Operators may use a “wet shoe” at the end of casing, liner, or other tubing where cement does not set around or obstruct a float valve (e.g., a check valve) at the end of the tubing. After cementing, fluid flow remains established through the tubing and float valve into the well. In this way, the wet shoe enables operators to conduct subsequent operations after cementing, such as pumping down plugs or perforating guns to the toe of the well.
Float equipment used for wet shoe applications can have problems with cement buildup around the float valves. Unless the cement is fully cleared from around them, the valves have the risk of becoming stuck, which can prevent injection for toe preparation. Due to the horizontal orientation of the float equipment in a lateral section of a well and due the square shoulders of the float seats and retainers, residual cement can settle on the bottom of the internal part of the equipment.
The problem of residual cement causing issue may accounts for up to 5% of all float equipment failures on production strings. Being unable to inject through the float equipment can require operators to use highly expensive tubing-conveyed perforating (TCP) operations to proceed with the completion.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
A float tool disclosed herein is for controlling flow in tubing. The float tool comprises: a housing, at least one valve, and one or more vanes. The housing is configured to install on the tubing and has a longitudinal bore therethrough. The at least one valve is disposed in the longitudinal bore. The at least one valve is configured to allow the flow in a downbore direction through the longitudinal bore and is configured to prevent flow in a upbore direction through the longitudinal bore. At least a portion of the longitudinal bore has the one or more vanes, which are angled relative to the longitudinal bore. The one or more vanes are configured to produce turbulence in the flow in the downbore direction through the longitudinal bore.
In another arrangement, a float tool disclosed herein is for controlling flow in tubing. The float tool comprises: a housing, at least one valve, and at least one inset. The housing is configured to install on the tubing and has a longitudinal bore therethrough. The at least one valve is disposed in the longitudinal bore. The at least one valve is configured to allow the flow in a downbore direction through the longitudinal bore and is configured to prevent flow in a upbore direction through the longitudinal bore. The at least one inset is disposed in the longitudinal bore downbore of the at least one valve and defines an orifice therethrough. The orifice has one or more vanes angled relative to the longitudinal bore. The one or more vanes are configured to produce turbulence in the flow in the downbore direction through the longitudinal bore.
The at least one valve can comprise a first of the at least one valve disposed upbore of a second of the at least one valve, and the at least one inset can comprise a first of the at least one inset disposed in the longitudinal bore downbore of the first valve and upbore of the second valve. Further, the at least one inset can comprise a second of the at least one inset disposed in the longitudinal bore downbore of the second valve.
The orifice can define a first opening at an upbore end being larger in size than a second opening at a downbore end. Alternatively, the orifice can define a first opening at an upbore end being a same in size as a second opening at a downbore end.
The one or more vanes can comprise a plurality of vanes disposed uniformly about a circumference of the orifice. Alternatively, the one or more vanes can comprise a plurality of vanes spiraling about the orifice.
The at least one valve can be selected from the group consisting of a flapper valve, a poppet valve, and a captured ball valve. As an example, the at least one valve can comprise a first of the at least one valve comprising: a first seat disposed in the longitudinal bore and defining a first flow passage; a first support disposed in the longitudinal bore downbore of the first seat; and a first poppet movably disposed on the support and biased toward the first seat. For this example, the at least one inset can comprise a first of the at least one inset disposed between the first seat and the first support and defining the orifice, the first poppet movably disposed in the orifice of the first inset.
The at least one valve can comprise a second of the at least one valve disposed downbore of the first inset and comprising: a second seat disposed in the longitudinal bore and defining a second flow passage; a second support disposed in the longitudinal bore downbore of the second seat; and a second poppet movably disposed on the support and biased toward the second seat. For this example, the at least one inset can be disposed between the first support and the second seat. The at least one inset can comprise: a first of the at least one inset disposed between the first seat and the first support and defining the orifice, the first poppet movably disposed in the orifice of the first inset; and a second of the at least one inset disposed between the second seat and the second support and defining the orifice, the second poppet movably disposed in the orifice of the second inset.
The foregoing summary is not intended to summarize each potential embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure.
The assembly 10 includes a wet shoe tool 30, a float tool 40, and a guide or shoe 17. The wet shoe tool 30 is disposed on the tubing 16 and can be used with or can be part of a casing shoe/landing collar. For example, the wet shoe tool 30 can be disposed above the float tool 40, a hydraulic landing collar, or the like. The float tool 40 is disposed on the tubing 16 and can be a float collar or a float shoe having a check valve 42. The guide or shoe 17 can be part of the float tool 40 and can be an eccentric shoe guide or the like.
The wet shoe tool 30 is used for creating a wet shoe track in an operation that opens the flow path through the float shoe 17 to the formation after cementing. There are a number of techniques for creating a wet shoe track in a cementing operation. One technique can use a wet shoe tool, such as disclosed in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 16/539,305, filed 13 Aug. 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the cementing procedure as shown in
The initial fluid slug S can pass out of the check valve 42 of the float tool 40. The bottom wiper plug 22 is pumped until it lands in a landing insert 32 of the wet shoe tool 30. A passage 24 through the bottom plug 22 has a closure 26 that is opened by pressure, allowing the cement C pumped down through the bore 18 of the tubing 16 to pass through the bottom wiper plug 22, out the float tool 40 and the guide or shoe 17, and into the annulus 14 of the borehole 12. The closure 26 can be a breachable element, such as a rupture disc.
Behind the cement C, a top wiper plug 28 as shown in
The top wiper plug 28 can be a stinger dart that is pumped behind the cement C. The top plug 28 wipes the inside of the tubing 16, providing a mechanical barrier between the cement C and the displacement fluid D. Eventually, as shown in
Once the top plug 28 is landed, fluid flow through the end of the tubing 16 may be established to form a wet shoe track 15 for conducting subsequent operations. In particular and as shown in
To help produce the wet shoe track 15 and help prevent residual cement from remaining in the float tool 40 and other components of the assembly 10. The assembly 10 includes a turbulent flow device 50 disposed inside or adjacent the float equipment. For example, the turbulent flow device 50 can be incorporated into the float tool 40. The turbulent flow device 50 makes the flow of fluid turbulent inside the assembly 10 to clear residual settled cement from around and beyond the float tool 40, the float valve 42, the shoe 17, and the like. The turbulent flow device 50 can include angled or spiraling vanes, channels, or the like. The vanes encourage fluid to jet into hard-to-clean corners of the float tool's and valve's internal surfaces, and thus can help eliminate stagnant areas of flow on the inside of the float tool 40, the float valve 42, the shoe 17, etc. The effect can also be achieved by adding spiral grooves to the float seats and by using other techniques disclosed herein.
After cementing, the integrity of the cemented tubing 16 can be tested by pumping a plug 38, such as a ball, down the tubing 16 to the wet shoe tool 30. The plug 38 lands in a seat 36 in the tool 30 (or lands elsewhere in the tubing 16). Pressure applied against the seated plug 38 can then be used to test the integrity of the cemented tubing 16 to desired test levels. Preferably, the plug 38 is composed of a self-removable material that dissolves, disintegrates, or otherwise removes in time to re-establish flow through the tubing's bore 18 so subsequent operations can be performed.
This turbulent flow device 50 can be portion of the bore of the float tool (40), can be a fixture disposed inside the float tool (40), or can be formed as part of a flow passage in the float tool (40). As a separate component, for example, the turbulent flow device 50 may be a ring, a spacer, a disk, an insert, or other such element disposed in or formed in the float tool's bore and having the orifice 52 profiled with the one or more vanes 54 to produce the turbulent flow.
The turbulent flow device 50 is a preventative solution that aims to lower the risk of float failure, and the turbulent flow device 50 is a significantly less expensive alternative to possible remediation with TCP. The turbulent flow device 50 can minimize square shoulders and can enhance flow.
The housing 110 is configured to install on the tubing (16) and has a longitudinal bore 112 therethrough. As is typical, the housing 110 can include box and pin ends 114, 116 of threaded connections for connecting to tubing and/or housings of other completion equipment. The longitudinal bore 112 communicates with the tubing (16) so displacement fluid, cement, and the like can be pumped down through the housing 110 in a cementing operation.
The at least one valve 120A-B is disposed in the longitudinal bore 112. In general, the at least one valve 120A-B is a check valve, being configured to allow the flow in a downbore direction through the longitudinal bore 112 and configured to prevent flow in a upbore direction through the longitudinal bore 112. A number of check valves can be used, including a flapper valve, a poppet valve, and a captured ball valve.
In the present example, two valves 120A-B are used in the housing 110 and include poppet valves. The first valve 120A is disposed upbore of the second valve 120B. As poppet valves, the valves 120A-B each includes a seat 122, a support 124, and a poppet 126. The seat 122 is disposed in the longitudinal bore 112 and defines a first flow passage 123. (The flow passage 123 can have latch profiles and other features for engaging plugs, darts, etc.) The support 124 is disposed in the longitudinal bore 112 downbore of the seat 122. The poppet 126 is movably disposed on the support 124 and is biased toward the seat 122 with a spring 128. The support 124 can include openings 125 for flow to pass through. Pressure uphole of the poppet 126 can unseat the poppet 126 from the seat 122 against the bias of the spring 128 so fluid can pass in a downbore direction. However, the poppet 126 closes and prevents upbore flow when there is insufficient pressure uphole or when there is back pressure.
The at least one flow device or inset 150 is disposed in the longitudinal bore 112 downbore of the at least one valve 120A and defines an orifice 152 therethrough. The orifice 152 has one or more vanes 154 angled relative to the longitudinal bore 112. As discussed in more detail below, the one or more vanes 154 are configured to produce turbulence in the flow in the downbore direction through the longitudinal bore 112.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As poppet valves, the valves 120A-B each includes a seat 122, a support 124, and a poppet 126. The seat 122 is disposed in the longitudinal bore 112 and defines a first flow passage 123. The support 124 is disposed in the longitudinal bore 112 downbore of the seat 122. The poppet 126 is movably disposed on the support 124 and is biased toward the seat 122. The support 124 can include openings 125 for flow to pass through.
In this device, each of the turbulent flow devices or insets 150 is disposed between the seat 122 and the support 124, and the poppet 126 is movably disposed in the orifice 152 of the inset 150. In this configuration, the inset 150 not only provides the benefits of turbulent flow, but also takes up void spaces and eliminates hard shoulders where residual cement and debris could foul the float equipment.
In one or more arrangements, the turbulent flow device 150 and its features can be incorporated into one or more of the housing 110, the support 124, the seat 122, and the like in the float tool 100. As shown here, this inset 150 is depicted as a separate component from the housing 110, support 124, seat 122 and the like. As such the inset 150 can be a ring of drillable material. As shown in
As noted in previous arrangements, the valves 120 in the float tool 100 can include a flapper valve, a poppet valve, a captured ball valve, or any other suitable form of check valve to prevent flow in a upbore direction and to allow flow in a downbore direction. For example,
As shown in
As shown in
An alternative configuration is shown in
As shown in
As shown in
An alternative configuration is shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As disclosed herein, the turbulent flow devices 150 can be used upbore of one or more valves, downbore of one or more valves, and/or between valves. Additionally, the turbulent flow devices 150 can be used internal to (or part of) the one or more valves. This has been reflected in each of the previous configurations.
The turbulent flow devices 150 disclosed herein can comprise a suitable material, such as a drillable material of metal, plastic, or the like. One example of a drillable material is a phenolic material. Others can be used. Where the turbulent flow device 150 is part of the housing 110, the turbulent flow device 150 can be composed of the same material as the housing 110.
As will be appreciated, any components of the float tools 100 disclosed herein can combine any of the turbulent float devices 150 disclosed herein. Accordingly, the foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicants. It will be appreciated with the benefit of the present disclosure that features described above in accordance with any embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter can be utilized, either alone or in combination, with any other described feature, in any other embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter.
This is a 371 application of U.S. PCT Appl. No. PCT/US2021/052450 filed Sep. 28, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Appl. No. 63/110,649 filed Nov. 6, 2020, both of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2021/052450 | 9/28/2021 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2022/098444 | 5/12/2022 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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63110649 | Nov 2020 | US |