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
  • E21B17/10—Wear protectors; Centralising devices, e.g. stabilisers
  • E21B17/1007—Wear protectors; Centralising devices, e.g. stabilisers for the internal surface of a pipe, e.g. wear bushings for underwater well-heads
• • 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
  • E21B17/10—Wear protectors; Centralising devices, e.g. stabilisers
• • 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
  • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
  • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
• • 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
  • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
  • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
  • E21B33/035—Well heads; Setting-up thereof specially adapted for underwater installations
  • E21B33/037—Protective housings therefor
• • 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
  • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
  • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
  • E21B33/068—Well heads; Setting-up thereof having provision for introducing objects or fluids into, or removing objects from, wells

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates in general to a wear bushing for use with a wellhead assembly; and in particular to a wear bushing for use with a wellhead assembly that locks a hanger in the wellhead assembly.
• a wear bushing is often landed axially above the casing hanger. This is done prior to operations that involve inserting tools and devices (such as a drill bit and drill string) axially through the wellhead assembly to shield the casing hanger(s) and other components in the wellhead housing from damage and wear during these operations.
• a casing hanger running tool is mounted onto the drill string and used to land and set the casing hanger. After landing the casing hanger, the casing hanger running tool is removed from the drill string and replaced with a wear bushing running and retrieval tool. The wear bushing running and retrieval tool runs, lands, and sets the wear bushing. After landing the wear bushing, the wear bushing running and retrieval tool may pressure test the wear bushing to ensure that the wear bushing has properly landed on the casing hanger.
• the wear bushing running and retrieval tool is decoupled from the wear bushing and pulled from the wellbore.
• Various drilling tools may then be attached to the drill string in place of the wear bushing running and retrieval tool.
• the drilling tools are then run downhole past the wear bushing and the casing hanger to conduct drilling operations.
• the drill tool and drill string will pass through a bore of the casing hanger without contacting or damaging the inner diameter or the rim of the casing hanger.
• the drill tool may contact and damage the casing hanger as it passes through the casing hanger.
• the drill tool will first contact the wear bushing, and, as the drill tool passes through the wear bushing, it will come into alignment with the casing hanger.
• the wear bushing protects the casing hanger.
• the drill string rotates eccentrically during the drilling operation, the drill string will contact and wear the wear bushing rather than the casing hanger, thus protecting the casing hanger.
• the drill string and the drill tool will be pulled from the wellbore.
• the wear bushing running and retrieval tool may then be coupled to the drill string in place of the drill tool, and then be run to the wear bushing to pull the wear bushing from the wellbore.
• a lockdown hanger may then be run downhole to land and set above the casing hanger to provide additional casing lockdown capability.
• the lockdown hanger may be needed due to thermal expansion of the casing string.
• Lockdown hangers improve long-term seat reliability below the lockdown hanger by sharing the cyclic axial loads applied to the casing hanger.
• the lockdown hanger is run proximate to lock-ring grooves formed in the subsea wellhead axially above the casing hanger. After landing, a grooved ring of the lockdown hanger will actuate to engage the lock-ring grooves, thereby properly securing the lockdown hanger to the wellhead and casing hanger.
• wear bushing for use with a wellhead assembly.
• wear bushing is insertable into a wellhead housing and includes an annular wear bushing sleeve having a lower end selectively in interfering contact with an upper end of a hanger that is landed in the wellhead housing.
• annular wear bushing body that inserts within and selectively couples to the wear bushing sleeve, and a lockdown ring that selectively couples to an inner surface of the wellhead housing and into interfering contact with an upper end of the wear bushing sleeve when the wear bushing body is landed in the wear bushing sleeve, so that when the wear bushing body is landed in the wear bushing sleeve and the wear bushing sleeve lands in the hanger, an axial lockdown force is transmitted between the hanger and the wellhead housing and through the wear bushing sleeve that opposes axial movement of the hanger in a direction towards the lockdown ring.
• a lock ring for coupling together the wear bushing body and wear bushing sleeve and that moves into interfering contact when an inner recess on the outer surface of the wear bushing body registers with an outer recess on the inner surface of the wear bushing sleeve.
• the wear bushing assembly is in a landed configuration when the inner and outer recesses are registered.
• the outer recess comprises a lower outer recess, and wherein the lock ring is in interfering contact with the inner recess and an upper outer recess on the outer surface of the wear bushing sleeve that is axially above the lower outer recess and when the wear bushing assembly is in a running configuration.
• Pins are included with this example that are radially extending through the wear bushing sleeve with inner ends that intersect the upper outer recess and outer ends that project radially outward past an outer surface of the wear bushing sleeve.
• the outer ends of the pins can contact the upper end of the hanger as the wear bushing sleeve is inserted into the hanger.
• the lockdown ring may be frangibly connected to the wear bushing body.
• the wear bushing body has an outer diameter that transitions radially outward for urging the lockdown ring into engagement with a groove formed on an inner surface of the wellhead housing.
• a profile of the inner surface of the wear bushing sleeve can define an upward facing shoulder on which a downward facing shoulder on an outer surface of the wear bushing body is supported when the wear bushing body is landed in the wear bushing sleeve.
• a wear bushing assembly is disclosed that is for use with a wellhead assembly that has a wellhead housing.
• the wear bushing is made up of an annular wear bushing sleeve having an inner bore that transitions radially inward a distance to define an upward facing shoulder, and having a lower portion that is selectively in interfering contact with a casing hanger that is landed in the wellhead housing.
• An annular wear bushing body is included that has an outer surface profiled to define a downward facing shoulder, and that is insertable in the wear bushing sleeve to a running position with the upward and downward facing shoulders spaced apart, and that is inserted in the wear bushing sleeve is to a landed position with the downward facing shoulder in interfering contact with the upward facing shoulder.
• This example further includes a lockdown ring circumscribing the wear bushing body and that selectively engages an inner surface of the wellhead housing and that is in interfering contact with an upper end of the wear bushing sleeve when the wear bushing body is in the landed position.
• a lock ring is optionally included that is for coupling together the wear bushing sleeve and the wear bushing body, and that is in interfering contact in an inner recess on an outer surface of the wear bushing body and an upper outer recess on an inner surface of the wear bushing sleeve when the wear bushing body is in the running position.
• the lock ring of this example is in interfering contact in the inner recess and a lower outer recess on an inner surface of the wear bushing sleeve when the wear bushing body is in the landed position, and wherein the lower outer recess is on a side of the upper outer recess opposite from the lockdown ring.
• This example embodiment further includes pins that project through a sidewall of the wear bushing sleeve and that are for urging the lock ring out of the upper recess so that the wear bushing body and lock ring slide axially with respect to the wear bushing sleeve until the inner recess and lower outer recess register with one another.
• the wear bushing assembly includes an annular wear bushing sleeve selectively inserted into the wellhead housing and landed on an upper end of a casing hanger, an annular wear bushing body selectively inserted into the wear bushing sleeve and moveable between a running position and a landed position that is axially spaced away from the running position, and a lockdown ring that circumscribes the wear bushing body and has undulations on an outer surface, and when the wear bushing body is in the landed position, the undulations engage a profiled portion on an inner surface of the wellhead housing so that the lock ring is in interfering contact with an upper end of the wear bushing sleeve.
• a lock ring for coupling the wear bushing body to the wear bushing sleeve can be included.
• An inner recess can be included that is on an outer surface of the wear bushing body, along with an upper outer recess on an inner surface of the wear bushing sleeve and that registers with the inner recess when the wear bushing body is in the running position, and a lower outer recess spaced axially away from the upper outer recess and on the inner surface of the wear bushing sleeve, and wherein the lower outer recess registers with the inner recess when the wear bushing body is in the landed position.
• the lock ring when the wear bushing body is in the running position, the lock ring extends radially into the inner recess and upper outer recess and is in interfering contact with the wear bushing sleeve and wear bushing body thereby coupling together the wear bushing sleeve and wear bushing body, and wherein when the wear bushing body is in the landed position, the lock ring extends radially into the inner recess and lower outer recess and is in interfering contact with the wear bushing sleeve and wear bushing body thereby coupling together the wear bushing sleeve and wear bushing body.
• pins for frangibly coupling together the lockdown ring and the wear bushing body wherein when the wear bushing body is in the running position, an upper end of the wear bushing sleeve is in interfering contact with the lockdown ring, so that when the wear bushing body moves from the running position to the landed position, the wear bushing sleeve opposes axial movement of the lockdown ring thereby shearing the pins.
• FIGS. 1-3 are side sectional views of an example of a wear bushing assembly being inserted into and locked down in a wellhead housing and in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a side sectional detailed view of an example of a portion of the wear bushing assembly and wellhead housing of Figure 3 and in accordance with the present invention.
• Figure 1 is a side sectional view of an example of a wear bushing assembly 20 that includes an annular wear bushing body 22 with a bore 23 shown formed axially through the body 22.
• the outer diameter of body 22 transitions radially inward to define a pair of downwardly facing shoulders 24, 26 that are spaced axially apart.
• a lockdown ring 28 is shown circumscribing an outer surface of the wear bushing body 22 and adjacent lower facing shoulder 24.
• the outer curved surface of the lockdown ring 28 includes a pair of undulations that define a profile 30.
• the lockdown ring 28 couples with the wear bushing body 22 via pins 32 that project radially through the lockdown ring 28 and into an outer surface of the wear bushing body 28 just above downward facing shoulder 24.
• the lower end of lockdown ring 28 depends between downward facing shoulder 24 and downward facing shoulder 26.
• the wear bushing body 22 of Figure 1 is shown inserted into a bore 33 that extends axially through an annular wear bushing sleeve 34.
• the wear bushing body 22 is in what is referred to as a running position and wherein the lockdown ring 28 is in an interfering contact within an upper end 35 of the wear bushing sleeve 34.
• Illustrated axially spaced away from downward facing shoulder 26 is an upward facing shoulder 36 formed on an inner surface of wear bushing sleeve 34 where a radius of bore 33 transitions radially inward.
• Push rods 38 are shown projecting radially through a side wall of wear bushing sleeve 34 and on a side of upward facing shoulder 36 opposite downward facing shoulder 26.
• the push rods 38 have elongate cylindrical bodies that project radially through the passages in the side wall of wear bushing sleeve 34.
• a piston like head is formed on an inner radial end of the push rods 38, and is shown in contact with an outer surface of a lock ring 40.
• Lock ring 40 circumscribes a lower portion of the wear bushing body 22, and has a cross section with an the axial height that is greater than its radial width.
• Lock ring 40 circumscribes an outer surface of wear bushing body 22, and its cross sectional radial width extends from within a portion of an inner recess 42 and radially outward into an upper outer recess 43 that is formed on an inner surface of wear bushing sleeve 34.
• inner recess 42 is in registration with upper outer recess 43, and portions of the lock ring 40 are in recesses 42, 43 thereby coupling together the wear bushing body 22 and wear bushing sleeve 34.
• Spaced axially away from upper outer recess is a lower outer recess 44 formed along the inner surface of wear bushing sleeve 34.
• the wear bushing assembly 20 is being landed within a wellhead housing 45 that is part of a wellhead assembly. Also included with the wellhead assembly is a casing hanger 46, which is an annular member shown landed within wellhead housing 45 and below wear bushing assembly 20. A ledge 47 is shown that is axially spaced below where the upward facing shoulder 36 is formed on the inner surface of the wear bushing sleeve 34; ledge 47 faces downward and towards an upper end of casing hanger 46. Further in the example of Figure 1 is shown an example of a seal assembly 48 between the outer surface of casing hanger 46 and inner surface of wellhead housing 45.
• FIG. 2 shown in side sectional view is an example of wear bushing assembly 20 moved axially downward from its position of Figure 1 , and landed on an upper end of casing hanger 46.
• ledge 47 is in interfering contact with an upper end of casing hanger 46.
• the tips of the push rods 38 come into interfering contact with an inner surface of casing hanger 46.
• the wear bushing body 22 is moved axially downward into the landed position so that its downward facing shoulder 26 is in an interfering contact with the upward facing shoulder 36 of the wear bushing sleeve 34.
• inner recess 42 is moved into registration with lower outer recess 44, so that the potential energy stored within lock ring 40 causes it to radially expand and reside partially within each recess 42, 44.
• lock ring 40 couples together wear bushing body 22 wear bushing sleeve 34.
• push pins 38 having been moved radially inward are positioned such that the outer radial portion is within the outer circumference of wear bushing sleeve 34 and the piston portion of the push rods is set within the upper outer recess 43. Because the lockdown ring 28 is in interfering contact with the upper end 35 of wear bushing sleeve 34 when in the running position, moving the wear bushing body 22 axially downward and into the landed position axially moves the lockdown ring 28 with respect to wear bushing body 22. This movement shears shear pins 32 thereby releasing the lockdown ring 28 from the wear bushing body 22.
• Figure 4 is a side sectional view of a portion of the wear bushing assembly 20 of Figure 3 and inserted within casing hanger 46. As illustrated, the lock ring 40 occupies a portion of both the inner recess 42 and lower outer recess 44. To facilitate removal of the wear bushing assembly 20 when all operations are complete, an optional bevel is provided on an upper surface 54 of lower outer recess 44. In an example, the bevel reduces resistive forces of urging the lock ring 40 radially inward from the lower outer recess 44 and fully into inner recess 42 when upward forces applied to the wear bushing assembly 20 for its removal from within the wellhead housing 45.
• tie back profile 56 on an inner surface of casing hanger 46 and axially adjacent lower outer recess 44.
• tie back profile 56 provides a location for a running tool (not shown) to engage casing hanger 46 so casing hanger 46 may be landed within wellhead housing 45 ( Figure 3).
• a profile 58 on an outer surface of wear bushing sleeve 34 may be included that projects into a portion of the space defined by tie back profile 56.
• casing hanger 46 is landed within wellhead housing 45 by the running tool, and then the running tool is removed and then attached to the wear bushing assembly 20.
• Wear bushing assembly 20 is lowered into the wellhead housing 45 so it can be landed onto casing hanger 46 as illustrated in Figure 2.
• Downward force provided via running tool onto wear bushing assembly 20 can generate the applied force for shearing shear pins 32 so that the wear bushing body 22 can be moved into the landed position of Figure 3 from the running position of Figure 1, and also urge the lockdown ring 28 into engaging contact with the profile 50 of wellhead housing 45.
• the wear bushing assembly 20 While wellbore operations, such as drilling or other actions that require insertion of tools within the wellhead housing 45 take place, the wear bushing assembly 20 remains in place to protect wellhead housing 45, and also exerts a lockdown force onto a casing hanger 46. As such, the need for a separate lock down system (not shown) is eliminated with the embodiments disclosed herein.
• the running tool can engage the wear bushing assembly 20 and remove it from within wellhead housing 45 with an applied upward force to decouple lockdown ring 28 from within profile 50.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Excavating Of Shafts Or Tunnels (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)
• Supports Or Holders For Household Use (AREA)
• Holders For Apparel And Elements Relating To Apparel (AREA)

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• 2014
  • 2014-03-18 US US14/218,269 patent/US9476262B2/en active Active
• 2015
  • 2015-03-04 AU AU2015231841A patent/AU2015231841B2/en active Active
  • 2015-03-04 WO PCT/US2015/018568 patent/WO2015142514A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2015-03-04 BR BR112016020093-4A patent/BR112016020093B1/pt active IP Right Grant
  • 2015-03-04 GB GB1616195.2A patent/GB2538672B/en active Active
  • 2015-03-04 CN CN201580014353.XA patent/CN106103881B/zh active Active
  • 2015-03-04 MY MYPI2016703034A patent/MY180458A/en unknown
  • 2015-03-04 SG SG11201607199XA patent/SG11201607199XA/en unknown
• 2016
  • 2016-09-01 NO NO20161385A patent/NO343865B1/en unknown

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