Conveyance Protection Device, Method, and System

In the resource recovery and fluid sequestration industries coiled tubing, slickline, and electric wireline are commonly employed conveyances for various downhole tools. While these all work well for their intended purposes, the connections, such as the connector, rope socket or cablehead, to equipment conveyed thereon can sometimes fail where the equipment is stuck in the borehole in some way. Failures of this type can lead to well control incidents, something the art has lamented for decades.

An embodiment of a conveyance protection arrangement, including a conveyance, an interconnection that connects equipment to the conveyance, a protection device on the conveyance, the protection device being proud of the conveyance.

An embodiment of a method for running a conveyance in a borehole including connecting to the conveyance, a downhole tool, connecting to the conveyance, a protection device, running the conveyance with the tool and protection device through a stuffing box, pulling the conveyance out of the hole, and contacting the stuffing box with the protection device.

An embodiment of a borehole system, including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string disposed in the borehole, a conveyance protection device, disposed within or as a part of the string.

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.

Referring to, a conveyance protection arrangementis illustrated. The arrangementincludes a conveyance, that may be a coiled tubing, a slickline, a wireline, etc. The arrangementfurther includes a downhole toolthat is attached to the conveyance. Downhole toolmay be a bottom hole assembly or any other tool that requires running in the hole. The toolis attached to the conveyancevia a connectioncolloquially known as a “connector” for coiled tubing, a “rope socket” for slickline and a “cablehead” for electric wireline. The connectionis intended to maintain the interface between the conveyanceand the tool. Despite this purpose, there are ties when the toolbecomes detached from the conveyance. This can occur from the toolbeing struck for example. Or the detachment could occur simply because a conveyance was pulled too fast and disrupted the connection. Regardless of reason for disconnection, the fact of disconnection means that the conveyance can possibly be withdrawn from the borehole right through the stuffing box(see), whereby leaving an opening to the borehole that is potentially not controlled. Such withdrawal of the conveyance from the borehole through the stuffing box is undesirable. Accordingly, a protector devicehas been devised that will stay with the conveyance even if the connectionis lost. The deviceincreases the physical dimensions of the conveyanceradially so that it is not possible to pull the conveyancedirectly out of the stuffing boxbut rather would result in a bump, when the devicecontacts the box. The bump may be used as a signal to the operator to stop pulling on the conveyor until appropriate alternate well control is established and the boxcan be disassembled. After disassembly, the conveyance may be removed form the well without triggering a well control incident.

Referring to, devicecomprises a bodythat is annularly extending. In one embodiment, referring to, the body is configured as a shaft collar with a single slitand a fastenerconfigured to close and retain the devicearound the conveyance. In an alternate embodiment, referring to, the body is a shaft collar with a plurality of splitsand at least one, but up to each, splithaving a fastenerto close and retain the devicearound the conveyance.

Referring to, an inside surfaceof the deviceis illustrated. An anchoring featureis presented on the surface, that is configured to prevent movement of the deviceon the conveyance. The feature may be wickersas shown, or may be surface roughness, knurling, hard particulate matter, etc.

Referring to, a borehole systemis illustrated. The systemcomprises a boreholein a subsurface formation. A stringis disposed within the borehole. A conveyance protection deviceas disclosed herein is disposed within or as a part of the string.

Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:

Embodiment 1: A conveyance protection arrangement, including a conveyance, an interconnection that connects equipment to the conveyance, a protection device on the conveyance, the protection device being proud of the conveyance.

Embodiment 2: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the conveyance is one of a coiled tubing, a slickline or a wireline.

Embodiment 3: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the interconnection is one of a connector, rope socket, or cablehead.

Embodiment 4: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the protection device comprises a body formed annularly or part annularly.

Embodiment 5: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the protection device includes an anchoring feature on an inside surface thereof configured to interact with an outside surface of the conveyance to positionally anchor the protection device to the conveyance.

Embodiment 6: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the anchoring feature is wickers.

Embodiment 7: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the protection device is configured as a shaft collar.

Embodiment 8: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the shaft collar has a single split and a fastener to close and retain the collar around the conveyance.

Embodiment 9: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the shaft collar has a plurality of splits, at least one of the plurality of splits having an associated fastener to close and retain the collar around the conveyance.

Embodiment 10: A method for running a conveyance in a borehole including connecting to the conveyance, a downhole tool, connecting to the conveyance, a protection device, running the conveyance with the tool and protection device through a stuffing box, pulling the conveyance out of the hole, and contacting the stuffing box with the protection device.

Embodiment 11: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the contacting stops the movement of the conveyance.

Embodiment 12: The method as in any prior embodiment, further comprising controlling the borehole and modifying the stuffing box to allow retrieval of the conveyance.

Embodiment 13: A borehole system, including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string disposed in the borehole, a conveyance protection device as in any prior embodiment, disposed within or as a part of the string.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of +8% of a given value.

The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a borehole, and/or equipment in the borehole, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.