A variety of techniques for well construction and production are utilized in the oil and gas field, depending on the type of formation, the location of the rig, the desired product to be extracted, etc. During formation of the wellbore and subsequent production endeavors, various tools and equipment, such as cables and pumping equipment, may be lost due to equipment failure or human error. Loss of tools and equipment, such as electric submersible pumps secured with cables, into a wellbore can lead to costly “fishing” expeditions, in which tools are used to recover the lost items.
Fishing expeditions can last for multiple days, depending on the item being retrieved and the retrieval process. In some situations, if the well has been sufficiently damaged, a new drilling operation may need to be commenced in a nearby location. Production losses resulting from a fishing expedition and new drilling operations can be incredibly costly and time consuming.
In addition, equipment failure or human error can lead to serious injury and even loss of life. For example, if a cable breaks or becomes unsecured during the reinstallation or removal of an electric submersible pump, this can lead to rapid migration of attached equipment, increasing the likelihood of injury to workers in the surrounding area. Maintaining control of tools and equipment for producing can help avoid costly production loss and prevent human injury.
The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items.
The present disclosure is directed to an overtensioning fastening tool for maintaining safety and control of oil and gas operations. In some cases, an overtensioning fastening tool may be placed at the wellhead of, for instance, an oil and gas rig and implement one or more flapper components, housed in a primary enclosure, designed to grip and hold the cables to prevent the loss of the equipment, or attached tooling, into the wellbore and maintain the safety and integrity of the rig environment. The overtensioning fastening tool may also implement a hydraulic deployment system, electric deployment system, or a combination thereof, housed in a secondary enclosure, designed to activate and maintain control over the flapper components.
The techniques, systems, and materials described herein improve the safety and production efficiency of oil and gas operations. For example, the overtensioning fastening tool described herein may ensure that various production equipment is not lost into the wellbore after an equipment failure or human error. More specifically, materials such as cabling are often utilized in production operations to run production materials into a wellbore and secure production equipment blow the surface. Production equipment is often very heavy, resulting in the cabling being held at a very high tension over an extended period of time. If a cable becomes unstable or experiences a breakage, the attached equipment may be lost into the wellbore. Maintaining control of the equipment and tooling of the rig via the flapper components of the overtensioning fastening tool ensures that costly fishing expeditions are not required.
In addition, the one or more flapper components may also serve to maintain the safety of the rig environment for rig workers and other personnel. For example, if a cable becomes unstable or experiences a breakage as described above, a component attached to the cable may experience rapid migrations throughout the rig area. Preventing rapid migrations of heavy equipment or tooling creates a safer environment and significantly lowers the risk of injury or death.
In some examples, the flapper components may include one or more flapper arms, a flapper plate (also referred to as a clamp), and a flapper joint to ensure uniform movement of the flapper components into a closed position upon activation. The flapper plate is designed to hold cabling, as well as any tubing present, to maintain constant control. The device is designed to hold equipment, such as the cabling and tooling, and apply force to ensure no further migration upon failure. The flapper plate may also include a curvature (also referred to as a fastening component) designed to more securely fit the flapper plate around the exterior of the equipment. The flapper component may also include an additional gripping component that extends from the flapper plate to ensure that smaller interior equipment, such as a cable being run into the wellbore through the well tubing, does not migrate in the event of a larger exterior equipment failure.
In some embodiments, the overtensioning fastening tool may be activated by either a sensor or a manual activation component. The manual activation component includes an activation panel, located on the rig site, more specifically the operator cab, configured to receive a user input. For example, the manual activation component may include an activation button that can be pushed by a rig worker. The sensor is designed to monitor the stability, tension, and balance of the rig equipment and is programmed to detect deviation from a pre-set tension. The pre-set tension may vary according to the production environment, equipment, well depth, and customer preference. Upon detecting the deviation within the tension, the overtensioning fastening tool is activated by the sensor.
In further embodiments, the overtensioning fastening tool implements both an electric deployment system and a hydraulic deployment system. The hydraulic deployment system is configured to operate in conjunction with the sensor and includes a hydraulic cylinder, a check valve, a hose, and one or more hydraulic arms. When the sensor activates the overtensioning fastening tool, the hydraulic deployment system engages. In some examples, engaging the hydraulic deployment system causes the hose to supply enough water to apply a pressure to a hydraulic cylinder shaft of the hydraulic cylinder. The pressure caused by the hydraulic cylinder causes movement of the hydraulic cylinder shaft. The movement of the hydraulic cylinder shaft causes the flapper joints of the overtensioning fastening tool to deploy the flappers into a closed position. For example, the hydraulic cylinder shaft may cause a downward movement of the flappers to mirror the movement of the free-falling cable.
In other examples, the electric deployment system is configured to operate in conjunction with the manual activation component. When the activation button is pressed, the overtensioning fastening tool is activated and an electric valve is opened. Upon opening of the electric valve, gas is released to create a pressure that is applied against an electric valve cylinder. The applied pressure causes the electric valve cylinder to apply a force onto an electric valve arm to deploy attached flapper components to the closed position.
In further examples, the overtensioning fastening tool may implement a wheelguide component. The wheelguide component is configured to operate similarly to the components housed in the main and secondary enclosures of the overtensioning fastening tool. For example, the wheelguide may include one or more sensors designed to monitor tension, balance, and weight of the drilling and production equipment and detect deviations outside of a desired range. Upon detection of a deviation from within the desired range, the wheelguide activates gripping components to apply a force to the rig equipment, such as cabling that rungs through the wheelguide, to maintain control and prevent further migration. The wheelguide may also include a severing component to sever well equipment, such as cabling, to prevent rapid migration presenting a safety hazard.
These and other implementations are described below in more detail with reference to the representative architecture illustrated in the accompanying figures.
In this embodiment, the oil and gas rig 100 represents a rig in which various cables are attached to well equipment, such as producing equipment. The various cables may be attached to very heavy well equipment within the well hole resulting in high tension on the cables. For example, cable 104 is shown attached to cable spool 106 on one end and a piece of producing equipment (not pictured) on the other end. When the tension on the cable 104 is released, due to either an equipment failure or human error, the cable 104 and attached spool 106 may experience rapid migration in an unpredictable direction as the producing equipment is placed into the well or removed. In the illustrated scenario, the cable spool 106 is directly in line to collide with the rig worker 102. Such a collision could result in serious injury or even death. The overtensioning fastening tool described herein, is designed to maintain control of cables, such as cable 104, employed on a rig during these situations and, thereby, prevent any potential hazardous situation such as the one shown in
Further,
In some implementations, a cable 506 runs through the wheel guide 502 during the operation of the oil and gas rig 200. In some instances, the cable 506 may be attached to the cable spool 206 (shown in
In some implementations, the wheel guide 502 includes one or more sensors configured to monitor the tension, weight stability, and balance in cable 506. The one sensors are configured to detect a change in weight stability, an imbalance, and/or change in cable tension. These events are often associated with an equipment failure or human error. For example, if the cable 506 breaks, is severed, or is accidentally released by an operator, an imbalance and/or change in cable tension may occur. Upon sensing this imbalance and/or change in cable tension, the one or more sensors of wheel guide 502. The wheel guide 502, once activated, engages one or more gripping mechanisms designed to hold the cable 506 in place and prevent any additional loss of cable or tooling/equipment into the wellbore. For example, the wheelguide 502 may implement flapper components such as those of the overtensioning fastening tool
In further examples, the oil and gas rig 200 also implements a sensor 504 configured to operate in conjunction with the overtensioning fastening tool 402. In some embodiments, the sensor 504 is configured to detect the tension of cable 506. The sensor 504 is programmed with a pre-set tension range, or tension threshold value at which cable 506 should remain. The sensor 504 monitors the tension of cable 506 and is configured to detect changes in the tension of cable 504 that deviate more than a certain amount from the pre-set tension. Deviations from the pre-set tension may indicate an equipment failure or human error resulting in potentially hazardous conditions to the operation of the oil and gas rig 200. In response to detecting a deviation, the sensor 504 may activate the overtensioning fastening tool 402 and/or the wheel guide 502 to ensure control of the cable 506 is maintained at the wellhead to prevent the cable and/or attached equipment from falling into the wellbore.
In some embodiments, the manual activation component 602 may include an activation button 604. The activation button 604 is configured to activate the overtensioning fastening tool 402 after the activation button 604 is manually pressed by a rig worker. The manual activation component 602 is configured to operate in conjunction with the overtensioning fastening tool 402 to ensure that the overtensioning fastening tool 402 is activated in the event of a technical issue. For example, if a component of the overtensioning fastening tool 402, such as the sensor, is damaged and does not detect a tension change resulting from an equipment failure, such as a cable breakage, that would otherwise trigger activation, a rig worker may press the activation button 604 of the manual activation component 602 and manually trigger the activation of the overtensioning fastening tool 402. This manual activation ensures that the overtensioning fastening tool 402 is activated in the event of an equipment failure or human error if the device has not been self-activated through other sensing techniques.
In some implementations, the sensor 702 is configured to sense when the activation button 604 has been pressed and, in turn, utilize this sensing to activate the overtensioning fastening tool. The manual activation housing 704 may implement one or more components that transmit a signal, or some indication, to the sensor 702 that the activation button 604 has been pressed. The sensor 702 receives the signal or indication, processes the signal or indication, and transmits an activation event to the overtensioning fastening tool to trigger activation of the device at a wellhead.
In some embodiments, in response to a rig worker pressing the activation button 604 of the manual activation component 704, the flapper components of the overtensioning fastening tool 800 engage and deploy to a closed position, as further illustrated and explained below with respect to
In some examples, each flapper plate, such as flapper plate 810, may be shaped to include a curvature designed to fit around the outside surface of a production line section, such as well tubing. The curvature may include additional gripping features along the exterior to ensure that, when in the closed position, the flapper plate is exerting a sufficient force to the outside of the well tubing to prevent migration. For example, the additional gripping features may include studs or spikes that extend from a surface of the curvature.
In some implementations, the lifting holder 1002 is configured to assist in the placement of the overtensioning fastening tool 800 onto the wellhead of an oil and gas rig. For example, a cable pulley system employed by the oil and gas rig may attach a hook, or other fastener, to the opening of the lifting holder 1002 to aid in lifting and positioning the overtensioning fastening tool 800 at the desired location at the wellhead. Since the overtensioning fastening tool 800 may be very heavy, or require placement in a location that is not easily accessible by rig workers, the lifting holder 1002 may assist in the ease and accuracy of placement.
In some embodiments, each flapper component of the primary enclosure is connected to the hydraulic deployment system and the electric deployment system via a flapper connector and a connector joint. For example, the flapper connector 1022 is attached to the connector joint 1024 at one end and attached to a flapper component (not shown), housed in the primary enclosure, on the other end. Upon activation, the flapper connector 1022 and the connector joint 1024 migrate to deploy the flapper component to the closed position.
In further embodiments, the overtensioning fastening tool 800 includes one or more flapper springs configured to hold the flapper components in the open position until deployed to a closed position. For example, flapper spring 1012 holds the flapper connectors 1022, 1042, 1044 and the attached connector joints 1024, 1038, 1040, located on one side of the overtensioning fastening tool 800, in an open position as shown in
In still further embodiments, the overtensioning fastening tool 800 may implement an electric deployment system. The electric deployment system including the electric valve 1020 to work in conjunction with a manual activation component, such as manual activation component 602 and associated activation button 604 described above with respect to
In some implementations, once in the closed position, the flapper component attached to the flapper connector 1010, along with other flapper components of the overtensioning fastening tool 800, grip the well tubing and/or cable and ensure that they are not released into the wellbore. For example, a flapper plate (not shown) of the flapper component, when deployed in the closed position, may assert a force onto the sides of a well tubing to ensure that the well tubing cannot migrate. The flapper component may also include an additional flapper grip (not shown), in some examples, that protrudes from the flapper plate and applies a gripping force onto a cable to ensure that the cable does not migrate, even in the event of a well tubing migration.
In some implementations, the overtensioning fastening tool 800 includes a hydraulic cylinder 1014, check valve 1016, hose 1018, hydraulic shaft 1030, hydraulic cylinder shaft stop 1032, hydraulic arm 1026, and intermediate arm 1004. The hydraulic cylinder 1014 is configured to operate along with a hydraulic deployment system, where water or other fluid is supplied through the hose 1018. In some examples, an oil and gas rig implements a sensor configured to operate in conjunction with the overtensioning fastening tool 800, such as the sensor 504 described above with respect to
In further implementations, when the sensor activates the overtensioning fastening tool 800, the hydraulic deployment system engages. In some embodiments, engaging the hydraulic deployment system causes the hose 1018 to supply enough water to apply a pressure to a hydraulic shaft 1030 of the hydraulic cylinder 1014 to cause a migration. The migration subsequently causes the flapper connectors of the overtensioning fastening tool 800 to migrate and deploy to the closed position.
For example, the applied pressure causes the hydraulic shaft 1030 to migrate and apply a force onto the hydraulic cylinder shaft stop 1032. The force applied to the hydraulic cylinder shaft stop 1032 causes the hydraulic arm 1026, attached to the hydraulic cylinder shaft stop 1032, and the intermediate arm 1004, attached to the hydraulic arm 1026, to migrate. The migration of the hydraulic arm 1026 and the intermediate arm 1004 subsequently causes the flapper connectors 1022, 1042, 1044 to rotate along the connector joints 1024, 1038, 1040 to deploy flapper components (not shown) attached to the flapper connectors 1022, 1042, 1044 to the closed position. A secondary hydraulic arm 1034 operates similarly with respect to flapper component 1010. Additional hydraulic arms may be required dependent on the number and arrangement of the flapper components.
In some implementations, once in the closed position, the attached flapper components attached to flapper connectors 1022, 1042, 1044, along with other flapper components of the overtensioning fastening tool 800, grip the well tubing and/or cable and ensure that they are not released into the wellbore. For example, a flapper plate (not shown) of the flapper component, when deployed in the closed position, may assert a force onto the sides of a well tubing to ensure that the well tubing cannot migrate. The flapper component may also include an additional flapper grip (not shown), in some examples, that protrudes from the flapper plate and applies a gripping force onto a cable to ensure that the cable does not migrate, even in the event of a well tubing migration.
In some examples, the check valve 1016 is configured to ensure that the hydraulic cylinder 1014 does not lose the force applied to the hydraulic arm 1026 and the attached flapper connectors 1022, 1042, 1044 remain rotated to the migrated, or closed, position. The check valve 1016 ensures the hydraulic deployment system maintains its function so that the well tubing and/or cable does not migrate and that no product is released from the wellbore.
In some examples, each flapper plate, may be shaped to include a curvature designed to fit around the exterior of a well tubing section that runs through the primary enclosure of the overtensioning fastening tool 800. The curvature may include additional gripping features along the exterior to ensure that, when in the closed position, the flapper plate is exerting a sufficient force to the outside of the well tubing to prevent migration.
In some embodiments, the flapper grip 1118 may be attached to the edge of the flapper plate and may include gripping devices such as ridges, spikes, or other protrusions. The gripping devices are configured to maintain grip and control of a cable even in the event that control of the well tubing is lost when the flapper components 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112 are deployed to the closed position. The flapper components 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112 remain in the open position until the overtensioning fastening tool 800 is activated and the flapper components 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112 are deployed to the close position as described above.
In some examples, once deployed to the closed formation, the flapper components 1202, 1204, 1206, 1208, 1210, 1212 assert a force onto the well tubing and/or cable to prevent migration. For example, the flapper plate of flapper component 1202 may assert a force onto the sides of the well tubing to ensure that the well tubing is not released into the wellbore.
In some embodiments, the flapper grip 1218 may be attached to the edge of the flapper plate and may include gripping devices such as ridges, spikes, or other protrusions. The gripping devices are configured to maintain grip and control of a cable even in the event that control of the well tubing is lost. In addition, in some examples, each flapper plate, may be shaped to include a curvature designed to fit around the outside of a well tubing section. The curvature may include additional gripping features along the exterior to ensure that, when in the closed position, the flapper plate is exerting a sufficient force to the outside of the well tubing to prevent migration.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features described. Rather, the specific features are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/520,888, filed on Oct. 22, 2014, entitled “Overvoltage Fastening Tool,” which claims priority to Argentina Application No. 20130103874, filed on Oct. 24, 2013, both contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2780290 | Natho | Feb 1957 | A |
3454297 | Turner, Jr. | Jul 1969 | A |
20080236838 | Smith | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20090260797 | Doud | Oct 2009 | A1 |
20130153212 | Myers | Jun 2013 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20170130563 A1 | May 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 14520888 | Oct 2014 | US |
Child | 15412707 | US |