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
  • E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
  • E21B17/02—Couplings; joints
  • E21B17/04—Couplings; joints between rod or the like and bit or between rod and rod or the like
  • E21B17/06—Releasing-joints, e.g. safety joints
• • 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
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
  • E21B33/129—Packers; Plugs with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing
  • E21B33/1291—Packers; Plugs with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing anchor set by wedge or cam in combination with frictional effect, using so-called drag-blocks
• • 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
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
  • E21B33/129—Packers; Plugs with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing
  • E21B33/1295—Packers; Plugs with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing actuated by fluid pressure
  • E21B33/12955—Packers; Plugs with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing actuated by fluid pressure using drag blocks frictionally engaging the inner wall of the well

Definitions

• This disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in one example described below, more particularly provides for deactivation of a packer with a safety joint.
• a safety joint is typically positioned above or below a packer to allow a tubular string to be disconnected at the safety joint in the event that the packer or other equipment below the packer becomes stuck in a wellbore. After the safety joint is activated, the tubular string above the safety joint can be readily retrieved from the wellbore.
• activation of the safety joint deactivates (prevents setting of) the packer.
• a drag block on the packer is secured against displacement in at least one direction relative to a mandrel of the packer, in response to activation of the safety joint.
• a packer deactivation system is described below.
• the system can include a packer and a safety joint. Activation of the safety joint prevents setting of the packer.
• a method for use with a subterranean well is also described below.
• One example of the method can include activating a safety joint in the well; and deactivating a packer connected to the safety joint, in response to the safety joint activating.
• Another packer deactivation system described below can include a safety joint and a packer drag block locking mechanism. Activation of the safety joint operates the drag block locking mechanism, thereby preventing a drag block from displacing in a certain direction relative to a mandrel of a packer.
• FIG. 1 is a representative partially cross-sectional view of a well system and associated method which can embody principles of this disclosure.
• FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional view of a prior art packer.
• FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional view of a prior art safety joint.
• FIG. 4 is a representative partially cross-sectional view of a packer deactivation system which can embody principles of this disclosure, and which can be used in the well system of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is a representative partially cross-sectional view of another configuration of the packer deactivation system.
• FIG. 6 is a representative partially cross-sectional view of yet another configuration of the packer deactivation system.
• FIG. 1 Representatively illustrated in FIG. 1 is a well system 10 and associated method which can embody principles of this disclosure.
• system 10 and method are merely one example of how the principles of this disclosure can be applied in practice, and so the scope of this disclosure is not limited at all to the details of the system and method as depicted in the drawings and described below.
• a tubular string 12 is installed in a wellbore 14 lined with cement 16 and casing 18.
• a packer 20 is set to thereby seal off an annulus 22 formed radially between the tubular string 12 and the wellbore 14.
• Another packer 24 (or a bridge plug, etc.) may be used if desired to seal off the wellbore 14, so that the annulus 22 is isolated between the packers 20, 24.
• the tubular string 12 could be used for any purpose
• one or more perforating guns 26 are interconnected in the tubular string 12 for perforating the casing 18 and cement 16, so that fluid can be produced from, or injected into, an earth formation 28 penetrated by the wellbore 14.
• the formation 28 can then be tested by performing pressure buildup and drawdown tests, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.
• a safety joint 30 is interconnected in the tubular string 12 below the packer 20 (as viewed in FIG. 1).
• the safety joint can be activated to disconnect an upper section 12a of the tubular string 12 from a lower section 12b of the tubular string, so that the upper section can be retrieved.
• a separate "fishing" trip can then be used to retrieve the lower section 12b of the tubular string 12.
• tubular string 12 could include additional, fewer or different components from those depicted in FIG. 1, the wellbore can be horizontal or inclined, etc.
• the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the example representatively illustrated in FIG. 1.
• contingency measures e.g., washing-over the packer, using chemical or explosive means to sever a mandrel of the packer, etc.
• contingency measures e.g., washing-over the packer, using chemical or explosive means to sever a mandrel of the packer, etc.
• the packer mandrel is raised a predetermined distance, and this typically cannot be done if the safety joint has already been activated but the tubular string has not yet
• a packer deactivation system 32 prevents the packer 20 from setting after the safety joint 30 has been activated.
• the upper section 12a of the tubular string 12 can be conveniently retrieved from the wellbore 14, without the possibility of the packer 20 inadvertently setting after the safety joint 30 has been activated.
• the packer 20 can be deactivated, whether or not the tubular string 12 has been disconnected at the safety joint 30.
• the packer 20 is representatively illustrated, apart from the remainder of the system 10.
• the packer 20 may be similar in many respects to a prior art RTTS(TM) packer marketed by Halliburton
• packers may be used in the system 10, in keeping with the scope of this disclosure.
• packers which may be used include the CHAMP IV(TM) and CHAMP V(TM) packers, also marketed by
• the packer 20 is representative of a retrievable packer, operation of which can benefit from the principles of this disclosure.
• the packer deactivation system 32 can be used to prevent setting of the packer 20 when the safety joint 30 is activated.
• the packer 20 includes a generally tubular mandrel 34, a set of hydraulically actuated slips 36, a set of seal elements 38, a set of mechanically actuated slips 40 and a drag block 42.
• a J-slot mechanism (not visible in FIG. 2) controls whether the mandrel 34 can be lowered (as viewed in FIG. 2) relative to the seal elements 38, slips 40 and drag block 42.
• the drag block 42 is biased into contact with an inner wall of the casing 18 (or the formation 28 in an uncased wellbore) and thereby provides a frictional force, so that the mandrel 34 will displace downward relative to the seal elements 38 , slips 40 and drag block when the J- slot mechanism is operated to its "set" position.
• the packer 20 To set the packer 20 , the packer is positioned lower in the wellbore 14 than its intended setting location, the packer is then raised and rotated to select the J-slot mechanism "set” position, and the tubular string 12 is then lowered to set the packer.
• the frictional force provided by the drag block 42 urges the slips 40 upward along ramps 44 , so that the slips displace radially outward and obtain an initial "bite" into the casing 18 (or formation 28 if the wellbore 14 is uncased) .
• Further lowering of the tubular string 12 and mandrel 34 compresses the seal elements 38 , thereby radially outwardly extending the seal elements and sealing off the annulus 22 .
• the packer 20 can be unset by raising the mandrel 34 , thereby decompressing the seal elements 38 and allowing the slips 40 to retract inward.
• the safety joint 30 is representatively illustrated, apart from the remainder of the system 10 .
• the safety joint 30 may be similar in many respects to a prior art Below Packer Hydraulic Safety Joint marketed by Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., and well known to those skilled in the art.
• other types of safety joints may be used in the system 10, in keeping with the scope of this disclosure. Examples of other safety joints which may be used include the Anchor Pipe Safety Joint, the RTTS Safety Joint and the VR Safety Joint, also marketed by Halliburton Energy
• the safety joint 30 is representative of a typical safety joint, operation of which can benefit from the principles of this disclosure.
• the packer deactivation system 32 can be used to prevent setting of the packer 20 when the safety joint 30 is activated.
• the safety joint 30 includes a generally tubular mandrel 46 extending between end connectors 48, 50.
• the upper section 12a When interconnected in the tubular string 12, the upper section 12a is connected to the connector 48, and the lower section 12b is connected to the connector 50.
• a piston 52 is connected at a lower end of the mandrel 46.
• the piston 52 is sealingly and reciprocably received in an outer housing 54.
• Relative axial displacement between the mandrel 46 and the outer housing 54 is initially prevented by shear pins 58.
• the shear pins 58 will shear, thereby permitting relative axial displacement between the mandrel 46 and the outer housing 54.
• the splines 59 do not prevent such relative axial displacement between the mandrel 46 and the outer housing 54.
• a hydraulic fluid is contained in an annular chamber 60 formed radially between the mandrel 46 and the outer housing 54.
• the piston 52 When the mandrel 46 is permitted to displace axially upward relative to the outer housing 54, the piston 52 will compress the fluid in the chamber 60.
• pressure in the chamber 60 reaches a predetermined level, a rupture disk 62 will burst, allowing the fluid to drain from the chamber, and thereby permitting relatively unrestricted upward displacement of the mandrel 46 relative to the outer housing 54.
• castellated lugs 64 on an upper end of the piston 52 engage complementary lugs 66 on a floating piston 68, which also has lugs 70 which engage similar lugs (not visible in FIG. 3 ) on a component 72 connected to the outer housing 54.
• This engagement of lugs 64, 66, 70 prevents relative rotation between the mandrel 46 and the outer housing 54.
• the splines 59 are disengaged.
• Right-hand rotation can then be applied from the tubular string upper section 12a to the upper connector 48, mandrel 46 and outer housing 54 to "unscrew" the threads 56.
• the tubular string upper section 12a, along with the upper connector 48, mandrel 46, outer housing 54, component 72, pistons 52, 68, etc. can then be retrieved from the
• internally threaded component 74 are left attached to the tubular string lower section 12b.
• the internally threaded component 74 provides for convenient "fishing" of the tubular string lower section 12b.
• the packer deactivation system 32 prevents re-setting of the packer 20 when the shear pins 58 are sheared and the safety joint mandrel 46 is displaced upward relative to the outer housing 54 to unset the packer.
• the activation of the safety joint 30 also causes deactivation of the packer 20.
• the safety joint 30 could be any type of the safety joint 30.
• the system 32 includes a packer deactivation device 102 interconnected between the packer 20 and the safety joint 30.
• the packer deactivation system 32 could be used with other packers and safety joints, in keeping with the scope of this disclosure.
• a telescoping joint 76 is connected at its lower end to the outer housing 54. At its upper end, the telescoping joint 76 has a plug 78 which prevents well pressure from entering a chamber 80.
• the chamber 80 is separated from another chamber 82 by a piston 84.
• both of the chambers 80, 84 preferably are equally pressurized with a gas (such as air at atmospheric pressure, Nitrogen at a relatively low pressure, etc.).
• a gas such as air at atmospheric pressure, Nitrogen at a relatively low pressure, etc.
• the telescoping joint 76 will eventually reach an end of its travel, and the plug 78 will be thereby pulled out of the housing 86, exposing the chamber 80 to well pressure.
• a resulting pressure differential across the piston 84 will cause the housing 86 (and drag block 42 to which the housing 86 is attached) to be biased downward relative to the piston 84 (and mandrel 34 to which the piston is attached).
• tubular string upper section 12a can then be disconnected from the lower section 12b by right-hand rotation of the upper section to unscrew the threads 56, as described above.
• the upper section 12a can be retrieved from the wellbore 14 without concern that the packer 20 will set again.
• the outer housing 86 of the packer deactivation system 32 encloses segmented slips or other gripping devices 88 biased against a conical ramp 90 by a biasing device 92 (such as, a spring, pressurized gas chamber, etc.).
• a biasing device 92 such as, a spring, pressurized gas chamber, etc.
• the gripping devices 88 are biased radially inward by the ramp 90 , but an upper sleeve end 94 of the telescoping joint 76 prevents the slips from contacting a serrated outer surface of a mandrel 96 in the housing 86 .
• the mandrel 96 is connected between the packer mandrel 34 and the upper connector 48 of the safety joint 30 .
• the telescoping joint 76 When the safety joint mandrel 46 is displaced upwardly relative to the safety joint outer housing 54 (after the shear pins 58 are sheared) to activate the safety joint 30 , the telescoping joint 76 will eventually reach the end of its travel, and the sleeve end 94 will be thereby pulled out from under the gripping devices 88 .
• the gripping devices 88 will displace radially inward into contact with the mandrel 96 , due to the action of the biasing device 92 and ramp 90 on the gripping devices. This will prevent upward displacement of the drag block 42 relative to the packer mandrel 34, thereby preventing the packer 20 from setting.
• the tubular string upper section 12a can then be disconnected from the lower section 12b by right-hand rotation of the upper section to unscrew the threads 56, as described above.
• the upper section 12a can be retrieved from the wellbore 14 without concern that the packer 20 will set again.
• the housing 86 is part of the telescoping joint 76.
• Resilient collets 98 are positioned in the housing 86.
• the collets 98 are dimensioned for cooperative engagement with a recess 100 formed on the mandrel 96. Until the collets 98 are engaged with the recess 100, the housing 86 (and drag block 42 to which the housing is attached) can displace upwardly relative to the mandrel 96 (and packer mandrel 34 to which the mandrel 96 is attached). Thus, the packer 20 can be set and unset as desired.
• the tubular string upper section 12a can then be disconnected from the lower section 12b by right-hand rotation of the upper section to unscrew the threads 56, as described above.
• the upper section 12a can be retrieved from the wellbore 14 without concern that the packer 20 will set again.
• a packer deactivation device 102 (including the housing 86, mandrel 96, etc.) is separate from (but connected to) the packer 20 and safety joint 30, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the packer deactivation device could be integrally incorporated into the packer, or into the safety joint. As another alternative, the packer 20, safety joint 30 and packer deactivation device 102 could be integrally incorporated into a single item of equipment capable of being
• the plug 78, chambers 82, 82 and piston 84 comprise a drag block locking mechanism 104 which prevents displacement of the drag block 42 in an upward direction relative to the packer mandrel 34.
• the drag block locking mechanism 104 comprises the slips 88, ramp 90 and biasing device 92.
• the locking mechanism 104 comprises the collets 98 and recess 100. This demonstrates that a variety of
• locking mechanisms 104 can be used in the system 32 and, therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited at all to use of any particular locking mechanism.
• Activation of the safety joint 30 in the depicted system 32 examples deactivates the packer 20, so that the packer and tubular string upper section 12a can be retrieved without setting the packer.
• a drag block 42 on the packer 20 is secured against displacement in at least one direction relative to the packer mandrel 34, in response to activation of the safety joint 30.
• a packer deactivation system 32 is described above.
• the system 32 can include a packer 20 and a safety joint 30. Activation of the safety joint 30 can prevent setting of the packer 20.
• Activation of the safety joint 30 can disconnect sections 12a, b of a tubular string 12.
• Activation of the safety joint 30 can prevent
• Activation of the safety joint 30 can expose a chamber 80 to pressure in a wellbore 14.
• Activation of the safety joint 30 can engage a drag block locking mechanism 104.
• Activation of the safety joint 30 can engage a collet
• Activation of the safety joint 30 can engage a gripping device 88, thereby preventing displacement of a drag block 42 of the packer 20 in at least one direction relative to a mandrel 34 of the packer 20.
• the method can include: activating a safety joint 30 in the well; and deactivating a packer 20 connected to the safety joint 30, in response to the safety joint 30 activating.
• Activating the safety joint 30 can comprise applying a predetermined tensile load to the safety joint 30, thereby displacing a mandrel 46 of the safety joint 30 in a
• Deactivating the packer 20 can comprise preventing a drag block 42 of the packer 20 from displacing in the direction relative to a mandrel 34 of the packer 20.
• direction may be performed in response to displacing the safety joint mandrel 46 in the direction.
• the method can include setting the packer 20 prior to activating the safety joint 30.
• Another packer deactivation system 32 described above can include a safety joint 30 and a packer drag block locking mechanism 104. Activation of the safety joint 30 can operate the drag block locking mechanism 104, thereby preventing a drag block 42 from displacing in a direction relative to a mandrel 34 of a packer 20.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (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)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=49117135

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2012
  • 2012-03-06 WO PCT/US2012/027799 patent/WO2013133796A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-03-06 CN CN201280071147.9A patent/CN104145075A/zh active Pending
  • 2012-03-06 AU AU2012372853A patent/AU2012372853B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-03-06 SG SG11201405454QA patent/SG11201405454QA/en unknown
  • 2012-03-06 EP EP12870521.7A patent/EP2823138A4/de not_active Withdrawn

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events