Patent Application
20240068306
The present disclosure generally relates to a casing shoe with a flow operated diverter valve.
RU 2687834 discloses a shoe for the lower part of a casing string. The shoe includes a body with a central channel, one end of which is intended for connection to the casing string, a bushing inserted into the other end of the body, a central channel from below with a constriction, above which side holes are made. The bushing is inserted inside the housing with fixation by shear elements for sealing of the side holes with the possibility of movement downwards to narrowing of the central channel of the housing under action of a dropped ball and opening of side holes. On the external surface of housing there are identical screw recesses interconnected in lower part with corresponding side holes. The effect is to improve quality of cementing of the casing string due to good washing of the well bore through central flushing channel during string lowering, reliable shutting of holes in horizontal bore of shoe after completion of washing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,947 discloses an apparatus either in the form of a float shoe or float collar for use in cementing a casing string within a well bore, the shoe or collar having blades extending longitudinally along the outer side thereof for centering the shoe or collar, and thus the lower end of the casing string, within the well bore.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,442 discloses an apparatus in the form of a float shoe or collar for use in cementing a casing string within a well bore. The shoe or collar has blades extending therefrom for centering the shoe or collar, as well as the lower end of the casing string, within the well bore. The blades include jetting ports positioned therein for use in jetting the formation. In an alternative embodiment, the jetting ports are located between blades which are generally convoluted and extend circumferentially part-way around the perimeter of the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,820 discloses a tubing shoe including: a body for mounting on the end of a tubing string; and reaming members extending longitudinally and helically around the body, the reaming members providing substantially complete circumferential coverage of the body whereby, in use, when the tubing shoe is advanced axially into a bore, the reaming members provide reaming around the shoe circumference. A rotatable torque reducing sleeve or centralizer may also be mounted on the body, rearwardly of the reaming members.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,824 discloses an improved float shoe/collar apparatus for use during casing run in or floated in. The apparatus has an inner tubular member and outer tubular member, movable upon release of shear pins to cause longitudinal movement relative to each other. The movement of the inner tubular member closes a plurality of downward jets and opens a plurality of upward jets. The apparatus also is equipped with a set of check valves, held open on run in, and activated to close upon cementing to prevent “u-tubing” of fluid back into the casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,657,036 discloses a tubing shoe with a body adapted to be connected to a section of tubing to be emplaced in a wellbore and a nose provided on the body, wherein the nose includes a failure guide structure for controlling break-up of the nose upon being drilled out from inside the nose. The failure guide structure typically controls break up by limiting the maximum size of pieces of the nose broken off upon drill out, for example, by defining weakened areas of the nose which are prone to failure upon drilling. The failure guide structure can include discontinuities such as slots or bores formed or drilled into the outer surface of the nose. The failure guide structure controls the breakup of the nose in a consistent and predictable manner, and typically at a predictable stage during the drill-out process.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,760,383 discloses a casing shoe having a composite body portion, a coupling portion attached to one end of the body portion, and a one-way check valve assembly positioned in the body portion, the valve assembly and body portion having a centerline nozzle and a plurality of circumferentially spaced smaller diameter nozzles positioned around the centerline nozzle.
The present disclosure generally relates to a casing shoe with a flow operated diverter valve. In one embodiment, a shoe for use with a casing or liner string includes: a tubular body; a nose: mounted to an end of the tubular body, and having: a plenum formed therein, a front port extending longitudinally from the plenum to an exterior of the nose, and a side port extending transversely from the plenum to the exterior of the nose; and a valve repeatedly shiftable between a deployment position where the front port is open and the side port is closed and a cleaning position where the front port is closed and the side port is open. The valve shifts to the deployment position in response to forward flow through the shoe being less than a threshold flow rate. The valve shifts to the cleaning position in response to the forward flow through the shoe being greater than the threshold flow rate.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Alternatively, the casing shoe 1 may be a guide shoe, a rasping shoe, or a float shoe.
The nose 4 may include a rearward shank portion and a forward base portion. The base portion may have an eccentric conical shape. The eccentricity in the conical shape may be formed by truncating a concentric conical shape with an inclined plane (with an inclination ranging between thirty and sixty degrees to a longitudinal axis of the nose) and omitting the smaller intersected portion. The nose 4 may be made from a metal or alloy. The metal or alloy may be drillable by a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bit, such as being nonferrous, such as an aluminum alloy, such as aluminum-bronze. By nonferrous, it is meant that the material contains no more than a trace amount of iron. To facilitate drill out by a subsequent drill bit (not shown), the base portion may have one or more blind fragmentation apertures (not shown) formed in an outer surface thereof and extending therein.
Alternatively, the base portion of the nose 4 may have a concentric conical shape, a similarly truncated eccentric ogive shape, or a concentric ogive shape.
The shank portion of the nose 4 may have a flow bore formed therethrough and the base portion thereof may have a plenum 6p formed therein in fluid communication with the flow bore of the shank. The base portion of the nose 4 may have a front port 6f longitudinally extending from the plenum 6p to an exterior of the nose 4 and one or more of side ports 6s transversely extending from the plenum to the exterior of the nose. Each side port 6s may be aimed rearward and outward to discharge fluid 7 pumped down through the bore of a casing or liner string to wash cuttings formed by the casing shoe 1 upward along an annulus formed between the casing or liner string and the wellbore. An outer surface of the shank portion of the nose 4 may have a coupling, such as a threaded coupling, formed in an outer surface thereof for connection to the body 3.
The plenum 6p may have a reduced diameter forward portion and an enlarged diameter rearward portion defined by an inner surface of the base portion of the nose 4. The inner surface of the base portion of the nose 4 may form a rearward shoulder 4r at the junction between the forward and rear portions of the plenum 6. The front port 6f may extend from the forward portion of the plenum 6p and the side ports 6s may extend from the rearward portion of the plenum. The inner surface of the base portion of the nose 4 may form a forward shoulder 4f at the junction between the forward portion of the plenum 6 and the front port 6f.
The body 3 may be tubular and have a flow bore formed therethrough. The body 3 may be formed of a metal or alloy, such as steel. The body 3 may further have a plurality of blades 3b protruding from an outer surface thereof and extending there-along at an inclined angle or in a helical fashion relative to a longitudinal axis thereof. The body blades 3b may have a left-handed orientation. The body blades 3b may be sized and arranged to cumulatively provide complete circumferential coverage around the body 3. The body 3 may have a coupling, such as a threaded coupling, formed at an inner surface of a forward end thereof for receiving the shank thread of the nose 4, thereby connecting the two members. A plurality of buttons 8 may be mounted into sockets formed along the body blades 3b, such as by brazing or interference fit. Each button 8 may be an insert and may be made from a hard material, such a ceramic or cermet, such as tungsten carbide or cobalt-tungsten carbide. The body 3 may have a threaded coupling formed at a rearward end thereof for assembly of the casing shoe 1 as part of the casing or liner string. Each button 8 may have a cylindrical mounting portion and a hemispherical or quasi hemispherical shaped working portion.
Alternatively, the piston 9 may be made from a dissolvable metal or alloy which dissolves in a controlled manner in the presence of wellbore fluid (aqueous chloride), such as a magnesium alloy.
The outer diameter of the flange portion 9f may correspond to an inner diameter to the rearward portion of the plenum 6p with a clearance formed therebetween, thereby resulting in an engineering fit, such as a sliding fit, between the flange portion and the nose 4. The flange portion 9f may have a groove formed in an outer surface thereof and the groove may have a length corresponding to a diameter of the side ports 6s. The flange portion 9f may have a tapered bore formed in a rearward portion thereof and a constant diameter bore formed in a forward portion thereof. The tapered bore of the flange portion 9f may flare inwardly toward the stem portion 9m. The stem portion 9m may have a constant diameter bore formed therethrough. The cap portion 9c may have a tapered bore formed in a rearward portion thereof and a one or more apertures 9a formed adjacent a periphery thereof at a forward portion thereof. The tapered bore of the cap portion 9c may flare inwardly toward the apertures 9a thereof. Collectively, the bores of the flange, stem, and cap portions 9f,s,c and the apertures 9a of the cap portion may define a flow path through the piston 9. The cap portion 9c may have annular inner and outer rims protruding from a forward face thereof for engagement with the forward nose shoulder 4f. The inner and outer rims may straddle the apertures 9a.
Alternatively, each rim may be perforated to provide bypass channels for debris clearing.
The spring 10 may be a compression spring. The spring 10 may be longitudinally disposed between the piston shoulder 9s and the forward shoulder 4f of the nose 4, thereby biasing the piston into engagement with the split ring 11. The spring 10 may be radially disposed between an outer surface of the stem and cap portions 9m,c and an inner surface of the nose 4 adjacent to the forward portion of the plenum 6p. When the piston 9 is in the deployment position, the spring 10 may be preloaded to maintain engagement of the piston with the snap ring while withstanding a significant hydrodynamic drag force by the fluid 7 being pumped through the piston such that the piston will stay in the deployment position until the fluid is pumped through the casing shoe 1 at a threshold flow rate. The threshold flow rate may be significantly greater than zero, such as greater than or equal to twenty-five, fifty, or one hundred gallons per minute.
The piston 9 may be longitudinally movable relative to the nose 4 between the deployment position and the cleaning position. While in the deployment position, the flange portion 9f may completely cover an inlet of the side ports 6s, thereby closing the side ports. Also, while in the deployment position, the apertures 9a of the cap portion 9c may be clear of the forward nose shoulder 4f, thereby being open to longitudinal flow of the fluid through the piston 9 and into the front port 6f. Due to the seal-less interface between the flange portion 9f and the nose 4, some of the fluid 7 may leak into the side ports 6s (leakage depicted by dashed arrow). While greater than zero, the leakage may only be a small percentage of the fluid flow through the front port 6f, such as between one and ten percent or between one and five percent of the fluid flow through the front port.
To shift the valve 5 to the cleaning position, pumping of the fluid 7 may be increased to a flow rate greater than the threshold flow rate (increase depicted by more arrows), thereby increasing the hydrodynamic drag force exerted on the piston 9 by the fluid flow therethrough and overcoming the preload of the spring 10 to move the piston forward until a front face of the cap portion 9c engages the forward nose shoulder 4f. In the cleaning position, a solid portion of the cap front face may completely cover an inlet of the front port 6f, thereby closing the front port. Also while in the deployment position, the flange portion 9f may be clear of the side ports 6s, thereby being open to transverse flow of the fluid from the bore of the shank portion of the nose, into the side ports 6s via an open portion of the rearward portion of the plenum 6p. Due to the seal-less interface between the cap portion 9c and the nose 4, some of the fluid 7 may leak into the front port 6f (leakage depicted by dashed arrow). While greater than zero, the leakage may only be a small percentage of the fluid flow through the side ports 6s, such as between one and ten percent or between one and five percent of the fluid flow through the side ports.
In operation, the casing shoe 1 is assembled as part of the casing or liner string. The casing or liner string, with the casing shoe 1 at the front end thereof, is deployed into a crude oil and/or natural gas, geothermal, or water wellbore to a desired depth. As the casing or liner sting is being deployed, the fluid 7 may be pumped therethrough and the casing or liner string rotated. The fluid 7 may be a liquid, such as conditioner. The fluid 7 may be pumped at a rate less than the threshold rate so that the valve 5 is in the deployment position. The casing shoe 1 may guide the casing or liner string into the wellbore and may cut through any obstructions encountered in the wellbore. Should lowering of the casing or liner string be slowed by an onerous obstruction, after and/or during clearing the obstruction with the casing shoe 1, the flow rate of the fluid 7 may be increased to shift the valve 5 to the cleaning position, thereby facilitating clearing of the obstruction and washing the cuttings from the obstruction along the annulus formed between the casing or liner string and the wellbore and to a rig located at surface. Once the obstruction has been cleared, the flow rate of the fluid 7 may be reduced to a rate less than the threshold rate, thereby returning the valve 5 to the deployment position. Once the desired depth has been reached, the valve 5 may again be shifted to the cleaning position for cleaning the wellbore in preparation for cementing. The casing or liner string may then be secured in place by pumping cement slurry into the annulus formed between the casing or liner string and the wellbore. The nose 4 (except for the shank portion) may then be drilled through by a PDC drill bit of a subsequent drill string deployed into the wellbore for extending the depth of the wellbore.
Advantageously, the valve 5 provides the ability to control and direct fluid 7 discharging from the nose 4 by varying flow rate of the fluid pumped through the casing or liner string. In the cleaning mode, the valve 5 increases fluid velocity through the side ports 6s due to closing of the front port 6f, thereby increasing the capability for debris clearing and cleaning of the wall of the wellbore. In the deployment mode, the valve 5 increases fluid velocity through the front port 6f and reduces erosion of the side ports 6s by closing the side ports, thereby increasing the capability for clearing obstructions in the wellbore.
Alternatively, the nose 4 may be lengthened in order to add an intermediate position to the valve 5. In the intermediate position, the piston 9 would be clear of both the side ports 6s and the front port 9f, thereby having all of the ports open concurrently. The alternative valve would then have two threshold flow rates including a first lesser threshold flow rate and a second greater threshold flow rate. The alternative valve would be in the deployment position when the flow rate is less than both threshold flow rates. The alternative valve would be in the intermediate position when the flow rate is greater than the first threshold flow rate and less than the second threshold flow rate. The alternative valve would be in the cleaning position when the flow rate is greater than both threshold flow rates.
Alternatively, the plenum 6p may be lengthened rearward into the shank portion of the nose 4, the nose lengthened, the piston 9 lengthened, the piston modified to add side ports, and the split ring 11 moved rearward to add a neutral position to the valve 5. In the neutral position, the piston side ports would be aligned with the nose side ports 6s and clear of the front port 9f, thereby having all of the ports open concurrently. The alternative valve would then have two threshold flow rates including a first lesser threshold flow rate and a second greater threshold flow rate. The alternative valve would be in the neutral position when the flow rate is less than both threshold flow rates. The alternative valve would be in the deployment position when the flow rate is greater than the first threshold flow rate and less than the second threshold flow rate. The alternative valve would be in the cleaning position when the flow rate is greater than both threshold flow rates.
Alternatively, although the valve 5 is responsive to forward flow through the casing or liner string (pumping down the bore of the casing or liner string and up the annulus to surface), the valve 5 may remain in the deployment position during reverse flow into or through the casing or liner string, such as if the casing or liner string were lowered into the wellbore and allowed to become filled with wellbore fluid. The casing or liner string may be equipped with an auto-fill float valve and the valve 5 would not obstruct such an operation. To further facilitate such an operation, the nose 4 may have additional or enlarged front port(s).
Alternatively, the casing shoe 1 may be drilled through by a PDC casing bit of a subsequent casing or liner string or a roller cone or hybrid drill bit of a subsequent drill string.
Each nose blade 16 may be arcuate and may protrude from an outer surface of the base portion and extend from an (visible) interface between the nose 15 and the body 14 along the outer surface of the base portion. One or more of the nose blades 16 may extend to a tip of the base portion (aka primary blades) and one or more of the blades may terminate before reaching the tip of the base portion (aka secondary blades). The base portion may have a plurality of junk slots formed in an outer surface thereof. Each junk slot may be formed adjacent to one of the side surfaces of a respective nose blade 16. The junk slots may each extend from the interface between the nose 15 and the body 14 toward the tip of the base portion to an extent about equal to the shortest secondary nose blade 16. The junk slots may each converge as they extend toward the tip of the base portion.
The interior or the nose 15 may be similar or identical to the interior of the nose 4 except that the side ports 17 thereof may be formed at each junk slot and may be aimed forward and outward to instead of rearward and outward like the side ports 6s. To facilitate drill out by a subsequent drill bit (not shown), the base portion may have one or more blind fragmentation apertures formed in an outer surface thereof and extending therein. The fragmentation apertures may be arranged in rows and each row may be located between one of the blades 16 and the junk slot of the next blade.
Advantageously, the alternative flow operated diverter valve 18 may be shifted into and kept in the cleaning position (
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63400106 | Aug 2022 | US |
