The present disclosure relates generally to assemblies and methods for the completion of wellbores of a subterranean wellbore, and more particularly (although not necessarily exclusively), to assemblies and methods for running a tool downhole and pressure testing a seal between the tool and a receptacle in the wellbore.
A well can be a multilateral well. A multilateral well can have multiple lateral wellbores that branch off a main wellbore. The wellbore can be drilled vertically, directionally, or at an inclined angle, and the lateral wellbores can be drilled horizontally, or otherwise deviated, off the main wellbore. Multilateral wellbores can have an increased productive capacity and higher recoverable reserves. A sealing tool may be positioned within a main wellbore, for example a deflector tool, a plug tool, or a packer tool. The sealing tool may be latched into a receptacle within the main wellbore. The sealing tool may be sealed to the receptacle. For example, a completion deflector assembly may be latched into and sealed to a polished bore receptacle.
Certain aspects and features of the present disclosure relate to a tool assembly and methods for latching a downhole tool into a receptacle downhole and pressure testing a seal between the downhole tool and the receptacle in a multilateral well system using the tool assembly. In some aspects, the tool assembly and the downhole tool may be coupled and run-in-hole together into a main wellbore. The downhole tool may be latched into a receptacle within the main wellbore, such as a polished bore receptacle, open hole stinger, or other suitable sealing component. The tool assembly may test a seal between the downhole tool and the receptacle. The tool assembly may be uncoupled from the downhole tool in response to determining a seal has been established between the downhole tool and the receptacle.
In some aspects, the tool assembly and the downhole tool may remain coupled in response to determining a seal has not been established between the downhole tool and the receptacle. In such aspects, the tool assembly and the downhole tool may be returned to the surface together, for example to determine why the seal was not established between the downhole tool and the receptacle.
In some aspects, the seal between the downhole tool and the receptacle may be tested by applying a pressure from the surface and monitoring if the applied pressure (e.g., the test pressure) is maintained over a period of time. It may be determined that a seal is established between the downhole tool and the receptacle when the test pressure is maintained over the period of time. In response to determining a seal is established between the downhole tool and the receptacle, additional pressure may be applied from the surface. The additional pressure may cause the tool assembly to uncouple from the downhole tool, permitting the return of the tool assembly to the surface while the downhole tool remains coupled and sealed to the receptacle downhole. In some aspects, the tool assembly and the downhole tool may be uncoupled by applying a compressive force from the surface.
In some aspects, the downhole tool may include, but is not limited to a sealing tool, for example a deflector tool (e.g., a completion deflector assembly) that seals into a receptacle, a packer, a plug, a bridge plug, or any other suitable tool. A deflector tool may be positioned in a main wellbore for deflecting tools into a lateral wellbore. As described further below, the downhole tool may be both run-in-hole and pressure tested by the same tool assembly, making deployment of the downhole tool more efficient.
These illustrative aspects and examples are given to introduce the reader to the general subject matter discussed here and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed concepts. The following sections describe various additional features and examples with reference to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements, and directional descriptions are used to describe the illustrative aspects but, like the illustrative aspects, should not be used to limit the present disclosure.
The main wellbore 102 may include a casing string 110 cemented at an upper portion of the main wellbore 102. A receptacle 114, which may be a polished bore receptacle, open hole stinger, or other suitable sealing component, may be positioned in the main wellbore 102 below the junction between the main wellbore 102 and the lateral wellbore 106. The receptacle 114 may be sized and shaped to receive a downhole tool 118, for example a completion deflector assembly. The downhole tool 118 may be coupled to a tool assembly 116 for transporting the downhole tool 118 downhole and latching the downhole tool 118 into the receptacle 114. The downhole tool 118 may include a surface for sealing the downhole tool 118 to the receptacle 114. Though shown in the main wellbore 102, the receptacle 114 can be positioned in other locations within the main wellbore 102, including within the casing string 110 of the main wellbore 102, within the intermediate casing string, within a separate completion string positioned within the main wellbore 102, or other suitable locations. In some aspects, the receptacle may be positioned in a lateral wellbore.
The tool assembly 116 may also test a seal between the downhole tool 118 and the receptacle 114. In some aspects, a test pressure may be applied from the surface 104 to determine if a seal is established between the downhole tool 118 and the receptacle 114. The test pressure applied from the surface 104 may be maintained over a period of time when a seal is established between the downhole tool 118 and the receptacle 114. Additional pressure may be applied from the surface 104 in response to the test pressure being maintained over a period of time, indicating a seal being established between the downhole tool 118 and the receptacle 114. The tool assembly 116 may uncouple from the downhole tool 118 in response to the application of the additional pressure from the surface 104. The tool assembly 116 may return to the surface 104 leaving the downhole tool 118 latched into the receptacle 114.
The tool assembly 116 may remain coupled to the downhole tool 118 in response to the test pressure applied from the surface 104 not being maintained over a period of time, indicating a seal was not established between the downhole tool 118 and the receptacle 114. The tool assembly 116 and the downhole tool 118 return together to the surface 104 to determine why a seal was not established between the downhole tool 118 and the receptacle 114.
As shown in
The tool assembly 200 may be uncoupled from the completion deflector assembly 220 when the test indicates a seal is established between the downhole receptacle and the completion deflector assembly 220. The tool assembly 200, once uncoupled from the completion deflector assembly 220, may return to the surface leaving the completion deflector assembly 220 latched into the receptacle downhole. In some aspects, the tool assembly 200 may be uncoupled from the completion deflector assembly 220 by an application of pressure from the surface. In some aspects, the tool assembly 200 may be uncoupled from the completion deflector assembly 220 by an application of a compressive force from the surface.
In some aspects, the tool assembly 200 may remain coupled to the completion deflector assembly 220 when the test indicates a seal is not established between the downhole receptacle and the completion deflector assembly 220. The tool assembly 200 and the completion deflector assembly 220 may remain coupled and together be returned to the surface to determine why a seal was not established.
As shown in
The tool assembly 200 may include a piston 226 positioned within the inner diameter DI of the housing 202. The piston 226 may be retained in the run-in-hole position shown in
As described above, the tool assembly 200 and the completion deflector assembly 220 may be run-in-hole coupled together in the position shown in
In response to the test pressure being maintained for the desired amount of time, additional pressure may be applied from the surface; the additional pressure may be greater than the test pressure. The additional pressure may cause the tool assembly 200 to uncouple from the completion deflector assembly 220. In some aspects, an additional pressure applied from the surface may force the piston 226 in a first direction (shown by the arrow in
In some aspects, a tool assembly may be used to only pressure test a downhole tool (e.g., a sealing tool), for example the completion deflector assembly 220. In such aspects, the tool assembly may be configured as described above with respect to the tool assembly 200, though the locking pin 237 may not be biased and may instead be fixed in place (permanently or temporarily) to hold the piston 226 in the actuated position.
The movement of the projections 232 inwards away from the housing 222 of the completion deflector assembly 220, may position the projections 232 such that they no longer extend through the opening 238 in the housing 222 of the completion deflector assembly 220.
In addition, the movement of the piston 226 in the first direction may also expose one or more ports, for example flow ports 229 in the housing 202. The flow ports 229 may have been blocked by the piston 226 when the piston 226 was in the run-in-hole position (shown in
In some aspects, the piston 226 can be forced in the first direction by a force other than the additional pressure from the surface. For example, if the application of the additional pressure from the surface fails to force the piston 226 in the first direction, a compressive force may be applied from the surface.
The shifting sub housing 206 can move in the first direction once the shear pins 223 shear, and may contact the end 240 of the piston 226. The shifting sub housing 206 can thereby force the piston 226 in the first direction. The movement of the piston 226 in the first direction can move the projection 232 along the recess 228 in the outer surface of the piston 226. The projection 232 may move inwards away from the housing 222 of the completion deflector assembly 220 along the length of the recess 228. The movement of the projection 232 away from the housing 222 of the completion deflector assembly 220 may uncouple projection 232 from the opening 238 in the housing 222 of the completion deflector assembly 220 thereby decoupling the tool assembly 200 from the completion deflector assembly 220, as described with reference to
Thus, in some aspects, the piston 226 can be forced in the first direction (shown by the arrow in
A tool assembly that can be positioned within a wellbore may include a housing having an inner surface defining an inner diameter, a sub housing having a first projection for engaging a recess in a deflector tool, and a sealing element positionable within an inner region of the deflector tool for sealing the tool assembly to the deflector tool for pressure testing a seal between the deflector tool and a receptacle. The tool assembly may also include a piston positioned in the inner diameter of the housing. The piston may be moveable in a first direction between a run-in-hole position and an actuated position in response to an application of a pre-set amount of pressure from a surface of the wellbore. The tool assembly may also include at least one projection that is movable between a coupled position in which the at least one projection extends beyond an outer surface of the housing and a decoupled position in which the at least one projection does not extend beyond the outer surface of the housing. In the coupled position the at least one projection may couple with the deflector tool through an opening in the deflector tool.
The tool assembly of Example No. 1 may also include an additional sub housing positioned within the inner diameter of the housing. The additional sub housing may be moveable between a first position and a second position in response to an application of a compressive force from the surface of the wellbore. The additional sub housing contacts an end of the piston when moving from the first position to the second position for forcing the piston in the first direction into the actuated position.
The tool assembly of any of Example Nos. 1-2, may further include a pin extending through the inner surface of the housing, the pin being sized and positioned to be received in a recess in the piston. The pin may retain the piston in the run-in-hole position.
The tool assembly of Example No. 3, may further include the pin being a shear pin. The shear pin may shear in response to the piston moving in the first direction from the run-in-hole position to the actuated position.
Any of the tool assemblies of Examples No. 1-4 may further include a locking pin that extends through the inner surface of the housing. The locking pin may be biased towards the inner diameter of the housing. The locking pin may extend into the inner diameter of the housing in response to the piston moving in the first direction into the actuated position. The locking pin may retain the piston in the actuated position when it extends into the inner diameter of the housing.
Any of the tool assemblies of Examples Nos. 1-4 may further include the pre-set amount of pressure being greater than a test amount of pressure applied from the surface to the tool assembly for pressure testing the seal between the deflector tool and the receptacle.
Any of the tool assemblies of Examples Nos. 1-6, may further include the deflector tool being a completion deflector assembly.
Any of the tool assemblies of Examples Nos. 1 wherein the at least one projection is positioned within a recess in an outer surface of the piston.
A tool assembly may be positioned within a wellbore and may include a housing having an outer surface defining an outer diameter and an inner surface defining an inner diameter. The tool assembly may also include a sealing element coupled to the housing for sealing to a sealing surface of a sealing tool for pressure testing a seal between the sealing tool and a receptacle positioned downhole. A projection may extend from the inner diameter of the housing and may be moved between a coupled position and a uncoupled position. The projection may be moved between the coupled and uncoupled positions in response to an application of a pre-set amount of pressure from a surface of the wellbore. In the coupled position the projection may extend beyond the outer surface of the housing and couple to the sealing tool. In the uncoupled position, the projection may not extend beyond the outer surface of the housing.
The tool assembly of Example No. 9 may also include a piston positioned in the inner diameter of the housing. The piston may move between a run-in-hole position and an actuated position in response to an application of a test pressure from the surface of the wellbore. The projection may be moved from the coupled position to the uncoupled position in response to the piston moving from the run-in-hole position to the actuated position.
The tool assembly of Example No. 10 may also include the projection being positioned within a recess in an outer surface of the piston.
The tool assembly of Example No. 11 may also include the diameter of the piston being varied along a length of the recess.
The tool assembly of Example No. 10 may also include the piston being movable from the run-in-hole position to the actuated position in response to an application of compressive force from the surface of the wellbore.
The tool assembly of Example No. 13 may also include a sub housing coupled to the housing. The sub housing may move between a first position and a second position in response to the application of compressive force from the surface. The sub housing may contact an end of the piston and may force the piston into the actuated position as the sub housing moves from the first position into the second position.
Any of the tool assemblies of Example Nos. 9-14 may further comprise the sealing tool being a deflector tool.
A method of deploying and pressure testing a sealing tool in a wellbore may include positioning a tool assembly coupled to a sealing tool within a wellbore. The sealing tool may be latched into a receptacle within the wellbore with the tool assembly coupled to the sealing tool. A first pressure may be applied to the tool assembly from a surface of the wellbore to test a seal between the sealing tool and the receptacle.
The method of Example No. 16 may also include applying a second pressure to the tool assembly from the surface of the wellbore. The second pressure may be greater than the first pressure. The tool assembly may be decoupled from the sealing tool while the tool assembly is downhole in response to the application of the second pressure.
The method of Example No. 17 may also include returning the tool assembly to a surface of the wellbore while the sealing tool remains latched into the receptacle in the wellbore.
The method of Example No. 16, may also include returning the tool assembly and the sealing tool to a surface of the wellbore in response to the application of the first pressure indicating a seal is not established between the sealing tool and the receptacle. The tool assembly may be coupled to the sealing tool as the tool assembly and the sealing tool are returned to the surface.
The method of Example No. 16 may further include applying a compressive force to the tool assembly from the surface of the wellbore. The tool assembly may be decoupled from the sealing tool while the tool assembly is within the wellbore in response to the application of the compressive force from the surface of the wellbore.
The foregoing description of certain aspects, including illustrated aspects, has been presented only for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications, adaptations, and uses thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2017/061579 | 11/14/2017 | WO | 00 |