Patent Application
20230228165
The present disclosure relates to wellbore operations. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for sealing and hanging components in a downhole environment.
Oil and gas operations may be conducted in a variety of environments, such as subsea or surface environments, where components are installed on a rig or sea floor. Certain downhole components may be arranged within a wellbore and then used for several different operations, such as a drilling operation that may be followed by cementing operations, cleaning and flushing operations, installation of additional components, and others. These various operations may lead to debris in the wellbore, such as debris from a drilling or cutting operation, where fluids may be injected to carry the debris out of the wellbore via an annulus. However, debris may be suspended and eventually fall and land near component interfaces, such as sealing surfaces, which may cause problems with later operations, such as landing and expansion of downhole seals.
Applicants recognized the problems noted above herein and conceived and developed embodiments of systems and methods, according to the present disclosure, for wellbore operations.
In an embodiment, a wellbore system includes a lock ring forming at least a portion of a sealing assembly, the lock ring being coupled to one or more segments of the sealing assembly to be positioned within an annulus between a hanger and a housing. The wellbore system also includes a pedestal coupled to the lock ring, the pedestal arranged axially lower than at least a portion of the lock ring, the pedestal to be installed within the annulus along with the lock ring. The wellbore system further includes a shoulder formed on at least a portion of the hanger, the shoulder positioned to receive the pedestal. The wellbore system also includes a debris pocket formed within the annulus, the debris pocket arranged axially lower than both the shoulder and a lock ring groove.
In an embodiment, a wellbore system, includes a lock ring forming at least a portion of a sealing assembly, the lock ring being coupled axially lower than one or more components of the sealing assembly to be positioned within an annulus between a hanger and a housing. The wellbore system also includes a pedestal coupled to the lock ring, the pedestal arranged axially lower than at least a portion of the lock ring, the pedestal to be installed within the annulus along with the lock ring. The wellbore system further includes a shoulder formed on at least a portion of the hanger, the shoulder positioned to receive the pedestal. The wellbore system includes a debris pocket formed within the annulus, the debris pocket arranged axially lower than both the shoulder and a lock ring groove.
In another embodiment, a wellbore system includes a housing having a lock ring groove and a hanger arranged coaxially within the housing, the hanger having an auxiliary shoulder positioned axially lower than at least a portion of the lock ring groove. The wellbore system also includes a sealing assembly. The sealing assembly includes a sealing element to be positioned between the housing and the hanger and an energizing element, the energizing element to drive the sealing element between an energized position and unenergized position. The wellbore system further includes a lock ring coupled to at least one of the sealing element or the energizing element, the lock ring to move radially toward the lock ring groove to secure the hanger in the wellbore. The wellbore system also includes a pedestal coupled to the lock ring, a bottom surface of the pedestal being axially lower than the lock ring such that the pedestal is positioned between the lock ring and the auxiliary shoulder when the lock ring is installed. The wellbore system includes a debris pocket formed between the hanger and the housing, the debris pocket being axially lower than the lock ring groove and the auxiliary shoulder.
A wellbore system includes a housing having a lock ring groove and a hanger arranged coaxially within the housing, the hanger having an auxiliary shoulder positioned axially lower than at least a portion of the lock ring groove. The wellbore system also includes a sealing assembly that includes a sealing element to be positioned between the housing and the hanger and an energizing element, the energizing element to drive legs of the sealing element into at least one of the housing or the hanger. The wellbore system also includes a lock ring coupled to and axially lower than at least one of the sealing element or the energizing element, the lock ring to move radially toward the lock ring groove to secure the hanger in an energized position. The wellbore system further includes a pedestal coupled to the lock ring, a bottom surface of the pedestal being axially lower than the lock ring such that the pedestal is positioned between the lock ring and the auxiliary shoulder when the lock ring is installed. The wellbore system includes a debris pocket formed between the hanger and the housing, the debris pocket being axially lower than the lock ring groove and the auxiliary shoulder.
In an embodiment, a method includes providing a hanger having an auxiliary shoulder, the auxiliary shoulder having a larger outer diameter than a sealing neck of the hanger. The method also includes positioning the hanger within a housing such that the auxiliary shoulder is axially lower than at least a load bearing portion of a lock ring groove. The method further includes running a sealing assembly into an annulus between the hanger and housing, the sealing assembly including a lock ring and a pedestal. The method also includes positioning the pedestal on the auxiliary shoulder, the pedestal reducing an opening area for a debris pocket formed axially lower than the auxiliary shoulder. The method further includes energizing the sealing assembly such that the lock ring is driven into the lock ring groove.
The foregoing aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be further appreciated when considered with reference to the following description of embodiments and accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments of the disclosure illustrated in the appended drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific terms used, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
The foregoing aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be further appreciated when considered with reference to the following description of embodiments and accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments of the disclosure illustrated in the appended drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific terms used, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Any examples of operating parameters and/or environmental conditions are not exclusive of other parameters/conditions of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “certain embodiments”, or “other embodiments” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, reference to terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, “side”, “front”, “back”, or other terms regarding orientation or direction are made with reference to the illustrated embodiments and are not intended to be limiting or exclude other orientations or directions. It should be further appreciated that terms such as approximately or substantially may indicate +/−10 percent.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward systems and methods to land a hanger in a wellhead. Various embodiments may include landing a hanger in a wellhead, performing a cementing operation, and directing mud through one or more flow-by paths prior to landing a lock ring and seal assembly above a debris pocket. Systems and methods may enable a seal and lock ring to land above a debris pocket, which can accommodate cuttings and well debris that may stagnant, such as after cleaning and flushing operations in the well. In at least one embodiment, the lock down rings are below a seal that is run with a packoff and landed on a hanger with a debris pocket below. Once engaged, the lock ring may remain as part of the hanger for future operations, such as replacing the seal, and retrieval. However, it should be appreciated that the lock ring may not remain as part of the hanger in various embodiments.
Systems and methods of the present disclosure may enable simplified operational tools. By way of example, configurations disclosed herein may enable the hanger to be locked down with improved debris tolerance and seal installation reliability. Moreover, embodiments provide for the tubing hanger position to be locked down prior to landing the seal, which may provide advantages for downhole completions operations such as setting and testing packers.
Various embodiments are directed toward a debris pocket that is formed between a hanger and a housing. The debris pocket may be positioned below an auxiliary shoulder on the hanger. The configuration and position of the debris pocket may allow for debris to passively fall away from the auxiliary shoulder, or enable flushing operations to wash any debris away from the lock down and seal packoff area so that the seal can be reliably set.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may overcome problems and drawbacks with existing systems where debris accumulation in an annulus area between a hanger neck and a wellhead housing my cause difficulties with wellhead construction. Debris can be from cuttings, such as during drilling operations, or metal swarf from casing milling operations. As the mud returns through flow-by paths from the casing annulus during cementing operations, the cuttings are displaced out of the annulus between the drilled hole and the casing string. When the cementing operations are completed, the cuttings that are suspended in the mud column above the hanger, but below the rig floor, may fall and stagnate in the annulus area. This debris can affect the installation of the hanger lock down and annulus packoff by restricting movement and blocking the defined landing position of such components. Moreover, after landing the hanger and prior to landing a seal, operators may run a clean and flush operation around the hanger neck to flush any debris down and away from the seal landing area. With conventional hangers, where the lock ring is run with the hanger body, this may cause the debris to be flushed down and into the hanger lock ring pocket and grooves, which can restrict the installation of such lock rings, leading to non-productive time and often a shutdown of operations.
Systems and methods overcome the problems of existing systems by allowing the hanger landing, cementing, and flushing operations to be carried out prior to the landing of the lock down components and the seal. Moreover, geometries of components of the present embodiments create a debris pocket to accommodate debris between the housing and the hanger, with a route to escape back down through the hanger flow-by holes/slots. In at least one embodiment, the debris pocket is formed as an annulus area between the hanger and the housing, which sits below an auxiliary shoulder on the hanger neck, and allows for debris to be washed by, prior to landing the lock down components. Various embodiments include lock down components having a landing pedestal, which interfaces with the hanger auxiliary shoulder and supports the lock ring during operation, and the lock ring that interfaces with the housing. During operation, the hanger force from below is transferred through the auxiliary shoulder, into the pedestal, through the lock ring, and into the housing. Furthermore, the lock down components may be run with the packoff assembly, or run as a separate lock down sub-assembly. The lock down components may be run into the annulus above the debris pocket and be energized during the setting of the seal above. Additionally, the lock down ring and pedestal may stay with the hanger body for the life of the well to be recovered as part of the hanger.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide advantages over existing methods by locking the hanger down from below the seal. Such operation allows the hanger neck length to shrink relative to a system that locks the hanger down from above the seal. It also allows the full thickness of the hanger neck above the packoff to take the compression load from any subsequent hangers that may land above. That is to say that the top of the hanger neck may not be cut to accommodate a shoulder ring that would transfer the lock down force from below, through the hanger neck and into the lock down components to the housing. As a result, systems may be utilized in lower pressure wellbores with different size considerations by shrinking the system. Moreover, costs may be saved by reducing material use.
One efficient way to start drilling a wellbore 106 is through use of a suction pile 134. Such a procedure is accomplished by attaching the wellhead housing 108 to the top of the suction pile 134 and lowering the suction pile 134 to a sea floor 136. As interior chambers in the suction pile 134 are evacuated, the suction pile 134 is driven into the sea floor 136, as shown in
The sealing assembly 200 includes a sealing element 208 (e.g., a seal), which is shown as a seal having an upper opening 210 and a lower opening 212. It should be appreciated that such a seal is shown for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a variety of different types of annular seals (e.g., U-seals, H-seals, etc.) may be utilized with embodiments of the present disclosure. In this configuration, an upper energizing ring 214 (E-ring) is used to activate the sealing element 208 at the upper opening 210 and a lower energizing ring 216 is used to activate the sealing element 208 at the lower opening 212. That is, one or more forces may drive the respective E-rings 214, 216 into the openings 210, 212 to drive legs of the sealing element 208 apart such that an inner leg (e.g., radially inner) is driven into the hanger 206 and an outer leg (e.g., radially outer) is driven into the housing 204 to form a seal within the annulus 202. As noted above, different E-rings may be used based on the type of sealing element 208 selected for operations.
A lock ring 218 is coupled to the lower E-ring 216 and is arranged below the sealing element (e.g., axially lower than the sealing element, in a position such that the lock ring 218 enters the wellbore prior to the sealing element). The lock ring 218 may also be coupled to one or more additional or alternative elements, but due to the sealing element 208 shown in
The lock ring 218 may be removably coupled to the lower E-ring 216 via one or more retention mechanisms. For example, the lock ring 218 may be coupled to the lower E-ring 216 such that the lock ring 218 is decoupled from the lower E-ring 216 responsive to one or more forces or movements of the lower E-ring 216. In other words, the lock ring 218 may be coupled to the lower E-ring 216 such that the lock ring 218 decouples from the lower E-ring 216 approximately when the lock ring 218 and/or the sealing element 208 is energized. The retention mechanism may include one or more of fasteners, such as shear pins or shear screws, dogs, lips, clips, or the like.
The lock ring 218 is positioned to extend axially away from the lower E-ring 216 such that the lock ring 218 is shown axially lower and extending axially farther into the wellbore than the lower E-ring 216. A pedestal 220 is coupled to the lock ring 218 and is arranged axially lower than and farther into the wellbore than the lock ring 218. In at least one embodiment, one or more coupling elements join the pedestal 220 to the lock ring 218, such as one or more pins, screws, clips, or the like. In at least one embodiment, the pedestal 220 is a substantially solid component formed in an annual shape, as opposed to the lock ring 218 which may be split or segmented. However, it should be appreciated that the pedestal 220 may also be split or segmented in various embodiments. In such a configuration, the pedestal 220 may include a variety of different couplings in order to maintain a position of the pedestal 220 with respect to different segments or portions of the lock ring 218.
The configuration of
Various embodiments may further include flow-by paths 228 (e.g., flow-by passages, slots, or holes) associated with the hanger 206. The flow-by paths 228 having openings arranged proximate the pocket 222 such that debris that is driven into the pocket 222, such as during a wash operation, may be directed into the flow-by paths 228 and removed from the pocket 222.
In various embodiments, the pedestal 220 may serve as a separate component that is not integrally formed with or a part of the hanger 206. For example, various traditional components may include an extended auxiliary shoulder 224 that supports a lock ring during radial outward expansion into a housing lock ring groove. However, this creates significant problems associated with debris collection and removal. For example, the auxiliary shoulder may have dimensions that permit application of a force to a lock ring. If the auxiliary shoulder extends too far radially outward, it may block downward movement of debris. Moreover, in an effort to provide sufficient force transfer, an angle of the shoulder may be relatively shallow, which does not facilitate movement of debris that may collect along the shoulder. Debris collection along the shoulder may cause debris to enter a lock ring groove formed in the housing 204. Additionally, it should be noted that a large auxiliary shoulder may also interfere with flushing operations. Embodiments of the present disclosure overcome these problems by separating the pedestal 220 from the hanger 206. In this manner, the sealing assembly 200 may not be in the wellbore during various operations, such as flushing. Accordingly, a larger opening into the debris pocket 222 is formed during a flushing operation. Additionally, the auxiliary shoulder 224 may have a more severe angle, thereby driving collected debris off and toward the debris pocket 222 passively or during flushing operations.
As will be further described, embodiments of the present disclosure enable the formation of the debris pocket 222 in an axially lower position than one or more lock ring grooves formed in the housing 204. In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary shoulder 224 is sized such that debris may wash off the shoulder 224 prior to installation of the sealing assembly 200 so that the debris flows into the debris pocket 222. Additionally, embodiments may be directed toward one or more annular packoffs that may be set from below or from above. Furthermore, various embodiments include one or more lock rings 218 that are at least one of split, segmented, or the like. Additionally, in embodiments, the pedestal 220 may be solid, split, segmented, or the like.
As the sealing assembly 200 is moved into the annulus 202, the pedestal 220 is brought into contact with the auxiliary shoulder 224. As shown, the geometry of the pedestal 220 positions the lock ring 218 proximate a lock ring groove 300, which receives the lock ring 218 upon activation of the lock ring 218 and/or the sealing element 208. It should be appreciated that a profile 302 of the auxiliary shoulder 224 may be substantially similar to a profile 304 of the pedestal 220. For example, a shoulder slanted surface 306 may substantially conform to a pedestal lower surface 308. In at least one embodiment, the relative angles of these surfaces 306, 308 are particularly selected based on operating conditions, and moreover, may be selected to encourage any debris that collects on the auxiliary shoulder 224 to fall down and into the pocket 222.
As shown in
The illustrated configuration still provides a pathway into the pocket 222 in the event additional debris is dislodged or otherwise drawn into the annulus 202. By moving debris to the pocket 222, one or more sealing interfaces will be less likely to be damaged or distorted, which may increase a likelihood of error during a setting process. Furthermore, debris may be less likely to cause misalignment, obstruct energization of annulus components, or other errors during the setting process.
As illustrated,
In this example, the pins 602 extend through a lower extension 604 of the lower E-ring 216 and an upper extension 606 of the lock ring 218. As a result, the pins 602 are arranged substantially horizontally (e.g., extending in a radial direction). It should be appreciated that such a configuration is for illustrative purposes only and embodiments of the present disclosure may include additional or alternative coupling mechanisms. For example, the pins 602 may be in a substantially vertical or angled orientation. Furthermore, additional areas of the lower E-ring 216 and/or the lock ring 218 may also be coupled together. Moreover, it should be appreciated that a number of pins 602 used may vary based, at least in part, on a configuration of the lower E-ring 216 and the lock ring 218. For example, a segmented ring 218 may include pins at each segment.
In operation, the fasteners 704 hold the pedestal 220 to the lock ring 218 during installation, such as when the lock ring 218 is in a retracted position. In this example, the lock ring 218 is relaxed in the inward biased position (e.g., biased toward the hanger 206). As the lock ring 218 is energized (e.g., driven radially outward toward the housing 204) a lock ring surface 710 slides along a pedestal surface 712 and creates a shear force. This force shears the fastener 704. The lock ring piece is retained to the lock ring 218 via a threaded interface, in this example. The pedestal piece is retained in by the counter sunk shoulder and the retainer 708.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the disclosed embodiments is illustrative and explanatory of the embodiments of the invention. Various changes in the details of the illustrated embodiments can be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the true spirit of the disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.
