Abstract
A well component having a main bore and a lateral opening from the main bore, the well component further comprising a deflector surface arranged adjacent the lateral opening on an inner wall of the main bore and defining a path configured to guide one or more guide taps/fingers of a downhole tool away from the opening.
Claims
1. A well component having a main bore and a lateral opening from the main bore, the well component further comprising a deflector surface arranged adjacent the lateral opening on an inner wall of the main bore and longitudinally extending from a location spaced from the opening in a longitudinal direction of the main bore, to a location longitudinally at the same height as and circumferentially spaced from the lateral opening in the main bore, such that the deflector surface defines a path configured to guide one or more radially protruding guide taps/fingers of a downhole tool in a circumferential direction and away from the opening by engagement of the guide taps/fingers with the path so as to turn the downhole tool in the main bore.
2. A well component according to claim 1, wherein the deflector surface spans a larger circumferential sector of the main bore than the opening does.
3. A well component according to claim 1, wherein the well component is a side pocket mandrel, the side pocket mandrel having a laterally offset side pocket bore, and where the opening extends between the main bore and the laterally offset side pocket bore.
4. A well component according to claim 1, wherein the well component is selected from a group consisting of a blow out preventer, a valve, a pipe, a chemical injection sub, and a gas injection sub.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a sectional and schematic view of part of a production tubing,
(3) FIG. 2 shows a side pocket mandrel,
(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 show parts of a side pocket mandrel,
(5) FIGS. 5-7 show steps of positioning a kick over tool in a side pocket mandrel, and
(6) FIG. 8 shows aspects of a side pocket mandrel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(7) Embodiments will now be described in relation to a side pocket mandrel which is part of a production system for a petroleum well, however it is to be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure may be realized in a wide variety of other applications and equipment. This includes, but is not limited to, downhole pipes with one or more openings, BOPs, valves, chemical injection subs, or any other type of downhole equipment or installation.
(8) In an embodiment, there is provided a side pocket mandrel which is part of a production tubing for a petroleum well. A kick over tool may be utilized to install and retrieve well bore devices (down hole devices), and particularly valves, such as gas lift valves, relief valves, water flood valves and steam injection valves which are positioned in the side pocket mandrel. The kick over tool may also be utilized to install and retrieve other well bore devices, such as different types of plugs, temperature or pressure sensors, flow measurements devices, etc. In addition, the kick over tool may also comprise equipment and/or tools for servicing and maintenance inside the side pocket mandrel and/or offset side pocket bore.
(9) FIG. 1 shows part of a production tubing 1 comprising a side pocket mandrel 2 having a main bore which is generally aligned with the production tubing 1 and a laterally offset side pocket bore 4. A well bore device, in this embodiment a gas lift valve 3b, is arranged in the laterally offset side pocket bore 4 of the side pocket mandrel 2. A kick over tool 5 is connected to a conveyance member (e.g. a wire line or tractor, not shown), which controls the position of the kick over tool 5 from a surface location.
(10) The kick over tool 5 has first and second setting devices 8, 9, where the first and second setting devices 8, 9 through respective stems/rods 10, 11 are connected to a first and second pivotally and articulated linkage mechanisms 12, 13 (first setting device 8 being connected to first pivotally and articulated linkage mechanism 12, and second setting device 9 being connected to second pivotally and articulated linkage mechanism 13) Each of the first and second pivotally and articulated linkage mechanisms 12, 13 can be extended outwardly from the kick over tool 5 when they are to perform an operation. In the embodiment shown, the second linkage mechanism 13 engages the gas lift valve 3b to remove it from the side pocket mandrel 2, while the first linkage mechanism 12 holds a replacement gas lift valve 3a to be arranged in the side pocket mandrel 2 after removal of the gas lift valve 3b.
(11) FIGS. 2-4 show the side pocket mandrel 2 in further detail. For clarity, the side pocket mandrel 2 is illustrated not connected to the production tubing 1. The side pocket mandrel 2 has a first, “uphole” part 2a and a second, “downhole” part 2b. As used herein, uphole and downhole shall refer to the respective parts' 2a, 2b location in relation to each other when the side pocket mandrel 2 is installed in the well, where the second part 2b will be located farther into the well than the first part 2a.
(12) FIGS. 3 and 4 show a part of the side pocket mandrel 2, namely part of the main bore 20 as seen from the end of the side pocket mandrel 2 at the second part 2b. The main bore 20 has a lateral opening 21 (see also FIGS. 5-7) from the side pocket bore 4 into the main bore 20 through which a fluid can be injected into the main bore 20. The inventor has discovered that a problem associated with installing a kick over tool 5 in a side pocket mandrel 2 is that the opening 21 may disturb the positioning operation of the kick over tool 5. To alleviate this problem, the side pocket mandrel 2 comprises a recess 22 arranged in the inner wall 23 defining the inside bore 20. The recess 22 defines a deflector surface 24, which is configured to engage one or more guide taps/fingers 30 (see FIGS. 5-7) on the kick over tool 5 and guide the guide tap(s)/finger(s) 30 away from the opening 21. The deflector surface 24 is arranged with an angle such as to guide the guide tap(s)/finger(s) 30 circumferentially along the inner circumference of the main bore 20 and away from the opening 21. The deflector surface 24 thereby turns the kick over tool 5 such that the guide tap(s)/finger(s) 30 pass the opening 21 on the side of the opening 21, and does not risk getting caught by the edge of the opening 21.
(13) FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the use of the side pocket mandrel 2. For clarity, the production tubing 1 is not shown in FIGS. 5-7, and the side pocket mandrel 2 is shown in a partially cut view. It may, for example, during a petroleum operation be desirable to install a new gas lift valve (not shown) in the laterally offset side pocket bore 4. The gas lift valve may then control the flow of a fluid from inlet ports 26, leading from an outside of the side pocket mandrel 2 into the laterally offset side pocket bore 4, to the opening 21. In this manner, gas lift can be employed by providing pressurized gas in an annulus between the production tubing 1 and the well casing, and leading it into the production tubing 1.
(14) To install (or remove) the gas lift valve, or to install or remove other devices, a kick over tool 5 having a guide tap/finger 30 is lowered into the well, for example via a wireline, to a position slightly lower than its operating position. This is shown in FIG. 5, with the right hand side being a direction into the well (the downhole side). The kick over tool 5 is then hoisted, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, to bring it into engagement with the side pocket mandrel 2 and lock it in its operating position. In this process, there might be a risk that the guide tap/finger 30 engages the opening 21 and activates the kick over tool 5 in the incorrect position, and/or break shear pins intended for use only to release the kick over tool 5 when the installation/removal operation has finished. As the kick over tool 5 moves upwards, the guide tap/finger 30 engages the deflector surface 24 (see FIG. 6), whereby the entire kick over tool 5 will be turned slightly, as shown in FIG. 7, and whereby the kick over tool 5 can proceed to its operating position within the side pocket mandrel 2 without disturbance from the opening 21.
(15) The deflector surface 24 may be arranged on one side of the opening 21, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, or on both sides (both uphole and downhole) if required. The deflector surface 24 can be spaced from the opening 21 with a suitable distance in the longitudinally in relation to the main bore 20. The distance can be chosen to be close enough to the opening 21 such as to minimize the risk that the kick over tool 5 turns back in the reverse direction after having been turned by the deflector surface 24. Alternatively, the deflector surface 24 may extend between a part 24a longitudinally spaced from the opening 21 to a part 24b longitudinally at the same height as the opening 21 but circumferentially spaced from the opening 21. (See FIG. 4.) Guiding the guide tap/finger 30 entirely past the opening 21 in this manner ensures that the kick over tool 5 cannot turn back for the guide tap/finger 30 to engage the opening 21.
(16) FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a side pocket mandrel 2, similar to that described above and with the same reference numerals indicating the same components. In FIG. 8, the dashed arrows indicate the possible path of the guide tap/finger 30. If the kick over tool 5 has an orientation such that the guide tap/finger 30 will not pass over the opening 21, no turning is necessary. If the guide tap/finger 30 may enter a circumferential sector of the main bore 20 on which the opening 21 lies, as indicated by the central three dashed arrows, the deflector surface 24 will lead the guide tap/finger 30 to the side of the opening 21 and past the opening 21 without risk that the opening 21 interferes with the operation of the kick over tool 5.
(17) It may be advantageous if the deflector surface 24 spans a larger circumferential sector of the main bore 20 than the opening 21 does, as shown in FIG. 8.
(18) When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.
(19) The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilized for realizing the embodiments of this disclosure in diverse forms thereof.
(20) The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein; reference should be had to the appended claims.
