Ardyne Holdings Limited

Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Smith International, Inc.

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Ardyne Holding Limited

Tercel IP Limited

Tercel Oilfield Products UK Limited

Michael Wardley

George Telfer

James Linklater

Alan Fairweather

Paul David Howlett

Steffen Hansen

Eskild Storteig

Hans Christian Karlsen

Stephen Hekelaar

David A Stokes

Wojciech Buczak

Mitchell Bavidge

James R Ford

Alan Fair-Weather

Alagappan Vishwanathan

Graeme Marr

A resettable mechanism and a method of controlled actuation of a hydraulically operated downhole tool to allow selective operation of the downhole tool in a wellbore. The resettable mechanism provides an inner sleeve member which is longitudinally moveable between a first and second position which opens and closes a fluid pathway to at least one actuation port on the downhole tool. Movement of the inner sleeve member is controlled via an indexing mechanism operated by drop balls. An embodiment of a casing recovery system is described mechanism operated wherein a downhole pulling tool is selectively actuated so as to prevent operation of the pulling tool while a hydraulically operated casing cutter is cutting casing.

Relating to well abandonment and slot recovery

A vibratory casing recovery bottom hole assembly and a method of recovering casing in a wellbore. The vibratory casing recovery bottom hole assembly includes a casing spear, a flow modifier and a dynamic amplification tool. The flow modifier produces cyclic variations in fluid pressure through the assembly at a first frequency and the bottom hole assembly is configured to have a natural or resonant frequency when vibrated to be near or at the first frequency. The dynamic amplification tool induces vibration in the bottom hole assembly while ensuring the dynamic amplification factor of the system is greater than one so as to transmit maximum vibration to the casing at the casing spear. Embodiments of dynamic amplification tools are described.

Well abandonment and slot recovery

A method of recovering casing in a wellbore using a vibratory casing recovery bottom hole assembly. In a vibratory casing recovery bottom hole assembly having a casing spear, a flow modifier and one or more further elements including a shock sub. The flow modifier produces cyclic variations in fluid flow through the assembly at a first frequency and at least one of the elements is configured to have a natural or resonant frequency when vibrated to be near or at the first frequency. By tuning elements of the bottom hole assembly to be close or at the frequency of the output of the flow modifier, the dynamic amplification factor of the system is maximised and longer lengths of casing can be recovered. A method of recovering casing using the vibratory casing recovery bottom hole assembly is also described. Further embodiments include a casing cutter and a hydraulic jack.

A single trip casing cutting and pulling assembly which includes a casing spear (), a mud motor () and a casing cutter (), wherein a valve () is located between the casing spear () and the mud motor (). The casing spear is operated by fluid flow from surface and the valve () prevents operation of the casing cutter () until the casing spear () is set and casing cutting is required. A method is described for cutting and pulling casing which does not require any rotation of the drill string to operate any part of the casing cutting and pulling assembly. An embodiment is described which includes retrieving the seal assembly () on the same trip. Further embodiments describe performing an integrity test and a circulation test on the same trip with the option of making further cuts at shallower depths on the same trip until a section of cut casing can be recovered.

A downhole tool which allows the selective operation of a second fluid pressure activated tool below a first fluid pressure activated tool on a tool string in a well. The downhole tool has a piston sleeve moveable inside a cylindrical body between a first position in which a small flow area is provided through the tool and a second position in which a larger flow area is provided. The piston sleeve is held in the first position by a magnet and the first fluid pressure activated tool can be operated by increasing fluid pressure above the tool up to a cracking pressure level which matches the pulling strength of the magnet. Increasing fluid pressure to the cracking pressure therefore selectively moves the piston sleeve to the second position in which the second fluid pressure activated tool can be operated. The downhole tool is resettable.

Downhole tool

A method and apparatus for casing recovery for well abandonment. A string is run-in, the string including a hydraulic jack (), an anchor (), a casing spear (), a downhole flow pulsing device () and a pressure drop sub (). The casing spear grips an upper end of the length of casing to be pulled. The anchor is set in casing of a greater diameter above the length of cut casing. Fluid pumped through the string and through the pressure drop sub will increase fluid pressure at the hydraulic jack to a first fluid pressure (). Fluid pumped through the downhole flow pulsing device will vary the fluid flow superimposing a cyclic pressure () on the first pressure (), causing oscillation of an inner mandrel () of the hydraulic jack. The jack moves the oscillating inner mandrel upwards relative to the anchor to pull the length of casing.

Or relating to well abandonment and slot recovery

The invention provides a downhole tool for cutting a wellbore casing. The downhole tool comprises a gripping mechanism for gripping a section of wellbore casing and a cutting mechanism configured to cut the casing. The grip mechanism is configured to grip a range of casing diameters.

Downhole cut and pull tool and method of use

Apparatus () and method for removing a section of well tubing. A work string including a hydraulic tensioning device () and a section mill () a run in a rigless arrangement to provide continuous upward milling of the tubing () by raising the work string at a desired rate of progress. The hydraulic tensioning device () has a lower end () moveable longitudinally relative to the work string by application of fluid pressure in the work string to apply a weight on the section mill. The hydraulic tensioning device includes a self-correcting mechanism () to maintain the lower end at a position between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position to provide continuous milling of the tubing by the section mill at a milling rate matching the rate at which the work string is lifted. Embodiments are described for use in a rigless well abandonment procedure.

Relating to well abandonment

Method and apparatus for removing a section of well tubing. The well tubing () is milled in an upward direction on a hydraulic tensioning device () which maintains a constant load on the section mill so that long sections of tubing can be removed in a near continuous procedure on a single trip into the well. The hydraulic device includes an indicator () to provide a signal as the device nears each end of a stroke to inform a user that: the section mill is about to bottom out and the work string needs to be raised to extend the device; and the device is fully extended and can begin another stroke. Embodiments are described for use in a rigless well abandonment procedure.

Well abandonment

A downhole anchor mechanism () which can be set on at least two successive standard diameters of casing (). The tool body has a recess into which a split cone () is located. The increased thickness of the split cone () provides for a greater thickness of slip (), giving increased radial travel of the slipswhen moved axially over the split cone (). The cone () and slips () are profiled to provide two ramps/slopes for increased structural integrity and a greater ramp angle to reduce the axial travel of the slips to achieve the increased radial travel. The downhole anchor mechanism () provides anchoring of a work string on two standard diameters of casing in a single trip in a wellbore.

Downhole anchor mechanism

A well bore integrity test tool () and method of pressure integrity testing a well bore by performing positive and negative pressure tests in a well bore in multiple locations in the well and on the same trip as other operations in the well bore. The tool includes a resettable anchor mechanism () and a tension set packer assembly (). An embodiment of performing a dress-off, integrity testing, casing cutting and pulling in a single trip for well abandonment is described.

Downhole test tool and method of use

A resettable mechanism for preventing the accidental actuation of a load set downhole tool and method of use. The resettable mechanism provides a collet () and a detent () with a collet ring arranged to ride over the detent under a load in excess of the operating load of the downhole tool and the collet load. Reversing the loading resets the mechanism and the downhole tool. A disengagement assembly () is described to disenable the detent () and operate the downhole tool at the operating load. Embodiments to a retrievable mechanical tension-set packer and a casing cutting and removal system are described which prevent premature actuation of the packer when run from floating structures.

The invention provides a method of determining the condition of a cement bond of a casing in a wellbore. The method comprises perforating a tubing in the wellbore at a zone of interest and displacing a settable composition through the perforations into the annulus between the casing and tubing to secure the tubing. The method also comprises cutting the tubing and assessing the status of the cement bond of the casing.

Method of abandoning a well

A cutting assembly suitable for use on a drillable drill bit includes one or more cutting members comprising pre-formed pockets. A set of one or more cutters are located within the pre-formed pockets. A detachment facilitating feature is located at the interface between the cutting members and the cutters.

Cutting assembly suitable for use on a drillable drill bit

A wellhead latch assembly may include one or more latches for attaching to a wellhead and allowing removal of the wellhead during a well abandonment process. The wellhead latch assembly may include an inner core coupled to the latches, and an outer sleeve for selectively latching and unlatching the latches to the wellhead. The inner core may abut the wellhead and can include a groove having circumferential and/or longitudinal features. The outer sleeve may include a pin which travels within the groove and a set of cut-outs for alignment with the latches. When the cut-outs align with the latches, the latches may expand radially outward and disengage the wellhead. As the outer sleeve moves axially or rotationally relative to the inner core, the latches may fall out of alignment with the cut-outs and move radially inwardly to engage or capture the wellhead.

Growing community of inventors

Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Michael Wardley