RU2796067C1 - Pipe leak isolation device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: oil and gas industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention can be used for sealing emergency casing pipes and tubing pipes (tubing pipes) during development, operation and repair of wells. The pipe leak isolation device consists of lower and upper hydraulic actuators containing cuffs, respectively, lower and upper, configure to create a limit when fixing the leak area. Each hydraulic actuator consists of a barrel. The upper barrel is connected on one side through a coupling with an adapter, and on the other hand, through a coupling with a branch pipe that connects both hydraulic drives to each other. On one side the lower barrel is connected through a sleeve to an adapter connected, in turn, to a branch pipe, and on the other side, the lower barrel is also connected through a sleeve to a valve, in the cavity of which a sleeve, a seat and a ball made of dissolving material are installed. Transport cuffs with rings are installed on the adapters. Under the upper clutch of the upper hydraulic drive connected to the sub, a ratchet cover is installed, its upper part resting on the ratchet interacting with the coupling part of the barrel, and the lower part is fastened to the body by means of a threaded connection, which, in turn, is connected to the cone-shaped cover at its lower part, resting with its end part against the protruding part of the barrel, and with its cone-shaped part against the cuff, which rests against the lower coupling of the upper hydraulic drive. The ratchet cover, the ratchet, the body with the conical cover of the upper hydraulic drive are mounted with the possibility of moving along the shaft axis by the amount of the ratchet operation, and the cuff is installed with the possibility of its deformation. Under the upper clutch of the lower hydraulic drive, connected with the sub, there is a cuff resting against it, against which the cone-shaped cover rests with its cone-shaped part, and the end cover against the protruding part of the barrel. The lower part of the cover is connected to the upper part of the body, the lower part of the body is connected to the upper part of the ratchet cover and, with the help of a shear pin, to the barrel, the lower part of the ratchet cover rests against the ratchet interacting with the mating part of the barrel. The ratchet cover, the ratchet, the body with the conical cover of the lower hydraulic drive are mounted with the possibility of moving along the shaft axis by the amount of the ratchet operation after pin shear, and the cuff is installed with the possibility of its deformation.

EFFECT: increase of the period of active operation of casing pipes and tubing by increasing the operating time of equipment without extraction from the well and without loss of the produced product.

1 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The claimed technical solution relates to the oil and gas industry and can be used for sealing emergency casing pipes and tubing pipes (tubing) during the development, operation and repair of wells.

A known method of carrying out repair and insulation works in a well (patent No. 2423599, IPC E21B33/13, publ. 07/10/2011), which includes killing the well, lifting to the surface of the tubing with downhole equipment, inspection of the casing string with the identification of the interval of leaks, installation on the tubing packer, lowering the tubing with downhole equipment into the well, pumping the blocking composition under pressure and putting the well into operation. As a blocking composition, a hydrophobic or hydrophobic liquid is used that does not change its state of aggregation under operating conditions. The packer is placed at a level below the casing leak interval, and the blocking composition is fed into the space above the packer between the casing and tubing at constant pressure. The supply is stopped when the supply resistance pressure rises above the allowable one.

The disadvantage of this technical solution is the lack of reliability.

A sealing device is known according to a method for eliminating leaks in a pipe string (patent No. 2498044, IPC E21B 29/02. E21B 33/10, publ. 11/10/2013), which includes a deformable plastic material, an explosive charge with an explosion initiator. To do this, an explosive charge with an explosion initiator is placed inside the deformable plastic material. At the same time, the sealing device is made with the possibility of its free passage inside the pipe string, which ensures delivery to the leaky section of the pipe string, and with the possibility of blocking the leak of the pipe string, and the explosion initiator is connected to the conductor of the initiating pulse of the explosive network located on the surface.

The disadvantage of this technical solution is also low reliability, as well as the danger of ongoing actions that can lead to the destruction of the tubing.

The closest analogue is the method and system for isolating leaks in the production string of pipes (patent No. 47956, IPC E21B33/12, publ. 09/10/2005), consisting of lower and upper sealing devices containing cuffs, respectively, lower and upper, limiting fixing the leak area, and the anchor installed in the upper sealing device and placed above the upper cuff. The lower sealing device comprises a cone and a stop with the placement of the lower cuff between them, and below the leakage area there is a metal patch, on the upper edge of which there is a cone, the upper sealing device contains a locking sleeve with a thread with the upper cuff placed on it, a movable sleeve with the ability to move along a locking sleeve and mating with a pressure sleeve, in which a spring split nut is installed, having a thread for connecting with a pressure sleeve and a thread mating with a thread on the locking sleeve, and the anchor is made with breaking crackers, while the spring split nut is paired with breaking crackers of the anchor, in addition, the cone and stop, as well as the fixing sleeve and the movable sleeve are each connected to each other by shear pins.

The main disadvantage of this device is the impossibility of its use inside casing pipes and tubing due to the fact that for its fixation it is necessary to install a metal patch to provide a stop.

The task to be solved by the claimed device is to eliminate leaks in casing pipes and tubing, which include check valves located below the leak zone, in artificial lift using electric centrifugal pumps (ESP) and other layouts, without dismantling the pipe string.

The technical result achieved by using this solution is to increase the period of active operation of casing pipes and tubing by increasing the operating time of equipment without removing it from the well and without loss of the produced product.

The specified technical result is achieved by the fact that in the device for isolating leaks in pipes, consisting of a lower and upper hydraulic drives containing cuffs, respectively, lower and upper, installed with the possibility of limiting when fixing the leak area, each hydraulic drive consists of a shaft, and the upper shaft is connected to one side through a sleeve with a sub, and on the other side through a sleeve with a branch pipe that connects both hydraulic drives to each other, respectively, the lower wellbore on one side is connected through a sleeve with a sub connected in turn to the branch pipe, and on the other hand, the lower wellbore is also through the sleeve is connected to the valve, in the cavity of which a bushing, a seat and a ball made of a dissolving material are installed, while transport cuffs with rings are installed on the subs, and a ratchet with a cover, a body with a cover and a cuff are installed on the stems.

The implementation of the device in two parts in the form of hydraulic actuators, as well as the use of a valve with a ball made of a dissolving material, allows you to install the device and ensure the isolation of pipe leaks without removing them from the well, which increases the life of the casing pipes and tubing.

The technical essence of the proposed technical solution is illustrated by the following drawings:

- in Fig. 1 shows a section of the upper hydraulic drive of the pipe leak isolation device;

- in Fig. 2 shows a section of the lower hydraulic drive of the pipe leak isolation device;

- in Fig. 3 shows the external view of the pipe leak isolation device.

The device for isolating leaks in pipes contains an upper and lower hydraulic drive connected to each other by a branch pipe (1). The upper hydraulic drive includes a shaft (2) connected through a coupling (3) to a sub (4) and the other side through a coupling (5) to a branch pipe (1). Transport cuffs (6) with rings (7) are installed on the sub (4). Under the clutch (3), on the barrel (2) there is a ratchet cover (8), under which there is a ratchet (9) and a ring (10). The upper part of the cover (8) abuts against the ratchet mechanism interacting with the mating part of the barrel (2), and the lower part of the cover (8) is fastened to the upper part of the body (11) by means of a threaded connection. The lower part of the body (11) is connected by means of a threaded connection with the cover (12), which abuts against the cuff (13), and the cuff (13) against the sleeve (5). In this case, the cover (12) is tightly installed on the barrel (2) resting with its end against the protruding part of the barrel (2). The ratchet cover (8), ratchet (9), ring (10), cover (12) and cuff (13) are mounted on the barrel (2) with the ability to move along the barrel axis by the amount of work of the ratchet mechanism (9).

The lower hydraulic drive includes a shaft (14) connected through a coupling (15) to a sub (16), which, in turn, is connected to a branch pipe (1). The other side of the barrel (14) is fastened through the sleeve (17) with the valve (18). Transport cuffs (19) with rings (20) are installed on sub (16). Under the clutch (15), on the barrel (14) there is a ratchet cover (21), under which there is a ratchet (22) and a ring (23). The lower part of the cover (21) abuts against the ratchet mechanism that interacts with the mating part of the barrel (14), and the upper part of the cover (21) is fastened with a threaded connection to the lower part of the body (24), which is fastened to the barrel (14) using shear pins (25). The upper part of the body (24) is connected by means of a threaded connection with the cover (26), which abuts against the cuff (27), and the cuff (27) against the sleeve (15). In this case, the cover (26) is tightly installed on the barrel (14) resting with its end against the protruding part of the barrel (14). Ratchet cover (21), ratchet (22), ring (23), cover (26) and cuff (27) are mounted on the barrel (14) with the ability to move along the barrel axis by the amount of work of the ratchet mechanism (22) after shearing the pins (25) . A sleeve (28), a seat (29) and a ball (30) made of a dissolving material are installed in the valve cavity (18). A cap (31) is attached to the valve. The device parts are sealed with rings (32).

The device works as follows.

The device assembled with the launcher (lubricator) is installed by the upper hydraulic drive forward on the wellhead valve lubricator valve. The starter is supplied with pressure from the pump unit. Under the pressure of the liquid resting against the ball (30) of the valve (18), the leak isolation device moves inside the tubing string, while the volume of liquid below the leak isolation device, up to the tubing string check valve, is displaced through the leak into the annulus. Transport cuffs (6, 19) are used to transport the device and detect leaks. During descent, the chamber of the upper hydraulic drive is connected to the cavity limited by the device, the inner diameter of the tubing and the transport cuffs (6.19). When the leakage zone of the string is reached, the inner cavity of the tubing is connected through the leakage with the annulus, a pressure drop occurs. The pressure drops sharply in the area between the cuffs (6.19), the outer surface of the device and the inner surface of the tubing. Due to this difference along the barrel (2), the moving parts of the device (ratchet cover (8), ratchet (9), ring (10), body (11) and cover (12) begin to move down until the cuff (13 ) is not tightly fixed on the inner surface of the tubing.The cone of the cover (12) compresses the cuff (13) to the end of the coupling (5) and seals the leakage area from above, it is fixed with a ratchet device (9).After installing the upper hydraulic drive, the screws (25) of the lower hydraulic drive are sheared : the cover cone (26) compresses the cuff (27) to the end face of the coupling (15) and the leakage area is sealed from below, fixed by the ratchet device (22).If the pressure is further increased, the pins (33) of the valve seat (29) are sheared.Shear pins (33 ) and the ball (30) are made of a material that dissolves over time, which eliminates the error in calculating the number of pins used and ensures the sealing of the elements from the pressure of the ESP pump. The ball (30) dissolves and opens the full internal passage of the device. The device is removed when replacing the tubing string.

Claims (1)

A device for isolating leaks in pipes, consisting of a lower and upper hydraulic drives containing cuffs, respectively, lower and upper, installed with the possibility of limiting when fixing the area of leakage, characterized in that each hydraulic drive consists of a shaft, and the upper shaft is connected on one side through a coupling with sub, and on the other hand - through a coupling with a branch pipe that connects both hydraulic drives to each other, respectively, the lower wellbore on one side is connected through a sleeve with a sub connected, in turn, to the branch pipe, and on the other hand, the lower wellbore is also connected through the sleeve with a valve, in the cavity of which a bushing, a seat and a ball made of a dissolving material are installed, while transport cuffs with rings are installed on the subs, and under the upper clutch of the upper hydraulic drive associated with the sub, a ratchet cover is installed, resting with its upper part on the ratchet, interacting with the mating part of the barrel, and the lower part is fastened with a threaded connection to the body, which, in turn, is connected by the lower part to a cone-shaped cover, resting with its end part against the protruding part of the barrel, and with its cone-shaped part against the cuff, which abuts against the lower clutch of the upper hydraulic drive, while the ratchet cover, ratchet, body with a cone-shaped cover of the upper hydraulic drive are installed with the possibility of moving along the shaft axis by the amount of work of the ratchet, and the cuff is installed with the possibility of its deformation, under the upper clutch of the lower hydraulic drive associated with the sub, abutting against there is a cuff against which the cone-shaped cover rests with its cone-shaped part, and the end cap rests against the protruding part of the barrel, and the lower part of the cover is connected to the upper part of the body, the lower part of the body is connected to the upper part of the ratchet cover and, with the help of a shear pin, to the barrel, the lower part the ratchet cover rests against the ratchet interacting with the mating part of the barrel, while the ratchet cover, the ratchet, the body with the cone-shaped cover of the lower hydraulic drive are installed with the possibility of moving along the shaft axis by the amount of work of the ratchet after the pin is cut, and the cuff is installed with the possibility of its deformation.

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