Patent Application
20170291787
The present disclosure relates generally to coiling a continuous rod.
Some artificial lift systems may apply a rod string inside a production string for hydrocarbon production. The rod string may be assembled from rod joints connected by collars, or may be a continuous rod. A continuous rod may be connected by collars with a polish rod or other uphole equipment, and with a shear rod or other downhole pump equipment, but may otherwise lack collars along the majority of the length of the rod string. A continuous rod may provide advantages over a jointed rod string when producing heavy oil, when producing from a sandy formation, or in other circumstances where frequent servicing is common or clearance inside the production string is otherwise of high value.
A continuous rod may be transported to a well site on a transport reel to be run into the well inside the production string. The continuous rod may be connected with a shear rod or any applicable downhole pump equipment, and run downhole. As the continuous rod is run into the well, it is uncoiled from the transport reel. The continuous rod may be connected with a polish rod or other uphole production equipment once the continuous rod is in a production position in the production string. Alternatively, the continuous rod may be coiled from the transport reel to a service reel, and from the service reel into the well.
During servicing, workover, shut in, or other activity that requires the rod string to be pulled from the well, the rod string may be pulled from the well and coiled onto a service reel as the rod string emerges from the well. The continuous rod coils onto the service reel while being pulled from the well as the service reel is rotated. The continuous rod may be temporarily stored on the service reel until the continuous rod is to be run back into the well. Following shut in or in any situation where the continuous rod no longer needed at the well, the continuous rod may be transported offsite while wound on the service reel.
Pulling a continuous rod from a well may be accompanied by coiling the continuous rod onto a service reel as the continuous rod emerges from a rod guide. To coil the continuous rod onto the service reel, an uphole end of the continuous rod may be secured onto the service reel and the service reel rotated to coil the continuous rod along a radial rod pocket defined between a pair of guide pins or other guide members on the service reel during rotation of the reel. As the service reel is rotated, the continuous rod is coiled along the rod pocket between the pair of guide pins and other pairs of guide pins located radially around the service reel. The continuous rod is typically tied to one of the guide pins or a different portion of the service reel with haywire to secure the continuous rod to the service reel.
Previous approaches to securing the continuous rod to the service reel may be time-consuming. Previous approaches to securing the continuous rod to the service reel may be inconsistent in terms of where the continuous rod is secured in relation to the guide pins, in terms of the strength of the connection between the continuous rod and the service reel, or both. Previous approaches to securing the continuous rod to the service reel may be unreliable and injury to personnel, damage to equipment, lost time, or other losses may result from the haywire coming undone and the uphole end of the continuous rod potentially snapping out from between the guide pins as a result of torsion stored in the continuous rod. It is, therefore, desirable to provide an improved approach to securing a continuous rod to a reel prior to coiling the continuous rod on the service reel.
It is an object of the present disclosure to obviate or mitigate at least one disadvantage of previous approaches to coiling a continuous rod, such as use of haywire to secure the continuous rod to a reel. Generally, a coupling is provided for securing the continuous rod to a reel. The coupling includes a threaded box for threadedly connecting with an uphole pin end of a continuous rod. The coupling also includes a connector for securing the coupling to the reel. The connector may be secured to the reel at a connection point on the reel.
The connector may include any common connection mechanism amenable to use with the connection point on a given reel. For example, a coupling may be designed for use with a reel having an open connection point, such as an outside guide pin defining the rod pocket on a collapsible service reel. Such a coupling may include a ring or other closed connector for securing the coupling to the outside guide pin. Securing the coupling to the outside guide pin provides a simple and reliable connection between the continuous rod and the service reel, and locates the uphole pin end of the rod at a consistent position with respect to the outside guide pin. Similarly, the ring may be placed over any load bearing connection point (e.g. a pin, a hook, etc.) to secure the continuous rod to the reel. In another example, a coupling designed for securing to a ring or other closed connection point on the reel may include a hook or other open connector rather than a ring or other closed connector. The hook may include a cover to close off the hook once the connection is established. An open connector may also be applied to an open connection point on the reel.
In use, the threaded box of the coupling may be threadedly engaged with the uphole pin end of the continuous rod and the connector may be secured to the reel. The connector may be secured to the reel with the continuous rod located between any guide pins on the service reel for guiding the continuous rod along the radial rod pocket during coiling. The connector may be secured to the reel by any suitable approach depending on the specific connection being made between the connector and the reel, such as by the example open and closed connectors as described above in relation to the coupling. Once the threaded box is threadedly engaged with the pin end of the continuous rod and the connector is secured to the reel, the reel may be rotated, pulling the continuous rod with rotation of the reel and coiling the continuous rod onto the reel while securely connected with the reel by the coupling. The coupling provides a consistent and reliable connection between the continuous rod and the reel.
In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a coupling for use with a continuous rod and a reel, and a method of using the coupling to coil a continuous rod on the reel. The coupling includes a threaded box portion for threadedly connecting with an uphole pin end of the continuous rod. The coupling includes a connector for securing the coupling to the reel. Once secured to the reel by the coupling, the continuous rod can be coiled around the reel by rotation of the reel. In an example application, the connector may include a ring for securing the coupling to an outside guide pin of a collapsible service reel.
In a further aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of coiling a continuous rod onto a reel. The method includes threadedly connecting a coupling to an uphole pin end of the continuous rod; securing the coupling to the reel; and rotating the reel to coil the continuous rod onto the reel.
In some embodiments, the reel includes a service reel. In some embodiments, the service reel includes a collapsible service reel. In some embodiments, securing the coupling to the collapsible service reel includes securing the coupling to a guide member extending from an arm of the collapsible service reel. In some embodiments, securing the coupling to the guide member includes engaging a closed connector portion of the coupling with the guide member.
In some embodiments, the reel includes a service reel. In some embodiments, securing the coupling to the service reel includes securing the coupling to a first guide member extending from an arm of the service reel. In some embodiments, securing the coupling to the first guide member includes placing a ring connector portion of the coupling over the first guide member. In some embodiments, the service reel includes a plurality of paired inside guide members and outside guide members; each pair of guide members extends from a separate arm of the service reel; and the first guide member includes an outside guide member.
In some embodiments, securing the coupling to the reel includes engaging a closed connector portion of the coupling with an open connection point of the reel.
In some embodiments, securing the coupling to the reel includes engaging an open connector portion of the coupling with a closed connection point of the reel.
In some embodiments, securing the coupling to the reel includes engaging an open connector portion of the coupling with an open connection point of the reel.
In some embodiments, the coupling and the pin end each comprises American Petroleum Institute (“API”) standard rod threading. In some embodiments, the API standard rod threading is ¾″, ⅞″, 1″, 1 ⅛″, or 1 ¼″ rod threading.
In some embodiments, the coupling is configured to separate under application of a failure force, separating the continuous rod from the reel. In some embodiments, the coupling comprises a first portion reversibly connected with a second portion by a connection configured to separate under application of the failure force; threadedly connecting the coupling to the uphole pin end of the continuous rod comprises connecting the first portion with the uphole pin end of the continuous rod; and securing the coupling to the reel comprises connecting the second portion with the reel.
In a further aspect, the present disclosure provides a coupling for securing a continuous rod to a reel. The coupling included: a body; a threaded box defined in the body for receiving a threaded pin end of the continuous rod; and a connector extending from the body for connecting the coupling to the reel.
In some embodiments, the connector includes a closed connector for securing the coupling to an open connection point on the reel.
In some embodiments, the coupling includes a movable joint between the body and the connector.
In some embodiments, the connector extends from the body in a fixed relationship with respect to the body.
In some embodiments, the connector includes an open connector for securing the coupling to a closed connection point on the reel or to an open connection point on the reel.
In some embodiments, the coupling includes a cover for reversibly closing an open portion of the open connector. In some embodiments, the cover is engaged with the coupling by a pivot for pivoting between an open position with the open portion of the open connector exposed and a closed position with the open portion of the open connector covered; in some embodiment, the cover is slidably received within the body for translating into the body to open the open connector and emerging from the body to close the open connector.
In some embodiments, the threaded box includes American Petroleum Institute (“API”) standard rod threading. In some embodiments, the API standard rod threading is ¾″, ⅞″, 1″, 1 ⅛″, or 1 ¼″ rod threading.
In some embodiments, the body includes an elongate body extending between a first end and a second end, and the threaded box portion is defined on the first end. In some embodiments, the connector is located on the body proximate the second end.
In some embodiments, the body includes an angled portion between the threaded box portion and the connector for offsetting the threaded box portion from the connector by an angle.
In some embodiments, the body comprises: a first portion; and a second portion reversibly connected with the first portion by a connection; wherein: the threaded box end is defined in the first portion; the connector extends from the second portion; and the connection fails, disconnecting the first portion from the second portion, under application of force, equal to or greater than a failure force, to the connection. In some embodiments, the connection comprises a shear pin connecting the first portion with the second portion for shearing and disconnecting the first portion from the second portion, under application of the failure force. In some embodiments, the connection comprises a connection pin received within a connection box dimensioned to receive the connection pin; and the shear pin is received within the connection pin and the connection box. In some embodiments, the connection pin extends from the first portion and the connection box is defined in the second portion. In some embodiments the connection box is defined in the first portion and the connection pin extends from the second portion.
In a further aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for coiling a continuous rod including: a reel for coiling the continuous rod, the reel including a connection point and a coupling for securing a continuous rod to the connection point. The coupling includes: a body; a threaded box defined in the body for receiving a threaded pin end of the continuous rod; and a connector extending from the body for connecting the coupling to the connection point.
In some embodiments, the reel is a service reel.
In some embodiments, the reel is a transport reel.
In some embodiments, the connection point includes an open connection point and the connector includes an open connector or a closed connector.
In some embodiments, the connection point includes a closed connection point and the connector includes an open connector.
In some embodiments, the body comprises a first portion; and a second portion reversibly connected with the first portion by a connection; the threaded box end is defined in the first portion; the connector extends from the second portion; and the connection fails, disconnecting the first portion from the second portion, under application of force, equal to or greater than a failure force, to the connection.
In some embodiments, the threaded box includes American Petroleum Institute (“API”) standard rod threading. In some embodiments, the API standard rod threading is ¾″, ⅞″, 1″, 1 ⅛″, or 1 ¼″ rod threading.
Other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures, in which features sharing reference numerals with a common final two digits of a reference numeral correspond to similar features across multiple figures (e.g. the coupling 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650, 750, etc.).
Generally, the present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for securing a continuous rod to a reel for coiling the continuous rod onto the reel. A coupling may be used to couple the continuous rod with the reel. The coupling includes a threaded box and a connector. The threaded box may be threaded to match American Petroleum Institute (“API”) thread for continuous rod pin ends for connection to a pin end of a continuous rod. The connector may include a ring, a hook, or any suitable feature for use with a connection point on a particular reel that the connector is designed to be used with.
The coupling described herein may include a connector with features for connection with an open connection point on the reel, a closed connection point on the reel, or both. Examples of an open connection point include a load-bearing pin or a hook. A connector on the coupling including a ring with a sufficient inside diameter to receive the load-bearing pin or hook may be engaged around the load-bearing pin or hook to connect with the load-bearing pin and secure a continuous rod (threaded into the threaded box of the coupling) to the reel.
Examples of closed connection points include a ring, or a load-bearing pin capped by a portion of the pin too large to be received by a ring connector. A hook or other open connector with a sufficiently large open portion to receive the outside diameter of the ring or of the pin below the large portion may be engaged with either of the example closed connection points to secure a continuous rod (threaded into the threaded box of the coupling) to the reel. A connector including a hook or other suitable feature for connecting with a closed connection point may also be connected with an open connection point, and such use may be facilitated where the connector includes a cover to close the open portion of the hook or other feature.
A collapsible service reel may include inside and outside guide pins for defining a radial rod pocket. Each of the outside guide pins may provide an open connection point on the collapsible service reel in designs with no large feature on top of the outside guide pins. An example of a collapsible service reel is shown in photographs included in an advertisement for the COROD® Reel Mover. The advertisement is copyright 2014, has a footer with reference number 11138.00, and is available online at www.weatherford.com.
Other continuous rod reels, such as a transport reel, may be more enclosed than a service reel to secure a continuous rod to the transport reel for transport while being maintained on an angle, such as the transport reel disclosed as prior art in
To apply the apparatus and method described herein to previous continuous rod reels lacking an inherent connection point, such as the connection point provided by an outside guide pin of a service reel, an open connection point or a closed connection point may be added to the reel for use with the connectors described herein. An example of such a connection point is provided in the connection ring 135 of
An outside guide pin 16 extends from each of the arms 14 proximate the outside end 15. An inside pin guide 18 extends from each of the arms 14 intermediate the outside guide pin 16 and the inside end 13. Each of the arms 14 may include a brace 19 extending from the central body 12 to a position intermediate inside end 13 and the outside end 15. The position where the brace 19 connects with the arm 14 may correspond to the inside guide pin 18, as shown in the service reel 10. A plurality of stabilizer members 17 may extend between the brace 19 and the arm 14. The outside guide pins 16 and the inside guide pins 18 of the service reel 10 are examples of guide members that may be on a continuous rod reel.
The continuous rod 20 is shown emerging from a rod guide 22. The continuous rod 20 includes a threaded pin end 24 on an uphole end of the continuous rod 20. The threaded pin end 24 may be used to threadedly connect the continuous rod 20 to a polish rod (not shown) or other uphole production equipment (not shown) when the continuous rod 20 is being used for production. The threaded pin end 24 may be threaded with standardized thread patterns and sizes defined by the API, as shown in Table 1.
The continuous rod outside diameter and thread sizes shown in Table 1 are the current commonly-used API standardized threads and OD values for a continuous rod. The approach to coiling a continuous rod described herein may be applied to any specific OD or thread size of a given continuous rod that the apparatus and method may be applied to.
The outside guide pins 16 positioned on each arm 14 define an outside radial path 25. When the service reel 10 is rotated, the guide pins 16 follow the outside radial path 25. The inside guide pins 18 positioned on each arm 14 similarly define and follow an inside radial path 27. A continuous rod path 26, also referred to as a rod pocket, is defined between the outside radial path 25 and the inside radial path 27. When the continuous rod 20 is secured to the service reel 10 by previous methods, such as tying the continuous rod 20 to one of the arms 14 with haywire, the continuous rod 20 may follow the continuous rod path 26 while coiling as a result of rotation of the service reel 10.
As shown in
Unlike the service reel 10, the reel 110 lacks outside guide pins that each provide an inherent connection point. Each of the arms 114 ends includes a bar 130 extending between a bottom end 132 and a top end 134. On each of the bars 130, the bottom end 130 extends from the arm 114 proximate the outside end 115. Each of the bars 130 includes an angled portion 137 intermediate the bottom end 132 and the top end 134. The angled portion 137 defines an angle 136 for containing the continuous rod 120 when coiled around the reel 110 (continuous rod 120 not shown coiled around the reel 110). A connection ring 135 is included on each of the bars 130 proximate the angled portion 137. The connection ring 135 is an example of a closed connection point on the reel 110. Other closed connection points, or open connection points, may be applied in place of the connection ring 135.
An intermediate ring 131 may be positioned intermediate the bottom end 132 and the top end 134 of each of the bars 130. The intermediate ring 131 may be positioned at the angled portion 137 of the bar 130. An upper ring 138 may be positioned proximate the respective top ends 134 of each of the bars 130.
In the reel 110, the outside radial path 125 may be defined by the bars 130 at the apex of the angled portions 137. As a result, the outside radial path 125 may coincide with the radial path defined by rotation of the intermediate ring 131. When the reel 110 is rotated, the bars 130 follow the outside radial path 125 at the angled portion 137. The inside guide pins 118 positioned on each arm 114 similarly define and follow the inside radial path 127. The continuous rod path 126 is defined between the outside radial path 125 (corresponding to the intermediate ring 131), and the inside radial path 127 (corresponding to a path through which the inside guide pins 118 rotate).
In previous transport reels, when the continuous rod is secured to the transport reel by welding, haywire, or other previous methods and coiled around the transport reel by rotation, the continuous rod may follow a continuous rod path similar to the continuous rod path 126. When preparing a transport reel loaded with a continuous rod at a fabrication plant or other source location, the continuous rod may be welded to the transport reel and may lack threaded pin ends. In such cases, the pin ends may be welded to the continuous rod at the wellsite before running the rod downhole. In other cases, a transport reel may be loaded with a continuous rod having a pin end at a fabrication plant or other source location, or a transport reel may loaded with a continuous rod at a well site to remove the continuous rod from the well site. However, embodiments described herein related to the reel 110 and the connection point 135 may be applicable to a transport reel, or to a service reel (including a collapsible a service reel) with a connection point that is not present inherently as part of the reel design (such as the guide pin 16 on the service reel 10), with a connection point that is a closed connection point, or both.
In the reel 110, the top ring 136 closes off the top ends 134 of the bars 130 and prevents a closed connector, such as the connector 60 with the ring 62, from securing the continuous rod 120 to the closed-top reel 110 by placing the closed connector over the top end 134 of the one of the bars 130. This is in contrast to use of the coupling 50 with the to the service reel 10, in which the outside guide pin 16 of the service reel 10 may be received within the ring 62, providing an inherent open connection point with the service reel 10 for the connector 60, as shown in
The connection ring 135 facilitates use of the coupling 150 with the reel 110. Where the reel 110 is a transport reel, the connection ring 135 may be included in the transport reel to allow coiling of continuous rod on to the transport reel prior to transport with the advantages of using the coupling 150 to connect the continuous rod to the transport reel. The coupling 150 or a similar coupling may have application to a transport reel modified to include the connection ring 135 of the reel 110 (or a similar connection point for the coupling to secure to the reel by the connector) when the transport reel is used to remove continuous tubing from a wellsite. In addition, as described above, when coiling new continuous rod at a fabrication plant, the continuous rod may typically be coiled around the transport reel without threaded pin ends on the continuous rod. The threaded pin ends may be welded onto the continuous rod at the wellsite, with the uphole pin end being added after the continuous rod is cut to size at the wellsite. As a result, applying the apparatus and method described herein to a transport reel at a fabrication site may require welding a pin end onto the continuous rod coiled around the transport reel.
The connector 60 is located proximate the second end 53 of the body 52. The connector 60 includes a ring 62 extending from the body 52. The ring 62 may extend from the body 52 in a fixed relationship with the body 52 as shown
The coupling 450 may be used with an open connection point, such as the outside guide pin 16 of the service reel 10. The coupling 450 may also be used with a closed connection point, such as the connection ring 135 of the reel 110. Where the connector 460 is for connecting to a closed connection point, the sliding cover 469 and the hook 464 may facilitate safely securing the coupling 450 with the reel. For example, the coupling 450 may be secured to the connection ring 135 of the reel 110, or any suitable closed connection point on a reel.
The first portion 672 and the second portion 674 are connected by a connection 680. The connection 680 includes a connection pin 682 and a connection box 684. The connection pin 682 is receivable within the connection box 684. The connection pin 682 includes a groove 686 and a pair of shear pins 688 may be threaded through an aperture 689 in the connection box 684 into the groove 686 for securing the connection pin 682 with the connection box 684 and securing the first portion 672 with the second portion 674.
A first force 676 may be applied in a direction corresponding to a pull on the first portion 672. A second force 678 may be applied in a direction corresponding to a pull on the second portion 674. The first force 676 and the second force 678 are opposed and result in application of stress to the connection 680. Where the stress results in a force on the connection 680 equal to a failure force, the shear pins 688 will shear, separating the first portion 672 from the second portion 674.
The connection 680 separates under a force equal to or greater than the failure force. A continuous rod runaway is an event in which case the continuous rod is lost and running out of control down a wellbore. In this case, stress on a reel may be dangerous if maintained. As a result, the connection 680 will break at a failure force likely to be experienced in a continuous rod runaway event. The failure force may be selected to correspond to the stress that would be placed on the connection 680 under force that are lower than a dangerous level of force as expected based on previous continuous rod runaway events.
An example coupling 650 was manufactured from J55 and low-carbon steel. In the example coupling 650, the box end 654 is threaded to fit 1″ API standard rod threading for continuous rod pin ends. In the example coupling 650, the first portion 672 is 3 ⅞″ long and 2 ¼″ wide and the second portion 674 is 2 ⅜″ long. In the example coupling 650, the shear pins 688 were ¼″ brass pins. In the example coupling 650, the groove 686 is ¼″ wide and 3/16″ deep, and the connection pin 682 is ¾″ long and 1 ⅜″ wide. The example coupling 650 was subjected to a tension-based pull test procedure on a Satec Tensile Tester. The test was conducted between 15° C. and 32° C. With four screws placed evenly at 90° intervals radially around the two-part body 670, the ultimate load at failure was 5066 lbs. With two screws spaced across opposed sides of the two-part body 670, at 180° intervals radially, the ultimate load at failure was 2530 lbs.
In the preceding description, for purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required.
The above-described embodiments are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations can be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the particular embodiments set forth herein, but should be construed in a manner consistent with the specification as a whole..
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/320,255, filed Apr. 8, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62320255 | Apr 2016 | US |
