CA2230425A1 - Alignment system for a slip - Google Patents

Alignment system for a slip Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2230425A1
CA2230425A1 CA 2230425 CA2230425A CA2230425A1 CA 2230425 A1 CA2230425 A1 CA 2230425A1 CA 2230425 CA2230425 CA 2230425 CA 2230425 A CA2230425 A CA 2230425A CA 2230425 A1 CA2230425 A1 CA 2230425A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
slip
axis
downhole
wickers
grooves
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2230425
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Michael G. Ritter
William D. Henderson
James C. Doane
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2230425A1 publication Critical patent/CA2230425A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/10Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
    • E21B33/12Packers; Plugs
    • E21B33/129Packers; Plugs with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing
    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21BEARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B23/00Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells
    • E21B23/01Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells for anchoring the tools or the like

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)

Abstract

A slip guidance system is provided to prevent a slip or series of slips from becoming skewed as they are extended toward the casing. The slip has a plurality of parallel tabs on each side which interact with a plurality of dovetails in the cone which retains the slips. As the slips are extended, the parallel tabs ride up in the parallel dovetails, thus preventing the slip from becoming skewed as it is extended toward the casing.

Description

CA 0223042~ 1998-02-24 ALIGNMENT SYSTEM FOR A SLIP

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of this invention relates to slips used to anchor packers or plugs in wellbores and more specifically, guidance devices for sllps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, in a downhole packer slips, are used as anchoring devices. The slips are mounted next to a sleeve called a "cone,"
which has a ramped surface and a pair of opposed parallel recesses, also known as "dovetails," which engage "tangs" or ears sticking out of the sides of the slip. The slip is moved longitudinally with respect to the cone. The slip has a back surface which is tapered to match the angle of the cone. As the slip is advanced with respect to the cone, it moves not only longitudinally but outwardly for engagement with the tubing or casing in the wellbore to support the packer or other downhole device. Depending on the size of the packer and the size of the casing, the amount of outward travel of the slips can vary. In order to allow the slips to be pushed longitudinally, clearance exists between the tabs or ears on the slips and the dovetail on the cage. In some designs of packers, opposed dovetail slips are installed to save on the overall length of the packer. One such product is the MS mechanical set, single-string retrievable packer made by Baker Oil Tools as product No. 646-67.
In this particular design, the slips have alternating orientations CA 0223042~ 1998-02-24 around the circumference of the packer. Half of the slips bite to resist forces from downhole in an uphole direction, and the other half resist forces in the opposite direction. The sealing element is located above the slips in this design, which helps to protect the slips from wellbore debris. To accommodate designs of this type, slips o have been made thinner than in other designs. Thus, in applications where the tubing or casing is of a particularly lightweight or thin wall, the extension of the slips is necessarily greater before there is contact with the casing. The combination of the clearance between the tabs on the slip and the dovetail, coupled with further extension of the slip into the surrounding casing, has resulted in a situation where the slip, because of the amount of extension, can rotate as it moves toward the casing so that only the teeth along the very top of the slip obtain a bite into the casing.
The phenomenon described above in the prior art is illustrated in Figure 1 of the application. There it can be seen that a slip 10 has opposed tabs 12, one of which is visible in the view of Figure 1, and the other is at the opposite end of the slip 10. The tab 12 rides in a dovetail 14, which is part of the cone 16. The slip 10 has wickers 18 on its front face so that they face the casing 2û. In the extended position shown in Figure 1, the slip 10 has become angularly skewed to a degree represented by angle a such that top wickers 22 and 24 are the only ones that are getting a bite into the casing 20. This is clearly undesirable in that the more wickers 18 that bite into the casing 20, the better the grip of the slip 10 and the packer (not shown) to which it may be attached.

CA 0223042~ 1998-02-24 This phenomenon is exacerbated when the design of the slips 10 is deliberately made thin to reduce the external dimension of the packer. It has been particularly an issue where the opposed design of slips is also used in a packer to shorten its overall length.
Thus, the design of the present invention has been developed 10 to provide better guidance for the slip, so that even if it is extended as far outwardly as shown in Figure 1, the revised guiding technique of the present invention prevents the slip from becoming angularly skewed, thus keeping angle a, as shown in Figure 1, to a quantity as nearly zero as possible. Those and other objectives of the invention will become apparent from a review of the drawings and the description provided below of the preferred embodiment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A slip guidance system is provided to prevent a slip or series of 20 slips from becoming skewed as they are extended toward the casing. The slip has a plurality of parallel tabs on each side which interact with a plurality of dovetails in the cone which retains the slips. As the slips are extended, the parallel tabs ride up in the parallel dovetails, thus preventing the slip from becoming skewed as 25 it is extended toward the casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a view of the prior art slip design, showing the slip becoming skewed as it is extended toward the casing.

CA 0223042~ 1998-02-24 s Figure 2 is the sectional elevational view of the slip guidance system of the present invention, shown in the run-in position.
Figure 3 is the view of Figure 2, shown in the slip-extended position DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The apparatus A is illustrated in Figure 2. A slip 26 has a first lug 28 and a second substantially parallel lug 30, spaced apart from lug 28. Lug 28 rides in dovetail 32 (see Figure 3), while lug 30 rides in dovetail 34. Slip 26 has a series of wickers 36 which, when the slip 26 iS actuated, move as shown in Figure 3 into contact with the casing 38. Contrasting the view of Figure 3 with the view of Figure 1, it can be seen that in Figure 3, angle a' is zero or nearly zero, indicating - that the slip 26, which is one of a series of slips on a packer or other downhole device (not shown), moves out substantially parallel to the casing 38 so that all the wickers 36 can get a bite on the casing 38, as opposed to the view of Figure 1 where only wickers 22 and 24 get a substantial bite on the casing. What accounts for the movement indicated by comparing Figures 2 and 3 is the use of a plurality of opposed lugs 28 and 30, riding, respectively, in dovetails 32 and 34.
Dovetail 32 is sufficiently behind dovetail 34 so that upon extension of the slip 26, as shown in Figure 3, rotation about a pivot point cannot occur. This is to be contrasted with Figure 1, where the slip 10 has rotated about pivot point 40. Thus, even though the slip 26 is made thinner to reduce the overall outside dimensions of a packer or other downhole tool (not shown), and even though the slip 26 CA 0223042~ 1998-02-24 .

s may need to be extended into casing that is of normal or lightweight, meaning a greater outward distance must be traversed before a bite occurs, the presence of the offset dovetails 32 and 34, interacting with lugs 28 and 30, prevents meaningful rotation to permit all the wickers 36 to get a bite all the way around the tool.
o Thus, the reliability of anchoring obtained from the apparatus A of the present invention can be readily seen by those of ordinary skill in the art. While a design showing two parallel dovetails 32 and 34 has been illustrated, alternatives to the invention using additional spaced-apart dovetails are also within the spirit of the invention. The dovetails are not required to be absolutely parallel to each other and as long as they allow the required slip extension without significant rotation, they are within the spirit of the invention.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

baker\patents\481 slip alignment system.wpd ss

Claims (20)

1. A guidance system for a slip assembly on a downhole tool where the slip contacts a tubular downhole, comprising:
at least one slip;
a support body to retain said slip in a movable manner so that said slip can move from a retracted position to an extended position;
said slip and said support body interengaged so as to allow said slip to move relative to said body and into contact with the tubular downhole without significant rotation of said slip.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said slip can advance on a first axis and is retained by said support body against substantial rotation about a second axis intersecting said first axis substantially perpendicularly.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein:
said slip comprises a guide assembly which is slidably engaged to said support body at a plurality of discrete locations as viewed along said first axis.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein:
said guide assembly further comprises a plurality of spaced apart tabs, with each tab engaging a plurality of grooves on said support body.
5. The system of claim 5, wherein:
said tabs are spaced apart with respect to said first axis.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein:
said grooves are spaced apart with respect to said first axis.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein:
said grooves are substantially parallel to each other.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein:
said slip further comprises a plurality of wickers, said plurality of wickers evenly engaging the downhole tubular.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein:
said slip further comprises a plurality of wickers, said plurality of wickers evenly engaging the downhole tubular.
10. The system of claim 3, wherein:
said guide assembly further comprises a plurality of spaced apart grooves, with each groove engaging a plurality of tabs on said support body.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein:
said tabs are spaced apart with respect to said first axis.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein:
said grooves are spaced apart with respect to said first axis.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein:
said grooves are substantially parallel to each other.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein:
said slip further comprises a plurality of wickers, said plurality of wickers evenly engaging the downhole tubular.
15. A method of guiding at least one slip on a downhole tool into extension against a downhole tubular, comprising:
guiding the slip at disparate locations on at least one side thereof as viewed along its axis of advancement toward the downhole tubular.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
using a tab and slot combination to guide said slip.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
providing a plurality of offset tabs as viewed along the slip's axis of advancement to engage with corresponding offset grooves for guiding said slip as it moves toward the downhole tubular;

orienting the grooves substantially parallel to each other:
orienting the tabs substantially parallel to each other.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
preventing rotation of said slip along an axis substantially perpendicular to its axis of advancement.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
providing a plurality of wickers on said slip;
allowing all the wickers to contact the downhole tubular evenly by said preventing of rotation.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
providing a plurality of slips oriented in opposed directions so as to resist wellbore forces against the downhole tool coming from uphole and downhole.
CA 2230425 1997-03-04 1998-02-24 Alignment system for a slip Abandoned CA2230425A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US3949797P 1997-03-04 1997-03-04
US60/039,497 1997-03-04

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2230425A1 true CA2230425A1 (en) 1998-09-04

Family

ID=21905799

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2230425 Abandoned CA2230425A1 (en) 1997-03-04 1998-02-24 Alignment system for a slip

Country Status (2)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2230425A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2323869A (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6213204B1 (en) * 1998-12-07 2001-04-10 Baker Hughes Incorporated High load, thin slip system
US6354372B1 (en) * 2000-01-13 2002-03-12 Carisella & Cook Ventures Subterranean well tool and slip assembly
US9719316B2 (en) 2014-04-10 2017-08-01 Baker Hughes Incorporated Relatively movable slip body and wicker for enhanced release capability
US9771768B2 (en) 2014-04-15 2017-09-26 Baker Hughes Incorporated Slip release assembly with cone undermining feature

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3526277A (en) * 1968-06-10 1970-09-01 Byron Jackson Inc Well packer and anchor means therefor
US4311194A (en) * 1979-08-20 1982-01-19 Otis Engineering Corporation Liner hanger and running and setting tool
US4437517A (en) * 1981-10-02 1984-03-20 Baker International Corporation Slip mechanism for subterreanean wells
CA1194409A (en) * 1982-07-27 1985-10-01 John L. Baugh Hanger mechanism
US4926938A (en) * 1989-05-12 1990-05-22 Lindsey Completion Systems, Inc. Rotatable liner hanger with multiple bearings and cones
US5271468A (en) * 1990-04-26 1993-12-21 Halliburton Company Downhole tool apparatus with non-metallic components and methods of drilling thereof
WO1993020329A1 (en) * 1992-04-03 1993-10-14 Tiw Corporation Hydraulically actuated liner hanger arrangement and method
US5333685A (en) * 1993-05-14 1994-08-02 Bruce Gilbert Wireline set and tubing retrievable packer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9803840D0 (en) 1998-04-22
GB2323869A (en) 1998-10-07

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