Patent Application
20240392645
Fluids are typically produced from a reservoir in a subterranean formation by drilling a wellbore into the subterranean formation, establishing a flow path between the reservoir and the wellbore, and conveying the fluids from the reservoir through the wellbore to a destination such as to the surface of the earth, to a bed of a body of water such as a lakebed or a seabed, or to a surface of a body of water such as a swamp, a lake, or an ocean (hereafter “surface.”) Fluids produced from a hydrocarbon reservoir may include natural gas, oil, and water.
In the course of drilling and completing boreholes to produce oil and gas from subterranean reservoirs, or while stimulating and producing hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoirs, it is not uncommon for equipment to be dropped into the borehole from the surface or for downhole tools and equipment to become separated from their conveyor. When this occurs, it is frequently necessary to retrieve the dropped equipment or separated downhole tools from the borehole before normal drilling, completing, stimulating, or producing operations may continue. This process of retrieval is commonly called “fishing” and the equipment or tools to be retrieved are commonly called “fish.”
An example of a fish is wireline that is lost downhole and, in that case, any downhole tool that may still be connected to the wireline. Hooking the wireline may result in retrieving the downhole tool as well. Lost wireline is challenging to grapple, grip, or hook using traditional fishing tools and may result in multiple trips. Making several trips can be a costly and time-consuming procedure. During fishing operations, a specialized tool may be required to hook to the lost wireline to avoid making several trips downhole to grapple the fish.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
This disclosure presents, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a borehole fishing tool, including a spear hook for gripping into a compacted wireline, a spear that deploys the spear hook, and a hook hinge rotatably coupling the spear hook to the spear. The tool also includes a hook activator mounted in the spear to cause expansion and contraction of the spear hook. The spear hook expands and contracts along a path defined by the hook hinge in a radial direction from a spear outer surface of the spear. The tool also includes a compaction component, coupled to the spear, for compacting a wireline to form the compacted wireline.
This disclosure presents, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a borehole fishing method, including attaching, to a conveyor, a borehole fishing tool. The tool includes a spear and a compaction component coupled to the spear. The spear is initially mounted in a recessed position within the borehole fishing tool. The method includes inserting the borehole fishing tool attached to the conveyor into a borehole. The method includes receiving, with the spear in a recessed position, a wireline. The method includes compacting, using the compaction component of the borehole fishing tool and a downhole force provided by the conveyor, the wireline to form a compacted wireline. The method includes activating the spear from the recessed position to an activated position. The method includes releasing, using a hook activator, a spear hook from a latched position to an outside position. The method includes engaging, using the spear in the activated position and the spear hook in the outside position, the borehole fishing tool to the compacted wireline, and raising the borehole fishing tool and the compacted wireline in an uphole direction until exiting of the borehole.
Other aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
In the following detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.
Throughout the application, ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third, etc.) may be used as an adjective for an element (i.e., any noun in the application). The use of ordinal numbers is not to imply or create any particular ordering of the elements nor to limit any element to being only a single element unless expressly disclosed, such as using the terms “before”, “after”, “single”, and other such terminology. Rather, the use of ordinal numbers is to distinguish between the elements. By way of an example, a first element is distinct from a second element, and the first element may encompass more than one element and succeed (or precede) the second element in an ordering of elements.
Regarding the figures described herein, when using the term “down” the direction is toward or at the bottom of a respective figure and “up” is toward or at the top of the respective figure. “Up” and “down” are oriented relative to a local vertical direction. However, in the oil and gas industry, one or more activities take place in a vertical, substantially vertical, deviated, substantially horizontal, or horizontal well. Therefore, one or more figures may represent an activity in deviated or horizontal wellbore configuration. “Uphole” may refer to objects, units, or processes that are positioned relatively closer to the surface entry in a wellbore than another. “Downhole” may refer to objects, units, or processes that are positioned relatively farther from the surface entry in a wellbore than another. True vertical depth is the vertical distance from a point in the well at a location of interest to a reference point on the surface.
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a fishing tool specialized in design to hook wireline that is lost downhole. The lost wireline may be collapsed down near the bottom of the hole. The collapsed wireline may be loosely bundled at the bottom of the hole. Utilizing a fishing tool specialized for loosely-bundled lost wireline allows for the fishing tool to properly hook lost wireline.
The conveyor (114) of the tool shown in
The spear system is shown conveyed by, for example, the conveyor (114). An example of the conveyor is drill pipe (236). The spear system is conveyed to a downhole location within the borehole. Compaction component (206) has an uphole end, e.g., spear second end (244) comprising a spear connector (242) configured to couple to a tool first end (243) of the tool (110). Conveyor first end (116) may be configured to couple to a tool second end (245).
Extending the spear component (218) includes translating the spear component (218) along the activation path, e.g., spear axis (268). The extent of the travel may be limited by a spear travel slot, e.g., a slot (216
The compaction component 206 and/or the spear body 220 may have a travel stop access port for removal and installation of the travel stop 278. The travel stop access port may provide a liquid-tight, gas-tight, and/or pressure tight seal between the first outer surface 260 and the skirt portion inner surface 262. The travel stop access port may provide a liquid-tight, gas-tight, and/or pressure tight seal between the spear bore 221 and the second outer surface 264. Likewise, the weakpoint 250 may provide a liquid-tight, gas-tight, and/or pressure tight seal between the first outer surface 260 and the skirt portion inner surface 262.
The means of translatably coupling the spear component (218) to the compaction component (206) may include fasteners such as studs, nuts, screws, bolts, and pins engaging the spear component (218), e.g., through a hole or slot in the spear component. The coupling may further use a dovetail slot on one or both of the spear component or the compaction component and a mating dovetail rail on the other of the spear component or the compaction component. The coupling may include one or more sliding bearings such as a ball bearing, cylindrical roller bearing, spherical roller bearing, tapered roller bearing, and/or journal bearing on one or both of the spear component or the compaction component and a mating sliding surface. The means for translating may include a downhole pushing force.
The downhole pushing force may be derived from hydraulic pressure applied to the ball (232) and conveyed through the ball seat (234) mounted on the spear bore (221) within the spear body (220) to the spear component (218). The means for translating may include one or more motors (such as an electrically-powered motor), linear actuators, electro-magnets, solenoids, hydraulic cylinders, gears, levers, or jack screws and/or latches, locks, or braking mechanisms.
The weakpoint holding the spear component (218) and the compaction component (206) together may comprise one or more of the shear pins, e.g., shear pin (230). The weakpoint (250) may comprise a material cross-section calibrated for a load capacity and to fail or shear at a preselected value exceeding the load capacity. The load capacity may be preselected for an expected ball force. The weakpoint may be configured to release at a calibrated parting force applied by the downhole pushing force resulting from the expected ball force.
The calibrated parting force is calibrated by configuring the weakpoint to release at a predetermined parting force exceeding a preselected load capacity. For example, with the use of a shear pin or shear pins, the shear pins are calibrated to shear at a predetermined shearing force. In the case of material cross-section, the calibrated parting force is calibrated by configuring the mechanical weak point to release at the predetermined parting force. Other options for the weak point connection, e.g., weakpoint (250), are contemplated and would be acceptable for use in other embodiments. For example, a ratcheting connector may be used for the weakpoint (250). Other options for generating the parting force are contemplated and would be acceptable in other embodiments. For example, the spear component (218) may be deployed using electric power provided by batteries coupled to the tool (110) or from electric power conveyed from the surface. The electric power may be used to power an electric motor to deploy the spear component.
The means of rotatably coupling, retaining releasing, deploying, and locking the spear hook (222) to and from the spear body (220), e.g., the hook hinge (246), the hook lock (247), and the hook activator (248), may include fasteners such as studs, nuts, screws, bolts, and pins engaging the spear hook, e.g., through a hole or slot in the hook. The coupling may include one or more rotatable bearings such as a ball bearing, cylindrical roller bearing, spherical roller bearing, tapered roller bearing, and/or journal bearing on one or both of the rotatable spear hook or the spear body. The coupling may include a mating shaft or axle, pin, stud, or rod on the other of the rotatable spear hook or the spear body. The means for rotating may include one or more springs, metallic springs, gas-charged springs, motors, linear actuators, electro-magnets, solenoids, hydraulic cylinders, gears, or jack screws and/or latches, locks, or braking mechanisms. Electrically-operated means for rotating may be powered by a battery or batteries, or by an external power source, electrically coupled to the electrically-operated means. Deploying the spear hooks may be initiated by a deploy command to deploy the spear hooks sent from a control system and obtained by the system (200). Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the means for coupling and the means for translating combining fasteners, bearings, and actuators may be configured without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
For example, the grooves in the compaction bore may be similar to the groove detail shown in
In like manner, a groove pitch 512 may be determined by multiplying the wireline diameter 504 with a groove pitch factor. The groove pitch factor may vary in accordance with a wireline diameter range. For instance, with a wireline diameter range of from less than 10 mm (millimeters) up to 10 mm, a groove pitch factor of 1.15 may be multiplied by the wireline diameter 504 to determine a groove pitch 512. In another example, with a wireline diameter range of 10 mm through 20 mm, a groove pitch factor of 1.12 may be multiplied by the wireline diameter 504 to determine a groove pitch 512. In a third example, with a wireline diameter range of from 20 mm through above 20 mm, a groove pitch factor of 1.10 may be multiplied by the wireline diameter 504 to determine a groove pitch 512.
A hydraulic pressure (272) is applied above, e.g., uphole of, the ball-ball seat interface thereby pressuring up against the ball. The hydraulic pressure (272) applied to the ball (232) results in a ball force. The ball force is approximated by the arithmetical difference between the pressure acting on the ball above the ball seat minus the pressure acting on the ball below the ball seat. For example, when the pressure acting on the ball above the ball seat exceeds the pressure acting on the ball below the ball seat, then the result is a downward ball force. In accordance with one or more embodiments the downward ball force may be directed downhole. The pressure above the ball, the pressure below the ball, and the ball-ball seat interface size may all be calibrated for a predetermined downward ball force.
While
At step 710, the method includes attaching a borehole fishing tool (“tool”) with a spear to a conveyor. The tool with a spear is attached to the conveyor which may be a drill pipe, a coiled tubing, the wired version of either, or another conveyor. For example, the tool may be attached to a drill pipe. The tool may further include a compaction component with a compaction surface.
At step 720, the tool attached to the conveyor is inserted into a borehole and conveyed downhole by the conveyor. The tool may be conveyed to a desired depth or a predetermined depth such as a target depth. The depth to which the tool is conveyed may be a location for retrieving a fish or a lost wireline.
At step 730, the method includes receiving a wireline. The tool, using the spear and with the spear in a recessed position, receives a wireline. At this step the tool may encounter the loose, lost wireline and receive it in a compaction bore of a compaction component. The spear may remain in the recessed position to allow room for the wireline in the space formed between the wireline and the compaction surface of the compaction bore.
At step 740, using the drill pipe, the tool, and the compaction bore, along with a downhole compacting force, the method includes the tool compacting the wireline to form a compacted wireline. The compaction bore groove or grooves may help keep the compressed wireline from blocking the pathway of the spear. The grooves may be configured to allow the wireline to accumulate without preventing the spear from reaching the bottom after activation. The grooves and the compaction bore may cooperate to accumulate the wireline and leave enough space remaining below the compaction bore to provide clearance for the spear to move from the inactivated spear position to the activated spear position.
At step 750, the method includes activating the spear from a recessed position to an activated position. Once the desired depth is reached, the spear may be activated by dropping a ball inside the drill pipe, then pumping the ball down to the ball seat. Upon landing on the ball seat, the method includes pressuring up against the ball and shearing the shear pin of the weakpoint thereby moving the spear from the inactivated spear position to the activated spear position. Once the shear pin is sheared, the pressure forces the spear inside the compacted wireline.
At step 760, the method includes extending a spear hook by releasing the spear hook from a latched position to an outside position. The spear hooks may rotate away from the spear body on a rotational path determined by the hook hinge. The outside position may be a spear hook extended position outside of the outside diameter of the spear body. Obstruction from the compacted wireline may prevent the spear hooks from fully extending to the outside position.
At step 770, the method includes engaging, using the spear in the activated position and the spear hook in the outside position, the borehole fishing tool to the compacted wireline. The spear hook may grip onto the compacted wireline thereby enabling a transfer of uphole force from the drill pipe to the wireline.
At step 780, the method includes raising the tool and the compacted wireline in an uphole direction until out of the borehole. The drill pipe may be pulled up to allow the release of the spear hooks. The spear hooks may continue to grip into the compacted wireline. The drill pipe may continue conveying the tool, the spear, and the wireline out of the borehole.
Although only a few example embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the example embodiments without materially departing from this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus, although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function.
