Patent Application
20240175329
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the field of downhole catching devices.
WO 2019/122004 A2 discloses a downhole catcher device comprising a catching mechanism which is configured to be transferable between a first mode and the second mode. The catching mechanism is further configured for passing by a first operating element if the catching mechanism is in the first mode and for catching a second operating element if the catching mechanism is in the second mode. The transfer between the first mode and the second mode may be triggered (or effected) by a downhole tool which is operated by the second operating element.
In view of the above-described situation, there still exists a need for a technique that allows for efficiently providing a downhole catching device.
This need may be met by the subject matter according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the herein disclosed subject matter are described by the dependent claims.
According to a first aspect of the herein disclosed subject matter there is provided a downhole catching device.
According to an embodiment of the first aspect there is provided a downhole catching device, the downhole catching device comprising: a flow path, a surface portion defining at least part of a first portion of the flow path; and a second portion of the flow path; wherein the surface portion extends crosswise the second portion of the flow path.
According to a second aspect of the herein disclosed subject matter there is provided a tool combination.
According to an embodiment of the second aspect, there is provided a tool combination, the tool combination comprising: a downhole catching device according to the first aspect or at least one embodiment thereof; and an operating element of a downhole tool to be caught by the catching device.
According to a third aspect of the herein discloses subject matter there is provided a method.
According to an embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a downhole catching device, the method comprising: preventing an elongated operating element from aligning with a portion of a flow path.
While certain disadvantages of known technologies may be noted herein, the claimed subject matter is not to be limited to implementations that overcome any or all of the noted disadvantages of the known technologies. Likewise, while certain advantages of the herein disclosed subject matter are mentioned in or are implied by the present disclosure, the claimed subject matter is not to be limited to implementations that exhibit any or all of these advantages.
In the following, exemplary embodiments of the herein disclosed subject matter are described, any number and any combination of which may be realized in an implementation of aspects of the herein disclosed subject matter.
At least some of the aspects and embodiments of the herein disclosed subject matter are based on the idea that a surface portion and a second portion of a flow path which extend crosswise with respect to each other (i.e. the surface portion and the second portion of the flow path are not aligned with respect to each other) may provide a first clearance diameter for an operating element of a first type and may provide a second clearance diameter for an operating element of a second type, wherein the second clearance diameter is reduced compared to the first clearance diameter. In this way, the downhole catching device may be configured for passing the operating element of the first type and for catching the operating element of the second type.
In the following, a reference to an “an operating element” or “the operating element” without further specification of the type of the operating element may be construed as reference to an/the operating element of the second type, unless noted otherwise.
According to an embodiment, a downhole catching device comprises a flow path and a surface portion defining at least part of a first portion of the flow path. According to a further embodiment, the downhole catching device comprises a second portion of the flow path. According to a further embodiment, the surface portion extends crosswise the second portion of the flow path.
According to an embodiment, a tool combination comprises a downhole catching device and an operating element to be caught by the catching device (i.e. an operating element of the second type in the sense of the present disclosure).
According to an embodiment, a method of operating a downhole catching device comprises preventing an elongated operating element from aligning with a portion of a flow path.
According to an embodiment, the downhole catching device comprises a body, the body providing the surface portion. According to an embodiment, the surface portion is part of an inner surface of the body.
According to an embodiment, the body is an elongated body, for example a tubular body. According to an embodiment, the inner surface of the body is at least in part cylindrical.
According to a further embodiment, the body comprises at least one opening to allow fluid to flow between an interior and an exterior of the body. For example, according to an embodiment the at least one opening allows fluid to bypass the second portion of the flow path, for example in case the second portion of the flow path is at least partially blocked by an operating element caught by the catching device. According to an embodiment, the at least one opening is formed in the inner surface of the body.
According to an embodiment, the downhole catching device comprises a tubular element, wherein the body is located in the tubular element. According to an embodiment, the tubular element is configured to form a part of a string, for example part of a drill string or part of a coiled cubing. For example, according to an embodiment the tubular element may comprise threads at both ends allowing the tubular element to be threadably mounted into the string. According to an embodiment, the exterior of the body is the interior of the tubular element. In other words, for example if the drilling fluid is routed through the body, the drilling fluid which is exiting the body through the at least one opening is still within the tubular element and thus routed downstream through the downhole catching device.
For example, according to an embodiment the body is a cage inhibiting the operating element to exit the body towards the exterior of the body.
According to an embodiment, the body guides the operating element towards the second portion of the flow path.
According to an embodiment, the first flow path is abutting the second flow path.
According to an embodiment, the downhole catching device further comprises an insert located within the body, wherein the second portion of the flow path is at least partially defined by the insert. According to an embodiment, the insert is press-fit into the body. Press-fitting the insert into the body allows for an efficient manufacture of the downhole catching device. In addition or alternatively to the press-fit, the insert may be secured at the body by a cap that holds the insert against a stop face of the body.
According to an embodiment, the body comprises an inner surface and the insert comprises an outer surface facing the inner surface of the body, wherein the outer surface of the insert extends parallel to the inner surface of the body; wherein the second portion of the flow path is formed by an inner surface of the insert; and wherein the inner surface of the insert is angled with respect to the outer surface of the insert. An insert having its outer surface extending parallel to the inner surface of the body and having its inner surface angled with respect to its outer surface provides for an efficient and mechanically robust implementation of surfaces which define the first portion and the second portion of the flow path and which are angled with respect to each other. The inner surface of the insert (i.e. the inner surface defining the second portion of the flow path) being angled with respect to (i.e. extending crosswise) the surface portion (i.e. the surface portion defining the first portion of the flow path) results in a flow path which provides different clearing diameters for different shapes of operating elements. For example, according to an embodiment the clearing diameter provided by the first portion and the second portion of the flow path is dependent on a length (i.e. a largest dimension) of the operating element.
According to a further embodiment, the second portion of the flow path extends in an axial direction and has a clearance diameter; wherein the surface portion results in an effective clearance diameter that is smaller than the clearance diameter of the second portion when viewed in a direction deviating from the axial direction of the second portion of the flow path. In other words, due to the crosswise arrangement of the second portion of the flow path and the surface portion, the surface portion is reducing the effective clearance diameter of the second portion of the flow path when viewed in a direction deviating from the axial direction of the second portion of the flow path. Hence, for example an elongated operating element may still touch the surface portion while being partially located in the second portion of the flow path. Hence, in this sense the surface portion is limiting the angle the operating element can take in its way into the second portion of the flow path. Hence, in accordance with an embodiment an elongated operating element experiences a clearance diameter (herein also referred to as effective clearance diameter) that is smaller than the clearance diameter of the second portion, e.g. smaller than the smallest distance between opposing wall portions of the second portion of the flow path (e.g. smaller than a clearance diameter experienced by a spherical operating element). In an embodiment, the surface portion is facing the second portion of the flow path.
Herein, the term “effective clearance diameter” is used in order to express that this clearance diameter depends on the shape of the operating element and may be different from the clearance diameter arising from the second portion of the flow path as such.
Hence, in accordance with an embodiment the effective clearance diameter of the second portion of the flow path depends on the shape of the operating element. For example, as mentioned above, in an embodiment the effective clearance diameter of the second portion of the flow path is reduced for an elongated operating element compared to a spherical operating element. According to an embodiment, the operating element of the first type is a spherical operating element and the operating element of the second type has a shape deviating from a spherical shape.
According to an embodiment, the operating element has a maximum dimension in a first direction and has a reduced dimension in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.
According to an embodiment, the operating element of the second type is at least partially symmetric with respect to a symmetry axis. For example, according to an embodiment, the operating element has a maximum dimension in a first direction wherein the symmetry axis extends parallel to the first direction. For example, according to an embodiment the operating element of the second type may be at least partially cylindrical. According to a further embodiment, the operating element of the second type may be a dart, for example a dart having a cylindrical body. According to an embodiment, the cylindrical body of the dart is the body described in various embodiments of the herein disclosed subject matter.
According to a further embodiment, the operating element (of the second type) has at least one conical outer surface portion extending about the symmetry axis. According to an embodiment, the conical outer surface is tapered towards a leading end of the operating element thereby providing a well-defined surface abutting a surface of the downhole catching device which defines the second portion of the flow path.
According to an embodiment, the operating element comprises a first conical outer surface portion and a second conical outer surface portion, wherein the first conical outer surface portion defines a first angle with the symmetry axis (of the operating element), wherein the second conical outer surface portion defines a second angle with the symmetry axis and wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.
According to an embodiment, the operating element of the second type comprises a deformable portion. According to a further embodiment, the downhole catching device is configured for catching the operating element of the second type with the deformable portion in place as well as for catching the operating element of the second type with the deformable portion being deformed or removed.
According to an embodiment, the operating element is an elongated operating element; and the second portion of the flow path and the surface portion (e.g. the inner surface of the body) are arranged so as to prevent the operating element from aligning with the second portion of the flow path to an extent that would allow the operating element to fully enter the second portion of the flow path. According to an embodiment, an elongated operating element is an operating element that has a maximum dimension in a first direction and has a reduced dimension in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
According to an embodiment, the surface portion is located upstream the second portion of the flow path. According to a further embodiment, the surface portion is located downstream the second portion of the flow path— thus preventing the operating element from exiting the second portion of the flow path.
According to an embodiment, the operating element is an operating element of a downhole tool being located upstream the downhole catching device. For example, according to an embodiment the downhole tool is a circulating tool which is capable of passing an incoming flow in its entirety axially through the tool in a first mode of operation and which is capable of bypassing at least part of the incoming flow into an annulus between the tool and the formation (e.g. the surface of a bore hole) in a second mode of operation.
In particular, the herein disclosed subject matter includes the following embodiments and combinations of embodiments:
1. A downhole catching device, comprising:
2. The downhole catching device according to embodiment 1, further comprising a body, the body providing the surface portion.
3. The downhole catching device according to embodiment 2, wherein the body is a tubular body.
4. The downhole catching device according to anyone of embodiments 2 or 3, wherein the body comprises at least one opening to allow fluid to flow between an interior and an exterior of the body.
5. The downhole catching device according to anyone of embodiments 2 to 4, further comprising an insert located within the body, wherein the second portion of the flow path is at least partially defined by the insert.
6. The downhole catching device according to embodiment 5, wherein the body comprises an inner surface;
7. The downhole catching device according to embodiment 6, wherein the surface portion is a part of the inner surface of the body which extends beyond the insert.
8. The downhole catching device according to anyone of embodiments 1 to 7,
9. A tool combination comprising:
10. The tool combination according to embodiment 9, wherein the operating element is at least in part rotationally symmetric with respect to a symmetry axis.
11. The tool combination according to embodiment 10, wherein the operating element has at least one conical outer surface portion extending about the symmetry axis.
12. The tool combination according to any one of embodiments 9 to 11, wherein
13. The tool combination according to anyone of embodiments 9 to 12, wherein the operating element is an operating element of a downhole tool being located upstream the downhole catching device.
14. A method of operating a downhole catching device, the method comprising:
Above, in several embodiments reference has been made to a feature with the indefinite article, e.g. in describing embodiments of the first aspect, in describing embodiments of the second aspect and in describing embodiments of the third aspect. However, it should be understood that the use of the indefinite article in this disclosure is not restrictive and that, in any event, a feature referenced in different embodiments, irrespective of whether it is referenced with the defined article or with the indefinite article, relates at least in an embodiment to the same feature and hence, in a combination of different embodiments, the feature may be referenced with the indefinite article in the first occurrence of the feature and may be referenced with the defined article in the further occurrence/occurrences of the feature. Further, in an embodiment the first aspect, the second aspect and the third aspect are three different aspects of the same subject matter.
According to embodiments of the first aspect, the downhole catching device is adapted for providing the functionality or features of one or more of the herein disclosed embodiments and/or for providing the functionality or features as required by one or more of the herein disclosed embodiments, in particular of one or more embodiments of the first, the second and the third aspect disclosed herein.
According to embodiments of the second aspect, the tool combination is adapted for providing the functionality or features of one or more of the herein disclosed embodiments and/or for providing the functionality or features as required by one or more of the herein disclosed embodiments, in particular of one or more embodiments of the first, the second and the third aspect disclosed herein.
According to embodiments of the third aspect, the method is adapted for providing the functionality or features of one or more of the herein disclosed embodiments and/or for providing the functionality or features as required by one or more of the herein disclosed embodiments, in particular of one or more embodiments of the first, the second and the third aspect disclosed herein.
In the above there have been described and in the following there will be described exemplary embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein with reference to a downhole catching device, with reference to a tool combination comprising the downhole catching device and an operating element, and with reference to a method. It has to be pointed out that of course any combination of features relating to different aspects of the herein disclosed subject matter is also possible. In particular, some features have been or will be described with reference to device type embodiments (e.g. relating to a downhole catching device or a tool combination) whereas other features have been or will be described with reference to method type embodiments, referring e.g. to a method of operation. However, a person skilled in the art will gather from the above and the following description that, unless otherwise notified, in addition to any combination of features belonging to one aspect also any combination of features relating to different aspects or embodiments, for example even combinations of features of device type embodiments and features of the method type embodiments are considered to be disclosed with this application. In this regard, it should be understood that any method feature derivable from a corresponding explicitly disclosed device feature should be based on the respective function of the device feature and should not be considered as being limited to device specific elements disclosed in conjunction with the device feature. Further, it should be understood that any device feature derivable from a corresponding explicitly disclosed method feature can be realized based on the respective function described in the method with any suitable device disclosed herein or known in the art.
According to an embodiment, a method disclosed herein may define the functionality of a device disclosed herein without being limited to the device-specific features. In this respect, any functionality of a device disclosed herein is intended to implicitly disclose a corresponding method defined exclusively by the disclosed functionality. Conversely, according to an embodiment, a method disclosed herein may be carried out using any suitable known device (which may have a single element or multiple cooperating elements) or any suitable device disclosed herein. In this respect, any method disclosed herein is intended to implicitly disclose a corresponding device configured to perform the method.
It is noted that, unless expressly stated otherwise, numeral words (first, second, third, etc.) are merely used to identify various elements (for example, a portion of a flow path), without the numeral words being limiting or implying an order of method steps or implying a particular arrangement, and without the numeral words requiring or implying an existence of any of the other various elements. For example, a reference to a second portion of a flow path alone does not require that a first portion of a flow path is being present or is being necessarily required. Hence, a reference to a second portion of a flow path does not require that a first of the flow path already exists or is going to be provided at all.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, according to one embodiment, a listing of features or process steps at least in an embodiment does not yet define an order of the features or the process steps in the sequence of the listing.
The aspects and embodiments defined above and further aspects and embodiments of the herein disclosed subject matter are apparent from the examples to be described hereinafter and are explained with reference to the drawings, but to which the invention is not limited. The aforementioned definitions and comments are in particular also valid for the following detailed description and vice versa.
The illustration in the drawings is schematic. It is noted that in different figures, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs. Accordingly, the description of the similar or identical features (or features which are similar or identical at least in its functions) is not repeated in the description of subsequent figures in order to avoid unnecessary repetitions. Rather, it should be understood that the description of these features in the preceding figures is also valid for the subsequent figures unless explicitly noted otherwise.
It should be understood that an exemplary implementation of the elements described below and marked with reference signs are shown in the respective drawings and configured according to the corresponding description, unless otherwise indicated.
It should further be noted that embodiments described in connection with an exemplary implementation (i.e., described in an exemplary combination of embodiments) with reference to a particular drawing are not limited to that particular implementation. Rather, as explained above, the embodiments described herein may be combined in any manner. Thus, embodiments described with reference to different implementations in different drawings may also be combined.
According to an embodiment, the downhole catching device 100 comprises a flow path 102 and a surface portion 104 which defines at least part of a first portion 106 of the flow path 102. According to an embodiment, the flow path 102 comprises a second portion 108 wherein the second portion 108 extends crosswise the first portion 106, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the downhole catching device comprises a body 110, wherein the body 110 provides the surface portion 104. In particular, in accordance with an embodiment, the body 110 comprises an inner surface 112 and the surface portion 104 is part of the inner surface 112 of the body 110. In accordance with an embodiment, the body 110 is a tubular body, for example as shown in
According to an embodiment, the body 110 comprises at least one opening 114, e.g. a plurality of openings 114, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the downhole catching device comprises an insert 120 which is located within the body 110 and which defines the second portion 108 of the flow path 102. According to an embodiment, the insert 120 is secured within the body 110 by a cap 122. According to an embodiment, the cap 122 is threadably mounted to the body 110.
In the following, an exemplary implementation of the second portion 108 of the flow path 102 is described with regard to
In accordance with an embodiment, the insert 120 comprises an outer surface 124 which is facing the inner surface 112 of the body 110. According to an embodiment, the insert 120 is pressfit into the body 110 and hence the inner surface 112 of the body 110 and the outer surface 124 of the insert 120 are in close contact, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the insert 120 is secured against the stop face 128 by the cap 122 which is secured to the body 110, e.g. by means of a thread (not shown in
According to an embodiment, the insert 120 defines the second portion 108 of the flow path 102. According to an embodiment, the second portion 108 of the flow path 102 is formed by an inner surface portion 134 of the insert 120, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the inner surface 112 of the body 110 generally extends in a first direction 136 and the second portion 108 of the flow path 102 extends in a second direction 138 (in an embodiment also referred to as axial direction of the second flow path) which forms an angle 139 different from zero degrees with the first direction 136, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the inner surface portion 134 of the insert 120 is angled (by the angle 139) with respect to the outer surface 124 of the insert 120. Hence, according to an embodiment, the second direction 138 (and the inner surface portion 134) extends at the angle 139 with respect to the outer surface 124 of the insert 120, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the inner surface portion 134, which defines the second portion 108 of the flow path 102, defines a cylindrical hole in the insert 120, wherein the cylindrical hole extends in the second direction 138, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the second portion 108 of the flow path 102 is provided in the insert 120 by machining the insert 120.
According to an embodiment, the insert 120 comprises an opening 140 in the opposite front face 132. Further, also the cap 122 comprises an opening 142 thus allowing fluid exiting the second portion 108 to exit the downhole catching device 100 in the first direction 136, e.g. as shown in
Further, according to an embodiment the insert 120 comprises openings 144 that communicate with the openings 114 of the body 110, thus allowing fluid to flow between an interior 146 of the insert 120 and the exterior 118 of the body 110.
According to an embodiment, the second portion 108 of the flow path 102 extends between a first end 146 (herein also referred to as an upstream end) and a second end 148 (herein also referred to as downstream end), e.g. as shown in
Further illustrated in
According to an embodiment, the operating element 124 is configured to engage a seat 152 of a downhole tool which is shown in part at 154 in
In accordance with an embodiment, the operating element 124 is of a elongated shape, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the upstream end 146 of the second portion 108 of the flow path 102 is contacted by the cylindrical portion 168 of the leading end 163 of the operating element 124. Further, according to an embodiment, the downstream end 148 of the second portion 108 of the flow path 102 is contacted by a conical surface portion of the leading end 163 of the operating element 124, e.g. by the conical surface portion 164, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, a trailing end 172 of the operating element 124, e.g. the third portion 160 of the operating element 124, is contacting the surface portion 104 of the inner surface 112 of the body 110 thus preventing the operating element 124 from aligning with the second portion 108 of the flow path 102, e.g. as shown in
According to an embodiment, the downhole catching device 100 comprises a tubular element 174 in which the body 110 is located. According to an embodiment, the tubular element is configured to form a part of a drill string or part of a coiled cubing (not shown).
It should be noted that any entity disclosed herein (e.g. components, elements and devices) are not limited to a dedicated entity as described in some embodiments. Rather, the herein disclosed subject matter may be implemented in various ways and with various granularity on device level while still providing the specified functionality. Further, it should be noted that according to embodiments a separate entity may be provided for each of the functions disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, an entity is configured for providing two or more functions as disclosed herein. According to still other embodiments, two or more entities are configured for providing together a function as disclosed herein.
Further, although some embodiments refer to specific entities, e.g. an inner surface 112 of the body 110, it should be understood that each of these references is considered to implicitly disclose in addition a respective reference to the corresponding general term (e.g. the surface portion defining at least part of a first portion of the flow path). Also other terms which relate to specific techniques are considered to implicitly disclose the respective general term with the specified functionality.
Further, it should be noted that while the exemplary downhole catching devices and tool combinations in the drawings comprise a particular combination of several embodiments of the herein disclosed subject matter, any other combination of embodiment is also possible and is considered to be disclosed with this application and hence the scope of the herein disclosed subject matter extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative examples of the herein disclosed subject matter.
It should be noted that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps and the “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. According to an embodiment, the term “comprising” includes the meaning “consisting of”. According to a further embodiment, the term “comprising” includes the meaning “comprising inter alia”. Also, elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined. It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. It should further be noted that reference signs in the description and the description's reference to the drawings should not be construed as limiting the scope of the description. Rather, the drawings illustrate only an exemplary implementation of a particular combination of several embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein, any other combination of embodiments being equally possible and to be considered disclosed with this application.
According to an embodiment the term “adapted to” includes inter alia the meaning “configured to”. Further, herein the disclosure of a function which is performed by an entity implicitly discloses that according to an embodiment the entity is configured to perform the function.
In order to recapitulate some of the above described embodiments of the herein disclosed subject matter one can state:
A downhole catching device, comprises a flow path; a surface portion defining at least part of a first portion of the flow path; and a second portion of the flow path; wherein the surface portion extends crosswise the second portion of the flow path. A tool combination comprises the downhole catching device and an operating element to be caught by the catching device.
