Patent Application
20120024545
This disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in an example described below, more particularly provides for installation of tubular strings with lines secured thereto in wells.
It would be advantageous to be able to quickly, reliably and economically attach lines to a tubular string as it is being lowered into a well. This would enable the tubular string and the lines to be conveniently installed together, without significantly impeding the installation of either of these. Such an attachment system should also preferably protect the lines during installation.
In the disclosure below, an attachment system and method are provided which bring improvements to the art of securing lines to tubular strings. One example is described below in which a support protects a line within a recess formed in the support. Another example is described below in which the line is retained in the recess by a rotatable clip.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides to the art a system which attaches at least one line to a tubular string. The system can include at least one clip pivotably secured on one side of a recess. At least one structure is positioned on an opposite side of the recess. Rotation of the clip into engagement with the structure secures the line in the recess.
In another aspect, a method of attaching at least one line to a tubular string is provided by the disclosure. The method can include securing the line to a support on the tubular string as the tubular string is being conveyed into a wellbore. The securing step further includes rotating at least one clip into engagement with at least one structure, thereby preventing removal of the line from a recess formed in the support.
These and other features, advantages and benefits will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the detailed description of representative examples below and the accompanying drawings, in which similar elements are indicated in the various figures using the same reference numbers.
Representatively illustrated in
At this point it should be understood that the system 10 illustrated in
Although not visible in
Referring additionally now to
As described more fully below, the clip 24 is pivotably attached to a support 26 on one side of a channel or longitudinal recess 28 formed in the support. The clip 24 engages an opening or other structure 30 on an opposite side of the recess 28.
Referring additionally now to
Referring additionally now to
Engagement between the locking fingers 34 and the opening or structure 30 prevents one end of the clip 24 from being detached from the support 26 on one side of the recess 28. The other end of the clip 24 is pivotably attached on an opposite side of the recess 28. Thus, when the locking fingers 34 are engaged with the structure 30, the body 36 of the clip 24 prevents removal of the cable 16 from the recess 28.
Although the “male” structure of this locking engagement (the locking fingers 34) is depicted as being on the clip 24, and the “female” part of this locking engagement (the opening) is depicted as being on the support 26, it will be appreciated that the male and female structures could be reversed, other types of structures (whether or not they are male or female) could be used, etc., in keeping with the principles of this disclosure.
Referring additionally now to
The cable 16 is now securely attached to the well screen 22, and is protected within the recess 28, so that it will not be damaged during conveyance and installation in the wellbore 14. It will be appreciated that the procedure for securing the cable 16 is quite easily accomplished—involving merely rotation of the clip 24 over the cable 16 and snapping the fingers 34 into the structure 30. Thus, the operation can be performed quickly, efficiently, accurately, conveniently, and without significantly impeding the installation of the tubular string 12 in the wellbore 14.
Referring additionally now to
In this view, it may also be seen that the well screen 22 in this example includes an outer shroud 42, an intermediate layer 44, a filter layer 46 (e.g., wire wraps), a drainage layer 48 (e.g., longitudinally extending rods) and a base pipe 50. The well screen 22 operates to filter debris (sand, fines, etc.) from fluid passing through the shroud 42, layers 44, 46, 48 and into a flow passage 52 extending through the base pipe 50 and the remainder of the tubular string 12. Of course, other types of well screens (e.g., sintered, wire mesh, prepacked, expanded, etc.), any number or type of layers may be used, etc., in keeping with the principles of this disclosure.
The cable 16, as depicted in
Referring additionally now to
Note that the support 26 is in this example welded to an outer surface of the outer shroud 42. However, in other examples, the support 26 could be formed as part of the shroud 42, the support could be otherwise attached to the shroud, the support could be attached to, or part of, another component of the well screen 22, etc.
At the end of the well screen 22, an end ring 54 abuts the support 26 and provides a transition to the remainder of the tubular string 12. A longitudinal recess 56 formed in the end ring 54 is aligned with the recess 28 in the support 26 and receives the cable 16 therein. The recess 56 is preferably inclined to provide a smooth transition in the radial direction, due to the different diameters of the well screen 22 and the remainder of the tubular string 12.
Referring additionally now to
Referring additionally now to
It may now be fully appreciated that the above disclosure provides significant advancements to the art of attaching lines to tubular strings. In the example of the system 10 and method described above, the cable 16 can be readily attached to the tubular string 12 while it is being installed in the wellbore 14.
The above disclosure provides to the art a system 20 which attaches at least one line 16a-c to a tubular string 12. The system 20 can include at least one clip 24 pivotably secured on one side of a recess 28, and at least one structure 30 positioned on an opposite side of the recess 28. Rotation of the clip 24 into engagement with the structure 30 secures the line 16a-c in the recess 28.
The structure 30 may comprise an opening. The opening may be formed in a support 26. The recess 28 may also be formed in the support 26. The clip 24 can be pivotably secured to the support 26.
The support 26 may be secured to a well screen 22. The system 20 can also include an end ring 54 which abuts an end of the support 26 and secures the support 26 to a base pipe 50 of the well screen 22.
The clip 24 may be rotated into engagement with the structure 30 as the tubular string 12 is conveyed into a wellbore 14.
Also described by the above disclosure is a method of attaching at least one line 16a-c to a tubular string 12. The method can include securing the line 16a-c to a support 26 on the tubular string 12 as the tubular string is being conveyed into a wellbore 14. The securing step may comprise rotating at least one clip 24 into engagement with at least one structure 30, thereby preventing removal of the line 16a-c from a recess 28 formed in the support 26.
It is to be understood that the various examples described above may be utilized in various orientations, such as inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., and in various configurations, without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. The embodiments illustrated in the drawings are depicted and described merely as examples of useful applications of the principles of the disclosure, which are not limited to any specific details of these embodiments.
Of course, a person skilled in the art would, upon a careful consideration of the above description of representative embodiments, readily appreciate that many modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, and other changes may be made to these specific embodiments, and such changes are within the scope of the principles of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.
