Downhole activated packer plug magnetic debris tool

Abstract

A downhole magnetic debris tool is disclosed that may be connected to the bottom of a packer isolation plug. The downhole magnetic debris tool may include a magnetic shield assembly that shields the magnets and prevent the collection of magnetic debris as the packer isolation plug assembly is run into the well. The packer isolation plug assembly is inserted into the internal seal bore of a set packer. The assembly protects the seal bore from damage and prevents debris from moving downhole. The magnets of the downhole magnetic debris tool may be unsheathed upon removal of the packer isolation plug from the packer. The downhole magnetic debris tool may be used to collect magnetic debris that has collected on top of the packer. Additionally, the magnet shield assembly may act as a debris basket collecting downhole debris while the assembly is pulled from the hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an assembly comprised of a magnetic debris tool and an isolation packer plug 10.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the assembly of FIG. 1 after the assembly has been pulled from the internal seal bore of an isolation packer.

FIG. 3 is the cross-section of one embodiment of the bottom connector 170 that includes recessed portions 141 to house retention lugs and open passages 146.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the magnetic debris tool 100 in the non-actuated state.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the magnetic debris tool 100 of FIG. 4 in the actuated state.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below as they might be employed in the use of magnetic debris tool adapted to be connected to an isolation packer plug and the methods of running such an assembly into a wellbore. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

Further aspects and advantages of the various embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description and drawings.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of an assembly, in a non-actuated position, consisting of a magnetic debris tool 100 attached to the lower portion of an isolation packer plug 10. A retrievable neck 5 is attached to the isolation packer plug 10 and provides an interface for a running tool to retrieve the assembly after it has been inserted into an isolation packer. The magnetic debris tool 100 may be used in conjunction with any conventional packer plug as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The magnetic debris tool 100 includes a top adapter 20 which is connected to the lower portion of the packer isolation plug 10 and also connected to an upper portion of an internal mandrel 50.

Below the top adapter 20 is an indicating collet 40, which is connected to a bottom collet adapter 70. The bottom collet adapter 70 fastens the collet 40 and the magnet shield 90 together. The bottom collet adapter 70 is secured to the internal mandrel 50 through shearable connecting means 60. Shearable connecting means 60 may comprise shear pins or shear screws that shear upon the exertion of a predetermined force. A top collet sub 144 is connected to the upper portion of the indicating collet 40. The top collet sub 144 includes recessed portions 145 for the engagement of the retention lug 140 as discussed below.

The internal mandrel 50 is further connected to a magnet mandrel 130 by an internal adapter 80. The use of additional internal adapters permits the coupling of additional internal mandrels and could be used to vary the overall length of the tool as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Magnets 110 are connected to the magnet mandrel 130. A magnet spacer 120 separates the two magnet sections 110. Various configurations of magnets and spacers may be used depending on the length of the magnet mandrel as would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The magnet mandrel 130 contains a hollow central bore and is connected on the lower end to a bottom connector 170. The lower end of the bottom connector 170 includes at least one retention lug 140, which is spring loaded. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom connector 170 includes three retention lugs 140 spaced equilaterally around its lower perimeter. While in the non-actuated state as shown in FIG. 1, the spring of the retention lug 140 is compressed and the retention lug 140 rests flush against the inner magnet shield 91.

An internal shaft 25 is located within the inner bore of the magnet mandrel 130. A shaft coupling 30 is located on the upper end of the internal shaft 25. The lower end of the internal shaft 25 is connected to a guide nose 160. The guide nose 160 includes fluid passages 165, which allows for the drainage of fluid as will be discussed below. The guide nose 160 is also connected to the lower end of the magnet shields 90, 91. As depicted in FIG. 1, the magnet shield 90 may be comprised of an inner sleeve 91 and an outer sleeve 90. One purpose of the guide nose 160 is to ease entry into the internal seal bore of the isolation packer. Further, the guide nose 160 acts to combine the top collet sub 144, collet 40, bottom collet adapter 70, magnet shield 90, and the internal shaft 25 as a “shield assembly”. While the isolation packing plug 10 and magnetic debris tool 100 is tripped into the well, the shield assembly is connected to the internal mandrel 50 by the shearable connecting means 60.

FIG. 2 shows the isolation packer plug/magnetic debris tool assembly in the actuated position after is has been pulled from the internal seal bore of an isolation packer. The retrievable neck 5 may be used to pull the assembly out of the internal seal bore. The collet 40 requires a pre-determined force be applied to the assembly to snap the collet 40 through the internal seal bore. The shearable connecting means 60 is adapted to shear when a pre-determined force has been exerted on the connecting means 60. The force required to shear the connecting means 60 is designed to be less than the force required to snap the collet 40 through the internal seal bore. Thus, the shearable connecting means 60 shears before the assembly is pulled from the isolation packer.

Upon shearing of the connecting means 60, the shield assembly, which includes the top collet sub 144, the collet 40, the bottom collet adapter 70, the magnet shields 90, 91, and the internal shaft 25 travels down the magnetic debris tool 100 away from the isolation plug 10. The internal shaft 25 travels down the inner bore 111 of the magnet mandrel 130 until the shaft coupling 30 of the internal shaft 25 lands on the upper end of the bottom connector 170. At this point, the shield assembly has fully extended away from upper end of the tool completely unsheathing the magnets 110. The magnets 110 are then able to collect metallic debris located in the well and in particular metallic debris that has collected on the top of the isolation packer as the magnetic debris tool 100 moves past the isolation packer.

The shield assembly may be locked into the actuated or fully extended position by the engagement of retention lugs 140 into the recessed portions 145 of the top collet sub 144. In a preferred embodiment, three retention lugs 140 are spaced equilaterally around the perimeter of the bottom connector 170. The number and mechanism of the retention lugs may be varied to lock the shield assembly in the actuated position as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The shaft coupling 30 in combination with the upper end of the bottom connector 170 are provided as an additional measure to prevent the travel of the shield assembly off of the magnetic debris tool 100 in the event the retention lug locking mechanism fails.

After the extension of the shield assembly into the actuated position, the force exerted on the retrieving neck is increased until the entire assembly is removed from the internal seal bore of the isolation packer. The unsheathed magnets 110 collect metallic debris from the top of the isolation packer and within the wellbore as the magnetic debris tool 100 passes out of the internal seal bore. The shield assembly includes an inner cavity 112 when in the extended position. The inner cavity 112 of the shield assembly may act as a debris basket and collect wellbore debris as the tool is pulled up the wellbore. Debris may enter into the inner cavity 112 through the openings 146 located around the perimeter of the bottom connector 170 as shown in FIG. 3. The guide nose 160 may include at least one fluid path 165 provided to allow well fluids to drain from the inner cavity 112 of the shield assembly.

FIG. 3 is the cross-section of one embodiment of the bottom connector 170. The bottom connector 170 includes flanges 147 having retaining lugs 140 that are adapted to expand into a recessed area in the top collet sub 144. The bottom connector 170 includes openings 146 located between adjacent flanges 147. The openings 146 allow for the entrance of debris and fluid into inner cavity 112 of the shield assembly as the magnetic debris tool 100 travels up the well. The bottom connector 170 also includes a central opening 148 through which the internal mandrel 25 may travel. As discussed above, the upper portion of the bottom connector 170 is connected to the magnet mandrel 130 as well as the magnet assembly 100.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the magnetic debris tool 100 in the non-actuated stage. In the non-actuated stage, the magnets 110 are sheathed within the magnet shield 90. In this position the magnetic debris tool 100 may be run into the wellbore without collecting any metallic debris. A top adapter 20 is located at the upper end of the magnetic debris tool 100. In the non-actuated state, the collet 40 is positioned directly below the top adapter and is connected to the bottom collet adapter 70, which holds the magnet shield 90 in the sheathed position. The bottom collet adapter 70 is connected to an inner mandrel 50 (shown in FIG. 5) by a set of shear screws. The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 includes two sets of magnets 110 separated by a spacer 120. The end of the magnetic debris tool 100 includes a guide nose 160.

FIG. 5 shows the magnetic debris tool 100 of FIG. 4 in the actuated state. A force has been exerted on the magnetic debris tool 100 shearing the set of shear pins that connect the bottom collet adapter 70 to the inner mandrel 50 allowing the collet 40, bottom collet adapter 70, magnet shield 90, and guide nose 160 to travel down the magnetic debris tool 100 until reaching a fully extended position. The travel of these components is limited by an internal shaft having a shaft coupling on its upper end, which lands on the bottom connector 70. The movement of the magnet shield 90 unsheathes the magnets 110, which may be separated by a magnet spacer 120. The upper end of the magnet 110 is connected to an internal mandrel 50 by an internal adapter 80. The internal mandrel is connected to the top adapter 20 of the magnetic debris tool 100. In the actuated state, the magnetic debris tool 100 may collect metallic debris located within the wellbore.

Although various embodiments have been shown and described, the invention is not so limited and will be understood to include all such modifications and variations as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A device for collecting debris in a wellbore, the device comprising: a packer plug;a mandrel connected to the packer plug;at least one magnet connected to the mandrel;a shield assembly selectively connected to the mandrel being movable along the mandrel from a first position that covers the at least one magnet to a second position along the mandrel that uncovers the at least one magnet;wherein upon removal of the packer plug from a packer set within a wellbore the shield assembly moves from the first position to the second position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein debris may be collected in an inner cavity when the shield assembly is in the second position along the mandrel.

3. An apparatus for use to collect debris out of a wellbore, the apparatus comprising: a plug having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the plug may be inserted into a packer set within the wellbore;a retrievable neck connected to the upper end of the plug;a mandrel having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of the mandrel being connected to the bottom of the plug;a plurality of magnets connected to the mandrel;a collet connected by a shearable device to the mandrel at a first position along the mandrel, wherein the collet is adapted to move to a second position along the mandrel upon shearing of the shearable device;an outer shield connected to the collet, wherein in the first position the outer shield covers the plurality of magnets;a bottom connector attached to the lower end of the mandrel; andmeans for securing the collet at the second position along the mandrel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the means for securing the collet at the second position is at least one spring loaded lug connected to the lower bottom connector.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the means for securing the collet at the second position includes a coupling on an end of a shaft, wherein the shaft is positioned within the mandrel.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a nose guide attached to the bottom connector.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the nose guide includes at least one fluid passage.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a cavity between the mandrel and the outer shield when the collet is in the second position along the mandrel.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the bottom connector includes at least one longitudinal opening in communication with the cavity between the mandrel and the outer shield.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising an inner shield connected to the outer shield.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein one of the shields is steel tubing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein one of the shields is stainless steel tubing.

13. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the plurality of magnets include at least one rare earth magnet.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one rare earth magnet is neodymium.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one rare earth magnet is samarium cobalt.

16. A method for collecting debris from a wellbore, the method comprising: unsheathing magnets on the magnetic debris tool, wherein the magnetic debris tool is connected beneath a packer plug;removing the packer plug from a set packer within the wellbore;moving the packer plug up the wellbore, wherein the magnets on the magnetic debris tool collect metallic debris in the wellbore.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising collecting non-metallic debris in the wellbore within a cavity of the magnetic debris tool.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising draining fluid from the cavity of the magnetic debris tool.

19. A method for collecting debris from off the top of a packer set within a wellbore, the method comprising: setting an isolation plug into a packer set within a wellbore, wherein a magnetic debris tool having at least one magnet and a shield assembly covering the at least one magnet is connected to the bottom of the isolation plug;applying a force to the isolation plug;releasing the shield assembly to uncover the at least one magnet of the magnetic debris tool;removing the isolation plug from the packer; andmoving the at least one magnet past the top of the set packer, wherein the at least one magnet collect metallic debris from off of the top of the packer.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising collecting non-metallic debris in a cavity of the shield assembly.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising draining fluid from the cavity of the shield assembly.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the shield assembly is comprised of a guide nose, collet, and a magnet shield.