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CN-122003538-A - Lifting plug

CN122003538ACN 122003538 ACN122003538 ACN 122003538ACN-122003538-A

Abstract

A lift plug for connection with a tubular member includes a tubular body including an externally threaded portion, one or more holes extending through the tubular body within the externally threaded portion, and a flange at a first end of the tubular body for engagement with a lifting mechanism.

Inventors

  • STEVE LANGFORD

Assignees

  • 瓦卢瑞克石油天然气法国有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20240913
Priority Date
20231013

Claims (14)

  1. 1. A lift plug (10) for connection with a drill pipe, casing or production tubing, the lift plug (10) comprising: A tubular body (20) comprising an external threaded portion (40); One or more holes (70), the holes (70) extending through the tubular body (20) within the externally threaded portion (40), and A flange at a first end of the tubular body (20) for engagement with a lifting mechanism, Wherein the one or more holes (70) extend through the wall thickness of the tubular body (20) from its exterior to its interior.
  2. 2. The lift plug (10) of claim 1, including a plurality of holes (70), the holes (70) extending through the tubular body (20) within the externally threaded portion (40).
  3. 3. The lift plug (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of the holes (70) extend through one or more thread crests (44) of the external thread portion (40).
  4. 4. A lifting plug (10) according to claim 3, comprising a plurality of holes (70), the holes (70) extending through the thread crests (44) of the external thread portion (40).
  5. 5. The lift plug (10) of claim 4, wherein the holes (70) are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis of the tubular body (20).
  6. 6. The lift plug (10) of claim 4 or 5, wherein two or more of the holes (70) are aligned along a longitudinal axis of the tubular body (20).
  7. 7. The lift plug (10) of claim 6, wherein the aligned holes (70) form a group of holes.
  8. 8. The lift plug (10) of claim 7, including a plurality of aperture sets spaced circumferentially along the externally threaded portion (40).
  9. 9. The lift plug (10) of claim 8, wherein the sets of holes are uniformly spaced along a circumference of the externally threaded portion (40).
  10. 10. Lift plug (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the holes (70) are spaced apart from each other by the thread crests of at least one of the external thread portions (40).
  11. 11. Lift plug (10) according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that two or more of the holes (70) are spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the tubular body (20).
  12. 12. The lift plug (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more holes (70) extend through one or more thread roots of the external thread portion (40).
  13. 13. The lift plug (10) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more of the holes (70) extend substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body (20).
  14. 14. A method of manufacturing a lift plug (10) for a drill pipe, casing or production tubing having one or more grease exit holes (70), the method comprising: Providing a lift plug (10), the lift plug (10) comprising a tubular body (20) having an externally threaded portion (40) and a flange (30) at a first end of the body for engagement with a lift mechanism, and Drilling through the tubular body (20) within the externally threaded portion (40) to form one or more grease relief holes (70), Wherein the one or more holes (70) extend through the wall thickness of the tubular body (20) from its exterior to its interior.

Description

Lifting plug Technical Field The present invention relates generally to lift plugs. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a lift plug for connection with a tubular member (e.g. drill pipe, casing or production tubing), the lift plug being configured to collect excess grease of a threaded portion of the tubular member in use. Background Drilling operations (whether geothermal wells or hydrocarbon wells) use multiple separate tubular members connected together by threaded portions at their ends to form a string of tubing, such as a drill string, casing string, or production tubing string. The tubular member is typically stored in a horizontal position at the well site and must be lifted to a vertical position for connection with the end of another tubular member already located in the well. Depending on the design of the threaded portion, a lift plug may be threaded with the end of the stored tubular member to provide a lifting surface for engagement with a lifting mechanism (e.g., an elevator) at the well site. Grease is typically applied to the threads prior to connection of the tubular members. It has been found that excess grease applied to the threaded portion of the tubular member prior to making the connection can, under certain conditions, cause failure of the connection after the tubular member is run into the well. The operator applying grease at the well site typically has little to no clear about the amount of grease applied to the threaded portion, nor about the possible consequences of connection failure. Patent application US 2021/396082 is known in the prior art, which discloses a lifting plug comprising a body which can be screwed onto a pipe string. Patent application CN107932184 is also known, which relates to a lifting screw which is screwed into a lifting nut. Disclosure of Invention It is therefore a first non-exclusive object of the invention to provide a device for controlling the amount of grease applied to a threaded portion of a tubular member. It is a further non-exclusive object of the invention to provide a device for removing or draining excess grease from a threaded portion of a tubular member prior to connection with another tubular member. According to one aspect of the invention, a lift plug includes a tubular body including an externally threaded portion, one or more holes extending through the tubular body within the externally threaded portion, and a flange at a first end of the tubular body for engagement with a lifting mechanism. One aspect of the invention relates to a lift plug for connection with a drill pipe, casing or production tubing, the lift plug comprising a tubular body including an externally threaded portion, one or more holes extending through the tubular body within the externally threaded portion, and a flange at a first end of the tubular body for engagement with a lifting mechanism, wherein the one or more holes extend from an exterior to an interior thereof through a wall thickness of the tubular body. The one or more apertures may be or may include a grease vent aperture or a grease bleed aperture. The lift plug may be configured to connect or engage (e.g., threaded) a tubular member (e.g., drill pipe, casing, or production tubing). The lifting plug may be configured to provide a lifting point for the tubular member in use. The external threaded portion may be or may include an external male threaded portion. The lift plug may also be referred to or referred to as a lift plug, a lift cap, a lift nipple, or a lift nipple. The one or more apertures may extend through the wall thickness of the tubular body, for example from an outer or exterior surface to an inner or interior surface thereof. The lift plug may include a plurality of holes extending through the tubular body within the externally threaded portion. The lift plug may include a plurality of holes extending through the externally threaded portion. One or more of the bores may extend through one or more thread crests of the external threaded portion. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the bores may extend through one or more thread roots of the external thread portion. The lift plug may include one or more holes extending through a thread crest of the external thread portion and one or more holes extending through a thread root of the external thread portion. The lift plug may include a plurality of holes extending through a thread crest and/or a thread root of the external thread portion. The apertures may be spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis of the tubular body. The bores may be spaced apart from one another along the externally threaded portion. Two or more of the apertures may be aligned along a longitudinal axis of the tubular body. Two or more of the holes or aligned holes may have substantially the same, equal or constant circumferential position on the body or external threaded portion, for example along the longitudinal axis