EP0774039B1 - Device and method for making a slot in an underground formation - Google Patents

Device and method for making a slot in an underground formation Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0774039B1
EP0774039B1 EP95929072A EP95929072A EP0774039B1 EP 0774039 B1 EP0774039 B1 EP 0774039B1 EP 95929072 A EP95929072 A EP 95929072A EP 95929072 A EP95929072 A EP 95929072A EP 0774039 B1 EP0774039 B1 EP 0774039B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
saw arm
housing
motor
slot
arm
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95929072A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0774039A1 (en
Inventor
Brent Reynolds Ross
Robert Nicholas Worrall
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.)
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Original Assignee
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
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 Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV filed Critical Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Priority to EP95929072A priority Critical patent/EP0774039B1/en
Publication of EP0774039A1 publication Critical patent/EP0774039A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0774039B1 publication Critical patent/EP0774039B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B29/00—Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B11/00—Other drilling tools
    • E21B11/06—Other drilling tools with driven cutting chains or similarly driven tools

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device for making a slot adjacent to a well traversing an underground formation.
  • USA patent specification No. 3 225 828 discloses a downhole slot cutting device comprising a circular slot cutting wheel. During use of the known device the cutting wheel is rotated while moving it partly outside its housing to cut a slot in the surrounding casing or wellbore, whereupon the cutting wheel is retracted again into the housing and the device is withdrawn from the well.
  • Other devices employing a circular slot cutting wheel are disclosed in US patent specifications No. 4,106,561 and 4,220,201.
  • a drawback of these known slot cutting devices is that the depth of the slot made in the underground formation is relatively small as the maximum extension of the cutting wheel is less than 50% of the diameter of the borehole.
  • the apparatus comprises a saw arm which is hingeably joined to a housing such that the saw arm is hingeable between a first position wherein the saw arm extends substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing and a second position wherein the saw arm extends in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the housing.
  • the saw arm is equipped with an endless chain on which a series of cutting elements are mounted and drive means are present for inducing the chain to rotate around the saw arm.
  • the drive means comprise a hydraulic motor which is slidably arranged inside the housing such that in response to exerting hydraulic pressure on the motor, the motor is shifted along the housing together with a hingeing mechanism which thereby induces the saw arm to hinge towards the second position, and the device further comprises a spring mechanism which induces the saw arm to hinge back towards the first position in the absence of a hydraulic pressure across the motor.
  • the saw arm is formed by an oblong blade and the drive means for inducing the endless chain to rotate around the saw arm comprises a drive shaft which is driven by a hydraulic positive displacement motor of the Moineau type.
  • the hingeing mechanism comprises a spur gear which is fixed to the supported end of the saw arm and a piston assembly which carries the motor and a teethed bar of which the teeth cooperate with the spur gear.
  • FIG. 1 showing a well 1 traversing an underground formation 2.
  • the well 1 comprises a borehole 3 in which a casing 5 has been installed.
  • the annular space between the casing 5 and the wall of the borehole 3 is filled with cement 7.
  • the cutting device 10 of the present invention comprises a housing 11 and a saw arm 15 which is hingeably joined to the housing 11.
  • the saw arm 15 is surrounded by an endless chain 24 provided with cutting elements 25.
  • the cutting device 10 further includes a device 17 for hingeing the saw arm 15 relative to the housing 11, a motor (not shown), and a transmission system 20 for inducing the endless chain 24 to rotate around the saw arm 15.
  • the cutting device 10 is suspended within the well 1 at the lower end of a pipe 21.
  • the saw arm 15 is maintained in a first position wherein the saw arm 15 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis I of the housing 11.
  • the motor is activated to drive the endless chain 24.
  • the saw arm 15 is gradually hinged towards a second position wherein the saw arm 15 extends in a direction away from the longitudinal axis I of the housing 11. As shown in Figure 1, in the second position the saw arm 15 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis I of the housing 11.
  • the cutting device 11 is displaced upwards through the well 1, and the cutting elements 25 on the endless chain 24 cut an elongated slot 23 through the casing 5, the cement annulus 7 and the surrounding formation 2.
  • the saw arm 15 is hinged back to the first position, and the cutting device 10 is withdrawn from the well 1.
  • the surface area on each face of the elongated slot 23 is the length of the elongated slot 23 times the ,depth of the slot 23 which is the dimension of the slot perpendicular to the well 1.
  • the length of the saw arm 15 is so selected that the depth of the elongated slot 23 is between 0.25 and 3.0 times or greater than the diameter of the drilled borehole 2, and suitably between 0.5 and 1.50 times the diameter cf the drilled borehole 2.
  • the cutting device 10 shown in Figure 1 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 2.
  • the cutting device 10 comprises a housing 11 and a saw arm 15, which is hingeably joined to the housing 11.
  • the saw arm 15 is rotatable between a first position wherein the saw arm 15 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing 11 and a second position wherein the saw arm 15 extends in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the housing 11, as shown in Figure 2.
  • the cutting device further includes a device 17 for hingeing the saw arm 15 relative to the housing 11, and a motor 27 provided with a splined telescopic output shaft 28 and a transmission system 20 for inducing an endless chain 24 provided with cutting elements 25 to rotate around the saw arm 15.
  • the endless chain 24 passes over a pulley or socket wheel 29 which is arranged at the supported end of the saw arm 15.
  • the pulley or socket wheel 29 is connected to a drive shaft 30, which is rotatably joined to the housing 11 by a bearing assembly (not shown).
  • the direction of the drive shaft 30 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis I of the housing 11, and the saw arm 15 is hingeably joined to the drive shaft 30.
  • the drive shaft 30 is in its turn driven by the transmission system 20.
  • the transmission system comprises a straight or helical bevel gear, having a driven gear wheel 31 joined to the drive shaft 30 and a driving gear wheel 32 attached to the lower end of the telescopic output shaft 28 of the motor 27.
  • the telescopic output shaft 28 is supported near the driving gear wheel 32 by means of a support (not shown) that prevents axial and lateral displacement of the end of the telescopic output shaft 28.
  • the device 17 for hingeing the saw arm 15 includes a device 35 causing a bar 37 to translate in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11 and a device 39 which converts the translation of the bar 37 into rotation of the saw arm 15.
  • the device 39 comprises a spur gear 40 co-operating with teeth 41 on the bar 37.
  • the spur gear 40 is provided with an arm 42 which is joined to the saw arm 15 to transmit the rotation of the spur gear 40 to the saw arm 15.
  • the device 35 causing the bar 37 to translate in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11 comprises a piston 45 provided with an opening 46 and a tubular driver assembly 48, which tubular driver assembly 48 comprises an outer tube 49 and an inner tube 50.
  • the upper end of the outer tube 49 is joined to the piston 45 and the bar 37 is joined to the lower end of the inner tube 50.
  • the housing 11 is provided with an inwardly protruding ring 52, and the outer tube 49 is provided with a shoulder 53 so that the movement of the device 35 is limited between the first position wherein the shoulder 53 is in contact with the inwardly protruding ring 52 and the second position wherein the piston 45 is in contact with the inwardly protruding ring 52.
  • the toothed bar 37 and the spur gear 40 are so designed that in the first position the saw arm 15 is in the direction of the housing 11 and that in the second position the saw arm 15 extends perpendicular to the housing 11.
  • the housing is furthermore provided with an inwardly protruding support ring 55, and the inner tube 50 is provided with an outwardly protruding ring 56.
  • two springs are arranged: a return spring 62 located between the inwardly protruding support ring 55 and the outwardly protruding ring 56, and a compression spring 64 arranged between the outwardly protruding ring 56 and the lower end of the outer tube 49.
  • the two springs 62 and 64 are to provide a slightly floating suspension of the chainsaw arm 15 which allows the chainsaw to respond to hard spots in the casing and/or surrounding cement lining and formation.
  • the motor 27 is fixed to the inner tube 50 by means of supports 67 and 68, and the telescopic output shaft 28 of the motor 27 extends through opening 70 in plate 71.
  • the motor 27 is a hydraulic positive displacement motor of the Moineau type.
  • the motor 27 is arranged co-axially to the longitudinal axis I of the housing 11.
  • the upper support 67 is a ring that prevents fluid for powering the motor 27 from leaking away.
  • the cutting device 10 is lowered into the well 1 (see Figure 1) at the lower end of pipe 21.
  • the saw arm 15 is in the first, co-axial position relative to the longitudinal axis I.
  • the motor 27 is activated by passing a driving fluid through the pipe 21, this fluid passes via opening 46 into the positive displacement motor 27.
  • the telescopic output shaft 28 of the motor 27 drives the endless chain 24 with the cutting elements 25 via the transmission system 20.
  • the fluid supplied through the pipe 21 also acts on the piston 45, and as a result the device 35 for causing the bar 37 to translate moves downwards, and the saw arm 15 will gradually hinge towards to a position away from the longitudinal axis I of the housing 11.
  • the saw arm 15 is rotated the cutting elements 25 cut through the casing 5 (see Figure 1), the cement layer 7 and the underground formation 2.
  • the cutting device 10 is pulled upwards to form the elongated slot 23 in the underground formation 2.
  • the length of the saw arm 15 is not limited by the diameter of the housing or of the borehole, therefore the depth of the slot can be made much greater than the depth that can be made with the known cutting devices which employ a circular cutting blade.
  • the elongated slot of the present invention has flat walls, therefore application of a slot results in a production gain of at least 25% when compared to conventional perforations having the same depth which are created by means of a perforating gun.
  • the elongated slots made in accordance with the method of the present invention also improve any further treatment of the well such as gravel packing, hydraulic fracturing and other stimulation treatments. When slots according to the invention are used in combination with gravel packing substantially higher gains (up to 300%) can be expected due to the absence of a crunched zone with fines that tend to plug the gravel filter perforation tunnels made with conventional perforating techniques.
  • the cutting device can be provided with a conduit system and with nozzles that distribute fluid used to drive the motor to the cutting elements for cleaning them.
  • the fluid pressure near the saw arm can be controlled.
  • the pressure can be larger than the formation pressure to facilitate cutting the formation.
  • the pressure can be less than the formation pressure, and fluid will flow from the formation into the well and this fluid will clean the cutting elements.
  • the motor of the device described with reference to Figure 2 is a hydraulic, positive displacement motor, but instead the motor can be a hydraulic turbine or an electric motor.
  • the cutting device will be attached to the lower end of a pipe such as a drill pipe or a coiled tubing.
  • the motor is an electric motor the cutting device is attached to the lower end of an electric line or a coiled tubing provided internally with an electric line.
  • the cutting device can be provided with a transmission system that transmits rotation of the pipe on which the device is lowered into the well to the endless chain.
  • the bar 37 can be replaced by a rotatable spindle driven by an electric motor, which spindle co-operates with the spur gear.
  • the cutting device according to the present invention can be equipped with more than one saw arm, for example with two symmetrical saw arms.
  • the second saw arm (not shown) may be hingeable about the drive shaft 30 and may be induced to hinge by means of a spur gear which is driven by a toothed bar.
  • a spur gear which is driven by a toothed bar.
  • Such toothed bar and spur gear may be arranged in a mirror position with respect to the spur gear 40 and toothed bar 37 as shown in Figure 2.
  • the cutting elements cut through the casing, the cement and the formation. It will be understood that when the well is completed with a liner, the cutting elements will cut through the liner, and that when the well is an open hole the cut will only be made in the formation.
  • the device may be equipped with a circular saw blade which first cuts a slot in the casing or liner and the chain saw is then hinged through the thus cut slot to cut a slot in the cement lining and surrounding formation.
  • the well as shown in Figure 1 was a vertical well, however, the application of the cutting device according to the present invention is not restricted to vertical wells.
  • the well can also be an inclined or horizontal well, in which case the term 'upwards' means 'into a direction nearer to the wellhead'.
  • the endless chain can rotate in two directions.
  • the elongated slot can be made travelling upwards (as described with reference to Figure 1) or downwards.
  • the cutting elements 25 are made of wear-resistant material, such as tungsten carbide, or natural or synthetic diamond.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
  • Processing Of Stones Or Stones Resemblance Materials (AREA)
  • Excavating Of Shafts Or Tunnels (AREA)
  • Small-Scale Networks (AREA)
EP95929072A 1994-08-02 1995-08-01 Device and method for making a slot in an underground formation Expired - Lifetime EP0774039B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP95929072A EP0774039B1 (en) 1994-08-02 1995-08-01 Device and method for making a slot in an underground formation

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP94202239 1994-08-02
EP94202239 1994-08-02
EP95929072A EP0774039B1 (en) 1994-08-02 1995-08-01 Device and method for making a slot in an underground formation
PCT/EP1995/003091 WO1996004457A1 (en) 1994-08-02 1995-08-01 Device and method for making a slot in an underground formation

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0774039A1 EP0774039A1 (en) 1997-05-21
EP0774039B1 true EP0774039B1 (en) 1998-07-01

Family

ID=8217086

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95929072A Expired - Lifetime EP0774039B1 (en) 1994-08-02 1995-08-01 Device and method for making a slot in an underground formation

Country Status (12)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0774039B1 (no)
CN (1) CN1052292C (no)
AU (1) AU682280B2 (no)
BR (1) BR9508463A (no)
CO (1) CO4440615A1 (no)
DE (1) DE69503251T2 (no)
DK (1) DK0774039T3 (no)
NO (1) NO312421B1 (no)
NZ (1) NZ291437A (no)
OA (1) OA10398A (no)
RU (1) RU2137912C1 (no)
WO (1) WO1996004457A1 (no)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101240697B (zh) * 2008-03-13 2010-12-01 上海交通大学 微型井下侧壁环形槽切割工具
WO2019137594A1 (ru) * 2018-01-15 2019-07-18 Общество С Ограниченной Ответственностью "Научная Компания "Луч"" Рабочий орган перфорационного устройства

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9522688D0 (en) * 1995-11-06 1996-01-10 Red Baron Oil Tools Rental Apparatus for forming a slot in a wellbore
GB0226725D0 (en) * 2002-11-15 2002-12-24 Bp Exploration Operating method
RU2464411C2 (ru) * 2010-11-09 2012-10-20 Михаил Павлович Сергиенко Способ вскрытия продуктивных пластов и устройство для его осуществления
GB201100975D0 (en) * 2011-01-20 2011-03-09 Lee Paul B Downhole tools
US9371698B2 (en) 2013-11-06 2016-06-21 Bernard Compton Chung Subsurface formation cutter
CA2955228C (en) 2014-07-14 2021-02-02 Aarbakke Innovation A.S. Wellbore intervention tool for penetrating obstructions in a wellbore
CN104775813B (zh) * 2015-03-26 2017-06-27 天地科技股份有限公司 一种可开合孔内纵向切槽装置
NO341205B1 (en) * 2015-05-19 2017-09-11 Sintef Tto As Milling tool with self driven active side cutters
CN105952380B (zh) * 2016-06-17 2018-06-29 四川众基精锚工程技术有限公司 一种模扩孔设备及其扩孔方法
CN108954881B (zh) * 2018-07-27 2020-05-19 贵州省智慧能源股份有限公司 一种深部地热井开缝装置及方法
RU2751046C1 (ru) * 2020-11-18 2021-07-07 Акционерное общество "Азимут" (АО "Азимут") Гидромеханический щелевой перфоратор

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1406351A (en) * 1920-09-04 1922-02-14 Clyde S Corrigan Control bracket gear for deep-well-enlarging and cistern-making machines
US2178554A (en) * 1938-01-26 1939-11-07 Clifford P Bowie Well slotter
GB842549A (en) * 1959-03-20 1960-07-27 Ramsey Smith Deep well chain saw

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101240697B (zh) * 2008-03-13 2010-12-01 上海交通大学 微型井下侧壁环形槽切割工具
WO2019137594A1 (ru) * 2018-01-15 2019-07-18 Общество С Ограниченной Ответственностью "Научная Компания "Луч"" Рабочий орган перфорационного устройства
EA034113B1 (ru) * 2018-01-15 2019-12-27 Общество С Ограниченной Ответственностью "Научная Компания "Луч" Рабочий орган перфорационного устройства

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1052292C (zh) 2000-05-10
NZ291437A (en) 1998-08-26
AU3256795A (en) 1996-03-04
WO1996004457A1 (en) 1996-02-15
NO312421B1 (no) 2002-05-06
AU682280B2 (en) 1997-09-25
CN1154731A (zh) 1997-07-16
DE69503251T2 (de) 1998-11-12
OA10398A (en) 2001-12-04
DK0774039T3 (da) 1999-04-12
NO970400L (no) 1997-01-30
DE69503251D1 (de) 1998-08-06
RU2137912C1 (ru) 1999-09-20
NO970400D0 (no) 1997-01-30
BR9508463A (pt) 1997-12-30
EP0774039A1 (en) 1997-05-21
CO4440615A1 (es) 1997-05-07

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