Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to coiled tubing. More particularly, embodiments relate to coiled tubing with a conduit secured within the coiled tubing.
Coiled tubing (CT) (also referred to as endless tubing or continuous tubing) is frequently used for down hole well completions, operations, servicing, etc.
Coiled tubing is typically manufactured from flat plate which is formed into a tubular, longitudinally (or otherwise) welded, heat treated, pressure tested, and rolled into a coil. Heat treating may include annealing.
Some down hole operations benefit from being able to convey electrical power from surface to the bottom hole assembly (BHA) or to communicate signals from surface to the BHA or from the BHA to surface. Wireline is frequently used for these electrical power (may also be referred to as electric line) or communication signals. Examples include directional control or measurement tools, pressure/temperature and other sensors, packers etc.
Wireline can be loosely inserted into finished coiled tubing, for example, by uncoiling the coiled tubing and then pumping a steel cable through the coiled tubing using a cup and then using the steel cable to pull (fish) the wireline through the coiled tubing and recoiling the coiled tubing, by uncoiling the coiled tubing into a well bore and using gravity to drop the wireline into the CT (U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,925 to Moore), or by pumping the wireline into the coiled tubing with the coiled tubing on the reel (U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,996 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,194).
Wireline can instead be inserted into coiled tubing during the manufacturing process, for example, by using a spring guide to position the electrical conductor to the side opposite the welding operation and providing cooling to reduce the heat damage to the electrical conductor (U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,209 to Moore et al.), or by using a cable placement tube which conducts coolant along the electrical conductor to prevent heat degradation (the cable placement tube extending past the welding operation and the subsequent heat treating operation) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,872 to Legget).
The unrestrained wireline in coiled tubing has a number of problems, including, when the coiled tubing with wireline combination is roiled onto a reel or unrolled from the reel, the difference in radius of the unrestrained wireline results in slack and length problems, during operations, fluid flow past the unrestrained wireline results in slack problems, birdcaging, and in deviated or horizontal wells, the difference in radius results in slack and length problems.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide coiled tubing with wireline secured within.
Embodiments of methods for manufacturing coiled tubing disclosed herein incorporate one or more heat resistant conduits, which include, but are not limited to, heat resistant wireline, electric line or cable and empty tubulars, into the coiled tubing during the manufacture. The empty tubular may be used for installing secondary conduits, such as fiber optics, therein after the coiled tubing is manufactured or for flowing a fluid, such as a hydraulic fluid therethrough. Further, if the heat resistant conduit is a cable, the cable may have an empty tubular or a small, open bore formed therein for secondary conduits or fluid flow. The heat resistant conduits are sized and arranged so as to leave a major portion of the bore of the coiled tubing unobstructed for flowing fluids or deploying apparatus therethrough. Where the conduits are heat resistant electric line or cables, the coiled tubing is capable of providing electric power downhole and further, is capable of transmitting and receiving data and control signals between surface and downhole tools.
In one broad aspect, a method of manufacturing coiled tubing from a strip of metal flat plate comprises welding one or more heat resistant conduits, at least one of which is a heat resistant cable, to the flat plate. The conduits and the at least one heat resistant cable are heat resistant for withstanding at least temperatures for annealing of the coiled tubing and the cable. The flat plate is then formed into a slit tubular having a longitudinal joint. The longitudinal joint is then sealed by welding to form coiled tubing and the coiled tubing and the one or more conduits are annealed at an annealing temperature for an annealing time.
In another broad aspect, a method of manufacturing coiled tubing from a strip of metal flat plate comprises forming a groove in the strip of metal flat plate of the coiled tubing. A heat resistant conduit is fit within the groove. The heat resistant conduit is resistant to at least annealing temperatures. The flat plate is formed into a slit tubular having a longitudinal joint. The longitudinal joint is sealed by welding to form coiled tubing and the coiled tubing and the one or more conduits are annealed at an annealing temperature for an annealing time.
After annealing, secondary conduits which may or may not be heat labile, including but not limited to fiber optics, can be installed within the empty tubulars in the coiled tubing bore or within empty tubulars or an open bore in the heat resistant cable.
Generally, embodiments disclosed herein provide a method and system for providing coiled tubing or other tubular with secured wireline.
Referring to
Referring to
The retainer 12 is adapted to retain a wire rope or cable or metallic wire or other flexible member, preferably the retainer 12 is adapted to retain a small diameter steel member known as slick wireline or slickline 14. Alternatively, the retainer 12 is adapted to retain a heat resistant wireline 130.
Referring to
In
In
The manufacturing of tubulars such as joints of conventional tubing or lengths of coiled tubing is preferably a continuous, or semi-continuous process, and preferably the slickline 14 or heat resistant wireline 130, and optionally retainer 12 are introduced into that process at a velocity that is substantially equal to the velocity of the flat plate 10. The retainer 12 may be preformed into a desired shape, or may be formed from flat plate proximate to or as the flat plate 10 is formed into the slit tubular 20.
Referring to
In one embodiment and as shown in
The retainer 12 is preferably attached to the flat plate 12 by welding but may be otherwise connected, for example by adhesive or integrally formed within the flat plate 12. The retainer 12 may extend along select portions of the slickline 14 or may extend substantially continuously along the slickline 14, forming a track or race 16. The retainer 12 may be spot welded (
In certain configurations, the retainer 12 may be continuously welded to the flat plate 10 along the length of the retainer thus forming a sealed pressure chamber 28 (for example, see
The slickline 14 is preferably retained by the geometry of the retainer 12, such that the retainer 12 retains the slickline once the retainer 12 is attached to the flat plate 10, the retainer 12 forming the track or race 16 for the slickline. Preferably, the slickline 14 Is inserted into the retainer 12 prior to the retainer 12 being attached to the plate. The slickline 14 is axially movable within the retainer 12 to provide for pulling the slickline 14 axially from the retainer 12 (see below) but the slickline 14 may be geometrically or otherwise movably retained within retainer 12.
With the retainer 12 attached (and retaining the slickline 14) the coiled tubing is formed into the slit tubular 20, and the weld 40 applied to seal the longitudinal joint 30 to form the tubular 50. The tubular 50 may be, for example, conventional jointed tubing or coiled tubing. The tubular 50 may then be passed through heat treatment 60, for example annealing or other treatment. The tubular 50 may undergo non-destructive examination and/or testing 70. In the case of coiled tubing, the length of the tubular 50 is then coiled onto a reel. The flexible member (e.g. slickline 14) is substantially unaffected by the welding step and heat treatment step or steps etc.
The retainer 12 may optionally form a chamber 28 which may be a sealed (pressure retaining) chamber 28. In which case the chamber 28 is empty (no slickline nor heat resistant wireline is installed during milling of the tubular 50), but wireline may be installed after, for example by pumping the wireline through the cavity or chamber 28 or by hanging the tubular 50 in a well and dropping the wireline into the chamber 28 by gravity.
The retainer 12 may optionally be made of or include non-metallic materials, such as fibreglass, plastic, or ceramic, and may be attached to the flat plate by appropriate means, such as adhesive, glue, fusion, solder, welding and the like.
Referring to
While the preferred conduit 22 is wireline or electric line (either for delivery of electrical power to the bottom hole assembly (BHA) or sending/receiving data or control signals to/from the BHA or a combination of power, control, or data), one skilled in the art recognizes that other conduits may be used, for example, single or multiple-conductor coax, single or multiple-conductor cable (for example mono cable, two or three conductor cable or seven strand conductor known as ‘hepta cable’ etc.), fibre optic, small diameter tubing for fluid conveyance, etc. The wireline may be armored or not, and may be single wrapped or dual wrapped. The wireline may preferably be in the typical size range of between about 7/32″ and about ¾″ but other sizes may be used.
Referring to
Referring to
The fixed portion 80 and/or the free portion 90 may include slots 110 along the length of the retainer 12 to increase flexibility. As depicted, the slots 110 may be formed into both the free portion 90 and the fixed portion 80, provided there remains a connection/bridge 120 (see
In another embodiment, the retainer 12 has two fixed portions 80 with a free portion 90 in-between, forming a double retainer. Alternately, a plurality of runs of slickline 14 or heat resistant wireline 130 may be provided. The heat resistant wireline 130 can be provided as one or more of the plurality of runs or installed within retainer 12. (See
While depicted as a continuous retainer 12 forming the track or race 16, one ordinarily skilled in the art recognizes that the fixed portion 80 and/or the free portion 90 could have substantial gaps between adjacent retainers 12. While the retainer 12 is depicted as having slots 110 in the fixed portion 80 and the free portion 90, the retainer may be substantially continuous to provide for the pressure chamber 28 for example by sealingly attaching the retainer 12 to the flat plate 10.
In another embodiment, as introduced earlier in
Further, and as shown in
Having reference to
As before for earlier embodiments, the welding to the flat plate 10 can be continuous welding, semi-continuous welding or spot welding. The flat plate 10 is then rolled into the slit tubular 208 (
As shown in
Applicant believes that fibre optic cable and other types of secondary conduits 214, heat labile or otherwise, can be readily deployed into the empty tubular 212 using means which are well understood in the art. Such means include, but are not limited to, fishing the secondary conduit 214 into the tubular 212 using a flexible line installed into the tubular before or after welding of the tubular 212 to the flat plate 10, by floating or pumping the secondary conduit 214 into the empty tubular 212, using vibration to advance the secondary conduit 214 through the empty tubular 212 or by dropping the secondary conduit 214 into the empty tubular 212 by gravity, the coil tubing 204 being first hung in a vertical portion of a wellbore.
The one or more heat resistant conduits 200, welded to the inner wall 202 of the coiled tubing 204 are smaller in diameter than an inner diameter of the coiled tubing 204. In embodiments, the area occupied by the conduits 200 is less than ½ of the cross-sectional area of the coiled tubing 204, leaving a major portion of a bore 216 through the coiled tubing substantially unobstructed for passage of at least fluids therethrough. As shown, collectively, the one or more conduits 200 occupy less than about one-half of the inside diameter or bore of the coiled tubing 204. Thus, the attachment between the inner wall 202 of the coiled tubing 204 and the conduit 200 is made along a contact or connection of the conduit 200 to the inner wall 202, typically by welding of the conduit 200 thereto.
As one of skill in the art will appreciate, coiled tubing 204 generally has a diameter from about 1″ to about 5″ and thus, the selection or size of the conduits 200 can vary in size while still leaving a majority of the bore area available. Depending upon the coiled tubing size to be used for any given operation and the pumping rates which must be achieved for various operations using the coiled tubing 204, such as fracturing, the number of conduits 200 and the size or diameter of each of the one or more conduits 200 are selected so that a major portion of the bore 216 remains available for passage of fluids or conveyed apparatus and the like therethrough. In a common 2″ or 2.5″ coil tubing, each conduit 200 may be in the typical size range of between a diameter of about 7/32″ and about ¾″ but other sizes may be used.
As shown in
As shown in
In an alternate embodiment, and having reference to
As with previously described embodiments, the groove 220 or side-by-side grooves 220 are formed in or on the flat metal plate 10. The grooves 220 can be formed directly in the flat plate 10 (
In embodiments, the groove 220 is shaped so as to have a top opening 224 which is slightly smaller than a diameter of the conduit 200 such that force is required to install the conduit 200 therein. Thereafter, when the plate 10 is rolled for forming the coiled tubing 204, the opening 224 is further closed for retaining the conduit 200 therein. Alternatively, edges of the top opening 224 can be crimped against the conduit 200 for retaining the conduit 200 in the groove 220.
In another embodiment, the conduit 200 is welded into the groove 220, such as between the top opening 224 and an adjacent side of the conduit 200. The conduit can be welded along one or both sides adjacent the top opening 224. The welding can be continuous welding, semi-continuous welding or spot welding.
As with the previously describe embodiments, one or more secondary conduits 214 can be housed within the conduit 220 retained in the one or more grooves 220.
Having reference to
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/022,901, filed Sep. 10, 2013 which is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/113,069, filed Apr. 30, 2008, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,567,657 on Oct. 29, 2013, and claiming priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 60/914,830, filed Apr. 30, 2007, the entirety of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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Parent | 12113069 | Apr 2008 | US |
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Parent | 14022901 | Sep 2013 | US |
Child | 14337821 | US |