Baker Hughes Corporation

Christiaan D Krauss

George Givens

Edward T Wood

David Eugene Hirth

Ray P Vincent

Friedhelm Makohl

David Blair Haughton

Frank Koehrmann

George E Givens

A method and associated equipment are disclosed which allow drilling at least a portion of a well and subsequently cementing casing in a single trip. The method is particularly suited for deep-water offshore operations where the drill string can be run through a section of casing leaving a bit and an under-reamer extending out below. The casing is equipped with ports through which cement can be pumped as well as an external casing packer to prevent the uncured cement in the annulus from U-tubing. Several casing sections can be run in during drilling and cemented succession using the one trip method.

Drilling and cementing casing system

A removable ball seat assembly is disclosed. It features a solid ball seat backed up by segmented dogs pinned to each other and mounted under the ball seat. Upon actuating a downhole tool with fluid pressure applied to a ball on the seat, the pressure is increased and the ball and seat move at a regulated rate. The dogs reach a recess and the ball moves through the seat. Subsequent, larger balls can pass through the seat, with the dogs in the recess, at much smaller pressure drops than the original ball.

Delayed opening ball seat

A dog sub is provided for use in an assembly for running liners with weight-set packers and/or other mechanically or hydraulically actuated devices that need to be located. The dogs are retained by a sleeve so that an applied pickup force to determine that the running string had released from the liner can be applied which even results in removal of the dog sub from the extension tube of the weight-set packer. The dogs are held in a retracted position, even if taken out of the extension tube initially. Thereafter, the dog sub is supported off the extension tube and the locking sleeve on the dogs is liberated, with the dogs inside the extension tube. A subsequent pickup force allows the dogs to move outwardly, whereupon a subsequent setdown force locates the dogs on the setting extension tube. A subsequent setdown force sets the packer and breaks a breakable member, such as a shear pin. Upon removal to the surface, surface personnel can see that a shear pin has broken to indicate that the requisite force has been applied to the weight-set packer.

Unlocking packer setting method and device

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Christiaan D Krauss