WO2018182424A1 - Improvements in and relating to centralisers - Google Patents

Improvements in and relating to centralisers Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018182424A1
WO2018182424A1 PCT/NO2018/050078 NO2018050078W WO2018182424A1 WO 2018182424 A1 WO2018182424 A1 WO 2018182424A1 NO 2018050078 W NO2018050078 W NO 2018050078W WO 2018182424 A1 WO2018182424 A1 WO 2018182424A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
casing
collar
tubular
tubulars
coupling device
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/NO2018/050078
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Gaute GRINDHAUG
Morten EIDEM
Original Assignee
Equinor Energy As
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 Equinor Energy As filed Critical Equinor Energy As
Publication of WO2018182424A1 publication Critical patent/WO2018182424A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B17/1078—Stabilisers or centralisers for casing, tubing or drill pipes
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B17/042—Threaded
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B17/08—Casing joints
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B17/1057—Centralising devices with rollers or with a relatively rotating sleeve
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L15/00—Screw-threaded joints; Forms of screw-threads for such joints
    • F16L15/006—Screw-threaded joints; Forms of screw-threads for such joints with straight threads
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L21/00—Joints with sleeve or socket
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L21/00—Joints with sleeve or socket
    • F16L21/08—Joints with sleeve or socket with additional locking means

Definitions

  • the invention relates to improvements in centralisers for wellbore casings.
  • casing also referred to as a casing string.
  • the casing string is formed from a series of casing joints, which are lowered into a section of the borehole and then cemented in place. Cement is circulated down the wellbore from the surface and pushed into the annulus between the casing and the formation, where it is allowed to set to fix the casing in place.
  • a casing string normally includes multiple casing joints that are connected to each other by casing collars. A casing collar partially overlaps the end sections of two adjacent casing joints in the string.
  • Casing joints sometimes referred to as casing tubulars, are a type of wellbore tubular.
  • Figure 1 shows a prior art arrangement comprising a casing 2 in which two casing joints 4, 6 are connected together using a casing collar 8.
  • the casing 2 is fitted with centralisers 10.
  • the centralisers 10 push the casing 2 away from the surrounding formation (not shown).
  • the centralisers 10 may experience large forces from the borehole wall.
  • stop collars 12 attached to the casing 2 above and below each centraliser 10 are traditionally used.
  • centralisers exist on the market today both for traditional casing and liner running and for drilling operations. When running casing into a borehole the centralisers are used to improve cementing operations and also to reduce friction during such operations. When drilling, the centralisers should also protect the casing string from wear.
  • the providers of centralisers also provide stop collars for locking the centraliser in place.
  • the stop collars are bolted to the casing string by a number of bolts or screws through the stop collar body, biting into the surface of the casing to lock the collars in place in order to prevent movement.
  • the existing centralisers used in drilling and completion technology are either costly or lack robustness or both. Time is needed to install them and secure them in place before shipping and placement. They can cause handling problems offshore unless properly planned for. Current stop collar systems are weak, with the exception of new costly designs, and do not secure the centraliser in place during running.
  • the invention provides a tubular coupling device, tubular arrangement and casing string as set out in the accompanying claims.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a section of a casing string in accordance with the prior art
  • Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a section of a casing string in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a section of a casing string in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a tubular coupling device according to an embodiment.
  • FIG. 2 shows a connector 14, or tubular coupling device 14, for fixing together two casing joints 16, 18 of a casing string 20.
  • the connector 14 includes a casing collar 22 and a centraliser 24 mounted on the collar 22.
  • the casing joints 16, 18 are connected together with the casing collar 22 as normal before the casing string is inserted into the borehole (not shown). Because the connector 14 includes a centraliser 24 the need for installing further centralisers is removed or reduced.
  • the centraliser 24 is attached to the casing collar 22, and the collar is fixed to the casing joints 16, 18. Hence, the centraliser 24 cannot move relative to the casing joints 16, 18, and there is no need to install stop collars.
  • the casing collar 22 can be threaded onto the casing joints 16, 18 using a threaded connection 25, which removes the problem of the centraliser 24 becoming loose during running, i.e. during insertion of the casing 20 into the wellbore.
  • the casing 20 may be rotated.
  • the tubular coupling device 14 is fixed to the casing 20 and rotates with the casing 20.
  • the centraliser 24 is mounted to the casing collar 22 such that the centraliser 24 is fixed both axially along the longitudinal axis of the casing 20, and rotationally about said axis. Hence, the tubular coupling device 14 rotates with the casing string 20.
  • the casing string 20 After the casing string 20 has been lowered into the borehole (not shown), it can be cemented in place by circulating a cement slurry down the casing 20 and up into the annulus between the casing 20 and the borehole wall (i.e. the surrounding formation).
  • the connectors 14 keep the casing string 20 substantially centralised in the borehole, so that an even layer of cement fills the annulus.
  • FIG 3 shows another embodiment, in which the centraliser 26 has a rotating design.
  • the centraliser 26 is mounted concentrically on the casing collar 28 but is free to rotate relative to the collar 28 and around the longitudinal axis of the casing string 20.
  • the casing collar 28 includes shoulders 30 to stop or restrict axial movement of the centraliser 26 relative to the casing string 20. Axial movement of the centraliser 26 is thereby restricted without the need for external stop collars.
  • the shoulder 30 at each end of the casing collar 28 may be a lip or protrusion directly machined into the collar 28, or a threaded nut for example.
  • the casing string 20 is free to rotate relative to the centralisers 26, which are only fixed axially to the casing collar 28.
  • the facing contact surfaces between the inner, cylindrical body of the centraliser 26 and the outer surface of the casing collar 28 may be made from a suitable low friction material (e.g. a low friction polymer such as TeflonTM).
  • the casing string 20 may be used for drilling, in a so called drilling with casing or drilling with liner operation, in which case rotation of the downhole drill bit (not shown) is transmitted through the casing string 20 from the surface.
  • rotation of the downhole drill bit (not shown) is transmitted through the casing string 20 from the surface.
  • Using the rotating design illustrated in Figure 3 for such operations can decrease the necessary torque for rotating the casing string 20.
  • Figure 4 shows a tubular coupling device 14 according to another embodiment.
  • the collar 22 may connect to the casing joints 16, 18 using one of a welded connection 32, a shrinkage connection 32, a hydraulic expansion connection 32, and a hydroform connection 32.
  • the connector 14 can be used to connect two wellbore tubulars 16, 18 of a type other than casing joints 16, 18, such as liners or drillstring sections.

Abstract

A tubular coupling device for fixing together first and second wellbore tubulars comprises: a collar arranged to secure one end of said first wellbore tubular to an adjacent end of said second wellbore tubular, wherein said tubulars are casing joints; and a centraliser mounted on said collar, wherein each tubular has a central longitudinal axis and wherein the centraliser is configured to be rotatable relative to said collar about said longitudinal axis when the collar is connected to said tubulars.

Description

Improvements in and relating to centralisers
Technical field
The invention relates to improvements in centralisers for wellbore casings.
Background
During wellbore drilling in a formation the wellbore can be reinforced by a casing, also referred to as a casing string. The casing string is formed from a series of casing joints, which are lowered into a section of the borehole and then cemented in place. Cement is circulated down the wellbore from the surface and pushed into the annulus between the casing and the formation, where it is allowed to set to fix the casing in place. A casing string normally includes multiple casing joints that are connected to each other by casing collars. A casing collar partially overlaps the end sections of two adjacent casing joints in the string. Casing joints, sometimes referred to as casing tubulars, are a type of wellbore tubular. Figure 1 shows a prior art arrangement comprising a casing 2 in which two casing joints 4, 6 are connected together using a casing collar 8. In order to ensure that the casing 2 is centralised in the borehole (not shown), the casing 2 is fitted with centralisers 10. The centralisers 10 push the casing 2 away from the surrounding formation (not shown). During casing insertion, the centralisers 10 may experience large forces from the borehole wall. In order to keep them in place, stop collars 12 attached to the casing 2 above and below each centraliser 10 are traditionally used.
Several different centralisers exist on the market today both for traditional casing and liner running and for drilling operations. When running casing into a borehole the centralisers are used to improve cementing operations and also to reduce friction during such operations. When drilling, the centralisers should also protect the casing string from wear. The providers of centralisers also provide stop collars for locking the centraliser in place. The stop collars are bolted to the casing string by a number of bolts or screws through the stop collar body, biting into the surface of the casing to lock the collars in place in order to prevent movement. The existing centralisers used in drilling and completion technology are either costly or lack robustness or both. Time is needed to install them and secure them in place before shipping and placement. They can cause handling problems offshore unless properly planned for. Current stop collar systems are weak, with the exception of new costly designs, and do not secure the centraliser in place during running.
Summary of the Invention The invention provides a tubular coupling device, tubular arrangement and casing string as set out in the accompanying claims.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a section of a casing string in accordance with the prior art;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a section of a casing string in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a section of a casing string in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a tubular coupling device according to an embodiment.
Description of Preferred Embodiments
Figure 2 shows a connector 14, or tubular coupling device 14, for fixing together two casing joints 16, 18 of a casing string 20. The connector 14 includes a casing collar 22 and a centraliser 24 mounted on the collar 22. The casing joints 16, 18 are connected together with the casing collar 22 as normal before the casing string is inserted into the borehole (not shown). Because the connector 14 includes a centraliser 24 the need for installing further centralisers is removed or reduced. The centraliser 24 is attached to the casing collar 22, and the collar is fixed to the casing joints 16, 18. Hence, the centraliser 24 cannot move relative to the casing joints 16, 18, and there is no need to install stop collars.
The casing collar 22 can be threaded onto the casing joints 16, 18 using a threaded connection 25, which removes the problem of the centraliser 24 becoming loose during running, i.e. during insertion of the casing 20 into the wellbore. During running, the casing 20 may be rotated. The tubular coupling device 14 is fixed to the casing 20 and rotates with the casing 20. In this embodiment the centraliser 24 is mounted to the casing collar 22 such that the centraliser 24 is fixed both axially along the longitudinal axis of the casing 20, and rotationally about said axis. Hence, the tubular coupling device 14 rotates with the casing string 20.
After the casing string 20 has been lowered into the borehole (not shown), it can be cemented in place by circulating a cement slurry down the casing 20 and up into the annulus between the casing 20 and the borehole wall (i.e. the surrounding formation). The connectors 14 keep the casing string 20 substantially centralised in the borehole, so that an even layer of cement fills the annulus.
Figure 3 shows another embodiment, in which the centraliser 26 has a rotating design. The centraliser 26 is mounted concentrically on the casing collar 28 but is free to rotate relative to the collar 28 and around the longitudinal axis of the casing string 20. The casing collar 28 includes shoulders 30 to stop or restrict axial movement of the centraliser 26 relative to the casing string 20. Axial movement of the centraliser 26 is thereby restricted without the need for external stop collars. The shoulder 30 at each end of the casing collar 28 may be a lip or protrusion directly machined into the collar 28, or a threaded nut for example. During running, the casing string 20 is free to rotate relative to the centralisers 26, which are only fixed axially to the casing collar 28. The facing contact surfaces between the inner, cylindrical body of the centraliser 26 and the outer surface of the casing collar 28 may be made from a suitable low friction material (e.g. a low friction polymer such as Teflon™).
The casing string 20 may be used for drilling, in a so called drilling with casing or drilling with liner operation, in which case rotation of the downhole drill bit (not shown) is transmitted through the casing string 20 from the surface. Using the rotating design illustrated in Figure 3 for such operations can decrease the necessary torque for rotating the casing string 20.
Figure 4 shows a tubular coupling device 14 according to another embodiment. Instead of using a threaded connection, the collar 22 may connect to the casing joints 16, 18 using one of a welded connection 32, a shrinkage connection 32, a hydraulic expansion connection 32, and a hydroform connection 32.
It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the connector 14 can be used to connect two wellbore tubulars 16, 18 of a type other than casing joints 16, 18, such as liners or drillstring sections.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1 . A tubular coupling device for fixing together first and second wellbore tubulars, said coupling device comprising:
a collar arranged to secure one end of said first wellbore tubular to an adjacent end of said second wellbore tubular, wherein said tubulars are casing joints; and
a centraliser mounted on said collar, wherein each tubular has a central longitudinal axis and wherein the centraliser is configured to be rotatable relative to said collar about said longitudinal axis when the collar is connected to said tubulars.
2. A tubular coupling device according to claim 1 , wherein said collar is a casing collar.
3. A tubular coupling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said collar is configured to mechanically connect to each of said tubulars using a threaded connection.
4. A tubular coupling device according to any preceding claim, wherein said collar is configured to mechanically connect to each of said tubulars using one of a welded connection, a shrinkage connection, a hydraulic expansion connection, and a hydroform connection.
5. A tubular arrangement comprising a tubular and a tubular coupling device according to any one of the preceding claims connected to one or each end section of the tubular.
6. A tubular arrangement according to claim 5, wherein every centraliser of the tubular arrangement is mounted on a casing collar.
7. A casing string comprising two or more tubulars, wherein at least two of said tubulars are fixed together by a tubular coupling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
PCT/NO2018/050078 2017-03-29 2018-03-20 Improvements in and relating to centralisers WO2018182424A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1704992.5A GB2560937A (en) 2017-03-29 2017-03-29 Improvements in and relating to centralisers
GB1704992.5 2017-03-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2018182424A1 true WO2018182424A1 (en) 2018-10-04

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PCT/NO2018/050078 WO2018182424A1 (en) 2017-03-29 2018-03-20 Improvements in and relating to centralisers

Country Status (2)

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GB (1) GB2560937A (en)
WO (1) WO2018182424A1 (en)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070163778A1 (en) * 2006-01-19 2007-07-19 Jim Wheeler Casing Centralizer Coupling
US20130248206A1 (en) * 2012-03-20 2013-09-26 Blackhawk Specialty Tools, Llc Well centralizer
US20160084020A1 (en) * 2014-09-24 2016-03-24 Centek Limited Centralizer and associated devices

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3114566A (en) * 1961-04-21 1963-12-17 Kobe Inc Shrink fit tubing joint
CA1233855A (en) * 1983-04-05 1988-03-08 Hunting Oilfield Services (International) Limited Pipe connectors
GB9608709D0 (en) * 1996-04-26 1996-07-03 Hunting Oilfield Services Ltd Improvements in and relating to pipe connectors
US6464013B2 (en) * 2001-02-23 2002-10-15 Kenneth A. Bystedt Oil well casing centralizer coupling
WO2010022755A1 (en) * 2008-08-29 2010-03-04 Statoilhydro Asa Drill pipe protector assembly
US9404316B2 (en) * 2013-07-09 2016-08-02 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Methods and apparatus for mitigating downhole torsional vibration

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070163778A1 (en) * 2006-01-19 2007-07-19 Jim Wheeler Casing Centralizer Coupling
US20130248206A1 (en) * 2012-03-20 2013-09-26 Blackhawk Specialty Tools, Llc Well centralizer
US20160084020A1 (en) * 2014-09-24 2016-03-24 Centek Limited Centralizer and associated devices

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB201704992D0 (en) 2017-05-10
GB2560937A (en) 2018-10-03

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