Patent Grant
11788372
The invention relates to a bottom hole assembly comprising a cutting tool and associated methods that utilizes pressurized gas to power the cutting tool and sever a subterranean tubular or pipe into shorter and separate sections.
There are several ways to sever/cut a tubular in a subterranean well, be it tubulars such as well tubing, well casings, drill pipes, snubbing pipe, coiled tubing or other pipe. The subterranean well would be found in an oil and/or gas field. The well may alternatively be a geothermal well, a water well or a well for mining/mineral exploration.
During certain stages of the life of a subterranean well/borehole, which often comprises a wellbore tubular lining the interior of the borehole and in most cases a tubular for production or injection; the tubular must be cut for various purposes. For example, during a drilling operation, should a drill pipe become stuck, an operation known as pipe recovery must be deployed to separate sections of free pipe from sections of stuck pipe. In other cases, due to failed tubing or during well abandonment, the tubing must be cut in several places so that it may be removed from the wellbore. In other cases, an outer tubular known as casing must be cut to facilitate other operations; for example, side-tracking or cementing. To achieve these cuts, a device, a downhole tool, must be lowered inside the tubular and remotely operated from surface to perform the cut.
Several types of downhole tools exist that may be deployed in a wellbore to produce cuts and sever wellbore tubulars. These tools use varying methods of delivering energy from the surface to the tool located at the cutting target.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,129,322 and 4,125,161; some downhole tools use chemicals and explosives to achieve a cut; for example, a downhole chemical cutter. A downhole chemical cutter is a downhole tool that expels a chemical at a high temperature and pressure to cut the wall of a tubular. A jet cutter is a downhole tool that uses a circular-shaped charge to produce a cutting action. A radial cutting torch is a downhole tool which radially ejects a plasma to produce a cut, and a drill collar severing tool is a downhole tool which uses explosive energy to sever the tubular. Such downhole tools suffer from the safety complexity of handling explosives and chemicals; however, offer a relatively inexpensive operational solution.
A hydraulic cutting tool is a downhole tool which is commonly deployed on drill pipe and powered with fluid pumped from surface to the downhole tool. These downhole tools present the disadvantage of being very expensive to deploy and often present imprecise and high-power utilizing cuts, as they usually require a full drilling rig or workover unit to operate.
An electric cutting tool such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,868,901 and 9,441,436 is a downhole tool which uses an electrical motor to drive a rotating head including a cutting blade or abrading component to cut the tubular. Electric cutting tools offer several advantages over chemical, explosive or hydraulic cutting tools; for example, they offer precise control of the cutting process and may provide an indication as to when a cut has been completed; however, these tools are often cost prohibitive.
Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,728 A, US 2010258293 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,877 A, US 2004089450 A1 and GB 2124678 A.
A bottom hole assembly as is known in the art, is an apparatus that is adapted for use within a subterranean well/borehole that extends into the earth to reach a targeted subterranean formation that is expected to contain valuable hydrocarbons, such as oil, gas or combinations thereof, geothermal energy, water or minerals. A bottom hole assembly may be run into an existing borehole on a wireline that may provide a physical tether as well as provide connections for electrical power delivery and data communication between the bottom hole assembly and a computer system at the surface near the borehole. Furthermore, a bottom hole assembly may include one or more downhole tools, components or subsystems that perform one or more functions of the bottom hole assembly. Other means of deploying a bottom hole assembly, known in the art, are drill pipe, snubbing, coiled tubing, slick line, composite cables and ropes, all offering different operational methods and possibly equipped with various features, for example, hydraulic, electrical or fibre optic communication.
Certain downhole tools may include a cutting head. A cutting head may be activated to cut a downhole tubular to separate a section of lower tubular from a section of upper tubular. The cutting head may, using the deployment system, be repositioned within the borehole and reactivated to achieve multiple cuts per downhole operation.
A bottom hole assembly, comprising a downhole tool that includes a cutting head, may be deployed within the borehole, such that the cutting head may be activated at various locations therein. In this manner, the downhole tool including the cutting head may be used in conjunction with a drill pipe recovery, tubing recovery, casing cutting or other downhole tubular cutting operation or other process at one or multiple locations within the borehole.
The invention is set forth in the independent claims, where the dependent claims define other characteristics of the invention.
A bottom hole assembly is provided for cutting a pipe or tubular within a borehole that extends into a subterranean formation, wherein the bottom hole assembly comprises a holding tool for securing the bottom hole assembly to the pipe; and
The cutting tool preferably comprises one or more cutters in the form of one or more cutting blades or one or more abrading component(s) described as cutters.
The cutting tool utilizes energy from the pressurized gas to cut the tubular. The pressurized gas, i.e. exhaust gas, exhausted from within the cutting tool to the exterior, via one or more fluid passages, causes a rotational motion of the mechanical cutting head, and any cutters attached thereto, of the cutting tool, relative the tubular. The rotational energy of the cutters and their mechanical interaction with the tubular is sufficient to sever the tubular.
The pressure chamber, the propellant, the igniter, the gas-driven rotatable motor and the mechanical cutting head, all components of the cutting tool; may be deployed in the borehole. The cutting tool may be deployed by any available deployment method known in the art being available to an operator; for example, slickline, electric line (E-line), coiled tubing, drill pipe, or another deployment method.
The holding tool may form part of the cutting tool. Alternatively, the holding tool may be arranged at another location of the bottom hole assembly than the cutting tool.
Furthermore, the cutting tool may be deployed as an integrated part of a larger bottom hole assembly comprising other tools. Examples of other tools are a holding tool; a casing collar locator (CCL) or any other type of locating tool, be it a logging tool or mechanical locating tool to position the cutting tool at the correct depth; strain gauges; pressure and temperature gauges; or tools meant for other mechanical operations or data acquisition in the subterranean well. A wellbore tractor may also be part of the bottom hole assembly.
When deployed in a subterranean well, the cutting tool, and if relevant, the rest of bottom hole assembly, shall be run in hole (RIH) to the depth of where the tubular or pipe is to be severed. Depending on the deployment method, there are several ways of verifying the correct depth, e.g. by using a locating tool in the form of a casing collar locator or a gamma ray tool (GR). When deployed by a method having the option of electrical or fibre optic communication with surface, a casing collar locator (CCL) and/or a gamma ray tool (GR) may be included as part of the bottom hole assembly and used for depth correlation. If deployed by a method not having the option of electrical or fibre optic communication to surface, measured depth provided by the deployment system must be used for depth correlation. This is a less accurate way of depth correlation compared to those offering communication to surface.
The energy needed to cause the holding tool to physically contact the inner wall of the pipe and secure the bottom hole assembly within and to the pipe; generate the rotational motion of the gas-driven rotatable motor, generate the rotational motion of the cutting head, extend the cutters and cut the pipe; is provided by the pressurized gas contained within the pressure chamber and generated from the combustion of the propellant.
In an embodiment, the propellant and the igniter configured to ignite the propellant, are in the pressure chamber.
In an alternative embodiment, the propellant and the igniter configured to ignite the propellant are located outside the pressure chamber and in fluid communication with the pressure chamber via a fluid passage.
In an embodiment, a second pressure chamber may be employed. The first pressure chamber configured to supply the holding tool with the pressurized gas and the second pressure chamber configured to supply the gas-driven rotatable motor and/or the cutting head with a second pressurized gas.
In an embodiment, a third pressure chamber may be employed when the second pressure chamber only provides the gas-driven rotatable motor with the second pressurized gas, the third pressure chamber configured to supply the cutting head with a third pressurized gas.
The holding tool, when activated, temporarily maintains the cutting tool and the bottom hole assembly to the inside of the pipe to be cut, i.e. the holding tool physically contacts the inner wall of the pipe and thereby creates friction between the bottom hole assembly and the inner wall of the pipe or tubular. Friction forces created prevent the bottom hole assembly from rotating inside the tubular. The holding tool also prevents any movement of the bottom hole assembly and cutting tool along the long axis of the wellbore.
In an embodiment, the holding tool is configured such that upon ignition of the propellant, the pressurized gas is received by the holding tool, thereby securing the bottom hole assembly to the pipe by activating the holding tool from a retracted position to an extended position against the pipe.
In an alternative embodiment the bottom hole assembly further comprises, a holding tool pressure chamber; a holding tool propellant; a holding tool igniter for igniting the holding tool propellant; wherein the holding tool is configured such that upon ignition of the holding tool propellant, the holding tool propellant generates a holding tool pressurized gas which is received by the holding tool pressure chamber, thereby activating the holding tool from a retracted position to an extended position against the pipe.
The holding tool may be biased in the retracted position and arranged such that when the holding tool receives the pressurized gas or the holding tool pressurized gas at a pressure at or above a holding tool set-point pressure, the holding tool is forced into the extended position against the pipe; and when the holding tool receives the pressurized gas or the holding tool pressurized gas at a pressure below the holding tool set-point pressure, the holding tool is in the retracted position or in a process of retracting.
The biasing of the holding tool may be enabled with one or more springs such that the one or more springs maintain the holding tool in the retracted position until the holding tool receives the pressurized gas or the holding tool pressurized gas at a pressure sufficient to overcome the spring force; and when the holding tool pressurized gas or the pressurized gas is at or above the holding tool set-point pressure, the holding tool is in the extended position against the pipe.
The holding tool set-point pressure may be greater than the surrounding borehole pressure.
The holding tool set-point pressure may be greater than the pressure needed to overcome the spring force of one or more springs maintaining the holding tool in a retracted position and activate the holding tool into an extended position.
When the holding tool is activated, two or more linkages may extend from the body of the holding tool to contact the inner wall of the pipe.
In an embodiment, the holding tool comprises two or more linkage assemblies.
In an embodiment, the holding tool may comprise holding pads. The holding pads may be in the form of slips, wherein the holding pads are disposed to physically contact the inner wall of the pipe.
In an embodiment, the bottom hole assembly may further include a second holding tool. The second holding tool may be arranged at a distance from the holding tool described above, and may, for example be arranged at an upper part of the bottom hole assembly.
In an embodiment, the bottom hole assembly is deployed via drill pipe and the drill pipe is a holding tool.
In an embodiment, the holding tool is equipped with an actuation piston, wherein a first side of the piston is exposed to wellbore pressure and a second side of the piston is exposed to the pressurized gas in the pressure chamber. The mechanical arrangement is such that when force caused by the pressure of the pressurized gas in the pressure chamber acting on the first side of the piston exceeds the force caused by the wellbore pressure acting on the second side of the piston, the holding tool will be activated and set.
In an embodiment, the holding tool set-point pressure is applied to a surface area to generate a force, the force greater than a spring force.
In a preferred embodiment, the propellant is made of a solid mass, i.e. a combustible solid, designed to combust and generate a gas upon ignition.
In an embodiment, the propellant is combustible while submerged in a liquid or well-fluid.
In the preferred embodiment, the gas generated from the combustion of the propellant is stored in a pressure chamber of fixed volume, hence the gas generates a pressure inside the pressure chamber due to the fixed volume and the rise in temperature caused by the combustion process.
In an embodiment, the gas generated from the combustion of the propellant is stored in a pressure chamber of variable volume; wherein the volume is controlled such that the pressure in the pressure chamber is constant over a period.
In an embodiment, the period is a period of time required to initiate and complete a cut in a tubular.
In an embodiment, the igniter is configured to receive electrical power from surface via a wireline cable/E-line.
In an embodiment, the bottom hole assembly further comprises one or more batteries, the igniter configured to receive electrical power from the one or more batteries.
In an embodiment, the gas-driven rotatable motor and thereby the mechanical cutting head are biased in a stationary position and arranged such that when the gas-driven rotatable motor receives the pressurized gas at a pressure above a motor set-point pressure, the gas-driven rotatable motor rotates together with the mechanical cutting head; and when the gas-driven rotatable motor receives the pressurized gas at a pressure below the motor set-point pressure, the gas-driven rotatable motor and thereby the mechanical cutting head does not rotate or is in a process of stopping rotation.
In an embodiment, the gas-driven rotatable motor may be biased using one or more pins, such that the one or more pins maintain the gas-driven rotatable motor stationary until the motor set-point pressure is sufficient to apply a force upon the one or more pins and shear the one or more pins.
In an embodiment, the gas-driven rotatable motor may be biased by a clutch, wherein the clutch prevents the rotational movement of the gas-driven rotatable motor until the pressure of the pressurized is at or above the motor set-point pressure and when the pressure of the pressurized gas is reduced below the below the motor set-point pressure, the clutch stops the rotation of the gas-driven rotational motor or begins a process of stopping the rotation of the gas-driven rotational motor.
In a preferred embodiment, the gas-driven rotatable motor may be biased with a spring-loaded clutch, the spring loaded clutch comprising; a piston, a spring, and a clutch plate configured to engage the gas-driven rotatable motor; the piston having a surface area, such that when the surface area is exposed to a pressure at or above the motor set-point pressure, the clutch plate is disengaged from the gas-driven rotatable motor, and when the surface area is exposed to a pressure below the motor set-point pressure, the clutch plate is engaged to the gas-driven rotatable motor and the gas-driven rotatable motor is stopped or is in a process of stopping rotation.
In an embodiment, the motor set-point pressure is greater than the surrounding borehole pressure.
In an embodiment, the motor set-point pressure is greater than the holding tool set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the motor set-point pressure is equal to the holding tool set-point pressure.
The cutting head, which may be located at a lower end of the cutting tool, and thereby at a lower end of the bottom hole assembly, may be equipped with one or more cutters in the form of one or more cutting blades or one or more abrading component(s) described as cutters. During deployment in the borehole, the one or more cutters may be in an initial retracted position within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head.
In an embodiment, the one or more cutters are disposed to extend to a position outside the circumferential envelope of the cutting head due to the centrifugal force created by the rotation of the cutting head and thereby contact the inner wall of the pipe to be cut. This rotational motion of the one or more cutters then processes; for example, cuts, grinds or parts the material of the pipe to be cut until an upper portion of the pipe is separated from a lower portion of the pipe.
In an embodiment, the mechanical cutting head comprises at least one cutter, wherein the cutter is biased in a retracted position within a circumferential envelope of the cutting head and configured such that when the gas-driven rotatable motor and the mechanical cutting head rotate, the at least one cutter is in an extended position against the pipe; and when the gas-driven rotatable motor and the mechanical cutting head do not rotate, the at least one cutter is in the retracted position or in the process of retracting.
In an embodiment, the at least one cutter is biased in a retracted position within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head, and configured such that when pressurized gas from the pressure chamber applies a pressure to the cutter which is above a cutter set-point pressure, the cutter is in an extended position against the pipe; and when the pressurized gas from the pressure chamber applies a pressure to the cutter which is below the cutter set-point pressure, the at least one or more cutters are in the retracted position or in a process of retracting.
In an embodiment, the cutters may be equipped with a return spring wherein the spring force acts to retract the cutters to the retracted position within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head.
In an embodiment, the one or more cutters are biased in the retraction position using one or more pins, such that the one or more pins maintain the one or more cutters within the circumferential envelope of the cutting tool until the cutter set-point pressure is sufficient to apply a force upon the one or more pins and shear the one or more pins.
In an embodiment, the cutter set-point pressure is greater than the surrounding borehole pressure.
In an embodiment, the cutter set-point pressure is greater than the holding tool set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the cutter set-point pressure is equal to the holding tool set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the cutter set-point pressure is greater than the motor set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the cutter set-point pressure is equal to the motor set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the mechanical cutting head comprises at least one pivoted arm, wherein each arm is equipped with a cutter and biased in a retracted position within a circumferential envelope of the cutting head, such that when the gas-driven rotatable motor and the mechanical cutting head rotate, the at least one pivoted arm is in an extended position against the pipe; and when the gas-driven rotatable motor and the mechanical cutting head do not rotate, the at least one pivoted arm is in the retracted position or in the process of retracting.
In an embodiment, the one or more pivoted arms are connected to a piston which is configured to move thereby extending the one or more pivoted arms, and wherein the pivoted arms and the piston are biased in a retracted position within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head, and configured such that when the piston is subject to a pressurized gas above a piston set-point pressure, the one or more pivoted arms are in an extended position towards the pipe; and when the piston is subject to a pressurized gas below the piston set-point pressure, the one or more pivoted arms are in the retracted position or in a process of retracting and the cutters are not in contact with the pipe.
In an embodiment, the centrifugal force of the cutting head rotation, causes the pivoted arms, and the thereby the cutters, to extend outside the circumferential envelope of the cutting tool and thereby contact the inner wall of the pipe to be cut.
In an embodiment, the one or more pivoted arms are biased in the retracted position within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head by one or more springs.
In an embodiment, the one or more pivoted arms are configured with one or more return springs wherein the spring force acts to retract the one or more pivoted arms to the retracted position within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head.
In an embodiment, one or more springs are disposed to retract the one or more pivoted arms to the retracted position within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head.
In an embodiment, the one or more pivoted arms are biased in the retracted position using one or more pins, such that the one or more pins maintain the one or more pivoted arms within the circumferential envelope of the cutting head until the piston set-point pressure is sufficient to apply a force upon the one or more pins and shear the one or more pins.
In an embodiment, the piston set-point pressure is greater than the surrounding borehole pressure.
In an embodiment, the piston set-point pressure is greater than the holding tool set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the piston set-point pressure is greater than the motor set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the piston set-point pressure is less than the motor set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the piston set-point pressure is equal to the motor set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, the fluid passages in the gas-driven rotatable motor comprise a first portion in fluid communication with the pressure chamber and a second portion in fluid communication with the exterior, wherein at least the second portion of the one or more fluid passages comprises a center axis and the second portions are spaced apart relative to any other second portion(s) of the other fluid passages, and the center axis of the second portion of each of the one or more fluid passages and a longitudinal axis of the gas-driven rotatable motor are skew lines.
The fluid passages are such that the gas-driven rotatable motor is configured to generate a thrust, and thereby rotation of the gas-driven rotatable motor by exhausting fluid from the one or more fluid passages.
In an embodiment the fluid passages may be arranged at an angle other than 90 degrees (non-radial) relative the borehole wall or tubular wall surrounding the bottom hole assembly. The fluid passages are preferably as tangential as possible to the exterior surface of the bottom hole assembly.
Skew lines are two lines that do not intersect and are not parallel.
In an embodiment, to minimize force from the thrust in the longitudinal direction, the long axis direction of the borehole, during cutting and thereby preventing or minimizing axial movement of the cutting tool during a cutting or severing operation, each of the center axes of the second portions extend in a plane predominantly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gas-driven rotatable motor. Predominantly perpendicular may preferably be +/−20 degrees, more preferably +/−10 degrees, even more preferably +/−5 degrees, and even more preferably +/−1 degree relative a perpendicular plane to the longitudinal axis of the gas-driven rotatable motor.
In an embodiment, each of the second portions extend in the same plane.
In an embodiment, each of the second portions extend in predominantly the same plane.
In an alternative embodiment, the second portions may extend in different planes.
In an embodiment, the second portion of the one or more fluid passages comprises a nozzle.
In an embodiment, the nozzle is a convergent-divergent nozzle.
In an embodiment, a gearbox is located between the gas-driven rotatable motor and the mechanical cutting head, wherein the gearbox is configured to effectuate a change in a rotational speed of the mechanical cutting head relative to a rotational speed of the gas-driven rotatable motor.
In alternative embodiments, additional components may be located between the gas-drive rotatable motor and the mechanical cutting head.
In an embodiment, the gearbox decreases the speed of the cutting head, relative to the speed of the gas-driven rotatable motor.
In an embodiment, the gearbox increases the speed of the cutting head, relative to the speed of the gas-driven rotatable motor.
The speed is preferably measured using revolutions per minute (RPM).
In an embodiment, the gearbox is a hydraulic gearbox.
In a preferred embodiment, the gearbox is a mechanical gearbox.
In an embodiment, the bottom hole assembly comprises one or more valves for selectively controlling the flow of the pressurized gas from the pressure chamber or the holding tool pressure chamber to any one of the following components: the holding tool, the gas-driven rotatable motor, and the mechanical cutting head, thereby controlling activation and de-activation of said component(s) at their respective set-point pressure and allowing and stopping the flow of pressurized gas to any of said components, and wherein the one or more valves is configured to be in communication with a controller controlling the operation of the one or more valves.
In an embodiment, the bottom hole assembly comprises a first valve to control the flow of the pressurized gas to the gas driven rotatable motor and a second valve to control the flow of the pressurized gas or the holding tool pressurized gas to the holding tool.
In an embodiment, the valve(s) may be (a) solenoid activated valve(s).
In an embodiment, the components of the bottom hole assembly may be positioned from uphole to downhole in the following sequence; the holding tool, the propellant with the igniter for igniting the propellant, the pressure chamber, the gas-driven rotatable motor and the cutting head including cutters.
In an embodiment, the propellant and the igniter for igniting the propellant may be an integrated component of the pressure chamber positioned above the gas-driven rotatable motor.
The holding tool set-point pressure, the gas-driven motor set-point pressure, the cutter set-point pressure and the piston set-point pressure are pressure thresholds for an action to start, stop or begin the process of stopping. By the combustion of the propellant, when the pressurized gas in the pressure chamber reaches these thresholds, i.e. set-point pressure, the corresponding actions are initiated. As the pressurized gas in the pressure chamber is spent, the pressure in the pressure chamber will decrease below the setpoint pressures, thereby stopping or beginning the process of stopping the actions. When the pressure in the pressure chamber exceeds any of the set-point pressures to initiate an action, it will have had to overcome the wellbore pressure and the force of any of the retraction or biasing mechanisms.
It is further described a method of cutting a downhole pipe using a bottom hole assembly as defined above, the method comprising the following steps in sequence:
In an embodiment, the igniting step occurs prior to the step of activating and setting the holding tool, the method further comprising: utilizing the gas from the pressure chamber for activating and setting the holding tool when the pressurized gas in the pressure chamber is at or above a holding tool set-point pressure, and wherein deactivating the holding tool occurs when the pressure in the pressure chamber is below the holding tool set-point pressure.
In an embodiment, a method of cutting a downhole pipe comprises: prior to deployment selecting an amount of propellant based on in situ wellbore pressure and mass of tubular to be cut; deploying the bottom hole assembly as described within a borehole;
In an embodiment, a method of cutting a downhole pipe comprises: prior to deployment selecting an amount of propellant based on in situ wellbore pressure and mass of tubular to be cut; deploying a bottom hole assembly as described within a borehole, wherein the bottom hole assembly further comprises a holding tool pressure chamber, a holding tool propellant and an igniter for igniting the holding tool propellant; the method comprises the steps of:
In an embodiment, the method further comprises reducing the pressure in the holding tool pressure chamber below the holding tool set-point pressure by an upward pull on the bottom hole assembly exercised by the operator at surface via the deployment system.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises utilizing a locating tool to locate the desired tubular section within the borehole.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: closing a valve to stop the flow of gas to the gas-driven rotatable motor; repositioning the bottom hole assembly to a second position within the tubular section; opening the valve to deliver gas to the gas-driven rotatable motor; rotating the cutting head coupled thereto, thereby producing a second cut in the tubular.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: closing a valve to stop the flow of gas to the gas-driven rotatable motor and the holding tool; repositioning the bottom hole assembly to a second position within the tubular section; opening the valve to deliver gas to the gas-driven rotatable motor and the holding tool; rotating the cutting head coupled thereto, thereby cutting a second cut in the tubular.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: closing a first valve to stop the flow of gas to the gas-driven rotatable motor; closing a second valve to stop the pressurized gas or the holding tool pressurized gas from reaching the holding tool and thereby allowing deactivation of the holding tool; repositioning the bottom hole assembly to a second position within the tubular section; opening a second valve to supply the pressurized gas or the holding tool pressurized gas to activate and set the holding tool; opening a first the valve to deliver gas to the gas-driven rotatable motor; rotating the cutting head coupled thereto, thereby cutting a second cut in the tubular.
If the cutting tool is deployed by a method with no communication with surface, one or more timers may be used to activate the cutting tool. A timer is a clock set to start a process after specified period. One or more timers may be used to activate the functions of the bottom hole assembly. When the one or more timers reach their set time, designated actions of the bottom hole assembly may then be activated. The timer will trigger power to activate one or more ignitors to initiate the propellant combustion process. In the situation where embodiments of the cutting tool employ valves to let pressurized gas escape the one or more pressure chambers, the timer will trigger power to activate the one or more valves to open and/or close.
Multiple cutting tools may be used in a bottom hole assembly to sever the tubular at multiple locations. Depending on the length of each cutting tool, there will be a limited number of cutting tools which may be accommodated into the constrained length of the bottom hole assembly which is normally limited by the rig up height at surface.
Alternatively, when the process of releasing pressurized gas from the pressure chamber is controlled by one or more valves, these valves may be selectively controlled to release and stop the release of pressurized gas to facilitate multiple cuts within a tubular.
The cutting tool may further include a control module comprising a controller in electronic communication with the one or more igniters and, when any valves are in place, the one or more valves.
The one or more igniters and, when relevant, the one or more valves, may be configured to receive electrical power from surface through a wireline cable/E-line.
The bottom hole assembly or the cutting tool may comprise one or more batteries, where the one or more igniters and, when relevant, the valves are configured to receive electrical power from the one or more batteries.
When deployed by a method having the option of electrical or fibre optic communication, a computing system may be located at the surface to provide a user-interface for monitoring and controlling the downhole operation of the cutting tool.
When the cutting tool is deployed by a method with an electrical or fibre optic cable in communication with surface, the activation of the cutting tool may be triggered or initiated by an operator at surface.
Statements made herein referring to a component being “above”, “below”, “uphole” or “downhole” relative to another component, should be interpreted as if the downhole tool or bottom hole assembly has been run into a wellbore. It should be noted that even a horizontal wellbore, or any non-vertical wellbore, still has an “uphole” direction defined by the path of the wellbore that leads to the surface and a “downhole” direction that is generally opposite to the “uphole” direction. Tubular, tubing, and pipe; referring to a well component found inside subterranean well boreholes may be used interchangeably. Reference to a fluid or fluids herein, shall not limit the scope of the fluid to a gas, a liquid or combination of a gas and a liquid. Rather, the use of “fluid” may be replaced with “gas”, “liquid” or a “combination of gas and liquid” without altering or limiting the scope of the disclosures herein. Moreover, it should be noted that a gas, a liquid or a combination of a gas and liquid; are all in fact, fluids.
Following drawings are appended to facilitate the understanding of the invention. The drawings show embodiments of the invention, which will now be described by way of example only, where:
In one embodiment as shown in
In
In
In
In
In
In
In
Pressurized fluid 115 travels into fluid passage port 30 and exits through fluid passage holes 32 and into annular space 33. From annular space 33, fluid is exhausted from the cutting tool via, first portion 37 and second portion 38 of fluid passages 43. At the same time, pressurized fluid 115 travels through lower bearing 26 and applies pressure to clutch plate 71 at interface 70. Clutch spring 72 applies a force to the clutch plate 71 and against spring nut 73 which is fixed to gas-driven rotatable motor shaft 41, and when the pressurized fluid 115 is at a pressure sufficient to overcome the spring force, i.e. at or above the gas-driven rotatable motor set-point pressure, the clutch plate 71 is disengaged from the gas-driven rotatable motor 40 allowing the exhausted fluid to generate a thrust and thereby rotate the gas-driven rotatable motor 40. When pressurized fluid 115 is at a pressure insufficient to overcome the spring force, i.e. at a pressure below the gas-driven rotatable motor set-point pressure, the clutch plate 71 is engaged to the gas-driven rotatable motor 40 and it does not rotate or is in the process of stopping rotation. The gas-driven rotatable motor 40 is integral with ring gear 104 of gearbox 100, while sun gear 106 is integral with gas-driven rotatable motor shaft 41, such that when the gas-driven rotatable motor 40 rotates, the planetary carrier 110 with gearbox output shaft 105 rotates. A cutting head (not shown) may be secured to the output shaft 105 to receive the rotational power from the shaft and for use in a downhole pipe cutting operation.
In the preceding description, various aspects of a bottom hole assembly according to the invention have been described with reference to the illustrative embodiments. However, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and variations of the illustrative embodiment, as well as other embodiments of the system, which are apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to lie within the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210512 | Apr 2021 | NO | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3353612 | Bannister | Nov 1967 | A |
| 20140124191 | Hallundbæk | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20180345445 | Bussear | Dec 2018 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220341272 A1 | Oct 2022 | US |
