CA1223246A - Coring device with an improved core sleeve and anti- gripping collar - Google Patents
Coring device with an improved core sleeve and anti- gripping collarInfo
- Publication number
- CA1223246A CA1223246A CA000462621A CA462621A CA1223246A CA 1223246 A CA1223246 A CA 1223246A CA 000462621 A CA000462621 A CA 000462621A CA 462621 A CA462621 A CA 462621A CA 1223246 A CA1223246 A CA 1223246A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- sleeve
- core
- inner barrel
- diameter
- set forth
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B25/00—Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores, e.g. core barrels, core extractors
- E21B25/06—Apparatus for obtaining or removing undisturbed cores, e.g. core barrels, core extractors the core receiver having a flexible liner or inflatable retaining means
Abstract
A CORING DEVICE WITH AN IMPROVED
CORE SLEEVE AND ANTI-GRIPPING COLLAR
Abstract of the Disclosure An improved coring device that incorporates a nonrotatable inner barrel disposed within the outer driving structure of the drill string which is coupled to a coring bit. A woven metal mesh sleeve is circumferential mounted outside the inner barrel and tucked around its lower end. The lower end of the mesh sleeve in the inner barrel is in turn connected to a stripper tube which is pulled upwardly during the coring operation. As the core is cut by the coring bit and enters the inner barrel, the woven metal mesh sleeve is disposed about the core and constricts about the core when pulled upwardly by the stripper tube. The opposing end of the woven metal mesh sleeve is connected to a weight which serves to compress the metal sleeve when outside the inner barrel, thereby increasing its diameter to prevent binding or jamming.
CORE SLEEVE AND ANTI-GRIPPING COLLAR
Abstract of the Disclosure An improved coring device that incorporates a nonrotatable inner barrel disposed within the outer driving structure of the drill string which is coupled to a coring bit. A woven metal mesh sleeve is circumferential mounted outside the inner barrel and tucked around its lower end. The lower end of the mesh sleeve in the inner barrel is in turn connected to a stripper tube which is pulled upwardly during the coring operation. As the core is cut by the coring bit and enters the inner barrel, the woven metal mesh sleeve is disposed about the core and constricts about the core when pulled upwardly by the stripper tube. The opposing end of the woven metal mesh sleeve is connected to a weight which serves to compress the metal sleeve when outside the inner barrel, thereby increasing its diameter to prevent binding or jamming.
Description
l!
,1 l;~Z3Z46 8 SCORE SLEEVE AND ANTI-GRlPPING COLLAR
10 field of Tao Invention If 11 I
¦ this invention relates to subsurface well bore ! 13 ¦ equipment and more particularly to an improved coring device 14 ¦ having an improved core sleeve and anti gripping collar for obtaining cores from formations in well bores.
6 !
18Backg round of the Invention 19 . .
iota is now well recognized in a variety of industries 21 that core samples from jell bores provide useful and sometimes 22 invaluable information. Data regarding subsurface geological 23 formations are of recognized value in drilling or petroleum and 24 gas, mineral exploration, in the construction field, in quarrying 25 operations, and in many other similar fields. In the petroleum 26 and gas drilling yield it is often difficult to secure proper or 27 any eon from certain types of lorlcations. Ire example, coring I
1 in soft formations, unconsolidated formations, conglomerates ox
,1 l;~Z3Z46 8 SCORE SLEEVE AND ANTI-GRlPPING COLLAR
10 field of Tao Invention If 11 I
¦ this invention relates to subsurface well bore ! 13 ¦ equipment and more particularly to an improved coring device 14 ¦ having an improved core sleeve and anti gripping collar for obtaining cores from formations in well bores.
6 !
18Backg round of the Invention 19 . .
iota is now well recognized in a variety of industries 21 that core samples from jell bores provide useful and sometimes 22 invaluable information. Data regarding subsurface geological 23 formations are of recognized value in drilling or petroleum and 24 gas, mineral exploration, in the construction field, in quarrying 25 operations, and in many other similar fields. In the petroleum 26 and gas drilling yield it is often difficult to secure proper or 27 any eon from certain types of lorlcations. Ire example, coring I
1 in soft formations, unconsolidated formations, conglomerates ox
2 badly fractured rock often results in loss of the core from the
3 washing action of circulated drilling fluid, or in crumbling or
4 other disturbance to the core. As a result, the recovered core is so badly damaged that standard tests for permeability, 6 porosity and other parameters cannot be performed. In addition, 7 cores that are recovered are very often disturbed even more in 8 the attempt to remove them from the core barrel. In other 9 instances, when the core has jammed within the core barrel the entire drift string must be brought out of the hole to remove the 11 jammed core from the core barrel so that coring can resume. In 12 addition, jamming often results in significant amounts of core 13 being ground up under the jammed barrel and not recovered.
In the case of unconsolidated formations, it is known 1 from U.S. Patent 2,927,775 to use a rubber or equivalent elastic 1 sleeve which grips the core as the core is cut. Also disclosed 1 therein is a woven metal core sleeve. An elastomeric or fabric 1 sleeve operates well for unconsolidated cores, but where the 2 material being cored is fractured rock such as Monterey Shale and 21 Chest, which is comprise of hard and very hard rocks, the 2 alternation of consolidated bands with highly fractured 2 unconsolidated sections not only limits the length of the core 2 samples, but provides samples with very sharp edges and crushed 2 granules and pebbles. The prior art elasto~eric or fabric core 2 sleeves do not operate well with this type of material.
issues 1 ¦ A variation of the core sleeve is described in U.S.
2 ¦ Patent 3,511,324 which describes a finely meshed knitted fabric 3 ¦ such as nylon and the like. However, in toe structure describe 4 ¦ in this particular patent, the diameter of the core sleeve is not
In the case of unconsolidated formations, it is known 1 from U.S. Patent 2,927,775 to use a rubber or equivalent elastic 1 sleeve which grips the core as the core is cut. Also disclosed 1 therein is a woven metal core sleeve. An elastomeric or fabric 1 sleeve operates well for unconsolidated cores, but where the 2 material being cored is fractured rock such as Monterey Shale and 21 Chest, which is comprise of hard and very hard rocks, the 2 alternation of consolidated bands with highly fractured 2 unconsolidated sections not only limits the length of the core 2 samples, but provides samples with very sharp edges and crushed 2 granules and pebbles. The prior art elasto~eric or fabric core 2 sleeves do not operate well with this type of material.
issues 1 ¦ A variation of the core sleeve is described in U.S.
2 ¦ Patent 3,511,324 which describes a finely meshed knitted fabric 3 ¦ such as nylon and the like. However, in toe structure describe 4 ¦ in this particular patent, the diameter of the core sleeve is not
5 ¦ seduced and no resistance against a transverse deformation of the
6 ¦ sample is provided. moreover, the system described in this
7 ¦ patent does not provide any constriction of the sleeve on 81 exertion of a tensile load.
9 l 10 ¦ U.S. Patent 4,156,469 also relates to a resilient sleeve 11 ¦ which is bunched into a holder, the principal purpose of which is 12 ¦ to reduce the coefficient of friction rather Han the normal 13 ¦ force of friction.
14 l 15 ¦ U.S. Patent 3,363,705, like U.S. Patent 3,511,324 16 ¦ previously discussed, does not grip or lift the core, although 17 ¦ there is ascribed therein a core-receiving sampling sleeve which 18 ¦ is generally tubular in configuration and fabricated from nylon 19 ¦ mesh.
20 l 21 ¦ U.S. Patent 3,012,622, assigned to the present assignee, 22 ¦ also describes a rubberlike coring retaining sleeve for 23 ¦ retrieving a core from a bore hole. Again, equipment of the type 24 ¦ described in this patent has operated successfully with certain 25 ¦ soft unconsolidated formations, but provides somewhat poorer 26 ¦ performance in the case of hard, abrasive rock such as 27 ¦ conglomerates, or badly fractured rock.
28 l I I
1 ¦ Other patents which relate to core sleeves include U.S.
2 ¦ Patent 3,804,184 and those mentioned in the text of this 3 ¦ application.
4 l 5 ¦ The coring devices and core sleeves described in the 6 ¦ above-identified patent operate satisfactorily under many 7 ¦ circumstances, but where the formation is comprised of hard,
9 l 10 ¦ U.S. Patent 4,156,469 also relates to a resilient sleeve 11 ¦ which is bunched into a holder, the principal purpose of which is 12 ¦ to reduce the coefficient of friction rather Han the normal 13 ¦ force of friction.
14 l 15 ¦ U.S. Patent 3,363,705, like U.S. Patent 3,511,324 16 ¦ previously discussed, does not grip or lift the core, although 17 ¦ there is ascribed therein a core-receiving sampling sleeve which 18 ¦ is generally tubular in configuration and fabricated from nylon 19 ¦ mesh.
20 l 21 ¦ U.S. Patent 3,012,622, assigned to the present assignee, 22 ¦ also describes a rubberlike coring retaining sleeve for 23 ¦ retrieving a core from a bore hole. Again, equipment of the type 24 ¦ described in this patent has operated successfully with certain 25 ¦ soft unconsolidated formations, but provides somewhat poorer 26 ¦ performance in the case of hard, abrasive rock such as 27 ¦ conglomerates, or badly fractured rock.
28 l I I
1 ¦ Other patents which relate to core sleeves include U.S.
2 ¦ Patent 3,804,184 and those mentioned in the text of this 3 ¦ application.
4 l 5 ¦ The coring devices and core sleeves described in the 6 ¦ above-identified patent operate satisfactorily under many 7 ¦ circumstances, but where the formation is comprised of hard,
8 ¦ broken and fragmented rock, the core often jams within the coring
9 ¦ device. Core jamming is caused by the friction produce between
10 ¦ the core and the inner barrel of the coring device within which
11 ¦ the core is located. Ike friction which tends to produce jamming
12 ¦ is the product of two factors, one being the force pushing the
13 materials together, and referred to as the normal force" and the
14 other being the "coefficient of friction" which depends upon the types of materials being pushed together and any lubricating 16 fluid between them. Broken or fractured pieces of the core act 17 like a wedge inside surface of the inner tube. The "normal 18 force" is created by the angle of fracture and the force required 19 to push the core upward to insert the core into the barrel.
Eventually, this force exceeds the strength of the core or 21 ¦ exceeds the drill string weight. In such an instance, the new 22 ¦ core is crushed in the throat of the bit or the core jams, and 23 ¦ drilling stops because of a lack of weight on the cutters of the 24 ¦ bit.
25 l 26 ¦ In some of the prior patents previously identified, 27 ¦ attempts have been jade at reducing the "coefficient of friction"
I
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1 between the core and the inner tube as an attempted means to 2 reduce jamming. In the main, such attempts have been ineffective 3 because the "coefficient of friction" cannot be reduced to zero.
4 Accordingly, with a doubling of forces with each fracture, jamming is postponed but not eliminated.
7 It has also been noted with respect to some coring 8 devices of the prior art that the core catcher is mounted so that 9 it is carried by and rotates with the bit. This may cause the coring device to disintegrate or grind up highly fractured core, 11 thereby tending to increase jamming in the bit throat and catcher 12 areas. It has also been noted with respect to the prior art '3 devices that ground-up material sometimes enters between a gap which is normally present between the core catcher and the 5 associated core shoe, thus tending to cause core jams in the Lo region between the inner tube and the core catcher.
18 Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to 19 provide a unique coring device incorporating a unique core sleeve 2 which grips the core tightly and eliminates friction by reducing 21 the "normal force" rather than the "coefficient of friction" and 22 wherein a weight is used to maintain the sleeve in compression.
24 Another object of this invention is to provide an 2 improved coring apparatus including a unique woven wire mesh tube 2 which lifts the core and prevents the fracture planes of the core 2 from sliding and acting like a wedge, thereby substantially I
1 eliminating core jams, especially with highly fractured 2 formations, thereby insuring relatively high core recovery and 3 wherein the core sleeve is maintained in compression by a weight 4 which insures proper movement of the sleeve in use.
6 It is also an object of the present invention Jo provide 7 an improved coring apparatus which includes an approved wire 8 metal core sleeve which insures relatively high core recovery, 9 especially when used in formations which are highly fractured, hard formations.
12 Still another object of the present invention is to 13 provide an improved coring device which includes a unique wire 14 core sleeve which is stored in a compressed condition around the inner core barrel, wherein tension is applied to the core sleeve 16 in the inner barrel to compress the sleeve around the core Jo 17 keep the core together, and to reduce the chance of thy core 18 touching the inside of the wall.
Still a further object of the present invention is the 21 provision of an improved coring apparatus in which a core sleeve 22 is positioned between the inner barrel and the intermediate tube, 23 a weight being located above the sleeve and between the tube and 24 barrel, and wherein the intermediate tube is connected Jo a nonirritating inner barrel, with a core catcher connected Jo the 26 intermediate tube below the core sleeve, thereby eliminating a 27 rotating core catcher which tends to disintegrate and grind up I -I
1 ¦ highly fractured cores.
2 l 3 ¦ A still further object of the present invention is the 4 ¦ provision of improved coring apparatus in which a core sleeve 5 ¦ positioned between the inner barrel in the intermediate tube is 6 ¦ maintained in compression by a weight and wherein the 7 ¦ intermediate tube is connected to a nonirritating inner barrel. An 8 ¦ improved core catcher is positioned inside a core shoe which is 9 ¦ attached to a nonirritating intermediate tube. The intermediate 10 ¦ tube includes a member which extends upwardly into the bottom of 11 ¦ the inner barrel, but is spaced therefrom Jo permit movement of 12 ¦ the core sleeve. As a result, the space between the lower end of 13 ¦ the inner barrel and the core shoe is kept free of crushed and 14 ¦ ground maternal.
'51 I
SUE
~Lz232~6 1 Brief Description of the Invention 3 The above and other desirable objects are achieved in 4 accordance with this invention by the provision of an improved subsurface coring device including a unique core sleeve of woven 6 wire mesh. The wire mesh core sleeve is mounted on the exterior surface of an inner barrel, the latter being supported within an 8 outer driving structure, and in spaced relationship thereto and 9 in such a manner as to permit rotation of the driving structure with respect to the inner barrel. The wire mesh core sleeve I includes a leading portion which is adapted to be positioned 12 within the inner barrel and operates initially to receive a core 13 as it is cut. The wire mesh core sleeve includes a leading 14 portion which is adapted to be positioned within the inner barrel and operates initially to receive a core as it is cut. The wire 16 mesh core sleeve has a predetermined normal diameter which is 17 less than the diameter ox the sleeve in a compressed state but 18 treater than the diameter of the sleeve when tension is applied 19 to the sleeve. As positioned with respect to the inner barrel, the portion of the sleeve which surrounds the inner barrel is 21 kept in a compressed state and thus has an inside diameter 22 greater than the outside diameter of the inner barrel while the 23 portion of the sleeve which is positioned inside the inner barrel 2 is in tension to grip, compress and lift he core which is 2 received within the sleeve. The outsize diameter of the sleeve, 2 in tension, and surrounding and gripping the core, is less than 2 the inside diameter of the inner barrel. Also, associated with 12~:3Z46 1 the wire mesh core sleeve, are means positioned within the inner 2 barrel and connected to the sleeve to dxa~ the sleeve within the 3 inner barrel, to apply tension to that portion of the sleeve 4 which is within the inner barrel in order Jo encase and to grip the core as it is cut and to lift the core. In one for, the 6 remaining structure of the coring device is structured such that 7 it is adapted to be connected at one end Jo a bit for cutting a 8 core, and at the other end to the lower end of a pipe string, the 9 outer driving structure being in telescoping relationship and being co-rotatable with the pipe string.
11 .
12 In one Norm as described and claimed the wire mesh core 13 sleeve is formed in a diamond weave such that alternating bundles 14 of wires are at substantially 90 with respect to each other and at substantially 45 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the 16 sleeve when in a released condition. Typically, the wires are of 17 a sufficiently small diameter to be able to make the turn from 1 the outside to the inside of the inner barrel, and of a 1 sufficient hardness and strength to resist being cut by the sharp 2 edges of the hard abrasive rock which being strong enough to 21 lift the core and at the same time sufficiently flexible to bend 22 around the end of the inner barrel, as described.
2 one of the advantages of the wire mesh core sleeve, and 2 the associated coring structure, in accordance with the present 2 invention, is the reduction of the core jamming caused by 2 friction produced between the core and the inner barrel.
-10- ' Z~6 1 ¦ Normally, friction is considered to be the product of the normal 2 ¦ force of friction resulting in the core material pushing against 3 ¦ the inside surface of the inner barrel and the coefficient of 4 ¦ friction which depends upon the nature of the materials which are 5 ¦ on sliding contact and any lubricating fluid between them. where 6 1 the core is of a nature which contains broken or fractured 7 ¦ pieces, the core tends to act as a wedge against the inner 8 ¦ barrel. The normal force, that is the force pushing the core 9 ¦ material against the inner surface of the barrel, results from 10 ¦ the angle of the fracture and the force required to push the core 11 upwardly through the inner barrel. Each fracture approximately 12 ¦ doubles, for the same angle of fracture, the frictional force 13 ¦ which must be overcome by the new core entering the barrel. By 14 ¦ the present invention, the woven wire mesh core sleeve tends to
Eventually, this force exceeds the strength of the core or 21 ¦ exceeds the drill string weight. In such an instance, the new 22 ¦ core is crushed in the throat of the bit or the core jams, and 23 ¦ drilling stops because of a lack of weight on the cutters of the 24 ¦ bit.
25 l 26 ¦ In some of the prior patents previously identified, 27 ¦ attempts have been jade at reducing the "coefficient of friction"
I
Z3;~
1 between the core and the inner tube as an attempted means to 2 reduce jamming. In the main, such attempts have been ineffective 3 because the "coefficient of friction" cannot be reduced to zero.
4 Accordingly, with a doubling of forces with each fracture, jamming is postponed but not eliminated.
7 It has also been noted with respect to some coring 8 devices of the prior art that the core catcher is mounted so that 9 it is carried by and rotates with the bit. This may cause the coring device to disintegrate or grind up highly fractured core, 11 thereby tending to increase jamming in the bit throat and catcher 12 areas. It has also been noted with respect to the prior art '3 devices that ground-up material sometimes enters between a gap which is normally present between the core catcher and the 5 associated core shoe, thus tending to cause core jams in the Lo region between the inner tube and the core catcher.
18 Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to 19 provide a unique coring device incorporating a unique core sleeve 2 which grips the core tightly and eliminates friction by reducing 21 the "normal force" rather than the "coefficient of friction" and 22 wherein a weight is used to maintain the sleeve in compression.
24 Another object of this invention is to provide an 2 improved coring apparatus including a unique woven wire mesh tube 2 which lifts the core and prevents the fracture planes of the core 2 from sliding and acting like a wedge, thereby substantially I
1 eliminating core jams, especially with highly fractured 2 formations, thereby insuring relatively high core recovery and 3 wherein the core sleeve is maintained in compression by a weight 4 which insures proper movement of the sleeve in use.
6 It is also an object of the present invention Jo provide 7 an improved coring apparatus which includes an approved wire 8 metal core sleeve which insures relatively high core recovery, 9 especially when used in formations which are highly fractured, hard formations.
12 Still another object of the present invention is to 13 provide an improved coring device which includes a unique wire 14 core sleeve which is stored in a compressed condition around the inner core barrel, wherein tension is applied to the core sleeve 16 in the inner barrel to compress the sleeve around the core Jo 17 keep the core together, and to reduce the chance of thy core 18 touching the inside of the wall.
Still a further object of the present invention is the 21 provision of an improved coring apparatus in which a core sleeve 22 is positioned between the inner barrel and the intermediate tube, 23 a weight being located above the sleeve and between the tube and 24 barrel, and wherein the intermediate tube is connected Jo a nonirritating inner barrel, with a core catcher connected Jo the 26 intermediate tube below the core sleeve, thereby eliminating a 27 rotating core catcher which tends to disintegrate and grind up I -I
1 ¦ highly fractured cores.
2 l 3 ¦ A still further object of the present invention is the 4 ¦ provision of improved coring apparatus in which a core sleeve 5 ¦ positioned between the inner barrel in the intermediate tube is 6 ¦ maintained in compression by a weight and wherein the 7 ¦ intermediate tube is connected to a nonirritating inner barrel. An 8 ¦ improved core catcher is positioned inside a core shoe which is 9 ¦ attached to a nonirritating intermediate tube. The intermediate 10 ¦ tube includes a member which extends upwardly into the bottom of 11 ¦ the inner barrel, but is spaced therefrom Jo permit movement of 12 ¦ the core sleeve. As a result, the space between the lower end of 13 ¦ the inner barrel and the core shoe is kept free of crushed and 14 ¦ ground maternal.
'51 I
SUE
~Lz232~6 1 Brief Description of the Invention 3 The above and other desirable objects are achieved in 4 accordance with this invention by the provision of an improved subsurface coring device including a unique core sleeve of woven 6 wire mesh. The wire mesh core sleeve is mounted on the exterior surface of an inner barrel, the latter being supported within an 8 outer driving structure, and in spaced relationship thereto and 9 in such a manner as to permit rotation of the driving structure with respect to the inner barrel. The wire mesh core sleeve I includes a leading portion which is adapted to be positioned 12 within the inner barrel and operates initially to receive a core 13 as it is cut. The wire mesh core sleeve includes a leading 14 portion which is adapted to be positioned within the inner barrel and operates initially to receive a core as it is cut. The wire 16 mesh core sleeve has a predetermined normal diameter which is 17 less than the diameter ox the sleeve in a compressed state but 18 treater than the diameter of the sleeve when tension is applied 19 to the sleeve. As positioned with respect to the inner barrel, the portion of the sleeve which surrounds the inner barrel is 21 kept in a compressed state and thus has an inside diameter 22 greater than the outside diameter of the inner barrel while the 23 portion of the sleeve which is positioned inside the inner barrel 2 is in tension to grip, compress and lift he core which is 2 received within the sleeve. The outsize diameter of the sleeve, 2 in tension, and surrounding and gripping the core, is less than 2 the inside diameter of the inner barrel. Also, associated with 12~:3Z46 1 the wire mesh core sleeve, are means positioned within the inner 2 barrel and connected to the sleeve to dxa~ the sleeve within the 3 inner barrel, to apply tension to that portion of the sleeve 4 which is within the inner barrel in order Jo encase and to grip the core as it is cut and to lift the core. In one for, the 6 remaining structure of the coring device is structured such that 7 it is adapted to be connected at one end Jo a bit for cutting a 8 core, and at the other end to the lower end of a pipe string, the 9 outer driving structure being in telescoping relationship and being co-rotatable with the pipe string.
11 .
12 In one Norm as described and claimed the wire mesh core 13 sleeve is formed in a diamond weave such that alternating bundles 14 of wires are at substantially 90 with respect to each other and at substantially 45 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the 16 sleeve when in a released condition. Typically, the wires are of 17 a sufficiently small diameter to be able to make the turn from 1 the outside to the inside of the inner barrel, and of a 1 sufficient hardness and strength to resist being cut by the sharp 2 edges of the hard abrasive rock which being strong enough to 21 lift the core and at the same time sufficiently flexible to bend 22 around the end of the inner barrel, as described.
2 one of the advantages of the wire mesh core sleeve, and 2 the associated coring structure, in accordance with the present 2 invention, is the reduction of the core jamming caused by 2 friction produced between the core and the inner barrel.
-10- ' Z~6 1 ¦ Normally, friction is considered to be the product of the normal 2 ¦ force of friction resulting in the core material pushing against 3 ¦ the inside surface of the inner barrel and the coefficient of 4 ¦ friction which depends upon the nature of the materials which are 5 ¦ on sliding contact and any lubricating fluid between them. where 6 1 the core is of a nature which contains broken or fractured 7 ¦ pieces, the core tends to act as a wedge against the inner 8 ¦ barrel. The normal force, that is the force pushing the core 9 ¦ material against the inner surface of the barrel, results from 10 ¦ the angle of the fracture and the force required to push the core 11 upwardly through the inner barrel. Each fracture approximately 12 ¦ doubles, for the same angle of fracture, the frictional force 13 ¦ which must be overcome by the new core entering the barrel. By 14 ¦ the present invention, the woven wire mesh core sleeve tends to
15 1 grip the core tightly and eliminates the friction by eliminating
16 ¦ the normal force ox the core against the inner barrel. Moreover,
17 ¦ since the wire mesh core sleeve portion located within the inner
18 ¦ barrel is in tension, its outside diameter, when wrapped around
19 ¦ the core, is slightly less than the inside diameter of the tinner
20 ¦ barrel to provide, in a preferred form of the present invention,
21 1 a small clearance between the outer surface of the core sleeve
22 ¦ and the inner surface of the inner barrel. In this fashion, the
23 ¦ wire mesh core sleeve lifts the core and prevents the fracture
24 ¦ planes Of the core from sliding and acting as a wedge with I ¦ respect to the inner core barrel. This gripping action also 26 ¦ prevents pieces of core from dropping out of the barrel as it is 27 ¦ brought to the surface and arts as a continuous core catcher.
I
l The wire mesh core sleeve is maintained in compresses 2 condition, when positioned between the inner barrel and an 3 intermediate tube, which in turn may be positioned between the 4 outer tube and the inner barrel.
6 In one form compression is maintained by the bias of 7 stitching of the woven core sleeve or by hydraulic flow in the 8 vicinity of the core sleeve.
9 . ' ' ',. . ' In a form described in Canadian patent application Serial if No. 462,615, filed September 7, 1984~ the upper end of the 12 wire mesh core sleeve includes a weight which operates to 13 maintain the portion of the wire mesh core sleeve surrounding the 14 inner barrel in a compressed condition such that its inside diameter is greater than the normal diameter of the sleeve. In 16 this way, travel of the sleeve down the outside and around the 17 bottom of the inner barrel is facilitated. In addition, the 18 tension applied to that portion of the sleeve within the inner 19 barrel which grips the core, will not cause contraction of that portion of the wire mesh sleeve on the outside of the inner 21 barrel or between the outer lower end of the inner barrel and the 22 interior thereof.
24 In another form, the coring apparatus of the present invention includes a core sleeve, preferably as described above, 26 with the sleeve being positioned between the inner barrel and an 27 intermediate tube, and the intermediate tube being connected to ~z~z~
1 the inner barrel such what the intermediate tube and inner barrel 2 do not rotate. In this form, a core catcher is connected to the 3 intermediate tube below the core sleeve and does not rotate, 4 thereby eliminating a rotating core catcher which tends to disintegrate and grind up highly fractured cores. This form of 6 improved core device, in accordance with this invention, offers 7 the advantage of reducing jamming which results from the 8 disintegration of the core in the region between the core catcher g and the lower end of the inner barrel.
11 In yet another form of this invention, an improved core 12 catcher is positioned inside a core shoe, the latter being 13 attached to a non-rota~ing intermediate tube, the core shoe 14 includes a member which extends upwardly into the bottom of the inner tube, but is spaced radially inwardly therefrom in order to 16 permit the core sleeve to move around the bottom end of the inner 17 barrel. At the same time the member prevents crushed and ground 18 materials from entering into the space which might normally be 19 present between the lower end of the inner barrel and the core 20 shoe.
I
22 Alternatively, an improved core catcher as described in 23 Canadian Patent Application, Serial No. 462,852 may be used.
I
2 The present invention possesses many other advantages and has other object, which may be made more clearly apparent 27 from a consideration of the form in which it may be embodied.
lZZ3z4 1 This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part 2 of this specification. It will now be described in detail, for 3 the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the 4 invention; but it is Jo be understood that such a detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the 6 scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
8 Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of a 11 coring apparatus in accordance with the present invention, with 12 its parts in their relative position prior to the commencement of 13 the actual coring operation.
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, illustrating the 16 coring apparatus of the present invention released for the 17 commencement of a coring operation.
19 Figure pa is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a wire mesh core sleeve in accordance with the present invention in a 21 normal diameter condition.
23 Figure 3b is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a wire 24 ¦ mesh core sleeve in accordance with the present invention in a
I
l The wire mesh core sleeve is maintained in compresses 2 condition, when positioned between the inner barrel and an 3 intermediate tube, which in turn may be positioned between the 4 outer tube and the inner barrel.
6 In one form compression is maintained by the bias of 7 stitching of the woven core sleeve or by hydraulic flow in the 8 vicinity of the core sleeve.
9 . ' ' ',. . ' In a form described in Canadian patent application Serial if No. 462,615, filed September 7, 1984~ the upper end of the 12 wire mesh core sleeve includes a weight which operates to 13 maintain the portion of the wire mesh core sleeve surrounding the 14 inner barrel in a compressed condition such that its inside diameter is greater than the normal diameter of the sleeve. In 16 this way, travel of the sleeve down the outside and around the 17 bottom of the inner barrel is facilitated. In addition, the 18 tension applied to that portion of the sleeve within the inner 19 barrel which grips the core, will not cause contraction of that portion of the wire mesh sleeve on the outside of the inner 21 barrel or between the outer lower end of the inner barrel and the 22 interior thereof.
24 In another form, the coring apparatus of the present invention includes a core sleeve, preferably as described above, 26 with the sleeve being positioned between the inner barrel and an 27 intermediate tube, and the intermediate tube being connected to ~z~z~
1 the inner barrel such what the intermediate tube and inner barrel 2 do not rotate. In this form, a core catcher is connected to the 3 intermediate tube below the core sleeve and does not rotate, 4 thereby eliminating a rotating core catcher which tends to disintegrate and grind up highly fractured cores. This form of 6 improved core device, in accordance with this invention, offers 7 the advantage of reducing jamming which results from the 8 disintegration of the core in the region between the core catcher g and the lower end of the inner barrel.
11 In yet another form of this invention, an improved core 12 catcher is positioned inside a core shoe, the latter being 13 attached to a non-rota~ing intermediate tube, the core shoe 14 includes a member which extends upwardly into the bottom of the inner tube, but is spaced radially inwardly therefrom in order to 16 permit the core sleeve to move around the bottom end of the inner 17 barrel. At the same time the member prevents crushed and ground 18 materials from entering into the space which might normally be 19 present between the lower end of the inner barrel and the core 20 shoe.
I
22 Alternatively, an improved core catcher as described in 23 Canadian Patent Application, Serial No. 462,852 may be used.
I
2 The present invention possesses many other advantages and has other object, which may be made more clearly apparent 27 from a consideration of the form in which it may be embodied.
lZZ3z4 1 This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part 2 of this specification. It will now be described in detail, for 3 the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the 4 invention; but it is Jo be understood that such a detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the 6 scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
8 Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of a 11 coring apparatus in accordance with the present invention, with 12 its parts in their relative position prior to the commencement of 13 the actual coring operation.
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, illustrating the 16 coring apparatus of the present invention released for the 17 commencement of a coring operation.
19 Figure pa is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a wire mesh core sleeve in accordance with the present invention in a 21 normal diameter condition.
23 Figure 3b is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a wire 24 ¦ mesh core sleeve in accordance with the present invention in a
25 ¦ compressed state.
26 l
27 ¦ Figure 3c is a diagrammatic view ox a portion of a wire
28 l l~Z3Z~6 1 mesh core sleeve in accordance wit the present invention in a 2 state of tension.
4 Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l illustrating the coring apparatus of the present invention and illustrating the 6 relative position of the parts of the apparatus as a length of 7 core is being produced.
9 Figure 5 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section ox the lower portion of a modified coring apparatus in accordance with 11 the present invention, with the parts thereof illustrated in 12 their relative positions prior to the commencement of the actual 13 coring operation.
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating the 1 relative position of the parts of the apparatus after a length of 17 core has been produced.
19 Detailed Description 21 Referring to the drawings which illustrate preferred 22¦ forms of he present invention, the coring apparatus of this ~23;2~i .- .
1 invention may be in the form of a coring device A adapted to be 2 lowered into a well bore B Jo the bottom C by way of a string of 3 drill pipe D, or the like. While the coring apparatus may take 4 various forms, for the purposes of illustration, a coring device similar to that shown and described in U.S. Patent 3,012,622 will 6 be described, although it is understood that other forms of 7 devices may be used, as will be set forth.
9 The lower end of the string of drill pipe may be thread ably attached to the upper end of an inner mandrel 10 11 forming a portion of an expanding or telescopic unit 11, the 12 inner mandrel being telescoped within the upper portion of an 13 outer housing 12 to which it is slid ably splinted. Ike inner 14 mandrel and the outer housing are rotated by rotation of the drill pipe in the usual manner. The outer housing includes an 16 upper housing section 13 carrying upper and lower side seals 14 17 adapted slid ably to seal against the periphery of the inner 18 mandrel 10 to prevent leakage of fluid in both directions between 19 the inner mandrel and the outer housing. The slid able splinted 2 connection includes a plurality of longitudinally and 21 circumferential spaced grooves 15 in the exterior of the 22 mandrel, each of which receives a splint element 16. The lower 23 end of the inner mandrel includes a wedge assembly 17 cooperating 24 with a groove 19 formed in the inner wall 20 of the upper housing 2 section 13. The lower end 22 of the splints form an upper stop 2 at one end of the groove, while the lower end of the groove 19 2 including shoulder 23 forming a lower stop at the opposite end of 3~24~
l groove 19. Thread ably secured to the upper housing section 13 is 2 an outer tube assembly 25, the lower end of which may have 3 mounted thereon a core bit 30.
Mounted on and carried by the inner mandrel is a 6 stripper tube latch assembly 32, with ports 33 located as 7 illustrated for flow of fluid there through, Cooperating with the 8 tripper tube latch assembly is a top stripper tube ratchet 9 spring 34 through which passes the upper end 37 of a stripper tube 40. Lowe tripper tube includes circumferential teeth 42 if which cooperate with the latch assembly 32 and ratchet spring 34, 12 as will be described.
14 Located below the upper stripper tube latch assembly is a bottom stripper tube latch assembly 45 supported by a nozzle 16 plate 4B, which may form the bottom end of the upper housing 17 section, the nozzle plate 48 which includes a plurality of flow 1 nozzles 49, as shown. Nozzle plate 48 also includes a seal 51 to 1 prevent flow of fluid between the stripper tube 40 and spaced 2 radially therefrom is an inner barrel 50, the latter spaced 21 radially inwardly from the outer tube 12. The upper end of the 2 inner barrel is supported by an inner barrel swivel assembly 55, 2 as shown, a such that the inner barrel 50 does not rotate relative to the outer tube or housing 12~ An intermediate tube 2 58 may be positioned between the inner barrel 50 and the outer 2 tube 12, and in spaced relationship radially to each, and may be 2 in the form of a depending tube affixed to or integral with a I
1 radially inwardly projecting shoulder 59 on the interior wall of 2 the outer tube between the bottom stripper latch assembly 45 and 3 the inner barrel swivel assembly 55, as shown. The upper end of 4 the intermediate tube So may be provided with a plurality of flow passages 61 communicating with nozzles 49 to permit flow of 6 fluid into the annuls 62 between the outer tube 12 and the 7 intermediate tube 58. Fluid then flows through core bit 30, the 8 latter provided with passages 63, to permit flow into the bottom 9 of the well bore to remove cuttings and to convey them laterally of the bit, and to cool the bit The fluid and cuttings then if flow around the exterior of the outer tube 12 and drill pipe D to 12 the top of the well bore.
14 A seal 64 may be provided between the intermediate tube 58 and the upper end of the inner barrel swivel 55~ as shown, to 16 prevent fluid flow into the annular chamber 65 formed between the 17 intermediate tube 58 and the inner barrel 50. In the form shown, 1 the outer tube 12 and the intermediate tube I rotate together, 19 which the inner barrel 50 does not rotate with the outer tube 12.
2 The stripper tube 40 also normally rotates with outer tube 12.
21 The lower end of the stripper tube 40 may be provided with a 22 stripper tube swivel assembly 67 cooperating with an anchor 23 assembly 70 which does not rotate with the stripper tube 40 and 24 which, like the inner barrel, is non rotatable.
2 In the form illustrated in Figure 1, the bit 30 may 27 include a core shoe 71 which receives a core catcher 73, the ~18-3L;2~3;~6 1 latter positioned in line with a central opening 75 of the bit 2 30. the cut core movies upwardly through the opening 75 and 3 through the core catcher 73 which prevents the cut core from 4 moving downwardly out of the core shoe 71. As illustrated, bit 30 may include diamond cutting elements 76 on its lower portion 6 and side portions for cutting the bottom of the hole and to form 7 a core which passes upwardly, relative to bit 30 as will be 8 described.
For further details of the structure and operation of 11 the apparatus thus far described, reverence is made to U.S.
12 Patent 3,01~,622, which is representative of coring devices to 13 which this invention relates, although it is to be understood 14 that other forms of coring devices may be used, as will become apparent.
17 In general, the operation of the device thus far 18 described, involves conditioning the well as described in U.S.
19 Patent 3,012,62~. In the relative position of the parts as shown in Figure 1, the coring device A is in the extended condition, 21 the mandrel 10 being held upwardly by the upper stripper tube 22 latch assembly 32 which may include a plurality of spring arms 23 which engage the upper end of the stripper tube, as is known.
24 Thus, rotation of the drill pipe D is transmitted through the inner mandrel 10 and through the splinted connection to the outer 26 housing to rotate the bit 30, the intermediate tube 58, the 27 stripper tube 40, the core sleeve 71, and the core catcher 73, 3LZZ3;~46 1 ¦ all of which rotate together, while the inner barrel 50 and the 2 ¦ anchor assembly 71 do not rotate. Drilling mud or fluid is 3 ¦ circulated as descried. No core can be formed since the slipper 4 ¦ tube 40 is fixed axially and cannot move axially since it is held 5 ¦ by the upper stripper tube latch assembly 32, and the core cannot 6 ¦ enter the inner barrel 50. In the form shown, the mandrel 10 may 7 ¦ move axially about two feet with respect to the outer housing, 8 ¦ once released, while the inner barrel 50 may have an axial length 9 ¦ of twenty to sixty feet, for example.
10 l l 11 ¦ Coring is commenced by dropping or pumping a release 12 ¦ plug 100 shown in Figure 2 down through the string of drill 13 ¦ pipes, the plug 100 passing through the mandrel 10 to release the 14 ¦ fingers of the upper stripper tube latch assembly 32. The 15 ¦ mandrel 10 may now move downwardly and along the stripper tube to 16 the maximum extent, limited by the engagement of the stop ring 17 17 on the shoulder 23. With the release of the latch assembly 32, 18 coring may now take place since the tripper tube 40 is no longer 19 locked axially with respect to the outer housing, and relative downward movement of the outer tube and bit relative to the 21 stripper tube 40 may take place, since stripper tube 40 is 22 axially stationary with respect Jo the formation being cored.
23 The above described apparatus and operation are for illustrative 24 purposes so that the general environment of this invention may be understood.
2 Referring again Jo Figure 1, in accordance with this ~%32~
1 invention the overall operation of coring devices of various 2 types may be significantly improved by the use of a woven or 3 braided wire mesh core sleeve 105 which may be mounted in 4 surrounding relation and radially outwardly of the inner barrel 50 and radially inwardly of the outer tube 12. in one preferred 6 form, the wire mesh core sleeve is positioned in the annular 7 chamber 65 formed between the inner barrel 50 and the B intermediate tube 58, if one is present. The wire mesh core 9 sleeve 105 includes a leaving portion 110 positioned at the open bottom end 112 of the inner barrel 50, the leading end of the 11 mesh sleeve briny secured at 114 to the anchor plate, as shown, 12 although various other means may be used to secure the sleeve to 13 the plate. Thus, the wire mesh core sleeve does not rotate 14 because of the stripper tube swivel assembly 67 but is able to 15 move axially as the stripper tube moves axially relative to the 16 outer tube.
18 As shown in Figure pa, the wire mesh core sleeve is 1 composed in one form of bundles of wires 120 and 121 in a diamond 2 weave or braid at about 90 to each other at about 45 to the I longitudinal axis of the sleeve In a normal relaxed condition, 2 free of compression or tension, the sleeve has predetermined 2 diameter which is less than the diameter of the sleeve in 2 compression (Fig. 3b) and greater than the diameter of the sleeve 2 in tension (Fig. 3c). Similarly, in compression the length of 2 the sleeve is less than its normal length. The wires forming the 2 bundles may preferably be flexible, corrosion-resistant stainless ~L~Z3Z4~i 1 steel, for example, stainless steel 304; have a hardness 2 sufficient to resist being cut by sharp edges of hard abrasive 3 rock; and are strong enough to lift the core but sufficiently 4 flexible to bend around the lower end 112 of the inner barrel.
Materials with a yield strength of 25,000 lb./inch squared have 6 been found to provide these qualities. The wire may be about 7 .016 of an inch in diameter with thirteen wires to a bundle and 8 forty-eight bundles being used. This provides a weave able to 9 easily flex through a radius of 3/16 to 1/4 of an inch, which is the typical radius at the lower end 112 of the inner barrel 50.
12 As seen in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the normal diameter of 13 the wire mesh core sleeve is approximately equal to the diameter 14 of the core E, and the mesh is assembled over the inner barrel 50 in a compressed condition such that the inner surface of the 16 sleeve is spaced from the outer surface of the inner barrel 50.
18 A preferred manner of applying a compressive force to 19 the sleeve when assembled to the inner barrel in accordance with 2 the invention of Can. Patent Application Serial No. 462,615 , is 21 to provide a weight 125 on the upper end of the core sleeve as 22 diagrammatically shown in the Egress. The weight 125 is 23 sufficiently heavy to exert a downward force on the sleeve 105.
24 Weight 125 freely travels down the annular space 65 until it 2 contacts an annular shoulder 127 at the lower end 112 of the 2 inner barrel 50.
~2Z3~2~6 1 Referring now to Figures 2 and 4, Figure 2 illustrates 2 the condition of the coring device upon release of the upper 3 stripper tube latch assembly 32 by the stripper release plug 100, 4 as described. The coring apparatus is rotated by the drill pipe D while fluid is pumped downwardly through it. The pressurized 6 fluid flows through the flow path as described, and exerts a 7 downward pressure on the core bit 30t thereby imposing proper 8 drilling force or weight against the bottom C of the well bore.
9 As drilling proceeds, the drill bit 30 and the outer housing 12, as well as the intermediate tube 58 and the inner barrel 50, move 11 downwardly with respect to the stripper tube 40 and the mandrel 12 100. The mandrel 100 is not moved downwardly at all, but remains 13 in the position that it had when it was firs shifted downwardly 14 within the housing, as illustrated in Figure I. The components surrounding the stripper tube 40 can all move downwardly, along 16 the stripper tube 40, as permitted by the bottom stripper tube 17 latch assembly 67. As the bit 30 forms a core E (see Fig. 4), 18 and moves downwardly to form a hole and a core, the inner barrel 19 50 moves downwardly along with the bit 30 the lower end 112 of the inner barrel 50 forcing the wire mesh core sleeve 105 21 downwardly, assisted by the weight 125, around the lower en 112 22 and then upwardly into the inner open portion of the inner barrel 23 50. As this takes place, a tension is applied to the core sleeve 24 105 within that portion thereof located within the interior or the inner barrel 50, with the result that the sleeve 105 tightly 26 grips the core by attempting to assume the diameter which the 27 sleeve assumes when under tension. This is illustrated in Figure lZZ3~46 1 4, where the annular clearance 130 is created between the outer 2 surface of the sleeve 105 and the inner surface of the inner 3 barrel 50.
One of the unique advantages of this invention is that 6 core jamming, especially as ma wake place with fragmented hard 7 abrasive rock is significantly reduced. As mentioned before, 8 core jamming is caused by friction between the core and the inner 9 barrel.
11 In situations where no elastic core sleeve or stripper 12 tube is used, the newly cut core must push that portion of the 13 core, which is already cut, up the core barrel. Core is 14 essentially n lost" by a cessation of coring caused by the jam before a full core sample can be cut.
17 In a second situation where elastic or rubber sleeves 18 and stripper are used, the sleeve is no strong enough to prevent 19 the fractured core from spreading wedging and then jamming or sharp piece simply severe the rubber sleeve. Elastomeric core 21 sleeves and other equivalent core sleeves tend to grip the core 22 due to the natural resilience of the material of which the sleeve 23 it made. Being elaE;tomerically resilient, any fracture in the 24 core tends to distend or deform the elastomeric tube duo to its natural resilience with the result thaw the fractured pieces 26 still act as a wedge. in this case, the "normal force", which is 28 one f the elements giving Roy to triotion between the core and I
~2Z3~4~;
1 the barrel, is created by the angle of the fracture and the force 2 which is pulling the core upwardly into the elastomeric sleeve in 3 the interior of the barrel 50. Each fracture approximately 4 doubles (assuming the same angle of fracture) the frictional forces which must be overcome as new core enters the barrel.
6 Eventually, this force will exceed the strength of the 7 elastomeric sleeve and it is pulled in two or cut by sharp pieces 8 of rock. The result is that the core becomes jammed as with 9 conventional coring equipment and can Hall out of the bit on the way out of the hole because the sleeve is no longer attached to 11 the stripper tube.
13 The core sleeve of this invention markedly reduces the 14 tendency to jam by tightly gripping the core with significantly greater force than is the case with elastomeric core sleeves.
16 Moreover, since the sleeve 105 is of metal and is capable of 17 gripping the core to provide a clearance between the sleeve 105 18 and inside surface of the barrel 50, jamming is markedly reduced.
19 Another factor is that the core sleeve 105 of this invention, 2 being affixed to a stripper tube 40, results n the tube lifting 21 the core within the sleeve 105 since the latter grips the core 2 tightly and has significant mechanical strength as compared to a 2 elastomeric or equivalent core sleeve. Another factor is that 2 the core sleeve of this invention resists being cut by the sharp 2 pieces of broken, fractured core. In addition the wire mesh 2 sleeve does not have simply three conditions namely compressed, 2 normal and tensioned, but a full range of conditions ~Z3;24G
1 there between. The diameter of the sleeve, or the radial force 2 exerted by the sleeve on the core is proportional to the amount 4 of tension or compression exerted on the sleeve.
Moreover, the percentage of core recovery of fractured 6 hard rock, using the wire mesh sleeve of this invention, is 7 substantially greater than that achieved with conventional coring B devices in the same formation. The average percentage of 9 recovered core is significantly higher than has been achieved with conventional coring equipment of the prior art. It is 11 believed that the comparatively high core recovery rate is due, 12 at least in part, to the wire mesh sleeve 105 tightly gripping 13 the core and r in the case of formations with many fractures, the 14 tight gripping which results from the tension on the sleeve 105 and tends to reduce the diameter, results in the improved sleeve 1 keeping these fractured pieces in their original in-situ position 1 and keeping them from spreading or falling out ox the core sleeve 1 105 of this invention Even in instances of unstabilized bottom 1 hole conditions, ire., core barrel which is undersized with 2 respect to bottom hole diameter, the percentage improvement in 21 core recovery under these adverse conditions is striking.
2 In a sense, the improved core sleeve of this invention 2 is nonelastic as compared to elasomer or plastic sleeves or 2 stockinette materials as may have been described in the prior 2 art. Even though wire metal cloths have been described, none 2 responds to the application of a tensile force which wends to lZ23Z46 1 ¦ reduce the diameter of the sleeve in order to grip the core, 2 ¦ thereby to maintain a clearance between the outer surface of the 3 ¦ sleeve 105 and the inner wall of the inner barrel 50. Thus, even ¦ if a jam does occur, for example, in the core catcher or throat 5 ¦ of the bit, or even if the core sleeve 105 of this invention 6 ¦ should tear at some point along its length, the portion of the 7 ¦ core located in that portion of the sleeve attached to the 8 ¦ stripper tube 40 is still usually recovered because of the 9 ¦ tension-induced tight grip of the sleeve 105 on the core, and 10¦ because in the preferred embodiment, the sleeve in the relaxed 11 ¦ state is slightly smaller than the core.
12 l 13 ¦ As will be apparent prom the foregoing, unique 14 ¦ advantages accrue in a coring device with the use of the improved 15 ¦ core sleeve of the type described. It will be apparent that 16 ¦ various modifications may be made to the foregoing described 17 ¦ structures. More specifically, seal I may be eliminated to 18 ¦ permit flow of fluid into the chamber between the inner barrel 50 19 ¦ and the intermediate tube 58, with fluid flow passages 150 (in 20 ¦ dotted line) provided at the lower end of the intermediate tube 21 ¦ 58 to permit radially outward flow of tube fluid into the lower 22 ¦ end of the chamber 62. In this way, the fluid flow forces may be 23 ¦ used to maintain the sleeve 105 in compression by creation of 24 ¦ hydraulic force on the weight 125.
25 l 26 ¦ It is also possible to improve the performance of the 27 structure thus jar described For example, the core shoe 71 and 28 l --27-- .
I
1 ¦ core catcher 73 as shown in figures 1, 2 and 4 are mounted to 2 ¦ rotate with the bit 30. There are circumstances, however, in 31 which the rotating core catcher tends to grind up highly 41 fractured cores, resulting in jamming in the bit throat and 5 ¦ catcher areas. To eliminate this possible source of core jamming 6 ¦ the coring device may be modified as illustrated in Figures 5 and 71 6, in which the same reference numerals have been applied where 81 appropriate.
10 ¦ Thus, referring to Figures 5 and 6, the intermediate-11 ¦ tube 159 is affixed to the integral with the inner barrel 50 and, 12 ¦ like the inner barrel, does not rotate with respect to the outer 13 ¦ housing. The core shoe 158 is affixed to the intermediate tube 14 ¦ and does not rotate, while the core catcher 160 is supported by 15 ¦ the nonirritating core shoe and likewise does not rotate. In all 16 ¦ other respects the structure is essentially the same as those 17 ¦ previously described, as is apparent from Figure 6, illustrating 18 ¦ the relative position of the parts during coring, this Figure 19 ¦ being similar to Figure 3, previously described. it should be 20 ¦ noted, however, that since neither the core shoe 158 nor the core 21 ¦ catcher 160 rotates, the possibility of jamming resulting from 2223 ¦ r anion of the cure catcher and associated parts is eliminated.
'11 ~223~6 1 The various modifications previously described may also 2 be used with the structures shown in Figures 5 -6, and it will 3 also be apparent that various other modifications may be made, as 4 wily be apparent to those skilled in the art, based on the foregoing specification and described drawings, without departing 6 from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the 8 appended claims.
. ` .''-. .
zoo I
2 I.
4 Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l illustrating the coring apparatus of the present invention and illustrating the 6 relative position of the parts of the apparatus as a length of 7 core is being produced.
9 Figure 5 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section ox the lower portion of a modified coring apparatus in accordance with 11 the present invention, with the parts thereof illustrated in 12 their relative positions prior to the commencement of the actual 13 coring operation.
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating the 1 relative position of the parts of the apparatus after a length of 17 core has been produced.
19 Detailed Description 21 Referring to the drawings which illustrate preferred 22¦ forms of he present invention, the coring apparatus of this ~23;2~i .- .
1 invention may be in the form of a coring device A adapted to be 2 lowered into a well bore B Jo the bottom C by way of a string of 3 drill pipe D, or the like. While the coring apparatus may take 4 various forms, for the purposes of illustration, a coring device similar to that shown and described in U.S. Patent 3,012,622 will 6 be described, although it is understood that other forms of 7 devices may be used, as will be set forth.
9 The lower end of the string of drill pipe may be thread ably attached to the upper end of an inner mandrel 10 11 forming a portion of an expanding or telescopic unit 11, the 12 inner mandrel being telescoped within the upper portion of an 13 outer housing 12 to which it is slid ably splinted. Ike inner 14 mandrel and the outer housing are rotated by rotation of the drill pipe in the usual manner. The outer housing includes an 16 upper housing section 13 carrying upper and lower side seals 14 17 adapted slid ably to seal against the periphery of the inner 18 mandrel 10 to prevent leakage of fluid in both directions between 19 the inner mandrel and the outer housing. The slid able splinted 2 connection includes a plurality of longitudinally and 21 circumferential spaced grooves 15 in the exterior of the 22 mandrel, each of which receives a splint element 16. The lower 23 end of the inner mandrel includes a wedge assembly 17 cooperating 24 with a groove 19 formed in the inner wall 20 of the upper housing 2 section 13. The lower end 22 of the splints form an upper stop 2 at one end of the groove, while the lower end of the groove 19 2 including shoulder 23 forming a lower stop at the opposite end of 3~24~
l groove 19. Thread ably secured to the upper housing section 13 is 2 an outer tube assembly 25, the lower end of which may have 3 mounted thereon a core bit 30.
Mounted on and carried by the inner mandrel is a 6 stripper tube latch assembly 32, with ports 33 located as 7 illustrated for flow of fluid there through, Cooperating with the 8 tripper tube latch assembly is a top stripper tube ratchet 9 spring 34 through which passes the upper end 37 of a stripper tube 40. Lowe tripper tube includes circumferential teeth 42 if which cooperate with the latch assembly 32 and ratchet spring 34, 12 as will be described.
14 Located below the upper stripper tube latch assembly is a bottom stripper tube latch assembly 45 supported by a nozzle 16 plate 4B, which may form the bottom end of the upper housing 17 section, the nozzle plate 48 which includes a plurality of flow 1 nozzles 49, as shown. Nozzle plate 48 also includes a seal 51 to 1 prevent flow of fluid between the stripper tube 40 and spaced 2 radially therefrom is an inner barrel 50, the latter spaced 21 radially inwardly from the outer tube 12. The upper end of the 2 inner barrel is supported by an inner barrel swivel assembly 55, 2 as shown, a such that the inner barrel 50 does not rotate relative to the outer tube or housing 12~ An intermediate tube 2 58 may be positioned between the inner barrel 50 and the outer 2 tube 12, and in spaced relationship radially to each, and may be 2 in the form of a depending tube affixed to or integral with a I
1 radially inwardly projecting shoulder 59 on the interior wall of 2 the outer tube between the bottom stripper latch assembly 45 and 3 the inner barrel swivel assembly 55, as shown. The upper end of 4 the intermediate tube So may be provided with a plurality of flow passages 61 communicating with nozzles 49 to permit flow of 6 fluid into the annuls 62 between the outer tube 12 and the 7 intermediate tube 58. Fluid then flows through core bit 30, the 8 latter provided with passages 63, to permit flow into the bottom 9 of the well bore to remove cuttings and to convey them laterally of the bit, and to cool the bit The fluid and cuttings then if flow around the exterior of the outer tube 12 and drill pipe D to 12 the top of the well bore.
14 A seal 64 may be provided between the intermediate tube 58 and the upper end of the inner barrel swivel 55~ as shown, to 16 prevent fluid flow into the annular chamber 65 formed between the 17 intermediate tube 58 and the inner barrel 50. In the form shown, 1 the outer tube 12 and the intermediate tube I rotate together, 19 which the inner barrel 50 does not rotate with the outer tube 12.
2 The stripper tube 40 also normally rotates with outer tube 12.
21 The lower end of the stripper tube 40 may be provided with a 22 stripper tube swivel assembly 67 cooperating with an anchor 23 assembly 70 which does not rotate with the stripper tube 40 and 24 which, like the inner barrel, is non rotatable.
2 In the form illustrated in Figure 1, the bit 30 may 27 include a core shoe 71 which receives a core catcher 73, the ~18-3L;2~3;~6 1 latter positioned in line with a central opening 75 of the bit 2 30. the cut core movies upwardly through the opening 75 and 3 through the core catcher 73 which prevents the cut core from 4 moving downwardly out of the core shoe 71. As illustrated, bit 30 may include diamond cutting elements 76 on its lower portion 6 and side portions for cutting the bottom of the hole and to form 7 a core which passes upwardly, relative to bit 30 as will be 8 described.
For further details of the structure and operation of 11 the apparatus thus far described, reverence is made to U.S.
12 Patent 3,01~,622, which is representative of coring devices to 13 which this invention relates, although it is to be understood 14 that other forms of coring devices may be used, as will become apparent.
17 In general, the operation of the device thus far 18 described, involves conditioning the well as described in U.S.
19 Patent 3,012,62~. In the relative position of the parts as shown in Figure 1, the coring device A is in the extended condition, 21 the mandrel 10 being held upwardly by the upper stripper tube 22 latch assembly 32 which may include a plurality of spring arms 23 which engage the upper end of the stripper tube, as is known.
24 Thus, rotation of the drill pipe D is transmitted through the inner mandrel 10 and through the splinted connection to the outer 26 housing to rotate the bit 30, the intermediate tube 58, the 27 stripper tube 40, the core sleeve 71, and the core catcher 73, 3LZZ3;~46 1 ¦ all of which rotate together, while the inner barrel 50 and the 2 ¦ anchor assembly 71 do not rotate. Drilling mud or fluid is 3 ¦ circulated as descried. No core can be formed since the slipper 4 ¦ tube 40 is fixed axially and cannot move axially since it is held 5 ¦ by the upper stripper tube latch assembly 32, and the core cannot 6 ¦ enter the inner barrel 50. In the form shown, the mandrel 10 may 7 ¦ move axially about two feet with respect to the outer housing, 8 ¦ once released, while the inner barrel 50 may have an axial length 9 ¦ of twenty to sixty feet, for example.
10 l l 11 ¦ Coring is commenced by dropping or pumping a release 12 ¦ plug 100 shown in Figure 2 down through the string of drill 13 ¦ pipes, the plug 100 passing through the mandrel 10 to release the 14 ¦ fingers of the upper stripper tube latch assembly 32. The 15 ¦ mandrel 10 may now move downwardly and along the stripper tube to 16 the maximum extent, limited by the engagement of the stop ring 17 17 on the shoulder 23. With the release of the latch assembly 32, 18 coring may now take place since the tripper tube 40 is no longer 19 locked axially with respect to the outer housing, and relative downward movement of the outer tube and bit relative to the 21 stripper tube 40 may take place, since stripper tube 40 is 22 axially stationary with respect Jo the formation being cored.
23 The above described apparatus and operation are for illustrative 24 purposes so that the general environment of this invention may be understood.
2 Referring again Jo Figure 1, in accordance with this ~%32~
1 invention the overall operation of coring devices of various 2 types may be significantly improved by the use of a woven or 3 braided wire mesh core sleeve 105 which may be mounted in 4 surrounding relation and radially outwardly of the inner barrel 50 and radially inwardly of the outer tube 12. in one preferred 6 form, the wire mesh core sleeve is positioned in the annular 7 chamber 65 formed between the inner barrel 50 and the B intermediate tube 58, if one is present. The wire mesh core 9 sleeve 105 includes a leaving portion 110 positioned at the open bottom end 112 of the inner barrel 50, the leading end of the 11 mesh sleeve briny secured at 114 to the anchor plate, as shown, 12 although various other means may be used to secure the sleeve to 13 the plate. Thus, the wire mesh core sleeve does not rotate 14 because of the stripper tube swivel assembly 67 but is able to 15 move axially as the stripper tube moves axially relative to the 16 outer tube.
18 As shown in Figure pa, the wire mesh core sleeve is 1 composed in one form of bundles of wires 120 and 121 in a diamond 2 weave or braid at about 90 to each other at about 45 to the I longitudinal axis of the sleeve In a normal relaxed condition, 2 free of compression or tension, the sleeve has predetermined 2 diameter which is less than the diameter of the sleeve in 2 compression (Fig. 3b) and greater than the diameter of the sleeve 2 in tension (Fig. 3c). Similarly, in compression the length of 2 the sleeve is less than its normal length. The wires forming the 2 bundles may preferably be flexible, corrosion-resistant stainless ~L~Z3Z4~i 1 steel, for example, stainless steel 304; have a hardness 2 sufficient to resist being cut by sharp edges of hard abrasive 3 rock; and are strong enough to lift the core but sufficiently 4 flexible to bend around the lower end 112 of the inner barrel.
Materials with a yield strength of 25,000 lb./inch squared have 6 been found to provide these qualities. The wire may be about 7 .016 of an inch in diameter with thirteen wires to a bundle and 8 forty-eight bundles being used. This provides a weave able to 9 easily flex through a radius of 3/16 to 1/4 of an inch, which is the typical radius at the lower end 112 of the inner barrel 50.
12 As seen in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the normal diameter of 13 the wire mesh core sleeve is approximately equal to the diameter 14 of the core E, and the mesh is assembled over the inner barrel 50 in a compressed condition such that the inner surface of the 16 sleeve is spaced from the outer surface of the inner barrel 50.
18 A preferred manner of applying a compressive force to 19 the sleeve when assembled to the inner barrel in accordance with 2 the invention of Can. Patent Application Serial No. 462,615 , is 21 to provide a weight 125 on the upper end of the core sleeve as 22 diagrammatically shown in the Egress. The weight 125 is 23 sufficiently heavy to exert a downward force on the sleeve 105.
24 Weight 125 freely travels down the annular space 65 until it 2 contacts an annular shoulder 127 at the lower end 112 of the 2 inner barrel 50.
~2Z3~2~6 1 Referring now to Figures 2 and 4, Figure 2 illustrates 2 the condition of the coring device upon release of the upper 3 stripper tube latch assembly 32 by the stripper release plug 100, 4 as described. The coring apparatus is rotated by the drill pipe D while fluid is pumped downwardly through it. The pressurized 6 fluid flows through the flow path as described, and exerts a 7 downward pressure on the core bit 30t thereby imposing proper 8 drilling force or weight against the bottom C of the well bore.
9 As drilling proceeds, the drill bit 30 and the outer housing 12, as well as the intermediate tube 58 and the inner barrel 50, move 11 downwardly with respect to the stripper tube 40 and the mandrel 12 100. The mandrel 100 is not moved downwardly at all, but remains 13 in the position that it had when it was firs shifted downwardly 14 within the housing, as illustrated in Figure I. The components surrounding the stripper tube 40 can all move downwardly, along 16 the stripper tube 40, as permitted by the bottom stripper tube 17 latch assembly 67. As the bit 30 forms a core E (see Fig. 4), 18 and moves downwardly to form a hole and a core, the inner barrel 19 50 moves downwardly along with the bit 30 the lower end 112 of the inner barrel 50 forcing the wire mesh core sleeve 105 21 downwardly, assisted by the weight 125, around the lower en 112 22 and then upwardly into the inner open portion of the inner barrel 23 50. As this takes place, a tension is applied to the core sleeve 24 105 within that portion thereof located within the interior or the inner barrel 50, with the result that the sleeve 105 tightly 26 grips the core by attempting to assume the diameter which the 27 sleeve assumes when under tension. This is illustrated in Figure lZZ3~46 1 4, where the annular clearance 130 is created between the outer 2 surface of the sleeve 105 and the inner surface of the inner 3 barrel 50.
One of the unique advantages of this invention is that 6 core jamming, especially as ma wake place with fragmented hard 7 abrasive rock is significantly reduced. As mentioned before, 8 core jamming is caused by friction between the core and the inner 9 barrel.
11 In situations where no elastic core sleeve or stripper 12 tube is used, the newly cut core must push that portion of the 13 core, which is already cut, up the core barrel. Core is 14 essentially n lost" by a cessation of coring caused by the jam before a full core sample can be cut.
17 In a second situation where elastic or rubber sleeves 18 and stripper are used, the sleeve is no strong enough to prevent 19 the fractured core from spreading wedging and then jamming or sharp piece simply severe the rubber sleeve. Elastomeric core 21 sleeves and other equivalent core sleeves tend to grip the core 22 due to the natural resilience of the material of which the sleeve 23 it made. Being elaE;tomerically resilient, any fracture in the 24 core tends to distend or deform the elastomeric tube duo to its natural resilience with the result thaw the fractured pieces 26 still act as a wedge. in this case, the "normal force", which is 28 one f the elements giving Roy to triotion between the core and I
~2Z3~4~;
1 the barrel, is created by the angle of the fracture and the force 2 which is pulling the core upwardly into the elastomeric sleeve in 3 the interior of the barrel 50. Each fracture approximately 4 doubles (assuming the same angle of fracture) the frictional forces which must be overcome as new core enters the barrel.
6 Eventually, this force will exceed the strength of the 7 elastomeric sleeve and it is pulled in two or cut by sharp pieces 8 of rock. The result is that the core becomes jammed as with 9 conventional coring equipment and can Hall out of the bit on the way out of the hole because the sleeve is no longer attached to 11 the stripper tube.
13 The core sleeve of this invention markedly reduces the 14 tendency to jam by tightly gripping the core with significantly greater force than is the case with elastomeric core sleeves.
16 Moreover, since the sleeve 105 is of metal and is capable of 17 gripping the core to provide a clearance between the sleeve 105 18 and inside surface of the barrel 50, jamming is markedly reduced.
19 Another factor is that the core sleeve 105 of this invention, 2 being affixed to a stripper tube 40, results n the tube lifting 21 the core within the sleeve 105 since the latter grips the core 2 tightly and has significant mechanical strength as compared to a 2 elastomeric or equivalent core sleeve. Another factor is that 2 the core sleeve of this invention resists being cut by the sharp 2 pieces of broken, fractured core. In addition the wire mesh 2 sleeve does not have simply three conditions namely compressed, 2 normal and tensioned, but a full range of conditions ~Z3;24G
1 there between. The diameter of the sleeve, or the radial force 2 exerted by the sleeve on the core is proportional to the amount 4 of tension or compression exerted on the sleeve.
Moreover, the percentage of core recovery of fractured 6 hard rock, using the wire mesh sleeve of this invention, is 7 substantially greater than that achieved with conventional coring B devices in the same formation. The average percentage of 9 recovered core is significantly higher than has been achieved with conventional coring equipment of the prior art. It is 11 believed that the comparatively high core recovery rate is due, 12 at least in part, to the wire mesh sleeve 105 tightly gripping 13 the core and r in the case of formations with many fractures, the 14 tight gripping which results from the tension on the sleeve 105 and tends to reduce the diameter, results in the improved sleeve 1 keeping these fractured pieces in their original in-situ position 1 and keeping them from spreading or falling out ox the core sleeve 1 105 of this invention Even in instances of unstabilized bottom 1 hole conditions, ire., core barrel which is undersized with 2 respect to bottom hole diameter, the percentage improvement in 21 core recovery under these adverse conditions is striking.
2 In a sense, the improved core sleeve of this invention 2 is nonelastic as compared to elasomer or plastic sleeves or 2 stockinette materials as may have been described in the prior 2 art. Even though wire metal cloths have been described, none 2 responds to the application of a tensile force which wends to lZ23Z46 1 ¦ reduce the diameter of the sleeve in order to grip the core, 2 ¦ thereby to maintain a clearance between the outer surface of the 3 ¦ sleeve 105 and the inner wall of the inner barrel 50. Thus, even ¦ if a jam does occur, for example, in the core catcher or throat 5 ¦ of the bit, or even if the core sleeve 105 of this invention 6 ¦ should tear at some point along its length, the portion of the 7 ¦ core located in that portion of the sleeve attached to the 8 ¦ stripper tube 40 is still usually recovered because of the 9 ¦ tension-induced tight grip of the sleeve 105 on the core, and 10¦ because in the preferred embodiment, the sleeve in the relaxed 11 ¦ state is slightly smaller than the core.
12 l 13 ¦ As will be apparent prom the foregoing, unique 14 ¦ advantages accrue in a coring device with the use of the improved 15 ¦ core sleeve of the type described. It will be apparent that 16 ¦ various modifications may be made to the foregoing described 17 ¦ structures. More specifically, seal I may be eliminated to 18 ¦ permit flow of fluid into the chamber between the inner barrel 50 19 ¦ and the intermediate tube 58, with fluid flow passages 150 (in 20 ¦ dotted line) provided at the lower end of the intermediate tube 21 ¦ 58 to permit radially outward flow of tube fluid into the lower 22 ¦ end of the chamber 62. In this way, the fluid flow forces may be 23 ¦ used to maintain the sleeve 105 in compression by creation of 24 ¦ hydraulic force on the weight 125.
25 l 26 ¦ It is also possible to improve the performance of the 27 structure thus jar described For example, the core shoe 71 and 28 l --27-- .
I
1 ¦ core catcher 73 as shown in figures 1, 2 and 4 are mounted to 2 ¦ rotate with the bit 30. There are circumstances, however, in 31 which the rotating core catcher tends to grind up highly 41 fractured cores, resulting in jamming in the bit throat and 5 ¦ catcher areas. To eliminate this possible source of core jamming 6 ¦ the coring device may be modified as illustrated in Figures 5 and 71 6, in which the same reference numerals have been applied where 81 appropriate.
10 ¦ Thus, referring to Figures 5 and 6, the intermediate-11 ¦ tube 159 is affixed to the integral with the inner barrel 50 and, 12 ¦ like the inner barrel, does not rotate with respect to the outer 13 ¦ housing. The core shoe 158 is affixed to the intermediate tube 14 ¦ and does not rotate, while the core catcher 160 is supported by 15 ¦ the nonirritating core shoe and likewise does not rotate. In all 16 ¦ other respects the structure is essentially the same as those 17 ¦ previously described, as is apparent from Figure 6, illustrating 18 ¦ the relative position of the parts during coring, this Figure 19 ¦ being similar to Figure 3, previously described. it should be 20 ¦ noted, however, that since neither the core shoe 158 nor the core 21 ¦ catcher 160 rotates, the possibility of jamming resulting from 2223 ¦ r anion of the cure catcher and associated parts is eliminated.
'11 ~223~6 1 The various modifications previously described may also 2 be used with the structures shown in Figures 5 -6, and it will 3 also be apparent that various other modifications may be made, as 4 wily be apparent to those skilled in the art, based on the foregoing specification and described drawings, without departing 6 from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the 8 appended claims.
. ` .''-. .
zoo I
2 I.
Claims (18)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS.
1. An improved coring apparatus comprising:
an outer driving structure adapted to be connected at one end to said coring bit for cutting a core in a bore hole, and at the other end to the lower end of said drill string in telescoping and co-rotatable manner therewith;
an inner barrel disposed within said outer driving structure and including a lower end portion adjacent to said bit;
means supporting said inner barrel in spaced relation-ship to said outer driving structure while permitting rotation of said driving structure with respect to said inner barrel;
a woven metal mesh sleeve mounted in surrounding relation on at least a portion of the exterior surface of said inner barrel, said sleeve including a leading portion adapted to be positioned within the inner barrel and initially to receive a core as it is cut, said sleeve having a predetermined normal diameter which is greater than the diameter of the sleeve in tension and a diameter when in axial compression which is greater than said normal diameter;
the portion of said sleeve which surrounds said inner barrel being compressed axially and having an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of said inner barrel while the portion of said sleeve positioned inside said inner barrel being in axial tension to grip and compress a core received within said sleeve and having an outside diameter in tension less than the inside diameter of said inner barrel;
and means positioned within said inner barrel and connected to the leading portion of said sleeve to draw said sleeve within said inner barrel and to apply tension to the portion of said sleeve within said barrel to encase and grip said core as it is cut.
an outer driving structure adapted to be connected at one end to said coring bit for cutting a core in a bore hole, and at the other end to the lower end of said drill string in telescoping and co-rotatable manner therewith;
an inner barrel disposed within said outer driving structure and including a lower end portion adjacent to said bit;
means supporting said inner barrel in spaced relation-ship to said outer driving structure while permitting rotation of said driving structure with respect to said inner barrel;
a woven metal mesh sleeve mounted in surrounding relation on at least a portion of the exterior surface of said inner barrel, said sleeve including a leading portion adapted to be positioned within the inner barrel and initially to receive a core as it is cut, said sleeve having a predetermined normal diameter which is greater than the diameter of the sleeve in tension and a diameter when in axial compression which is greater than said normal diameter;
the portion of said sleeve which surrounds said inner barrel being compressed axially and having an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of said inner barrel while the portion of said sleeve positioned inside said inner barrel being in axial tension to grip and compress a core received within said sleeve and having an outside diameter in tension less than the inside diameter of said inner barrel;
and means positioned within said inner barrel and connected to the leading portion of said sleeve to draw said sleeve within said inner barrel and to apply tension to the portion of said sleeve within said barrel to encase and grip said core as it is cut.
2. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein an intermediate tube is located between said inner barrel and said driving structure; and said woven mesh sleeve being mounted in the space between said intermediate tube and said inner barrel.
3. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sleeve includes a multiplicity of strands oriented 90° to each other and 45° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve in the relaxed state; and said strands being flexible and of a hardness sufficient to avoid being cut by the edges of hard, abrasive rock.
4. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further including means positioned within said inner barrel and movable axially with respect thereto and attached to the portion of the sleeve positioned within said inner barrel to apply tension to the portion of said sleeve within said inner barrel.
5. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the diameter of said sleeve in said relaxed state is larger than said core.
6. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said intermediate tube in nonrotatable with respect to said inner barrel.
7. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including core shoe means carried by said intermediate tube; and core catcher means cooperating with said core means.
8. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said intermediate tube is connected to said inner barrel and is nonrotatable with respect thereto.
9. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means within said inner barrel is a stripper tube assembly.
10. An improved coring device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said stripper tube assembly includes a stripper tube swivel assembly at the lower end thereof; and means interconnecting said stripper tube swivel as-sembly and said woven metal sleeve to effect movement of said sleeve relative to said inner barrel.
11. An improved coring device as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sleeve includes means to maintain said sleeve in an axially compressed condition until portions of said sleeve are placed in tension.
12. An improved coring apparatus comprising:
an outer telescoping supporting structure adapted to be connected at one end to said coring bit and at the other end to said drill string;
an inner barrel supported within said supporting structure and including a lower end portion adjacent to said bit;
intermediate tube means supported by said supporting structure and spaced radially outwardly of said inner barrel to form a chamber therebetween;
flexible sleeve means positioned in said chamber and including a portion received in the interior of said inner barrel;
said sleeve means being capable of assuming one diameter in axial compression and another smaller diameter in tension;
the portion of said sleeve means positioned in said chamber being in axial compression and having a diameter greater than the diameter of said inner barrel, the portion of said sleeve positioned within said inner barrel being in tension and having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of said inner barrel; and said sleeve means being mounted and supported with respect to said inner barrel to grip and compress a core received by the portion of said sleeve positioned within said inner barrel as a result of the tension applied to the portion of said sleeve within said barrel.
an outer telescoping supporting structure adapted to be connected at one end to said coring bit and at the other end to said drill string;
an inner barrel supported within said supporting structure and including a lower end portion adjacent to said bit;
intermediate tube means supported by said supporting structure and spaced radially outwardly of said inner barrel to form a chamber therebetween;
flexible sleeve means positioned in said chamber and including a portion received in the interior of said inner barrel;
said sleeve means being capable of assuming one diameter in axial compression and another smaller diameter in tension;
the portion of said sleeve means positioned in said chamber being in axial compression and having a diameter greater than the diameter of said inner barrel, the portion of said sleeve positioned within said inner barrel being in tension and having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of said inner barrel; and said sleeve means being mounted and supported with respect to said inner barrel to grip and compress a core received by the portion of said sleeve positioned within said inner barrel as a result of the tension applied to the portion of said sleeve within said barrel.
13. no improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said sleeve means includes a multiplicity of strands oriented approximately 90° to each other and approximately 45° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve means in the relaxed state; and said strands hying flexible and of a hardness sufficient to prevent being cut by the edges of hard abrasive rock.
14. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 13 further including means positioned within said inner barrel and movable axially with respect thereto and attached to said portion of said sleeve means positioned within said inner barrel to apply tension to the portion of said sleeve means within said inner barrel.
15. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said intermediate tube is affixed to said inner barrel.
16. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 15 in which a core shoe is affixed to the end of said intermediate tube; and core catcher means supported by said core shoe.
17. An improved coring apparatus as set forth in claim 12 in which the diameter of said sleeve means in said relaxed state is larger than said core.
18. A method of coring which comprises:
providing a core apparatus including a woven mesh core sleeve having a predetermined normal diameter greater than the diameter of the sleeve in tension;
lowering said coring apparatus into a borehole and driving the same to cut a core; and maintaining a portion of said sleeve in axial compres-sion while the remaining portion of said sleeve is in tension to grip said core as it is being cut.
providing a core apparatus including a woven mesh core sleeve having a predetermined normal diameter greater than the diameter of the sleeve in tension;
lowering said coring apparatus into a borehole and driving the same to cut a core; and maintaining a portion of said sleeve in axial compres-sion while the remaining portion of said sleeve is in tension to grip said core as it is being cut.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US530,784 | 1983-09-09 | ||
| US06/530,784 US4512419A (en) | 1983-09-09 | 1983-09-09 | Coring device with an improved core sleeve and anti-gripping collar |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1223246A true CA1223246A (en) | 1987-06-23 |
Family
ID=24114959
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000462621A Expired CA1223246A (en) | 1983-09-09 | 1984-09-07 | Coring device with an improved core sleeve and anti- gripping collar |
Country Status (7)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4512419A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0134581B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS6078092A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU3276484A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1223246A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3470581D1 (en) |
| PH (1) | PH20788A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN115788325A (en) * | 2023-01-31 | 2023-03-14 | 山西地科勘察有限公司 | Under-coal aluminum ore drilling device for geological exploration in cross goaf |
Families Citing this family (17)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4573539A (en) * | 1983-10-07 | 1986-03-04 | Norton Christensen, Inc. | Hydraulically pulsed indexing system for sleeve-type core barrels |
| US5417295A (en) * | 1993-06-16 | 1995-05-23 | Sperry Sun Drilling Services, Inc. | Method and system for the early detection of the jamming of a core sampling device in an earth borehole, and for taking remedial action responsive thereto |
| BE1008473A5 (en) * | 1994-07-06 | 1996-05-07 | Baroid Technology Inc | Process for closing an internal tube section of a core drill and core drillimplementing the process |
| US5957221A (en) | 1996-02-28 | 1999-09-28 | Baker Hughes Incorporated | Downhole core sampling and testing apparatus |
| US5950740A (en) * | 1997-07-14 | 1999-09-14 | Fletcher; Steve D. | Soil sampling apparatus |
| US6216804B1 (en) | 1998-07-29 | 2001-04-17 | James T. Aumann | Apparatus for recovering core samples under pressure |
| US6267179B1 (en) | 1999-04-16 | 2001-07-31 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Method and apparatus for accurate milling of windows in well casings |
| US6318466B1 (en) | 1999-04-16 | 2001-11-20 | Schlumberger Technology Corp. | Method and apparatus for accurate milling of windows in well casings |
| US6209645B1 (en) | 1999-04-16 | 2001-04-03 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Method and apparatus for accurate milling of windows in well casings |
| US6412575B1 (en) * | 2000-03-09 | 2002-07-02 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Coring bit and method for obtaining a material core sample |
| US7913775B2 (en) * | 2007-12-27 | 2011-03-29 | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | Subsurface formation core acquisition system using high speed data and control telemetry |
| FR2945675B1 (en) * | 2009-05-18 | 2011-07-29 | D App Et De Materiel Electr S I C A M E Soc Ind De Const | ASSEMBLY FOR COVERING A PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONAL MEMBER WITH AN ELASTIC PROTECTION SLEEVE |
| EP2686515B1 (en) | 2011-03-16 | 2018-02-07 | Corpro Technologies Canada Ltd. | Pressure coring assembly and method |
| US9217306B2 (en) * | 2011-10-03 | 2015-12-22 | National Oilwell Varco L.P. | Methods and apparatus for coring |
| CA2848990C (en) | 2013-04-15 | 2018-03-27 | National Oilwell Varco, L.P. | Pressure core barrel for retention of core fluids and related method |
| US10443322B2 (en) | 2015-12-09 | 2019-10-15 | Baker Hughes, a GE company | Protection of downhole tools against mechanical influences with a pliant material |
| CN113482537B (en) * | 2021-07-14 | 2023-08-15 | 深圳大学 | Drilling coring device with flexible drill bit |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2927775A (en) * | 1957-12-10 | 1960-03-08 | Jersey Prod Res Co | Unconsolidated formation core barrel |
| US2927776A (en) * | 1958-03-07 | 1960-03-08 | Jersey Prod Res Co | Coring apparatus |
| US3012622A (en) * | 1959-04-20 | 1961-12-12 | Christensen Diamond Prod Co | Core barrel apparatus |
| US3363705A (en) * | 1965-08-19 | 1968-01-16 | John J. Jensen | Core barrel inner tube |
| US3338310A (en) * | 1965-09-29 | 1967-08-29 | Schlumberger Well Surv Corp | Full-opening well tool |
| US3463255A (en) * | 1968-08-23 | 1969-08-26 | Boyles Bros Drilling Co | Core drilling system |
| US3804184A (en) * | 1973-03-08 | 1974-04-16 | M Gusman | Core drilling apparatus |
| US4156469A (en) * | 1977-09-23 | 1979-05-29 | Laskey John G | Method of and apparatus for recovery of cores from soft and unconsolidated earth materials |
-
1983
- 1983-09-09 US US06/530,784 patent/US4512419A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1984
- 1984-09-06 DE DE8484110592T patent/DE3470581D1/en not_active Expired
- 1984-09-06 PH PH31186A patent/PH20788A/en unknown
- 1984-09-06 EP EP84110592A patent/EP0134581B1/en not_active Expired
- 1984-09-06 AU AU32764/84A patent/AU3276484A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1984-09-07 CA CA000462621A patent/CA1223246A/en not_active Expired
- 1984-09-07 JP JP59186619A patent/JPS6078092A/en active Pending
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN115788325A (en) * | 2023-01-31 | 2023-03-14 | 山西地科勘察有限公司 | Under-coal aluminum ore drilling device for geological exploration in cross goaf |
| CN115788325B (en) * | 2023-01-31 | 2023-05-05 | 山西地科勘察有限公司 | Coal lower aluminum ore drilling device for geological exploration of goaf |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0134581B1 (en) | 1988-04-20 |
| DE3470581D1 (en) | 1988-05-26 |
| AU3276484A (en) | 1985-03-14 |
| EP0134581A1 (en) | 1985-03-20 |
| JPS6078092A (en) | 1985-05-02 |
| US4512419A (en) | 1985-04-23 |
| PH20788A (en) | 1987-04-14 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |