Vetco Gray Inc.

Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Aniruddha Gadre

David Lawrence Ford

Mayur Mansukh

Lonnie Carl Helms

Bo Gao

Gary Joe Makowiecki

Yuzhu Hu

Joseph W Pallini

Daniel Caleb Benson

Baozhi Zhu

Robert Du

A wellbore dart can be used to activate a downhole tool within a wellbore to perform a function, such as shifting a sleeve. The dart includes a tool activator that is releasably connected to a body of the dart. After the downhole tool has been activated, the body can be released from the tool activator to open a fluid flow path within the downhole tool. A device can be pumped and land on the tool activator. The tool activator can include multiple sections that expand radially away from each other when force from the device is exerted on the sections. Expansion of the sections allows the device to pass through the tool activator. The dart can also include a retracting device that moves the sections back together after the device has passed through the tool activator.

Wellbore dart with separable and expandable tool activator

A system, method, and tool for controlling fluid in a wellbore. The system comprises a tubing string locatable in the wellbore and a crossover tool for enabling reverse circulation in the wellbore. The crossover tool comprises a tool body, a sleeve, a drag block assembly, and a packer assembly. The tool body comprises a bore in fluid communication with the tubing string and a valve in the bore. The sleeve is located in the tool body and controls the valve based on the axial position of the sleeve in the tool body. The drag block assembly is coupled to the sleeve through the tool body and engages the wellbore to resist axial movement of the sleeve relative to the tool body. The packer assembly is coupled to the tool body and creates a fluid barrier in the annulus formed between the tubing string and the wellbore.

Systems and methods for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore using a switchable downhole crossover tool

Switchable cross-over systems, devices, and methods for cementing well walls are provided. A switchable cross-over device includes a tool body and a flow sleeve. The tool body includes a main tool path separable into uphole and downhole tool paths and an auxiliary chamber containing uphole and downhole annular ports. The flow sleeve is within the auxiliary chamber and movable between conventional and reverse circulation positions. In the conventional circulation position, the uphole and downhole tool paths are in fluid communication and the uphole annular port is in fluid communication with the downhole annular port through the auxiliary chamber. In the reverse circulation position, the flow sleeve forms first and second auxiliary flow paths in the auxiliary chamber, the uphole tool path and the downhole annular port are in fluid communication via the first auxiliary flow path, and the downhole tool path is in fluid communication with the uphole annular port.

Switchable crossover tool with hydraulic transmission

Switchable crossover tools can include a tool body and a rotatable chamber. The tool body includes a main tool path separable into uphole and downhole tool paths and an auxiliary chamber containing uphole and downhole annular ports. The rotatable chamber is located and rotatable within the auxiliary chamber and forming first and second auxiliary flow paths through the auxiliary chamber. The rotatable chamber is positionable between a conventional circulation mode and a reverse circulation mode. In the conventional circulation mode, the uphole and downhole tool paths are in fluid communication and the uphole and downhole annular ports are in fluid communication through the auxiliary chamber. In the reverse circulation mode, the uphole tool path is in fluid communication with the downhole annular port via the first auxiliary flow path, and the downhole tool path is in fluid communication with the uphole annular port via the second auxiliary flow path.

Switchable crossover tool with rotatable chamber

Switchable cross-over systems, devices, and methods for cementing well walls. A switchable cross-over device includes a tool body, a flow sleeve, and a hydraulic sleeve. The tool body includes a main tool path separable into upper and lower tool paths and an auxiliary chamber containing upper and lower annular ports. The flow sleeve is within the auxiliary chamber and movable into a reverse circulation position by a plug traveling through the main tool path. The hydraulic sleeve is located within the main tool path and mechanically coupled to the flow sleeve. The hydraulic sleeve is movable into a conventional circulation position via pressure within the main tool path acting on the hydraulic sleeve.

Methods for cementing a well using a switchable crossover device

A system, method, and tool for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore. The system comprises a tubing string locatable in the wellbore and a crossover tool for enabling reverse circulation in the wellbore. The crossover tool comprises a tool body, a packer assembly, a drag block assembly, and a sleeve. The tool body comprises a bore in fluid communication with the tubing string and a valve located in the bore. The packer assembly is coupled to the tool body and creates a fluid barrier in the annulus formed between the tubing string and the wellbore. The drag block assembly engages the wellbore and resists axial movement. The sleeve is located in the tool body and axially moveable relative to the drag block assembly. The drag block assembly is coupled to the sleeve, and axial movement of the sleeve relative to the drag block assembly rotates the sleeve to control the valve.

Systems and methods for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore using a switchable downhole crossover tool with rotatable sleeve

A wellhead assembly includes a tubular wellhead housing having a bore and an annular gallery slot. The annular gallery slot is defined by an enlarged inner diameter of the bore. A tubular hanger is selectively landed in the bore of the wellhead housing, defining an annular cavity between the bore and an outer diameter of the tubular hanger. The tubular hanger is supported by the wellhead housing with a hanger support located in the annular cavity. A flow-by passage is in fluid communication with the annular cavity at locations above and below the hanger support. The flow-by passage intersects with the gallery slot and intersects an outer radial surface of the tubular hanger.

Flow-by holes with gallery and channel arrangement on wellhead and tubular hanger

A wellhead assembly has a casing hanger for supporting a string of casing, the casing hanger having an external upward-facing shoulder. A radially movable annular lockdown member is carried on the shoulder for movement between a retracted position while the casing hanger is being run and an expanded position. In the expanded position, the lockdown member is in engagement with a lockdown profile shoulder in a wellhead housing. A casing hanger seal is carried by the casing hanger above the lockdown member. The casing hanger seal has a lower extension that includes a connection leg and a nose ring. The nose ring has a cam surface that engages and moves the lockdown member to the expanded position while the casing hanger seal is being lowered into a set position. Slots are formed in the extension to reduce the axial stiffness.

Wellhead seal assembly with lockdown and slotted arrangement

A wellhead assembly having an insert that is disposed between a wellhead housing and casing hanger. Axial slots through the insert define a flow path between the wellhead housing and casing hanger. The insert is made from a higher strength material and supports a load exerted between the casing hanger and wellhead housing. The insert is a ring like member, and the slots can more easily be machined in the insert than in the wellhead housing.

Insert for use with wellhead housing having flow-by path

A wellhead assembly has a casing hanger for supporting a string of casing, the casing hanger having an external upward-facing shoulder. A shoulder ring is mounted on the shoulder. A radially movable annular lockdown member is carried on the shoulder ring for movement between a refracted position while the casing hanger is being run and an expanded position for engaging an interior surface of a wellhead housing. A casing hanger seal is carried by the casing hanger above the lockdown member. The casing hanger seal has a nose on a lower end that engages and moves the lockdown member to the expanded position while the casing hanger seal is being lowered into a set position. The shoulder ring is formed of a material of greater yield strength than the shoulder. Flow channels between the shoulder and the shoulder ring assist in flowing debris from above the shoulder to below.

Casing hanger shoulder ring for lock ring support

A wellhead assembly includes a wellhead housing having a bore and a locking profile including a gallery slot, and an annular notch. An inner wellhead assembly is selectively landed in the bore of the wellhead housing, the inner wellhead assembly having a lock ring with a lock ring profile that engages the locking profile. The engaging surface is a sloped downward facing surface at an axially upper end of the gallery slot. The annular notch has a notch engaging profile with a downward facing notch upper shoulder and an upward facing notch lower shoulder. The locking profile includes an inlay, the inlay being located on the notch upper shoulder and the engaging surface.

High strength inlay to improve lock-down capacity in a wellhead

A wellbore system includes a sealing assembly for creating an annular seal between wellbore members. The sealing assembly includes a wicker profile defined a first sealing surface for engaging and embedding into a radially adjacent, second sealing surface. The wicker profile includes a first section having a first hardness and a second section adjacent to the first section and having a second hardness greater than the first hardness. Both the first and second sections of wickers are embedded into the second sealing surface, and can thus provide a high degree of both sealing and lockdown performance.

Wellbore sealing with hybrid wicker system

A retention system for limiting axial and radial movement of a wellbore lock ring. The retention system includes pins for resisting axial movement of the lock ring and assemblies for limiting radial outward movement of the lock ring. The lock ring circumscribes and couples to a wellbore hanger. The pins project radially from the hanger into the lock ring and into slots, where the slots extend a distance along the inner surface of the lock ring. The assemblies also project radially into the hanger and each have a portion that registers with a channel on a lower end of the lock ring. Lock ring outer radial movement is limited by contact between the portions of the assemblies and inner surfaces of the channels.

Method and system for retaining a lock ring on a casing hanger

A wellbore system includes a sealing assembly for creating an annular seal between wellbore members. The sealing assembly includes a seal body having a u-shaped cross section, with elongate grooves formed on inner and outer walls thereof. A depth of the grooves varies along a length of the grooves to allow wickers to penetrate the groove by differing degrees when the walls are urged toward the wickers. The wickers can thus provide a high degree of both sealing and lockdown performance.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Aniruddha Gadre