This invention relates to a steering tool system of a downhole tool.
Steering tools may be utilized for directional drilling and may be implemented in a variety of different manners. A rotating mechanism, such as an electric motor, may rotate a bottom hole assembly (BHA) to direct a bit in a desired direction. The motor may be coupled to a wireline that connects the BHA to surface equipment. These steering tools may have various drawbacks due to its complicated nature.
An improved steering tool system is discussed further herein. The steering tool system may provide, but is not limited to, improvements in the electronic arrangement, bore pathway of the tool, conductor connection mechanisms, hydraulic disconnect mechanisms, and the like.
In one embodiment, a steering tool system may provide a bottom hole assembly (BHA) and a surface control/interface (SCI) with an improved electronic schematic. The connectors of a cablehead section may be designed to ease make up with proper contact to the connectors. The full bore cablehead provides a means such that the BHA may be suitable for pumping a ball to a hydraulic disconnect. The design of the system allows conductors to pass through the hydraulic disconnect and orienter control section.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly various features of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings describing specific embodiments of the disclosure, wherein:
Refer now to the drawings wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views.
Referring to the drawings in general, it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing particular implementations of the disclosure and are not intended to be limiting thereto. While most of the terms used herein will be recognizable to those of ordinary skill in the art, it should be understood that when not explicitly defined, terms should be interpreted as adopting a meaning presently accepted by those of ordinary skill in the art.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural, the word “a” or “an” means “at least one”, and the use of “or” means “and/or”, unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the term “including”, as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included”, is not limiting. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompass both elements or components comprising one unit and elements or components that comprise more than one unit unless specifically stated otherwise.
General/Overall System Function
Other systems may utilize a single conductor wireline to provide two-way communication with the BHA or a multi-conductor wireline with the communications conductor (e.g. Data Line) is used to receive downhole data, as well as provide a means to communicate with the electronic motor control. However, there is a point in these systems where the low power communication lines may undesirably switch on and off the high power electric motor lines due to the downhole data interfering with motor control signals.
In contrast to these other system, the system discussed herein does not combine downhole communication or sensor signals with control signals for other functions, such as motor control, since SCI 120 provides control at the surface. Instead, the system provides a dedicated Data Line(s) for such downhole communication or sensor signals and the Data Line(s) is free of any orienter control signals. The Data Line(s) may be for use with a sensor package, but not limited to such application. This unique feature allows the placement of any single conductor tool in or on the end of our BHA. While the embodiment show has one line for the Data Line, other embodiments may potentially dedicate more lines to run multiple single conductor wireline tools or more complex multi-conductor wireline tools.
The remaining lines in the multi-conductor wireline may be used for the orienter section of the BHA. The Direction Line provides switching to control the motor rotation direction. The Measurement Line may allow wireline resistance and voltage supplied to the BHA to be measured. Power Line(s) may be used to send power to the BHA. This orienter section may be fixed at the top to the end of the tubing via a cablehead or the like (discussed further below) and provides the ability to rotate the rest of the BHA below the orienter section relative to the tubing. The orienter may be rotated using an electric motor, such as a 3-phase brushless DC electric motor, which drives a series of gearboxes creating an output rotation. When it is desirable to rotate the lower portion of the BHA, regulated power is sent from a power supply at surface to the BHA via the wireline. Downhole electronics may filter the power before it goes to the controller and drivers. As a nonlimiting example, the electric motor may have Hall Effect sensors which determine magnet location on the rotor relative to the coil orientation on the stator. The Hall Effect sensor signals may allow the motor controller chip to create the 3-phase wave modulation to the drive to sequence the power to the DC motor. Using the 3rd party sensor(s) in the lower section of the BHA, the orientation of the tool relative to a datum can be observed (e.g. toolface). Once the desired orientation is achieved, the power may be stopped at the surface. The direction in which the orienter rotates is determined by the direction selected at the surface. This direction switch not only initiates the power supply to the BHA, but also switches a low power signal on the Direction Line. Depending on the desired direction the Direction Line is powered on or off. This 12V signal directly inputs to the reverse input on the motor controller chip.
This control system is unique in that it is controlled/switched using lines from surface, rather than sending a signal downhole to operate downhole controls and switchgear. This method builds in inherent reliability since there are less electronics downhole, i.e. less potential for failure.
The orienter may be controlled from a panel at surface or SCI 120. The SCI 120 may include a power supply 122 coupled to a power controller 124 by a power supply control line. The power supply 122 supplies power to the BHA 110, including the orienter, in accordance with instructions from the power controller 124. In this system the orienter is controlled at the surface with the SCI 120. Other systems provide power to the orienter via Power Line(s) and also send orienter control signals via Data Line(s) downhole, but the Data Line(s) may also be used for other tools for the BHA (e.g. sensor package sending downhole data) that may unwantedly switch on or off the Power Line(s). The SCI 120 further includes a sensor interface 126 for receiving downhole data from the BHA 110, such as from additional tools of the BHA other than the orienter. This panel may include a 3rd party power supply and regulator and switching system (RSS) to operate the power supply. In standby mode, the RSS reads the wireline resistance. When the toolface of the BHA needs to be changed, the orienter is functioned by selecting to turn clockwise or counter-clockwise using either a physical switch or using software. On selecting a direction, the RSS may ramp up the power output according to the last wireline resistance reading. When the orienter is running, the function of the Measurement Line changes from reading wireline resistance to measuring the voltage supplied to the BHA. The RSS may use the BHA voltage reading to maintain an optimum supply voltage regardless of changes in wireline resistance from temperature changes or the like. On stopping the orienter, the voltage Measurement Line returns to reading wireline resistance in preparation for the next function of the orienter. If a part of the system fails or a power surge occurs, an over-voltage protection system is in place to protect the electronics.
The orienter provides rotation by means of direct drive through a series of gearboxes from an electric motor. This method provides the ability to rotate in either direction on demand. With no mechanical stops, this orienter has the ability to rotate continuously in either direction. Other technology using a lead screw to provide rotation limits the orientation to a 400 deg range.
By having the BHA wired as explained above, the low power lines to the sensors are at no point connected to the high power lines that run the orienter. This is unique to this tool, as similar tools use a sensor line to select orienter direction. By having these two systems separate the chance of damaging the sensor electronics with orienter power is vastly reduced. Voltage regulation at surface also reduces the amount of BHA electronics, thereby reducing the failure modes of the BHA, making the system inherently more reliable.
Bottom Hole Assembly: Cablehead
The tubing conveying the downhole tool and the multi-conductor wireline providing electrical contact between surface equipment and downhole tool (e.g.
From the wireline anchor 240, the individual lines link up to a sealed connector bulkhead 260 that provides a sealed annualar region between the wireline anchor 250 and the bottom end of upper cablehead section. The wireline conductors may be individually terminated by means of a standard contact and boot, which fits on to mating feedthrus in the sealed connector bulkhead 260. The feedthrus may be arranged concentrically and with reference to a special one way key in the bulkhead 260. The feedthru ports in the bulkhead 260 are numbered. The lower end of the outer housing is uniquely keyed 270 such that the mating part can only fit one way. This system is used to enable the upper cablehead and lower cablehead sections to be made up correctly every time.
In order to lay down the injector head with the cablehead still in place, not only is there a short cablehead upper section, but the back of coil units can be modified as well. Instead of a fixed cross member across the back of the coil unit, a swing gate 1110 which is pinned at each end may be provided (e.g.
The contacts 330 on the lower cablehead section may be arranged in the same sequence relative to the special key 370 as the upper cablehead section. When the keys 270, 370 are engaged, a slip nut 320 is used to connect the two sections together. This slip nut 320 rotates about the tool pinching the keyed section together. The threads and shoulder on the slip nut hold all the axial forces while the keys hold all the torsional forces.
The connection between the upper and lower cablehead sections may offer a primary method for making up the BHA 110 to the end of the tubing, such as where the upper cablehead section would be made up to the tubing and the lower cablehead section made up to the rest of the BHA. This connection is robust enough to be made up under normal coiled tubing conditions, e.g. crane holding an injector head. The special key system ensures the contacts align properly. A custom jack up tool can be used to assist with this rig up portion of the process. The jack up tool is used to hold the lower section upright in a well, in a lubricator, or in a rat hole. To reduce risk of damaging the BHA when the crane operator gets the connection aligned axially and lowered to within 3″, the crane can be isolated. The lower section of the BHA can then be jacked up by means of hydraulic rams in a controlled manner to engage the keys and make face-to-face contact before making up the slip nut. In other embodiments, the sections can be rigged up without this jack up tool, if needed, offering a wider range of rig up methods.
As for the internals of the lower cablehead section, the flow path is full bore and through the center of this section. Within this lower cablehead section may be a check valve(s) 340 (e.g. double check valve). Electrically the contacts 330 are connected to a multi-ring connector 350, where the wires travel in a sealed annular space between the check valves and the outer housing. From this multi-ring connector 350 potentially any variety of tools could be connected.
Hydraulic Disconnect
A unique feature of this hydraulic disconnect is that is has conductors passing through it. Multi-ring connectors have been mounted on the end of the release mandrel, and passing all connecting rods between the multi-ring connectors along the same release mandrel. Connecting rods with spring contacts on each end may be used to make connections so it is unnecessary to rely on wires, which can get pinched easily.
Note the full bore pump flow path through the center of this section. As shown in further detail in
Because the motor control electronics are at the top of the orienter, only one conductor passes through the pressure compensated section. However, in other embodiments, multiple conductors may pass through the pressure compensated section. To pass the conductor(s) through this section, multiple concentric tubes may be utilized. As a nonlimiting example, a titanium tube may be through the center to hold pressure. On the outside of this titanium flowtube, a tubular insulator, copper conductor tube, and/or another tubular insulator may be provided. For a rotary connector, a canted spring may be run over the end of the exposed copper conductor tube. With this arrangement, fewer connections are need and there are fewer points of failure.
The crossover at the bottom of the orienter section, where the sensor wire passes from annular to the center of the tool and the flow path passes from the center of the tool to annular flow, contains a standard wireline tool connection 595 that is axially in the center of the tool. From here a range of different single conductor wireline tools can be connected via a spring contact. Mechanical connection is made via the housing on the outside of the downhole steering tool and not via the wireline tools. The wireline tools are mechanically fixed to the bottom of the wireline/sensor section, which the housing is connected to. By doing this the wireline/sensor section can be easily made up with the bottom of the orienter module. As per the cable head and slip nut connection, the wireline/sensor section and orienter connection can be made up in the presence of moisture. This means that the BHA can be rigged up in a wide range of ways, and the best method suitable can be determined for each situation.
The wireline tools are connected to the bottom of the wireline/sensor module by means of a locking mechanism, whereby a datum/reference on the wireline tools can be aligned with a groove on the outer/visible diameter of the downhole steering tool. This gives the ability to see tool datum/reference points on the outside of the BHA, even when the BHA is fully assembled. Below this locking mechanism, the flow path is directed from annular flow between the wireline tools and housing back to the center axial flow. This flow exits the wireline/sensor section through the center to pass through to which ever tool needs to be attached to the end of the BHA.
In some embodiments, this system may be connected to a bent mud motor and bit at the end of the BHA. The bend on the mud motor may be referenced to the datum plane on the wireline telemetry tools. By pumping through the BHA to the mud motor, the mud motor would turn the bit. By pushing the BHA with tubing, a hole would be formed. The direction in which the mud motor bend faced indicates the direction in which the BHA would drill, and this toolface reference can be seen at surface from the information given by the wireline sensor package. Additional information from the wireline sensor package would provide data on direction relative to north and inclination, which can be used along with drilled depth increments to provide a drilled wellpath diagram. One benefit this downhole steering tool has over other tools is a short sensor to bit, providing easier means to drill more accurately and/or to react sooner with directional changes.
In some embodiments, the downhole steering tool can be used with a fixed or adjustable bent sub and wash nozzle on the end of the wireline/sensor section to navigate already drilled multi-laterals, such as to pump fluids to wash and/or stimulate wells or to enter a particular leg in order to fish a tool. In some embodiments, the tool may be used to set whipstocks. In some embodiments, the tool may be used to open and close frac sleeves.
Embodiments described herein are included to demonstrate particular aspects of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the embodiments described herein merely represent exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments described and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. From the foregoing description, one of ordinary skill in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this disclosure, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications to adapt the disclosure to various usages and conditions. The embodiments described hereinabove are meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting of the scope of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/197,273 filed on Jul. 27, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference.
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