The present disclosure generally relates to downhole cutting tools, more particularly, well tools for removing downhole liners.
Drilling, operating, and maintaining wellbores includes placing casings and liner joints within a wellbore. Casings can become damaged, such as due to corrosion, high temperatures and pressures downhole, or the caustic downhole environment. Expandable liners are placed in a wellbore against a casing to repair damaged casing and terminate communication between the wellbore and a surrounding formation through the damaged casing. Some cutting well tools are used to remove liner components in a wellbore.
This disclosure describes well tools, for example, for separating and removing a liner from a wellbore casing.
Some aspects of the disclosure encompass a well tool for removing an expandable liner in a wellbore. The well tool includes a substantially cylindrical tool body oriented about a longitudinal axis, a blade edge connected to the tool body and positioned along a radial perimeter of the tool body, and a blade system connected to the tool body and including a base plate and multiple blades connected to the base plate. The blade edge is positioned at a longitudinal end of the tool body. The multiple blades are oriented about the longitudinal axis on the base plate.
The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
This disclosure describes well tools for cutting and removing all or a portion of an expandable liner from a casing in a wellbore. An example well tool includes a tool body with a substantially cylindrical shape centered on a longitudinal axis, a blade edge connected to the tool body and positioned along a radial perimeter of the tool body, and a blade system connected to the tool body. The blade edge can be coupled to or integrally formed with the tool body, is positioned at a downhole end of the tool body, and wedges itself between a liner and a casing to peel the liner away from the casing. The blade system includes multiple blades, such as helical blades carried on a base plate, that slice, shred, or otherwise cut the peeled liner into smaller pieces. The well tool provides an effective and designed cutting mechanism for peeling an expandable liner away from a casing without damaging the casing, while also simultaneously collecting the peeled liner with the well tool. The blade edge of the well tool peels, or shaves off, the liner layers from the casing from inside out to separate the liner's radially outer surface from the casing's radially inner surface, the blade system includes a motor to run the multiple blades, and one or more centralizers stabilize the well tool within the wellbore and catch or collect the shaved, peeled portion of the liner. The well tool can be powered mechanically, hydraulically, or electrically, and can be ran in hole on a drill pipe.
Expandable liners can be installed in a wellbore against a casing, for example, to repair damaged or corroded sections of the wellbore. In some examples, an expandable liner minimizes accessibility to the wellbore, such as in future workover operations. In some conventional well operations, the liner is milled with a milling tool. However, milling an expandable liner can be expensive due to the long operational hours required to mill the liner with a milling tool, such as a full gage mill similar to the size of an outer diameter of the liner in order to completely remove the liner. Also, a milling operation can introduce well integrity risks since the casing radially outward of the liner can be affected by the milling tool. In the present disclosure, a well tool includes a blade edge for separating a liner from a casing, multiple blades for cutting the separated liner, and in some examples, a centralizer that acts to centralize the well tool and collect the cut pieces of the separated liner. For example, the well tool excludes a milling surface, and instead includes a peeling blade for separating the liner from the casing without damaging the casing, and includes cutting blades internal to a tool body of the well tool to cut or shred the peeled portion of the liner without damaging the casing. The well tool of the present disclosure provides a safer, faster, and easier way to separate a liner from a casing while reducing or avoiding inadvertent damage to the casing. Also, implementing a cutting operation with a well tool of the present disclosure provides a reduced complexity solution to remove expandable liners, for example, by avoiding the need to mill a liner completely with a milling tool. Instead, the blade edge of the well tool can separate the metal-to-metal seal between an expandable liner and a casing, and collect the expandable liner to be retrieved partially or completely.
After some or all of the wellbore 102 is drilled, a portion of the wellbore 102 extending from the wellhead 104 to the subterranean zone 108 can be lined with lengths of tubing, called casing. The wellbore 102 can be drilled in stages, and a casing may be installed between stages. In the example well system 100 of
The first casing 110 can be defined by lengths of tubing lining a first portion of the wellbore 102, the second casing 112 can be defined by lengths of tubing lining a second portion of the wellbore 102, and the third casing 114 can be defined by lengths of tubing lining a third portion of the wellbore 102. These portions of the wellbore 102 can be overlapping. For example, the first casing 110 extends from the surface for a first length, the second casing 112 extends from the surface for a second, longer length that overlaps the first length, and the third casing 114 extends downhole a third length starting from a point near a downhole end of the second casing 112. The first casing 110 is shown as extending only partially down the wellbore 102; however, the first casing 110 can extend further into the wellbore 102, such as into the subterranean zone 108, or end further uphole in the wellbore 102 than what is shown schematically in
The wellhead 104 is installed over the open wellbore 102 on top of the casing, such as the first casing 110 and second casing 112. In some implementations, the well system 100 includes a pipe or tubing installed in the wellbore 102 prior to the installation of the casings 110 and 112, called a conductor, positioned adjacent to the first casing 110. The conductor is set into the surface 106 of the Earth and provides a foundation for the wellbore 102 to be drilled. The conductor is typically the first string of casing installed in the wellbore 102 and is lowered into the wellbore 102 and cemented in place, driven into the surface 106 (such as by a pile driver, or jetted into place such as in offshore wells), or otherwise positioned in the wellbore 102. The example well system 100 of
The wellhead 104 defines an attachment point for other equipment of the well system 100 to attach to the well 102. For example, the wellhead 104 can include a Christmas tree structure including valves used to regulate flow into or out of the wellbore 102. In the example well system 100 of
In the example well system 100 of
In some implementations, the tool body 202 has an outer diameter that is exactly or substantially the same as an outer diameter of a liner that is to be removed from an inner radial surface of an attached casing. In some examples, the blade edge 204 is positioned at this outer diameter to peel all or a portion of the liner away from the casing as the tool body 202 is longitudinally moved along a longitudinal length of the liner.
In some implementations, the blade edge 204 can take a different blade shape. For example, the blade edge 204 can include a double-edged bevel profile, a V-shape profile, convex profile, compound double bevel profile, compound single bevel profile, concave profile, or another edge profile sufficient to separate a liner from a casing.
In operation, the blade edge 204 creates separation between a liner and a casing positioned radially outward of the liner so that there is enough space to push the liner against the blade system 206. The blade edge 204 takes the form of a sharp edge of a parting tool to push the liner radially inward. The example well tool 200 can apply a longitudinal force, applied mechanically or hydraulically, to the blade edge 204 uphole of the liner in the space between the liner and casing. The blade edge 204 can be inserted into this space by force, the tool body 202 can be rotated so that the blade edge 204 cuts a narrow groove between the casing and liner and marks a sharp boundary for separation to take place, or both. For example, the sharp edge of the blade edge 204 can be inserted in the space between the liner and casing with a pre-pressurized piston, forced rotation, another force application, or a combination of these. A piston can be released through pressure pulses, rotation, or other hydraulic and mechanical mechanisms. In certain instances, the tool body 202 can be rotated such that the blade edge 204 shaves off a groove in an outer layer of the liner, for example, to create space for the separation of the liner from the casing.
In some implementations, the blades 210 are aligned helical blades instead of tilted blades, for example, to concentrically cut or shave the liner. In operation, the blade edge 204 peels and guides the liner into the space 214 between the blades 210 and the inner surface 302 of the blade edge 204. After the liner is disposed in the space 214, the motor 212 can operate to rotate the base plate 208 to subsequently rotate the blades 210 and peel off an interior of the liner inside out until the section covered by the longitudinal length of the blades 210 is completely peeled off. Subsequent operations can be repeated. The motor 212 can operate hydraulically, mechanically, or electrically to rotate the blades 210 within the tool body 202.
In some implementations, the example well tool 200 includes a centralizer connected to the tool body 202 and positioned longitudinally uphole of or longitudinally downhole of the tool body 202. The centralizer acts to center the blade edge 204 within a space, for example, within a wellbore or casing so that the blade edge 204 consistently and centrally peels a corresponding liner. In certain instances, the well tool 200 can include two centralizers: a first centralizer positioned longitudinally uphole of the tool body 202 and a second centralizer positioned longitudinally downhole of the tool body 202. One or two centralizers can aid in centering the tool body 202, and the corresponding blade edge 204, within a cylindrical space like a wellbore.
In some implementations, the example centralizer 600 acts as a centrifugal guide that also collects shaved layers of liner and reduces or minimizes a volume of leftover junk left in a wellbore. In some examples, the centralizer 600 can include a wireline phishing tool, including the rod 602 and upwardly pointed barbs 604 that form hooks that can catch looped ends of shaved liner during a liner removal operation.
While this disclosure contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations. Certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.
Thus, particular implementations of the subject matter have been described. Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results.
In a first aspect, a well tool for removing a liner comprises a substantially cylindrical tool body oriented about a longitudinal axis, a blade edge connected to the tool body and positioned along a radial perimeter of the tool body, the blade edge positioned at a longitudinal end of the tool body, and a blade system connected to the tool body and comprising a base plate and a plurality of blades connected to the base plate, the plurality of blades oriented about the longitudinal axis on the base plate.
In a second aspect according to the first aspect, the blade edge is a cylindrical coring blade edge disposed at a longitudinally downhole end of the tool body.
In a third aspect according to the second aspect, the blade edge extends along an entire perimeter edge of the tool body.
In a fourth aspect according to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, the blade edge is integrally formed with the tool body.
In a fifth aspect according to any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect, the blade edge comprises a single edged bevel profile.
In a sixth aspect according to any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, the plurality of blades comprises a plurality of helical blades.
In a seventh aspect according to the sixth aspect, each helical blade in the plurality of blade is oriented in parallel with the longitudinal axis.
In an eighth aspect according to any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect, the base plate is rotatable about the longitudinal axis and configured to carry the plurality of blades around the longitudinal axis.
In a ninth aspect according to any one of the first aspect to the eighth aspect, the plurality of blades are positioned radially inward of the blade edge and at least partially uphole of the blade edge.
In a tenth aspect according to any one of the first aspect to the ninth aspect, the well tool further comprises a centralizer connected to the tool body and positioned longitudinally uphole of or longitudinally downhole of the tool body, the centralizer configured to center the blade edge within a wellbore.
In an eleventh aspect according to the tenth aspect, the centralizer is a first centralizer positioned uphole of the tool body, the well tool further comprising a second centralizer positioned downhole of the tool body, the first centralizer and second centralizer configured to center the blade within the wellbore.
In a twelfth aspect according to the tenth aspect or the eleventh aspect, the centralizer comprises a rod oriented along the longitudinal axis and configured to be oriented longitudinally in the wellbore, and a plurality of barbs connected to the rod and extending radially outward from the rod, the plurality of barbs configured to catch debris residing in the wellbore.
In a thirteenth aspect, a method for removing a liner in a wellbore comprises positioning a blade edge at least partially within a space between a liner and a casing in a wellbore, the blade edge connected to a tool body of a well tool and positioned along a radial perimeter of the tool body, wherein the tool body is substantially cylindrical about a longitudinal axis of the well tool, and the blade edge is positioned at a downhole end of the tool body, separating at least a portion of the liner from the casing with the blade edge, and cutting, with a plurality of blades of a blade system connected to the tool body, the separated portion of the liner, wherein the plurality of blades are connected to a base plate and oriented about the longitudinal axis.
In a fourteenth aspect according to the thirteenth aspect, separating the at least a portion of the liner from the casing with the blade edge comprises forcing the blade edge in a longitudinal downhole direction between the portion of the liner and the casing.
In a fifteenth aspect according to the thirteenth aspect or the fourteenth aspect, the plurality of blades comprises a plurality of helical blades, and cutting the separated portion of the liner comprises shredding, with the plurality of helical blades, the separated portion of the liner.
In a sixteenth aspect according to any one of the thirteenth aspect to the fifteenth aspect, cutting the separated portion of the liner comprises guiding the separated portion of the liner into a space between the plurality of blades and a radially inner surface of the tool body, rotating the base plate about the longitudinal axis, and shredding the separated portion of the liner with the plurality of blades within the space between the plurality of blades and the radially inner surface of the tool body.
In a seventeenth aspect according to any one of the thirteenth aspect to the sixteenth aspect, the blade edge comprises a single edged bevel profile having an angled inner surface, the method further comprising guiding, with the angled inner surface of the blade edge, the separated portion of the liner toward the plurality of blades of the blade system.
In an eighteenth aspect according to any one of the thirteenth aspect to the seventeenth aspect, the method further comprises collecting, with a centralizer connected to the tool body of the well tool, the separated and cut portion of the liner.
In a nineteenth aspect according to the eighteenth aspect, the centralizer comprises a rod oriented along the longitudinal axis and a plurality of barbs connected to the rod and extending radially outward from the rod, wherein collecting the separated and cut portion of the liner comprises catching, with the plurality of barbs of the centralizer, the separated and cut portion of the liner.
In a twentieth aspect, a downhole well tool comprises a tool body oriented along a longitudinal axis, a blade edge connected to the tool body and positioned along a radial perimeter of the tool body, the blade edge positioned at a downhole end of the tool body, and a blade system connected to the tool body and positioned adjacent to and radially inward of the blade edge.