WO2016186517A1

WO2016186517A1 - A method and apparatus for shrinking tubular sections

Info

Publication number: WO2016186517A1
Application number: PCT/NO2016/050097
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mohammad Ali Taghipour Khadrbeik
Original assignee: Sintef Tto As
Priority date: 2015-05-19
Filing date: 2016-05-19
Publication date: 2016-11-24
Also published as: NO20150624A1; EP3298230A1; EP3298230B1; EP3298230A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shrinking tool (1) for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular, where the tool (1) comprises at least: a. one forming die (15) arranged along the axis of said wellbore tubular, b. one pulling means, and c. one active milling tool (13), where the forming die is configured to be pulled by the pulling means from inside the tubular and where the forming die consist of a c-shape lofted cut inside the tool body with a bigger profile diameter at the inlet and a smaller profile diameter at the outlet.

Description

A method and apparatus for shrinking tubular sections Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a complete system for reducing diameter of

tubular pipes more precisely it relates to a drill string system for plug and abandoning of wells, the present invention relates to devices and methods of such a system.

Background Art

[0002] The invention relates to a complete system for reducing diameter of

tubular pipes.

[0003] For plug and abandonment of oil wells, the casing of the well has to be fully or partly removed before plugging. Removal of casing is a demanding task as the casing is normally bonded to concrete in between the underground formation and the casing.

[0004] The present invention enables casing section removal with milling only parts of a tubular/casing.

[0005] Also for other purposes such as within water and sewerage it is often of interest to shrink and remove sections of piping's.

Disclosure of Invention

[0006] According to the present invention it is provided a method and tool for shrinkage and recovery of wellbore tubular, where the tool comprises at least: one forming die arranged along the axis of said wellbore tubular adapted to be pulled relative to tubular from inside. In one aspect of the invention the forming die, consist of a c-shape lofted cut inside the tool body with a bigger profile diameter at the inlet and a smaller profile diameter at the outlet.

[0007] According to the invention, the forming die may consist of at least one mechanical mean for guiding the tubular into the die, where the

mechanical mean will be activated by mean of an actuating system.

[0008] According to another aspect of the invention, the recovered tubular section may have at least one helical or straight groove along the longitudinal axis of the tubular. [0009] According to the present invention, it is also provided a shrinking tool, which may utilize the method s indicated above and where the shrinking tool is adjacent to a milling tool, where the milling tool is adapted to mill at least one radial groove and at least one axial or helical groove along the longitudinal axis of the tubular.

[0010] The shrinking tool may be pulled by mean of a moving tractor or other means like as wireline or drillstring from inside the tubular.

[0011] It is also disclosed a shrinking tool where the tool comprises at least one anchoring mean for pulling one section of the tubular, where the separated section consist of at least on helical or axial groove along the longitudinal axis of the tubular.

Brief description of drawings

[0012] To make the following description more readily understandable the following discussion will make reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

[0013] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a system according to the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 shows a view of the system according to the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view of the system according to the

present invention ;

[0016] FIG. 4 shows a tractor according to the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 5a shows an example of a milling tool/milling section in accordance with the present invention;

[0018] Fig 5b shows an example of a milling tool with expand able rotary side mill in neutral and working position

[0019] Fig 5c shows a schematics view of one driving system according to one aspect of the invention using hydraulic mud motor and bevel gears,

[0020] FIG. 6 shows a forming die according to the present invention;

[0021] Fig. 7a shows a cross sectional view of the forming die outlet view with retracted or non-activated guiding arm;

[0022] Fig. 7b shows a cross sectional view of the forming die outlet view with activated guiding arm; [0023] FIG. 8 shows the forming die and a casing section with a premade axial groove;

[0024] Fig. 9 shows the forming die seen in figure 2;

[0025] Fig. 10 shows the forming die, a casing with a premade axial grove and a shrinked casing;

[0026] Fig. 11 shows a casing with helical grooves and the same in shrinked

version according to one embodiment of the present invention, and

[0027] Fig. 12 shows a casing with helical grooves and the same in shrinked

version according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the present invention

[0028] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not to scale, however it shall be understood that the drawings are only meant to facilitate the understanding of the invention and they are in no way limiting the scope of the claimed invention.

[0029] The invention relates to a system 1 , i.e. a shrinkage tool assembly for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular, for abandoning and plugging of oil wells as well as a system made for shrinking sections of tubular. The system comprises a forming die 15, which can be used in oil, gas and deep-water wells, mining and underground operations. The tools enable to shrink a section of a tubular 91 and reduce the diameter. In particular, it is disclosed a forming tool integrated in a shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular. The shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular comprises the mentioned forming die 15, a milling section 13 including means for milling out helical or axial grooves in tubulars 92 and at least a tractor 10 or pulling means 10.

[0030] The forming die 15 according the present invention can be used to shrink a casing while the shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular moves axially inside the tubular. This enables to pull out and recover a section of the tubular/casing through the rest of the tubular/casing that remains in the well. In addition, the forming die 15 reduces the de-bonding force for the tubular from the cement/formation.

Description of the system according to the present invention [0031] In the following the wording system 1 shall be understood as the shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular except if nothing else is explicitly mentioned.

[0032] As indicated above the present invention relates to a system, which is

adapted to take out sections of casings or sections of pipes. The system 1 will now be described with reference to figure 1. The system 1 which is the shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular comprises a tractor 10, a milling section 13 and a forming die section 15.

[0033] The tractor 15 is the front end of the system with reference to the active travel direction that is, when the system 1 is actively milling and shrinking tubulars or casings. Following the tractor is the milling section 13, the milling section includes at least one cutting tool 14.

[0034] Further, up the shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular is the forming die 15, the forming die 15 is adapted to shrink casings or tubulars, which already has been prepared by the milling, section 13 so that the tubulars or casing has premade axial or helical grooves.

Description of the tractor

[0035] The tractor 10 is the propulsion unit of the drill string, it is shown in detail in figure 4. The tractor comprises two pistons 42, 43 connected with a push pull piston rod 12 there between. The push pull piston rod can move the end piston 42 relative to the near piston 43 and the rest of the shrinkage tool assembly (1 ) for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular in an axial direction.

[0036] Moving forward, that is in the X-direction in figure 4 starts with the near piston 43 and the end piston 42 in a retracted position, that is the distance between them are minimal, the near end piston 43 expands its anchor pads 1 1 to get into a fixed grip with its surrounding such as the casing. The anchor pads 13 of the end piston 42 is in a retracted position. The next step is that the end piston is moved in the x-direction by the piston rod 12. When the end piston 42 is in a maximum distance from the near piston 43, the end piston anchor itself to the surrounding walls or casings by expanding its anchor pads 13 radially. Following this step, the near piston 43 retracts its anchor pads 1 1 and the end piston 42 can pull the near piston 43 with its drillstring in the x-direction thereby causing the whole drillstring including the milling section and the die form 15 to move in the x-direction.

The milling section

[0037] The milling section 13 follows the tractor and is in between the forming die 15 and the tractor 10.

[0038] The milling section according to a first embodiment shall provide axial grooves in piping-sections or casing sections. As the groove shall be axial the shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular will not rotate around its axis A - A (fig 2). As the tractor 10 provides movement of the shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular the milling section provides axial grooves. One or more side cutters 14 are integrated in the milling section 13. The one or more side cutters rotate around its axis of rotation, where the axis of rotation is substantially normal to the axis A-A and the surrounding walls.

[0039] The cutter 14 or cutters 14 can be retractable and expandable. In its

expandable positon with one or more rotating cutters, an axial groove will be made in the casing / surrounding tube.

[0040] The cutter 14 or cutters 14 can be rotated by using hydraulic driven/mud motor system placed inside the main housing. However many other means of driving systems can be utilised, it is the individualisation of powering the cutters 14 that is important. An internal hydraulic driving system can be placed, axial to the side cutters or axial to the direction of the milling tool and to rotate the side cutters 14 by using a gear/transmission system or by direct drive. The driving means can be electric motors with gear

transmission drive or by direct drive.

[0041] Side cutters 14 can be rotated by internal mud motors and thereby use the hydraulic energy of circulating mud. However, drill string mechanical energy or electric motors can also be used for driving the side cutters. FIGS. 5c shows an example of use of internal mud motor(s) including a proper gear transmission system 67 for driving the side cutters 14. Any suitable gear type can be utilised. Different gear types such as worm or bevel can be used depending on the tool design. In addition, high torque hydro-motors can also be employed without gear system, the same applies to electric motors.

[0042] Each side cutter has individual driving system and can be operated

independent of the other side cutters.

The die form

[0043] A shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular is shown in figure 1 , 2 and 3. The figures 6 - 10 shows a forming die 15 in detail.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the forming die has a c-shape entrance opening (fig. 7a, 7b) which has similar diameter D1 as a grooved tubular 72 in an entrance end and a smaller diameter DB at the exit end.

According to this embodiment, while the shrinkage tool assembly 1 for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular moves axially within the grooved wellbore tubular, the tubular is pushed into the C shaped die entrance opening 83 and inside the C-outer sleeve 75 of the forming die 15. While the die 15 moves relative to the grooved tubular the grooved tubular is consequently fed into the c-shaped opening 83 (fig 7) and through the die and is shrinked into a reduced diameter when exited from the exit end of the forming die 15. It shall be noted that the part 63 of the die 15 where the grooved tubular or a grooved casing enters into the c- shaped opening (fig 7) of the die 15 is tapered with an input diameter approximately similar to the tubing D1 , and an exit diameter DB, where DB<D1. According to this embodiment, the forming die consists of a mechanical means 16 for guiding the grooved tubular 72 or grooved casing into the opening entrance of the die. This mechanical means is an expandable guiding arm 16, which radially expands out of the tool body 15 when needed.

[0045] The following dimension restrictions applies:

[0046] Z1 > Z2

[0047] Z3 and Z1 are approximately of the same width.

[0048] D1 > D2

Another embodiment of pulling means [0049] The forming die 15 and the milling tool 13 are adapted to be pulled by a moving tractor 10 or any other means through the wellbore longitude axis.

Another mean for pulling the die 15 can be by wire, cable or drillstring.

According to this embodiment, the milling tool 13 with actively driven side rotational cutters 14 can drill hole and mill axial, helical or radial grooves inside the tubular sidewalls.

Another embodiment of the invention

[0050] The invention has been described with reference to figure 1 - 10, this

system 1 includes components, which together facilitates abandonment and plugging of oil wells and dismantling in sewerage systems. In another embodiment of the invention (fig 1 1 and 12), the milling tool 13 can create at least one helical groove and at least two radial grooves inside the casing downhole in the well. One way of achieving this is to use a rotational milling tool with one or more rotational side cutters 14. This enables to create a separated casing section from the tubular. According to this embodiment, the separated casing section with at least one helical groove can be pulled in an axial direction, which causes casing shrinkage and de-bonding from the formation cement. According to this embodiment, the separated casing can then be pulled out through the remaining casing inside the well. The moving tractor or other means, for example the drillstring or wire line, can pull the separated casing section.

Reference numbers

1 Shrinkage tool assembly

10 Moving tractor

11 Anchor pad

12 Push pull cylinder, push pull piston rod

13 Active milling tool

14 Side rotational cutter

15 Forming die

16 Expandable guiding arm

42 Piston, end piston

43 Piston, near piston

61 Die inlet 62 Die outlet-rear

63 Die body

66

67 Gear transmission system, individual driving means

71

72 Grooved tubular

73

75 C-outer sleeve

81 First element

82 Second element

83 C shaped die entrance opening; inlet; c-shaped lofted cut

91 Tubular

92 Tubulars

DA

DB Diameter, exit diameter, DB < D1

D1 Diameter, D1 > DB; D1 > D2

D2 Diameter, D2 < D1

Z1 Z1 > Z2, Z3 and Z1 are approximately of the same width

Z2 Width of first element 81 , Z2 < Z3

Z3 Width of second element, Z3 > Z2, Z3 and Z1 are approximately of the same width

Claims

A shrinkage tool assembly (1) for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular, where the shrinkage tool assembly (1) comprises at least:

a. one forming die (15) arranged along the axis of said wellbore tubular, b. one pulling means (10), and

c. one active milling tool (13), where

forming die is configured to be pulled by the pulling means from inside the tubular and where the forming die consist of a c-shape lofted cut inside the tool body with a bigger profile diameter at the inlet and a smaller profile diameter at the outlet.

A shrinkage tool assembly (1) according to claim 1 , where the forming die (15) consist of at least one mechanical mean (16) for guiding the tubular into the die, where the mechanical mean is configured to be activated by mean of an actuating system.

A shrinkage tool assembly (1) according to claim 1 where a recovered tubular section may have at least one helical or straight groove along the longitudinal axis of the tubular made by the active milling tool (13).

A shrinkage tool assembly (1) according to claim 1 , 2 and 3, where the milling tool is adapted to mill at least one radial groove and at least one axial or helical groove along the longitudinal axis of the tubular.

A shrinkage tool assembly according to claim 1 , where the tool (1) comprises at least one anchoring mean for pulling one section of the tubular, where the separated section consist of at least one helical or axial groove along the longitudinal axis of the tubular.

A milling tool (13) integrated in shrinkage tool assembly where the milling tool (13) comprises one or more actively driven side rotational cutters (14) that can drill hole and mill axial, helical or radial grooves inside tubular sidewall, the one or more side rotational cutter (14) are adapted to be rotated independent of the rotation of the shrinkage tool assembly around an axis that is not parallel with the axis of rotation of the shrinkage tool assembly.

7. A milling tool (13) according to claim 6,

where the side cutters (14,) are adapted to be rotated by individual driving means (67).

8. A milling tool (13) according to claim 6,

the rotational side cutters extends radially outward from the cylindrical tubular milling tool body by means of an actuating system.

9. A milling tool (13) according to claim 6 - 8,

where an actuating mechanism is provided by one of; drilling mud pressure or mechanical means.

10. A milling tool according to any of the claims 6 - 9,

where the side cutters have dome shape surrounded by abrasives cutter elements.

11. A milling tool (13) according to any of the claims 6 - 10,

where the side cutters (14) are disposed in openings of the milling tool body (13), and is shaped so as in passive state not to protrude out of the diameter defined by the milling tool body (13), and in rotating state the cutters extreme ends will define a diameter which extends beyond the diameter defined by the milling tool (13) body.

12. A milling tool according to claim 1 -11 , where a moving tractor system (10)

consist of at least two set of anchoring pads (11 ) and a moving cylinder (12) in the middle for pull or push the cylindrical tubular milling tool body along the longitudinal axis the tubular/wellbore.

13. A milling tool according to claim 12, where the moving tractor system (10) can slowly rotate the milling tool housing while moving along the longitudinal axis of the tubular/wellbore.

14. A milling tool according to claim 1 and 12-13, where the self-driven rotational side cutters mounted in the cylindrical tubular milling tool body are adapted to have axial, radial or helical movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the tubular/wellbore.

15. A shrinkage forming die (15) comprising:

a die inlet end (61),

a tapered cylindrical die body (63) with a first end adjacent to the die inlet end (61) where the first end has the widest diameter next to the die inlet end (61) and the tapered cylindrical die body (63) has a second end opposite of the first end;

a c-shape entrance opening (83) with a diameter D1 at a front end next to the second end of the tapered cylindrical die body (63) and smaller diameter D2 at the die outlet rear (62);

an extended radially expandable guiding arm (16) arranged on the perimeter of the shrinkage forming die (15) and with its longitudinal direction axially oriented with reference to the shrinkage forming die (15) and being configured to guide casings or tubulars having one or more grooves.

16. A shrinkage forming die (15) according to claim 15 where the extended radially expandable guiding arm (16) comprises a first element (81) with a width of Z2 and second element (82) with a width of Z3, where Z3 > Z2, the first element (81) is arranged next to the die inlet end (61) and the second element is arranged radially outside of the first element (81) and axially closer to the die outlet rear (62).

17. A method for shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular comprising the

steps of:

a. providing a shrinkage tool assembly (1), where the shrinkage tool assembly comprises:

i. one forming die (15) arranged along the axis of said wellbore tubular,

ii. one pulling means (10), and

iii. one active milling tool (13), where

b. pulling the forming die (15) by the pulling means from inside the

tubular and where the forming die consist of a c-shape lofted cut inside the tool body with a bigger profile diameter at the inlet and a smaller profile diameter at the outlet.

18. A method according to claim 17,

further comprising the steps of:

c. entering a grooved tubular (72) with the die inlet (61) being inside the outer walls of the grooved tubular (72), d. continuing pulling the forming die inlet (61) further into the grooved tubular (72),

e. an extended radially expandable guiding arm (16) arranged on the perimeter of the shrinkage forming die (15) and with its longitudinal direction axially oriented with reference to the shrinkage forming die (15) enters the groove of the grooved tubular (72);

f. the grooved tubular (72) is pushed into the c-shaped lofted cut inside the tool body (15) with a bigger profile diameter at the inlet (83) and a smaller profile diameter at the outlet (62), and

g. a first end of the grooved tubular (72) is exiting the die outlet rear (62) with a diameter that is smaller than its diameter when entering the c-shaped lofted cut (83) inside the tool body (15).

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

h. providing a first element (81 ) with a width of Z2 and a second

element (82) with a width of Z3, where Z3 > Z2, arranging the first element (81) next to the die inlet end (61) and arranging the second element radially outside of the first element (81) and axially closer to the die outlet rear (62).

20. A pulling means (10) comprising two pistons (11) connected with a push pull piston rod (12) there between, the push pull piston rod being configured to move and end piston (11) relative to a near piston (11) and a load.

21. A pulling means (10) where the load is a shrinkage tool assembly (1) for

shrinkage and recovery of a wellbore tubular.