Patent Application
20220412190
In the resource recovery and fluid sequestration industries, making connections in the downhole environment, be they electrical, optical, hydraulic, etc. need to be made. Difficulties in making such connections are usually associated with debris that has collected at the connection site. Efforts to clean this area have been tried with varying success. The art would well receive additional configurations that provide for clean connection areas.
An embodiment of a wet connect system including a connector housing, a wet connector disposed in a pocket of the housing, a washout window in the pocket and a washout outlet in the pocket, the washout outlet fluidly connected to a washout pathway, the pathway at least partially within the housing.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
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Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1: A wet connect system including a connector housing, a wet connector disposed in a pocket of the housing, a washout window in the pocket and a washout outlet in the pocket, the washout outlet fluidly connected to a washout pathway, the pathway at least partially within the housing.
Embodiment 2: The system as in any prior embodiment further comprising a deflector disposed immediately downstream of the outlet.
Embodiment 3: The system as in any prior embodiment further comprising an inlet to the washout pathway.
Embodiment 4: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the inlet fluidly connects a supply of fluid to the washout pathway.
Embodiment 5: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the washout pathway extends into a tube adjacent the housing.
Embodiment 6: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the outlet is two outlets one on in each side of the pocket.
Embodiment 7: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the window is radially aligned with the pocket.
Embodiment 8: The system as in any prior embodiment further including a sub housing disposed about the housing and fluidly connecting a volume defined radially inwardly of the housing with the washout pathway.
Embodiment 9: The system as in any prior embodiment further comprising a wet mate assembly including a mating wet connector, a mating housing within which the mating wet connector is mounted, and a mating tubular extending from the mating housing and receivable in the connector housing.
Embodiment 10: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the mating tubular includes a number of seals disposed on a surface of the mating tubular.
Embodiment 11: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the mating tubular defines a hole through a wall thickness of the mating tubular fluidly connecting an inside volume of the mating tubular to a volume external to the mating tubular.
Embodiment 12: A method for wet connecting in a borehole including pumping fluid through a washout pathway in the wet connect system as in any prior embodiment.
Embodiment 13: The method as in any prior embodiment further including running a mate assembly that includes a mating wet connector, a mating housing within which the mating wet connector is mounted, and a mating tubular extending from the mating housing and receivable in the connector housing.
Embodiment 14: The method as in any prior embodiment further including stabbing the mating tubular into the connector housing.
Embodiment 15: The method as in any prior embodiment further including flushing fluid through a window radially aligned with the pocket.
Embodiment 16: The method as in any prior embodiment further including deflecting fluid moving through the outlet.
Embodiment 17: A wellbore system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, and a wet connect system as in any prior embodiment disposed within the string.
Embodiment 18: The wellbore system as in any prior embodiment wherein the wet connect system is part of another string within the string.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of ±8% or 5%, or 2% of a given value.
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
