US20140262334A1 - Prevention of wireline damage at a downhole window - Google Patents

Prevention of wireline damage at a downhole window Download PDF

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Publication number
US20140262334A1
US20140262334A1 US14/211,677 US201414211677A US2014262334A1 US 20140262334 A1 US20140262334 A1 US 20140262334A1 US 201414211677 A US201414211677 A US 201414211677A US 2014262334 A1 US2014262334 A1 US 2014262334A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
bha
window
wireline
blocking
tool
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Abandoned
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US14/211,677
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English (en)
Inventor
Mohannad A. ABDELAZIZ
Brian A. Roth
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Saudi Arabian Oil Co
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Saudi Arabian Oil Co
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Co filed Critical Saudi Arabian Oil Co
Priority to US14/211,677 priority Critical patent/US20140262334A1/en
Publication of US20140262334A1 publication Critical patent/US20140262334A1/en
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY reassignment SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: ABDELAZIZ, MOHANNAD A., ROTH, BRIAN A.
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • 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
    • E21B23/00—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells
    • E21B23/14—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells for displacing a cable or a cable-operated tool, e.g. for logging or perforating operations in deviated wells
    • 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
    • E21B41/00—Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
    • E21B41/0035—Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches

Definitions

  • This invention is in the field of oil and gas drilling apparatus and procedures for well logging at different elevations along the depth of the wellbore in order to determine and monitor the characteristics of the strata that are being encountered and traversed.
  • Basic downhole wellbore systems often include lateral wellbores at different depths.
  • a logging tool or bottom hole assembly which has the capacity to measure and/or monitor any, all or any combination of resistivity, conductivity, formation pressure, electrical, acoustic, radioactive, electromagnetic, nuclear magnetic resonance and other properties of the strata such as rock, sand, mud, oil, gas and shale and their contained fluids.
  • a further disclosure entitled “Technical Paper: High-performance Wellbore Departure and Drilling System for Accessing New Target”, incorporated herein by reference discloses application of wellbore departure in downhole drilling systems.
  • the paper asserts that conventional wellbore departure and drilling systems generally require the operator to make multiple downhole trips to achieve a specific objective, including a window milling bottom hole assembly (BHA) that is run in hole to create an exit path in the existing casing and drill sufficient rathole for the next drilling assembly, and that in the subsequent trip, a directional drilling BHA is run to extend the rathole and drill laterally to the target.
  • BHA window milling bottom hole assembly
  • the paper discusses the possibility of single trip operation with good downhole dynamics control and overall BHA drillability.
  • the paper surmises that a re-entry system should be able to mill a window in the existing casing sufficiently large enough for obstruction free entry of the BHA and new liners, and that once the BHA has exited the casing, the new system would be required to drill a full gauge lateral wellbore to the target with good directional control and minimal vibration.
  • Technological/operational issues analyzed include dynamic simulation of the BHA to study the nature and magnitude of the vibrations, controlling vibrations and feed rate to reduce premature cutter damage during window milling operations, utilizing the latest force balance software for selection of shapes, sizes, number and location of cutters for maximizing on-bottom time, exploring hybrid cutting structures on bit/mill to maintain gauge.
  • the discussed system over several phases, involved milling of a window in the existing casing and drilling a lateral to various depths.
  • the first phase was run on a conventional rotary BHA in soft and medium formations
  • the second phase included testing on a positive displacement motor with bent sub or bent housing
  • the third phase included a push-the-bit type rotary steerable system.
  • Wirelines and slicklines are tools inserted in to a well for both workover and logging efforts, and are similar devices.
  • a slickline is used to place and recover wellbore equipment, such as plugs, gauges and valves. These are single-strand non-electric cables lowered into oil and gas wells from the surface. Slicklines can also be used for adjustment of downhole valves and sleeves, and to repair tubing within the wellbore.
  • a wireline is an electrical cable used to lower tools into, transmit data about the conditions of the well bore, and conduct logging. Wirelines can be single strands or multi-strands. A wireline can be used for well intervention and formation evaluation operations. Wireline logs can be used to measure formation properties in a well through electrical lines.
  • a logging tool known in the industry as a sonde, is located at the bottom of the wireline. The tool is lowered by the wireline to a certain depth, and measurements are taken continuously on the ascent. When producing wells require remedial work to sustain, restore or enhance production, this is referred to in the industry as workover operations.
  • a well-servicing unit is used to winch items in and out of the wellbore.
  • the line used to raise and lower equipment can be braided steel wireline or a single strand slickline.
  • Workover operations can include well clean-up, setting plugs, production logging and perforation through explosives.
  • Wirelines can also be used for core drilling operations, in which the objective is to retrieve a core sample.
  • a core drill string includes a series of connected long hollow tubes, known as a rod string, with a barrel at the end connected to a cutting bit at the bottom of the hole.
  • a rod string To remove the core, the entire core barrel including each connected tube is removed.
  • wireline core drilling With wireline core drilling, the barrel can be removed without removing the rod string.
  • An overshot is lowered on the end of a wireline, and the overshot attaches to the back of the inner tube disengages itself from the barrel as the core barrel inner tube and the wireline is pulled back.
  • a BHA To access a lateral wellbore such a BHA is attached to a wireline cable and transported downward in the main wellbore, then turned in a lateral direction and into the lateral wellbore, and then directed to exit the lateral wellbore through a window or aperture milled in a wall thereof and then into a strata of interest.
  • a first object of the present invention is to provide apparatus that allows safe and efficient use of wireline cable to transport a BHA through a milled window in a lateral wellbore and provides similarly for safe and efficient use of slicklines.
  • Another object is to provide a tool attached to a BHA which engages the wellbore window and prevents the wireline from contacting the edge of the window as the BHA travels through said window and moves axially distally beyond said window.
  • a further object is for the tool as described above to be attached to and carried by the BHA as it passes through downhole and lateral wellbores approaching said lateral wellbore window.
  • the tool will have a diameter no greater than the BHA to which it is removably attached.
  • this tool may be standalone from the BHA and still function with a wellbore window to improve safe and efficient use of wirelines and slicklines.
  • a still further object is for said tool as described above to separate from said BHA when said BHA enters said window, and as the tool engages the window to maintain said wireline from contacting the edge of the window.
  • a further object is for said tool as defined above to be reconnected to said BHA when the BHA is withdrawn back out through said window and thence outward of said lateral and downhole wellbores.
  • An additional object is for said tool is described above to engage said edge of the window by having a part of said tool move to positions radially outward of the central axis of the BHA to thus have a diameter greater than the opening of the window.
  • said tool as described above to comprise a pair of pivotal arms which are spring biased or otherwise directed to their open position where they span a space greater than the opening of said window.
  • the tool could have two pairs of arms or some number more than two arms.
  • a bottom hole assembly connectable to a wireline cable, the BHA having outer diameter D1 adapted to pass through a wellbore inner pipe of predetermined inner diameter Dp, the BHA comprising:
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic fragmentary side elevation view partially in section of a prior art well casing, downhole pipe and wellhead penetrator,
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the prior art structure in FIG. 1 ,
  • FIG. 3A is a schematic fragmentary side elevation view of a BHA at the distal end of a wireline in a downhole well casing approaching a lateral wellbore
  • FIG. 3B is a view similar to FIG. 3A showing the BHA in the lateral well bore and inserted through a lateral window
  • FIG. 3C is a detailed top plan view of the lateral window opening in the lateral wellbore of FIG. 3B .
  • FIG. 3D is a fragmentary side elevation view in section of the lateral window of FIG. 3C .
  • FIG. 4A is similar to FIG. 3A but shows the BHA with the blocking tool coupled to the distal and of the BHA,
  • FIG. 4B is similar to FIG. 3B but shows the BHA having passed through the lateral window and the blocking tool in gauging the inner edge of the lateral window,
  • FIG. 5A is an enlarged side elevation view of the BHA showing the blocking mechanism with arms in closed condition
  • FIG. 5B is similar to FIG. 5A but shows the blocking mechanism with the arms extended transversely and engaging the edges of the inside wall of the lateral window as the BHA begins entry and traverse of the lateral window, and
  • FIG. 5C is similar to FIG. 5B but shows the blocking member separated from the BHA and the BHA moved distally away from the blocking member.
  • FIG. 5D is similar to FIG. 5C but employs two pairs of arms.
  • FIG. 5E is similar to FIG. 5A but illustrates employs longer arms.
  • FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 A- 3 D, 4 A and 4 B illustrate a conventional downhole wellbore 10 whose downhole outer pipe casing 11 inner casing 12 leads to lateral wellbore 13 .
  • a wellhead penetrator 14 Near the top of wellbore 10 is a wellhead penetrator 14 into which is inserted either wireline 16 seen in FIG. 1 or coiled cable 17 seen in FIG. 2 .
  • a bottom hole assembly (BHA) 22 which includes selective sensors or at least one sensor for detecting and/or measuring and reporting the existence and characteristics of strata in the vicinity of a lateral wellbore 13 that will be entered by the BHA 22 .
  • BHA 22 At the distal or lead end of the BHA 22 is a steering probe 24 which is used to guide the BHA along a selective path including turn 25 , then into lateral wellbore 13 .
  • FIG. 3B shows the BHA having passed through lateral window 26 of lateral wellbore 13 and into area 28 .
  • FIG. 3C provides an enlarged illustration of lateral window 26 in lateral wellbore 13 , this window being an opening milled or otherwise cut in the wall of lateral wellbore 13 .
  • window 26 appears as an oval opening, its proximal edge 27 is necessarily a friction point or knife edge against which wireline 16 rubs when it traverses window 26 and moves distally into area 28 . It is this knife edge friction point where wirelines become damaged and may even break when they are moved axially back-and-forth during strata examination, with expensive and time-consuming consequences.
  • Window 26 may have a vertical as well as horizontal orientation.
  • FIG. 4A is similar to FIG. 3A showing a downhole outer pipe casing 11 , inner pipe 12 , lateral wellbore 13 , wireline 16 and BHA 22 with its steering probe 24 .
  • the rear or proximal end segment is blocking tool 30 where later separates from the remainder of BHA 22 as further described below.
  • the BHA is shown descending before it turns to approach lateral window 26 and passes the window's sharp edged 27 .
  • FIG. 4B shows BHA 22 having traveled to and through lateral window 26 with a blocking tool 30 separated from the remainder of BHA 22 and now situated at the inner edge of window 26 .
  • Wireline 16 has moved axially through blocking tool 30 as BHA 22 is directed axially into area or zone 28 .
  • An object of this invention is to protect a wireline from damage at the friction point 27 where it must pass, this procedure occurring deep underground.
  • the new blocking tool 30 shown in FIGS. 4 B and 5 A- 5 C has a pair of arms 32 that spring out when released. When these arms engage the edges 29 of window/aperture 26 in lateral wellbore 13 , tool 30 is situated at window 26 but blocked from proceeding through the window. While so situated tool 30 serves as a guide or bushing and may include rollers through which cable 16 moves easily axially without encountering sharp edge 27 of window 26 . Arms 32 and associated mechanism not shown in tool 30 position, orient and maintain this tool in the lateral wellbore window 26 , and safely guide wireline 16 . BHA 22 is thus transported axially into zone 28 with no risk of damage to cable 16 from friction, abrasion or cutting by edge 27 . Furthermore, the bushing characteristic of tool 30 facilitates ease, speed and safety of repeated back-and-forth transitions of cable 16 .
  • blocking tool 30 may vary, but the one illustrated herein has arms 32 in closed compact position shown in FIG. 5A , the arms being biased by springs 34 to pivot in the directions of arrows 33 to open positions shown in FIG. 5B .
  • Release element 36 activated by electronic signals in wireline cable 16 releases arms 32 to spring to their open position, seen in FIG. 5B , just when the BHA 22 has arrived in the mid-window location.
  • Feet 38 of arms 32 are now spaced apart a distance greater than the width of opening 26 , which bars tool 30 from continuing through window 26 .
  • blocking tool 30 separates from the main body of BHA 22 , the main body then proceeding in the direction of arrow 40 its investigation and monitoring functions, as seen in FIG. 5C . Separation may be achieved by many different mechanisms, one device illustrated schematically herein is element 39 that engages mating element 39 A and is activated by release element 36 .
  • FIG. 5D illustrates a variation of the blocking tool, having more than two arms, such as a second pair of opposite arms, one being shown as arm 33 and its foot or roller wheel 33 A, the opposite arm not seen.
  • FIG. 5E illustrates a still further variation of the blocking tool where the arms 40 are not confined to be stored internal of the housing and thus can be longer and more effective in some situations.
  • Blocking tool 30 either returns to its closed position of FIG. 5A , or alternatively its arms 32 resiliently close enough to fit within downhole pipe 12 as BHA 22 is withdrawn.
  • the feet 38 are formed as rollers to facilitate movement of the feet when they engage edges 29 of window 26 , and when they later ride against the inner wall surfaces of pipe 12 when BHA is retracted.
  • the BHA carries its own blocking in cable guidance tool all the way down to the lower depths of the wellbore.
  • This tool traverses the extremely narrow diameter of the inner downhole pipe and then opens to a substantially larger diameter in its blocking mode.
  • the blocking tool's arms 32 are carried totally within the outer circumferential dimension of the cylindrical BHA. The location of the cable generally along the central axis of BHA 22 is maintained, as seen in FIG. 5C , when blocking tool 30 separates from the main body of BHA 22 .
  • the bottom hole assembly or BHA for investigation, monitoring or other well logging operations is presumed to include at least one sensor to investigate, measure and or monitor resistivity, conductivity, formation pressure, electrical, acoustic, radioactive, electromagnetic, nuclear magnetic resonance and other properties of the strata and their contained fluids in an area of interest.
  • a selected BHA would have outer dimensions appropriate for being transported through the bore of a downhole and lateral wellbore.

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  • 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)
  • Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)
  • Removal Of Insulation Or Armoring From Wires Or Cables (AREA)
  • Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)
US14/211,677 2013-03-14 2014-03-14 Prevention of wireline damage at a downhole window Abandoned US20140262334A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14/211,677 US20140262334A1 (en) 2013-03-14 2014-03-14 Prevention of wireline damage at a downhole window

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201361784784P 2013-03-14 2013-03-14
US14/211,677 US20140262334A1 (en) 2013-03-14 2014-03-14 Prevention of wireline damage at a downhole window

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US (1) US20140262334A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP2971459A2 (fr)
CN (1) CN105408579A (fr)
CA (1) CA2905494A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2014152979A2 (fr)

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20150315850A1 (en) * 2012-12-07 2015-11-05 Welltec A/S A downhole tool and downhole system

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3621840A1 (de) * 1986-06-28 1988-02-25 Iveco Magirus Antriebseinheit eines kraftfahrzeuges, insbesondere nutzfahrzeuges
US5010764A (en) * 1989-11-01 1991-04-30 Marathon Oil Company Method and apparatus for logging short radius horizontal drainholes
US5415238A (en) * 1994-04-29 1995-05-16 Western Atlas International, Inc. Borehole sidetrack locator
US6131659A (en) 1998-07-15 2000-10-17 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Downhole well corrosion monitoring apparatus and method
US6725925B2 (en) 2002-04-25 2004-04-27 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Downhole cathodic protection cable system
ATE422600T1 (de) * 2005-09-19 2009-02-15 Schlumberger Technology Bv Bohrsystem und verfahren zum bohren lateraler bohrlöcher
US7784564B2 (en) * 2007-07-25 2010-08-31 Schlumberger Technology Corporation Method to perform operations in a wellbore using downhole tools having movable sections
EP2341211A1 (fr) * 2009-12-30 2011-07-06 Welltec A/S Outil de guidage de trou de forage
CA2826671C (fr) * 2011-02-11 2021-02-16 Statoil Petroleum As Transmission de signaux et d'energie electrique dans des puits d'hydrocarbures
CN102747972A (zh) * 2012-07-18 2012-10-24 吉艾科技（北京）股份公司 一种电缆跟进式释放方法

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20150315850A1 (en) * 2012-12-07 2015-11-05 Welltec A/S A downhole tool and downhole system

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CN105408579A (zh) 2016-03-16
EP2971459A2 (fr) 2016-01-20
CA2905494A1 (fr) 2014-09-25
WO2014152979A2 (fr) 2014-09-25
WO2014152979A3 (fr) 2015-02-05

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AS Assignment

Owner name: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, SAUDI ARABIA

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ABDELAZIZ, MOHANNAD A.;ROTH, BRIAN A.;REEL/FRAME:034129/0779

Effective date: 20141019

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION