US-12624605-B2 - Well tool with an angle orienting feature

US12624605B2US 12624605 B2US12624605 B2US 12624605B2US-12624605-B2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a well tool 1 adapted to be centralized in a well. The well tool includes an angle orienting feature, for orienting the well tool 1, 50 around a longitudinal axis of the well tool. The well tool includes at least three wheels 3, 53 each adapted to define a wheel contact point. Each wheel extends from a longitudinal well tool body 6, 56 and is adapted to contact a well inner wall. The well tool 1 includes a swivel 28 adapted to allow the well tool to be attached to a longitudinal element 29 and to allow the longitudinal element 29 to rotate in relation to the well tool. The angle orienting feature is adapted to orient the at least three wheels 3, 53 extending from the well tool body 6, 56 away from a lower portion of the well inner wall 44 when the well is inclined or horizontal.

Inventors

Kenneth Fuglestad

Assignees

WELL CONVEYOR AS

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220913
Priority Date: 20210915

Claims (9)

1 . A well tool ( 1 ) adapted to be centralized in a well, the well tool comprising an angle orienting feature, for orienting the well tool ( 1 , 50 ) around a longitudinal axis of the well tool, the well tool including at least three wheels ( 3 , 53 ) each adapted to define a wheel contact point and wherein each wheel extends from a longitudinal well tool body ( 6 , 56 ) configured to be centralized in the well, and wherein each wheel is adapted to contact a well inner wall ( 44 ), wherein the well tool ( 1 ) includes a swivel ( 28 ) adapted to allow the well tool to be attached to a longitudinal element ( 29 ) and to allow the longitudinal element ( 29 ) to rotate in relation to the well tool ( 1 ), whereby the angle orienting feature is configured to orient the at least three wheels ( 3 , 53 ) extending from the well tool body ( 6 , 56 ) away from a lower portion of the well inner wall ( 44 ) when the tool is deployed in an inclined or horizontal well, wherein the angle orienting feature is provided by a centre of gravity ( 47 ) of a wheeled portion of the well tool ( 1 , 50 ) offset from, and below a center of the well tool ( 1 ) when the well tool ( 1 , 50 ) is in a horizontal or close to horizontal operating position, and wherein the at least three wheels ( 3 , 53 ) are located in the wheeled portion ( 25 ) of the well tool ( 1 ), the well tool ( 1 ) further including a second portion ( 26 ) adapted to be attached to the wheeled portion ( 25 ) and the swivel ( 28 ), and wherein the offset center of gravity ( 47 ) of the well tool ( 1 , 50 ) is provided by an orienting element ( 27 ) between the wheeled portion and the second portion ( 26 ), whereby the wheeled portion ( 25 ), the interconnection piece ( 22 ) and the second portion ( 26 ) are adapted to form a ramp step shaped well tool.
2 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 1 , further including at least one weight ( 48 ) to provide the centre of gravity ( 47 ) of the wheeled portion of the well tool ( 1 , 50 ) offset from and below a center of the well tool ( 1 ) when the well tool ( 1 , 50 ) is in a horizontal or close to horizontal operating position to provide the angle orienting feature.
3 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 2 , wherein the at least one weight ( 48 ) is integrated in the well tool ( 1 ) to provide the offset centre of gravity ( 47 ) and to provide the angle orienting feature.
4 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 2 , wherein the at least one weight ( 48 ) in the longitudinal well tool body ( 6 , 56 ) is located in a separate detachable portion of the well tool providing a removable angle orienting element ( 7 ) and to provide the angle orienting feature.
5 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the well tool is attached to a coiled tubing ( 51 ), and wherein the angle orienting feature includes a gravity sensor ( 60 ) and an actuator ( 61 ) adapted to rotate the well tool ( 1 ) in relation to the coiled tubing ( 51 ), and wherein the gravity sensor is adapted to control the actuator ( 61 ).
6 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the angle orienting feature includes a gravity sensor ( 60 ) and an actuator ( 62 ) adapted to turn and steer at least one the at least three wheels ( 3 , 53 ) to steer and rotate the well tool in relation to the well inner wall ( 44 ).
7 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the at least three wheels ( 3 ) are located in one wheel-plane, and wherein the angle orienting feature is adapted to keep the wheel-plane horizontal.
8 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 1 in an inclined or horizontal well with the well inner wall ( 44 ) and at least one of sand and debris resting against a bottom portion of the well inner wall, wherein the at least three wheels ( 3 , 53 ) extending from the longitudinal well tool body ( 6 , 56 ) contacts the well inner wall ( 44 ) at the wheel contact points at locations away from the bottom portion of the well inner wall ( 44 ).
9 . The well tool ( 1 ) of claim 1 wherein each of the at least three wheels ( 3 , 53 ) is adapted to simultaneously contact the well inner wall ( 44 ).

Description

The present invention relates to a centralized well- or pipe tool with a centralization and orientation feature to centralize and orient the tool and other equipment in curved and horizontal wells and pipes in such a manner that wheels of the well- or pipe tool stays away from any sand/dirt or debris at the bottom of the horizontal or inclined pipe or well. Sand, dirt or debris are often located at a bottom of the pipe profile in and pipes that are curved or horizontal. There is often a need to make interventions by inserting equipment into pipes with elements such as: coiled tubing, rod or pulling tools and cables. There is a great risk that the equipment gets stuck in sand and/or debris inside the pipe, thus preventing progress. Pipes typically include long stretches in a horizontal direction. Several sections of sand and/or debris may therefore be have to be negotiated, giving increased resistance between the pipe and the equipment. There is a need for a centralization and orientation method allowing the centralizing tool and other equipment to passes over sand and/or debris lying at the bottom of the pipe profile. In some situations, it is required to run well interventions through pipe restrictions. Smaller pipes in an upper vertical part of a well pipe may have to be passed before going into a larger pipe in a horizontal part of the pipe. It may therefore be necessary to utilize a centralization method/equipment allowing centralization in varying sized pipes. In addition, the centralization should preferably be carried out while avoiding sand and/or debris lying at the bottom of the pipe profile. Tools may have a small inner diameter and nipple profiles all the way down to 43 mm. There are several variants of centralization tools for boreholes and pipes on the market. A known solution includes arc springs that are biased towards the pipe wall and centralize a string in the pipe. Other methods include using flexible arms with rolling wheels biased against the pipe wall, centralizing the string in the pipe. The arms or arc springs are typically in contact with the pipe wall at three locations or more around a longitudinal axis of the tool. With four flexible arms will these typically be oriented 90 degrees in relation to each other about the longitudinal axis. With three flexible arms will these typically be oriented 120 degrees in relation to each other about the longitudinal axis. If one of these methods are used in a horizontal drilling pipe with sand on the bottom of the pipe profile, will most likely one of the arms or arched springs be located in a portion of the pipe with sand or debris. The centralization tool then works against its purpose, which in most cases is to reduce the resistance of the string/tool in the pipe. Instead of reducing the friction in the string, the resistance is increased considerably as the tool/string is guided through sand and/or debris. There are several variants of traction tools or well tractors on the market. One known solution includes an electric motor driving a hydraulic pump which in turn drives a hydraulic motor in a drive wheel. Such a system is technically complex and has a low efficiency. Other variants utilize an electric motor that transmits the rotation directly via an angular gear and on to the wheel either via chain/belt drive or a straight gear. The present invention provides a centralization and orientation tool and method, allowing centralization to be achieved without any parts of the tool/string having to pass through sand or debris lying on the bottom of the pipe profile. With the tool of the present invention, it is possible to centralize a string efficiently and easily and at the same time orient the string so that the string stays clear of sand and/or debris lying at the bottom of the pipe profile. The tool of invention comprises two or more rocker arms which are oriented 180 degrees relative to each other in relation to a longitudinal axis of the string, one or more swivels and an orienting feature. The rocker arms may include either freely rolling wheels or driven wheels. The orienting feature ensures that the arms are oriented substantially horizontally allowing the arms to extend out to each side of the longitudinal axis of the string. Pipe, pipeline, bore, well, wellbore, tubing, tubing string, casing, casing string, drill pipe, etc. are expressing locations where the present invention may be used. In this disclosure is pipe and well used for simplicity for all these types of applications. The term “Well tool” is intended to cover any tool suitable for use in any well, pipeline, etc. as mentioned above and is not restricted to use in connection with wells, but may also be used in any sort of pipelines typically used to convey oil, gas or water. The present invention concerns a well tool adapted to be centralized in a well. The well tool comprises an angle orienting feature for orienting the well tool around a longitudinal axis of the well