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BR-112012000236-B1 - DEVICES AND METHODS FOR SEALING UNDERGROUND DRILLING HOLES AND FOR PERFORMING ROTARY OPERATIONS ON OTHER DOWN-WELL CABLES

BR112012000236B1BR 112012000236 B1BR112012000236 B1BR 112012000236B1BR-112012000236-B1

Abstract

DEVICES AND METHODS FOR SEALING UNDERGROUND DRILLING HOLE AND FOR PERFORMING ROTARY OPERATIONS OF OTHER DOWN-THE-HOLE CABLES. Device for performing rotary or cutting operations on an underground drilling hole or conduit, particularly sealing operations, comprising a down-the-hole assembly connected to a cable (6). The down-the-hole assembly comprises at least one of the rotary tools (18, 19, 21) coupled to an electric motor or fluid motor (39), a rotary tool (22, 23, 24, 161, 180) coupled to a fluid motor (39), or an axial cutting tool (20) coupled to a piston. The fluid motor or piston (64) is operated by differential fluid pressure created within a borehole. Methods of sealing an underground borehole are also provided, in which one or more cuts (170, 170A/170B, 170C) are made with a cutting assembly in one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) to remove at least a portion of a conduit and concrete that is deposited in the resulting space. The space is free of debris, which could otherwise form a leakage path in the sealing concrete. In a variant the space is created with a well drilling crusher. (18, 19)

Inventors

  • BRUCE ARNOLD TUNGET

Assignees

  • BRUCE ARNOLD TUNGET

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20100705
Priority Date
20090706

Claims (20)

  1. 1. Method of sealing an underground borehole or conduit with a cable coupled below the downhole assembly placed and suspended within, or recoverable from, said borehole or conduit via said cable, characterized by: comprising the steps of: lowering a cutting assembly (20, 21, 43) to said cable and guiding it to the downhole motor or drive (39, 64) into said borehole or conduit, wherein said downhole motor or drive (39) is operable by the differential pressure of the fluid between a fluid inlet (147) and the outlet thereof; inject a fluid into said orifice or conduit to form a high-pressure region at said fluid inlet (147) and to form a low-pressure region at said fluid outlet, to actuate said downhole motor or actuator (39), thus making one or more cuts (170, 170A, 170B, 170C) with said cutting assembly in said conduit (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) in a cut zone at the bottom of a well in said underground drilling orifice to cut or weaken said conduit in said cut zone of said downhole; remove at least one of: a radial or axial portion of the circumference to cut or weaken the conduit from the cut zone to form a space to receive the sealing material; depositing an adjustable sealing material into the space using said one or more conduits and allowing said sealing material to settle.
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: said cutting assembly (20, 21) comprises a cutting tool (65) which is placed in a position radially opposite to the lowered cable of the cutting assembly for engaging and cutting said one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177).
  3. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by: the step of making one or more cuts (170A, 170B) also making one or more transverse cuts to the axis of said one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) to separate said one or more conduits in the bottom of the well region.
  4. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that: said cutting tool (65) is a cutting wheel having a peripheral cutting edge.
  5. 5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: said cutting assembly (43) comprises a grinding tool (24) which is used to cut (170C) a separate end of said one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) and is pushed upwards to remove said at least a portion of said conduit.
  6. 6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by: the step of making one or more cuts (170) also making one or more transverse cuts to the radial plane of said one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) to weaken said one or more conduits as opposed to axial compression.
  7. 7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by: further comprising the steps of: lowering a packer (19) into said underground borehole; sealing the packer with a conduit around or encircled by one or more conduits by rotating said packer relative to said cable to expand a sealing member therefrom; and applying force from said packer to a weakened portion of said one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) to axially compress the weakened portion and thereby pull out one end to form said space to receive said accommodated sealing material.
  8. 8. Method according to claim 1, characterized by: said packer (19) being radially expandable and expanding against the conduit (101, 103, 105, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) surrounded by the wall or by said one or more weakened conduits to couple said packer within it.
  9. 9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by: a conduit removal apparatus (18) being used to couple said packer (19) to one end of said weakened portion to form a piston and compress said weakened portion and thus remove said end to form said space to receive said accommodated sealing material.
  10. 10. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by: said downhole motor or drive (39) being connected to the downhole anti-torque device having a peripheral arrangement of rollers (37) that push against the conduit wall and allow axial movement but prevent rotation of said downhole motor or drive.
  11. 11. Method according to claim 10, characterized by: said downhole motor or drive (39) being suspended from a cable (6) and having a stator (57) that is kept from rotating by said downhole anti-torque device.
  12. 12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that: said downhole motor (39) is coupled to a kelly coupler (172,173) that allows axial movement of said cutting assembly (21,43) during a cutting operation.
  13. 13. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: said downhole motor or drive (39) being a motor (39) having a stator (57) and a rotor (56), which define an axial flow path for the operating fluid between said stator and rotor, wherein the rotor, the stator, or combinations thereof, have a helical channel or projection that is driven by the movement of the fluid in said flow path to drive said rotor.
  14. 14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that: said stator (57) and rotor (56) both having helical nodal surfaces.
  15. 15. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: said downhole motor or drive (39) comprises a plurality of downhole motors axially connected by at least one universal joint (53).
  16. 16. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by: a cutting tool of said cutting assembly (20/21/43) being forced against said one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) by the weight of said cutting assembly, by the fluid pressure applied to the top of said cutting assembly, by the tension applied to the cable (6) by which said cutting assembly is suspended, or by combinations thereof.
  17. 17. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by: further comprising the steps of: coupling an extendable and retractable conduit (44) containing sealing material to a lower end (166) of a conduit (98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177); applying fluid pressure to said conduit to extend said extendable and retractable conduit; pumping sealing material into said space created by said removal in at least a portion; removing said sealing material from said extendable and retractable conduit with a displacement fluid having a density less than the density of sealing material; and to release the pumping pressure thereby retracting said extendable and retractable conduit and to isolate said fluid from displacement from said sealing material within said extendable and retractable conduit using a wall and a single-entry valve.
  18. 18. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: said space for receiving said sealing material is additionally formed: by lowering a crushing assembly (18, 19) driven by said motor or drive (39) from the bottom of the well (39, 64) into said borehole; and by applying the force of said crushing assembly (19) to a separate end of one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) in said underground borehole to axially displace said separate end to form said space for receiving said sealing material.
  19. 19. Method according to claim 18, characterized in that: said crushing assembly includes a packer (19) which is sealed within a surrounding conduit or is surrounded by one or more conduits (96, 98, 101, 103, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177), the force of said packer (19) being applied to said separated end.
  20. 20. Method according to claim 19, characterized in that: said packer (19) is a radially expandable packer and is expanded against a conduit wall (101, 103, 105, 144, 145, 167, 168, 177) to couple the packer thereto.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES FOR RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to UK Patent Application No. 0911672.4, entitled "Through Tubing Cable Rotary System," filed July 6, 2009, and UK Patent Application No. GB1010480.0, entitled "Apparatus and Methods for Operating One or More Wells to Solution Mine, Dewater and Operate Subterranean Storage Spaces Through a Single Bore," filed June 22, 2010, and UK Patent Application No. GB0920214.4, entitled "Apparatus and Methods for Operating a Plurality of Wells through a Single Bore," filed November 19, 2009, and US Patent Application No. 12/587,360, entitled "Systems and Method for Operating a Plurality of Wells." through a Single Bore," filed on October 6, 2009, United Kingdom Patent Application having Patent Application Number GB0921954.4, entitled "Systems and Apparatus for Using a Passageway Through Subterranean Strata," filed on December 16, 2009, and United States Patent Application having Application Serial Number 12/653,784, entitled "Systems and Apparatus for Using a Passageway Through Subterranean Strata," filed on December 18, 2009, each of which is incorporated in full herein by reference. FIELD OF APPLICATION The present invention generally relates to equipment, systems and methods used with braided wire, smooth wire or other placement methods, for maintaining and/or intervening with conduits, and equipment associated with said conduits, with a rotating device using a fluid motor conductor while lifting and/or vibrating conduits or associated equipment in boreholes, platform mirrors, pipelines or other large diameter conduits. The present invention also relates generally to sealing a conduit using a set of packed bolts, securing a conduit using a rotating hook, axially cutting a conduit and/or circumferentially cutting a conduit using a low torque cutting wheel driven for any rod, including rods driven through positive displacement fluid motors, combustion engines, pneumatic motors and electric motors. BACKGROUND Conventional practice for using low-hole rotary equipment inside a well generally involves the use of a large-capacity lifting mast with torque or pumping capacity, coiled pipe operations, and/or power line operations. The use of high-torque rotary equipment within boreholes generally requires the use of large drilling masts to lift or move tubular conduits into and out of a well, with rotary equipment used to rotate connecting conduits, or a fluid pump at the end of the connecting conduits used to pump fluid to the rotary equipment along the borehole. These types of conventional operations generally feature the highest lift and torque capacity for downhole rotary equipment. Alternatively, braided pipe operations can be performed, which involves the use of large reels of flexible tubing, requiring large lifting equipment to support an injector head used to wind the flexible pipe in and out of a well, while pumps are used to circulate the fluids through a motor and rotary downhole equipment. Conventional braided pipe operation generally provides less torque and lifting capacity than the use of drilling masts. Finally, conventional practice may also involve the use of an electric line unit to place an electric motor downhole for relatively lower torque operations of rotating equipment, such as pipe cutters with razor blades. Electric line operations are not generally suitable for lifting or moving heavy equipment into or out of a well, similar to the connection for downhole equipment or electrical wires within their arrangements as their stranded wire may fail. The conventional use of non-electric stranded wire and smooth wire applications generally does not support rotation of downhole equipment, as wires may fail if twisted and are primarily tensioned by lifting equipment into or out of a well and/or equipment moving axially up or down as required. Additionally, while grease heads may not offer sufficient sealing capability against stranded wires, smooth wire applications are generally able to work in higher pressure wells than stranded wire applications. While drilling masts offer the highest level of capability for lifting capacity and torque, they are the most expensive and time-consuming of conventional options, with coiled tubing operations generally being less expensive than a drilling mast, but more expensive and operationally complex than power line operations when using rotary reduction equipment inside a well. Since non-electric stranded wire and smooth wire operations are comparable in cost and operational complexity to electric stranded wire operations and have the ability to hoist heavy loads into and out of a well and/or to move and pick up loose equipment if necessary, they also present an opportunity to perform heavy-duty work and to operate rotary downhole equipment using a positive displacement fluid motor for tasks where the required torques are less than those required on a drilling mast. The embodiments of the present in