations, the method including inserting a tubular into a tubular severing apparatus (the apparatus including a first member movable toward the tubular, a second member movable toward the tubular to be severed, the second member disposed opposite to the first member, a first blade on the first member, the first blade comprising a first blade body, a first projection projecting from the first blade body, a first point structure on the first projection for contacting and puncturing the tubular, first projection cutting surfaces on the first projection defining the first point structure and for cutting the tubular, and the first point structure projecting sufficiently from the first blade body so that the first projection can contact the tubular and puncture the tubular before any other part of the first blade body contacts the tubular, and a second blade on the second member); moving the first blade toward the tubular to bring the first point structure into contact with an outer surface of the tubular; moving the first blade so that the first point structure punctures into the tubular and goes through the tubular; moving the first blade to cut a portion of the tubular with the first projection cutting surfaces; and severing the tubular by moving the first blade and the second blade toward each other. Such a method may include one or some, in any possible combination, of the following: wherein the tubular severing apparatus's second blade has a second blade body, a second projection projecting from the second blade body, a second point structure on the second projection for contacting and puncturing the tubular, second projection cutting surfaces on the second projection defining the point structure and for cutting the tubular, and the second point structure projecting sufficiently from the second blade body so that the second projection can contact the tubular and puncture the tubular before any other part of the second blade body contacts the tubular, the method including moving the second blade toward the tubular as the first blade is moved toward the tubular and moving the second blade so that the second point structure contacts an outer surface of the tubular, moving the second blade so that the second point structure punctures into the tubular and goes through the tubular, and moving the second blade to cut a portion of the tubular with the second projection cutting surfaces; wherein the tubular is severed by the projection cutting surfaces of the first blade and of the second blade; wherein the first blade further comprises first blade cutting surfaces adjacent the first projection, and the second blade comprises second blade cutting surfaces adjacent the second projection, the method including moving the first blade and the second blade so that each blade's blade cutting surfaces cut a portion of the tubular; wherein the first point structure is rounded off; wherein the second point structure is rounded off; wherein the first projection, the first blade cutting surfaces, the second projection, and the second blade cutting surfaces are coated with a low friction coating; wherein the first blade has a top and a bottom and the second blade has a top and a bottom and the tops and bottoms of the two blades are coated with a low friction coating; wherein the first projection is disposed above and opposite the second projection; wherein each of the two point structures contact the tubular substantially simultaneously and puncture the tubular substantially simultaneously; during severing of the tubular, tensioning the tubular with tension apparatus; during severing of the tubular, compressing the tubular with compression apparatus; during severing of the tubular, rotating the tubular with rotating apparatus; prior to any contact between the tubular and either of the blades, flattening the tubular with flattening apparatus; wherein the first blade has a first top and a first bottom, the second blade has a second top and a second bottom, the first projection cutting surfaces slope down from the first top to the first bottom, and the second projection cutting surfaces slope down from the second top to the second bottom; wherein the second blade is inverted with respect to the first blade; wherein the projection cutting surfaces of each blade are at an angle to each other ranging between 30 degrees and 90 degrees; and/or wherein the tubular is from the group consisting of casing, drill pipe, drill collar, and tool joint.
The present invention, therefore, provides in certain, but not necessarily all embodiments, a method for severing a tubular, the tubular useful for wellbore operations, the method including: inserting a tubular into a tubular severing apparatus (the apparatus having a first member movable toward the tubular, a second member movable toward the tubular to be severed, the second member disposed opposite to the first member, a first blade on the first member, the first blade comprising a first blade body, a first projection projecting from the first blade body, a first point structure on the first projection for contacting and puncturing the tubular, first projection cutting surfaces on the first projection defining the first point structure and for cutting the tubular, and the first point structure projecting sufficiently from the first blade body so that the first projection can contact the tubular and puncture the tubular before any other part of the first blade body contacts the tubular, and a second blade on the second member); moving the first blade toward the tubular to bring the first point structure into contact with an outer surface of the tubular; moving the first blade so that the first point structure punctures into the tubular and goes through the tubular; moving the first blade to cut a portion of the tubular with the first projection cutting surfaces; severing the tubular by moving the first blade and the second blade toward each other; wherein in the tubular severing apparatus the second blade has a second blade body, a second projection projecting from the second blade body, a second point structure on the second projection for contacting and puncturing the tubular, second projection cutting surfaces on the second projection defining the point structure and for cutting the tubular, and the second point structure projecting sufficiently from the second blade body so that the second projection can contact the tubular and puncture the tubular before any other part of the second blade body contacts the tubular; moving the second blade toward the tubular as the first blade is moved toward the tubular and moving the second blade so that the second point structure contacts an outer surface of the tubular; moving the second blade so that the second point structure punctures into the tubular and goes through the tubular; moving the second blade to cut a portion of the tubular with the second projection cutting surfaces; wherein the first projection is disposed above and opposite the second projection; wherein each of the two point structures contact the tubular substantially simultaneously and puncture the tubular substantially simultaneously; and wherein the second blade is inverted with respect to the first blade.
The present invention, therefore, provides in certain, but not necessarily all embodiments, a tubular severing apparatus for severing a tubular used in wellbore operations, the apparatus including: a first member movable toward a tubular to be severed, the tubular comprising a wellbore operations tubular; a second member movable toward the tubular to be severed, the second member disposed opposite to the first member; a first blade on the first member, the first blade including a blade body, a projection projecting from a center of the blade body, point structure on the projection for contacting and puncturing the tubular, projection cutting surfaces on the projection defining the point structure and for cutting the tubular, and the point structure projecting sufficiently from the blade body and the projection movable to contact the tubular and puncture the tubular before any other part of the blade body contacts the tubular; and, in one aspect, the second blade like the first blade.
In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein and those covered by the appended claims are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited in any of the following claims is to be understood as referring to the step literally and/or to all equivalent elements or steps. The following claims are intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized. The invention claimed herein is new and novel in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 102 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in § 102. The invention claimed herein is not obvious in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 103 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in § 103. This specification and the claims that follow are in accordance with all of the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112. The inventors may rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the scope of their invention and of the claims that follow as they may pertain to apparatus not materially departing from, but outside of, the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All patents and applications identified herein are incorporated fully herein for all purposes. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/411,203 filed Apr. 25, 2006 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,396 issued on May 6, 2008 are both incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
This is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/411,203 filed Apr. 25, 2006, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,396 on May 6, 2008 and from which and under which the present invention and application claim priority under the United States Patent Laws.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11411203 | Apr 2006 | US |
| Child | 12151279 | US |
