Patent Application
20120055714
This application claims priority to PCT Patent Application No. PCT/GB2010/000728 filed on Apr. 9, 2010.
This invention relates to an under-reamer, and to a method of operating an under-reamer. Aspects of the invention also relate to downhole tools in general, and methods of operating fluid actuated downhole tools.
In the oil and gas exploration and production industry, bores are drilled from surface to access sub-surface hydrocarbon-bearing formations. The drilled bores are lined with tubing, known as casing or liner, and cement is injected into the annulus between the casing and the surrounding bore wall. Typically, the bore is drilled in sections, and after drilling a section, that section is lined with casing. Following cementing of the casing, the next section of bore is drilled. However, as the drill bit utilized to drill the next section must pass through the existing casing, the drill bit will, of necessity, be of smaller diameter than the drill bit used to drill the previous section. It is often considered desirable to enlarge the bore diameter below a section of casing beyond the drill bit diameter, and this is normally achieved by means of an under-reamer mounted above the drill bit.
Particularly in offshore and deepwater wells, getting the largest casing size possible into the ground is critical to ensure target depth (TD) can be reached with the largest bit size possible, thus maximizing production and facilitating access. Under-reaming the pilot bore drilled by the fixed diameter drill bit enables casing sizes to be maximized by providing sufficient open hole clearance to allow the maximum pass through casing size to be selected. Since a newly drilled wellbore can quickly become unstable, for example due to formation creep/swelling, it is also important to set casing as early as possible. Operators are therefore focused upon minimizing the time delay between reaching target depth (TD) and setting casing.
When a bore section has been drilled and under-reamed it is necessary to circulate the wellbore clean, that is circulate a fluid such as drilling mud or brine in the bore to remove drill cuttings and to ensure the casing is not obstructed when run in hole. High circulation flow rates are often utilised to speed up the cleaning process. Also, as the drill string is pulled from the hole, the bottom hole assembly (BHA) will be rotated to stir up cutting beds for circulation of the cuttings to surface. When a hydraulically activated under-reamer is present in the BHA it is often the case that the under-reamer cutters will extend into a hole opening position when high circulation rates are used. This can result in further cuttings generation (as the BHA is effectively back-reamed up through the wellbore) and additional hole cleaning time.
There have been a number proposals for under-reamers in which it is possible to lock the under-reamer in the retracted (pilot size) configuration when a section has been drilled and under-reamed to minimize the time required to pull out of hole and subsequently run casing. An example of such an arrangement is described in applicant's International patent application, Publication No. WO2007/017651 A1 .
According to the present invention there is provided an under-reamer comprising: a body; a plurality of extendable cutters mounted on the body, the under-reamer configured to be cycled between a first configuration in which the cutters are retracted and a second configuration in which the cutters are movable between retracted and extended positions; and a control mechanism configurable to prevent cycling between the first and second configurations and thus maintain the under-reamer in a selected one of the first and second configurations.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a downhole bore treating method comprising: running an under-reamer comprising extendable cutters into a bore; cycling the under-reamer between a first configuration in which the cutters are retracted and a second configuration in which the cutters are movable between retracted and extended positions; maintaining the under-reamer in a selected one of the first and second configurations by preventing cycling of the under-reamer between the first and second configurations, and pulling the under-reamer from the bore.
Thus, in use, the under-reamer may be maintained in a selected configuration, including the second configuration, and prevented from changing configuration. This contrasts with prior proposals in which under-reamers or similar tools cycle between configurations with, for example, variations in fluid flow through the tool. Thus, switching mud pumps on or off for reasons unrelated to the operation of the under-reamer may result in a change in configuration of the under-reamer, requiring the under-reamer to be re-configured before an operation may be restarted or commenced. Certain existing proposals allow for the under-reamer to be initially locked in a configuration with the cutters retracted, or for the cutters to be locked in a retracted position following an under-reaming operation. However, it is not possible to lock the under-reamers in the second configuration, with the cutters movable between the retracted and extended positions, or to lock the cutters in the retracted position following an under-reaming operation and subsequently return the under-reamer to a configuration in which the cutters are extendable.
The under-reamer may be mounted on a drill string above a drill bit or other pilot cutter.
The under-reamer may be run into the bore while being maintained in the first configuration, with the control mechanism set to retain the cutters in the retracted configuration, or alternatively the under-reamer may be run in with the control mechanism set to retain the under-reamer in the second configuration, such that the cutters are extendable.
The under-reamer may be pulled from the bore while being maintained in the first configuration, and fluid may be circulated through the string while the under-reamer is being pulled from the bore.
The body may define a through passage, and fluid may be pumped through the body and into a section of drill string below the body.
The under-reamer may be fluid actuated, and the cutters may be configured to be actuated by pressure acting across a piston.
The control mechanism may be actuated by any appropriate means. The mechanism may be fluid pressure actuated. In the first configuration fluid pressure acting on the mechanism may cause the mechanism to retain the cutters in the retracted configuration. The control mechanism may comprise a control piston.
Where a piston is utilized to actuate one of the cutters and the control mechanism, one side of the piston may be exposed to an internal body pressure and the other side of the piston may be exposed to an external body pressure. Alternatively, or in addition, where fluid may be pumped through the body, one side of the piston may be exposed to an internal upstream pressure and the other side of the piston may be exposed to an internal downstream pressure. The piston may be annular.
A control piston may be configured to generate a retaining force acting in one direction and a cutter-actuating piston may be configured to generate a cutter extending force acting in an opposite direction. The control piston may define a larger effective area than the cutter-actuating piston such that the control piston generates a larger force for a given pressure differential.
The control mechanism may include an element configurable to restrict or prevent movement of a cutter-actuating element. The control element may be movable relative to the body, for example the element may be axially movable relative to the body. The element may be locatable to maintain the under-reamer in the first configuration and locatable in a second position to maintain the under-reamer is in the second configuration.
The control element may cooperate with the body via a form of cam arrangement, for example a J-slot arrangement or spline arrangement. Thus, for example, axial movement of the control element relative to the body may cause a cam follower on the control element to advance along a cam track, different portions of the cam track permitting different degrees of relative movement between the control element and the body.
The control mechanism may be configurable to permit a change in the under-reamer configuration. Where the control mechanism is fluid pressure actuated the mechanism may be configurable to respond in a selected manner to applied fluid pressure, for example in a first manner to maintain under-reamer configuration and in a second manner to permit a change of under-reamer configuration. In one embodiment, the control mechanism may include an annular differential piston which is normally configured to be urged in an upwards direction by a differential pressure to maintain under-reamer configuration. However, if a restriction, such as a ball or plug, is located in the piston, an upstream pressure above the ball may be generated to translate the control piston in a downwards direction to permit a change in under-reamer configuration. In other embodiments, the piston may be otherwise configurable to create a flow restriction without requiring a restriction to land in or on the piston. The control piston may move in a downward direction and cycle the control element into an alternate position. The control piston may continue in a downward path until the restriction is ejected. Once the restriction is ejected the control piston may revert back to a normal configuration in which the piston is urged in an upward direction to maintain the under-reamer configuration.
The seat that the restriction lands on may be located within the control piston and may be offset from a central through bore. A through slot opposing the offset seat may extend through the control piston. The through slot may be sized such that the restriction can pass through or along the slot. The control piston outer diameter may be mated within a corresponding body bore. The restriction may land on and be held between the offset seat of the control piston and the internal bore of the mating body. A second larger internal bore may be located axially downhole from the restriction landing position, the larger internal bore being configured such that the restriction will exit the seat when the control piston has travelled sufficiently downwards. The restriction may then travel further downward and land in a retainer mechanism. The control piston may now move upwards, for example under the influence of differential pressure.
The control mechanism may be retained in a configuration-maintaining mode by a retainer member. The retainer member may be configured to retain the configuration-maintaining mode when a reverse pressure, that is a pressure differential acting in the reverse direction to the control piston actuating direction, acts on the control piston. The retainer member may be configured to retract when exposed to actuating pressure. The retainer member may comprise a piston, and one side of the piston may be exposed to internal body pressure and the other side of the piston may be exposed to external body pressure.
Although the invention is described herein primarily with reference to under-reamers, those of skill in the art will recognise that aspects of the invention are applicable to other tools and devices.
According to an alternative aspect of the present invention there is provided a downhole device comprising: a body; a fluid actuated member mounted on the body and being configurable to provide a first device configuration and a second device configuration, the device configured to be cycled between the first and second configurations; and a control mechanism configurable to prevent cycling of the device between the first and second configurations and thus maintain the device in a selected one of the first and second configurations.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a downhole device operating method comprising: running a device comprising a fluid actuated member into a bore; cycling the fluid actuated member between a first configuration and a second configuration; maintaining the member in a selected one of the first and second configurations by preventing cycling between the first and second configurations, and pulling the device from the bore.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a downhole tool comprising: a body; an actuating piston; a retainer piston operatively associated with the actuating piston and having one face configured to be exposed to external body pressure and another face configured to be exposed to internal body pressure, wherein the retainer piston is configured to generate an actuating piston retaining force when the external body pressure exceeds the internal body pressure.
Many downhole tools and devices feature differential pressure actuating pistons, that is pistons which are actuated by the difference between the internal tool pressure and external tool pressure, sometimes referred to as bore pressure and annulus pressure. Typically, the pistons are configured to be actuated by elevated internal tool pressure. However, there may be occasions when the external pressure exceeds the internal pressure, resulting in the piston being urged in an opposite direction from normal. This may damage the tool or result in an unintended action, for example release of a catch or movement of a cam follower along a cam track. However, with this aspect of the present invention, the retainer piston may serve to retain the actuating piston position or configuration despite the presence of a reverse pressure.
The actuating piston may have one face configured to be exposed to an internal body pressure and another face configured to be exposed to external body pressure, the actuating piston being configured such that when internal body pressure exceeds external body pressure the piston is urged to translate relative to the body.
These and other aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference is first made to
The body 12 comprises a number of body sections 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d which are coupled to one another using conventional threaded couplings.
The under-reamer 10 features three extendable cutters 16 (only one shown in the drawings). As will be described, when the under-reamer 10 is in a first configuration, the cutters 16 may be selectively maintained or locked in a first, retracted position, as illustrated in
The cutters 16 are formed on cutter blocks 18 located in windows 20 of corresponding shape in the wall of the body 12. Each cutter block 18 features an inclined cam face 22 which co-operates with a surface of a cam piston 24. The cam piston 24 is normally urged to assume the position as illustrated in
The lower face of the cutter windows 20 are formed by a secondary cutter retraction assembly 28 which is normally fixed in position. However, if sufficient downward force is applied to the assembly 28, via the cutters 16, the assembly 28 may move downwards independently of the cam piston 24, allowing the cutters 16 to retract even when the cam piston 24 jams in the cutter-extending position. Further details of the retraction assembly 28 are described in United States Patent Application Publication No. US2007/0089912 A1, the disclosure of which is as incorporated herewith in its entirety.
The cam piston 24 includes a tubular element 30 which extends through the secondary cutter retraction assembly 28 and, in the configuration as illustrated in
The lower end of the control mechanism 34 includes a control piston 40. A lower face 42 of the piston 40 is exposed to internal body pressure, while a piston upper face 44 is exposed to annulus pressure; the body cavity 45 above the piston 40 between the tubular element 32 and the body wall is in fluid communication with the annulus via an annulus port 46.
The axial movement of the control mechanism 34 relative to the body 12 is controlled by an indexer 48. The indexer 48 is a three-position, J-slot type mechanism with a “long stroke”, reset and “short stroke” sequence. A cam drive causes a spline to be engaged or lined up for the long stroke and then disengaged or misaligned for the short stroke.
Below the control mechanism 34, the body 12 accommodates a retaining or reverse loading piston 50 which operates to retain the control mechanism 34 in an existing mode. The piston 50 includes a tubular element 52 which extends upwardly, and in the configuration as illustrated in
In operation, the under-reamer 10 is set up as shown in
Once the drill string has been made up to the appropriate depth, drilling fluid will be circulated through the drill string. This results in the internal pressure rising above the external, annulus pressure. The higher internal pressure causes the reverse loading piston 50 to move away from the control piston 40, as illustrated in
The elevated internal pressure also causes the control piston 40 to be urged upwardly, and the control mechanism tubular element 32 applies an upward force to the cam piston tubular element 30. The control piston area is greater than the cam piston area such that the control piston 40 generates a greater force. Also, the return spring 26 acts to retract the cam piston 24 such that the cutters 16 are maintained in the retracted position.
Thus, with the under-reamer 10 in this configuration, it is possible for an operator to drill through a shoe track using the drill bit, safe in the knowledge that the cutters 16 will not extend while the under-reamer 10 is located within the casing.
After the shoe track has been drilled and it is desired to actuate the cutters 16, a ball 60 is dropped into the string and landed in the control valve 36, as illustrated in
The presence of the ball 60 in the valve 36 restricts fluid flow through the under-reamer 10 to the lower section of the string and causes the dominant fluid pressure force to be switched from below the control piston 40 to above the piston 40, such that the control piston 40 is driven downwards. This is assisted by the differential pressure acting on the cam piston 24 which experiences the higher fluid pressure acting above the ball 60. The ball-landing valve 36 can take the form of an offset seat 65 as illustrated in
The control piston 40 may thus be driven into a position in which the indexer 48 is reset. The through slot 66 is sized such that the ball 60 can move down the slot 66 and then be ejected though a larger section bore 68, thus bypassing the offset seat 65 and passing into the ball catcher 38, as illustrated in
As flow through the under-reamer 10 is re-established following movement of the ball 60 to the ball catcher 38, the reverse pressure piston 50 is driven downwards away from the control piston 40, as illustrated in
It will be noted from
If the surface pumps are switched off, the under-reamer 10 will deactivate, as illustrated in
Thus, the under-reamer 10 may be maintained in the second configuration, in which the cutters 16 are movable between the retracted and extended positions.
When under-reaming is no longer required, another ball is dropped into the tool, as illustrated in
As flow through the under-reamer 10 is re-established, as illustrated in
It will be noted from
If the pumps are turned off, the under-reamer 10 remains deactivated, as illustrated in
Thus, the under-reamer 10 may be selectively maintained in the first and second configurations. The under-reamer 10 may be locked in the first configuration, with the cutters 16 retracted, for running in, drilling through the shoe track, and also when the section has been completed to minimise the time required to pull out of hole while circulating fluid through the under-reamer 10.
Furthermore, the under-reamer also permits the operator to selectively move the under-reamer between the first and second configurations. For example, if an operator wishes to ensure that a short, say 200 meter mid-section unstable zone is opened using the under-reamer, the under-reamer 10 may be configured to allow the cutters 16 to extend only when the under-reamer 10 is located within the unstable zone. In many current operations, the entire section would have to be under-reamed, leading to thousands of meters of the section being unnecessarily under-reamed, with the associated added risk and cost.
The provision of an “on demand” under-reamer 10 also provides a useful advantage in contingency situations where unforeseen drilling problems may be solved by under-reaming.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0906211.8 | Apr 2009 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB2010/000728 | 4/9/2010 | WO | 00 | 10/7/2011 |
