Dril-quip, Inc.

Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

Frank David Kalb

Curtis Wyatt Payne

John M Yokley

Steven M Zakharia

Justin D Gorhum

Andrew John Webber

Eric D Alonzo

Alexey Petrenko

John Edward Nelson

Alexander Anthony Bradley

A setting tool disposed on tubing runs a packer into casing. During a setting process, a plug is engaged on a seat of an intensifying piston disposed in the tool. Tubing pressure applied against the seated plug moves the intensifying piston, which produces intensified pressure on fluid in a first volume of the intensifying piston communicated to a second volume of a setting piston. In response, the setting piston moves on the tool toward the packer's packing assembly. At some point in the process, the seated plug can be released from the seat. Additionally in the process, the second volume can fill with actuation fluid drawn through a fill valve from an annular space between the setting tool and the casing. The intensifying piston can then be reset as the actuation fluid is communicated from the second volume to the first volume.

Intensifying setting tool for packer

A system and method set a liner hanger in a borehole by actuating a hydraulic setting mechanism on the hanger to engage slips in the borehole. A setting tool runs the hanger into position. A reserve volume of the tool holds a clean fluid separate from the borehole. A piston of the tool has a tool volume for the fluid. During run in, pressure in the tool volume is balanced to hydrostatic pressure by drawing actuation fluid from the reserve volume to the tool volume through a check valve. To set the hanger, a plug is engaged on a seat in the tool, tubing pressure is applied behind the engaged plug, and the seat is unlocked. With more applied pressure, the piston moves, reduces the tool volume, and intensifies pressure of the clean fluid communicated to the hanger's setting mechanism. Over-pressure can be handled by a venting valve.

Debris exclusive-pressure intensified-pressure balanced setting tool for liner hanger

A subsea wellhead system includes: a hanger including a first fiber optic cable; a tree including a second fiber optic cable; a seal sub configured to be coupled to the tree and engaged with the hanger, the seal sub including a fiber optic communications line configured to be communicatively coupled to the first and second fiber optic cables; a transducer configured to be disposed at a downhole location and configured to be communicatively coupled to the first fiber optic cable; a first photodetector disposed in the hanger and configured to convert a light signal traveling through the first fiber optic cable from downhole to an electrical signal communicated to the electrical connection; and a first optical transmitter disposed in the seal sub and configured to convert the electrical signal traveling through the electrical connection into a light signal communicated to the second fiber optic cable.

Downhole fiber optic transmission for real-time well monitoring and downhole equipment actuation

Systems and methods for continuously monitoring mass loss through flow erosion of a well equipment component are provided. The disclosed system includes a wear transducer mounted to the equipment component proximate a portion of the equipment component exposed to erosive fluid flow. The wear transducer includes a metal coupon including an elongated end that extends into a flowpath of the equipment component such that the elongated end is exposed to the erosive fluid flow. The wear transducer also includes an ultrasonic sensor disposed within the metal coupon. The ultrasonic sensor transmits ultrasonic signals through the metal coupon toward the elongated end and receives ultrasonic signal reflections reflected back from the elongated end.

Real-time monitoring of mass loss from erosive flow

Systems and methods for real-time monitoring of well conditions and actuation of downhole equipment are provided. A subsea wellhead system comprises a tubing hanger landed in a wellhead, wherein the tubing hanger comprises a first fiber optic cable; a tree landed on the tubing hanger, wherein the tree comprises a second fiber optic cable; a transducer disposed at a downhole location, wherein the first fiber optic cable is communicatively coupled to the transducer and extends between the transducer and the seal sub; and a seal sub, wherein the seal sub is landed in the tubing hanger, wherein the seal sub comprises: a fiber optic communications line that is communicatively coupled to the first fiber optic cable and the second fiber optic cable; wherein the seal sub and the tubing hanger form an electrical connection regardless of an orientation of the tubing hanger relative to the tree.

An interventionless system and method: of detecting a downhole activation device are provided. The system includes a first detector disposed downhole in a fluid pathway and; a second detector disposed downhole of the first detector in the fluid pathway. In one exemplary embodiment, the detectors include a pair of ultrasonic transducers that generate signals indicative of fluid pathway flow. Differences in the signals between the detectors are indicative of the presence of the downhole activation device within the fluid pathway. The system also includes a deployment port disposed above the second detector from which the downhole activation device may be deployed into the fluid pathway.

Ultrasonic interventionless system and method for detecting downhole activation devices

Systems and methods for landing a tubing hanger in a wellhead, landing a tree on the wellhead, and making electrical and hydraulic couplings between the tree and the tubing hanger without having to orient the tree or the tubing hanger relative to each other are provided. This is accomplished using a seal sub that is coupled to the tree and lowered with the tree into contact with the tubing hanger located in the wellhead. The seal sub features an electrical conductor that facilitates electrical coupling of the tree to the tubing hanger. The tubing hanger and seal sub may include a metal-to-metal and elastomeric seal arrangement designed to seal off electrical and hydraulic connections between these components when, the tree is positioned within the wellhead.

Non-orientating tubing hanger and tree

A self-locking packer carrier includes an integrated locking mechanism that locks the packer carrier directly to the packer cone after the sealing element is fully set. The integrated locking mechanism may include one or more compression splines extending from a packer carrier base in a radially outward direction to engage a casing after the attached sealing element has created a fluid tight seal, and a tooth profile formed along an inner diameter of the packer carrier base to lock the packer carrier to the packer cone in response to a compression force transferred to the base via the splines. The integrated locking mechanism is designed to eliminate backlash on the liner hanger system, increase vibrational resistance, accommodate liner stretch, withstand pump-out loads, and tolerate liner movement while maintaining sealing integrity.

Self-locking packer carrier

An improved c-ring slip retention system and method for extraction of the c-ring slip are provided. The c-ring slip retention system may use a lip portion of a retention sleeve to hold the c-ring slip against a liner hanger body. The c-ring slip may have a multi-load shoulder profile that interfaces directly with a complementary profile formed in the liner hanger body. The disclosed retention system prevents the c-ring slip from being prematurely extracted from a liner hanger body while the liner hanger is lowered through a borehole. The c-ring slip retention system may include a first retention mechanism and a second retention mechanism used to secure the retention sleeve to the liner hanger body. A single actuation of at least one setting segment in an axial direction may disengage both retention mechanisms, move the retention sleeve axially relative to the liner hanger body, and extract the c-ring slip.

Push to release c-ring slip retention system

An improved hold-down assembly for a well tie-back string and methods of use of the same are disclosed. The improved hold-down assembly includes a tie-back string and a hold-down assembly coupled to the tie-back string. The hold-down assembly includes one or more slips and a packer assembly disposed about the tie-back string.

Mechanical hold-down assembly for a well tie-back string

An improved c-ring slip retention system and method for extraction of the c-ring slip are provided. The c-ring slip retention system may use an axially movable support sleeve with a support ring for securing the c-ring slip against a retention lip of the liner hanger body. The disclosed retention system prevents the c-ring slip from being prematurely extracted from a liner hanger body while the liner hanger is lowered through a borehole. The c-ring slip retention system may also include anti-rotation features that prevent the c-ring slip from rotating relative to the liner hanger body. A single actuation of the support sleeve in an axial direction may unlock the c-ring slip from the retention lip, disengage the anti-rotation features, compress the c-ring slip out of the keyed profile, and extract the c-ring slip from the liner hanger body.

Fully supported c-ring slip retention system

Hybrid-tieback seal assemblies, interventionless setting assemblies, and associated methods of setting downhole components of the hybrid-tieback seal assemblies using such interventionless setting assemblies are disclosed. A hybrid-tieback seal assembly comprises one or more anchoring bodies, one or more packer seal assemblies, and one or more interventionless hydraulic setting systems. A method of setting downhole equipment comprises applying a pressure to a compensating volume and providing a working volume, wherein the working volume is separated from the compensating volume by one or more hydraulic control devices. A pressure is applied to the working volume in response to the pressure applied to the compensating volume. The pressure applied to the compensating volume is then reduced and the pressure applied to the working volume is captured by the hydraulic control devices. The captured pressure in the working volume is applied to set one or more of the anchoring bodies and packer seal assemblies.

Hybrid-tieback seal assembly using method and system for interventionless hydraulic setting of equipment when performing subterranean operations

Interventionless setting assemblies and associated methods are disclosed. A method of setting downhole equipment comprises applying a pressure to a compensating volume and providing a working volume, wherein the working volume is separated from the compensating volume by one or more hydraulic control devices. A pressure is applied to the working volume in response to the pressure applied to the compensating volume. The pressure applied to the compensating volume is then reduced and the pressure applied to the working volume is captured by maintaining the pressure applied to the working volume when the pressure applied to the compensating volume is reduced. The captured pressure in the working volume is applied to set downhole equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Cypress, TX, United States of America

Frank David Kalb