REMOTE SET TOOL WITH CONTINGENCY TRIGGER AND SYSTEM

Abstract

A remote set tool arrangement including a tool, a primary trigger operatively connected to the tool, and a contingency trigger operatively connected to the tool. A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, and the remote setting tool arrangement disposed within or as a part of the string.

Claims

1. A remote set tool arrangement comprising: a tool having an atmospheric chamber; a primary trigger operatively connected to the tool and configured to communicate a pressure source to the atmospheric chamber upon triggering; and a contingency trigger operatively connected to the tool and configured to communicate the pressure source to the atmospheric chamber upon triggering.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the primary trigger is an e-trigger.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contingency trigger comprises a redundant flow path and a valve.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein the redundant flow path accesses an actuation flow path between and including a housing of the primary trigger and the tool.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein the valve is a sliding sleeve.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contingency trigger comprises a break-off plug.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6 wherein the contingency trigger further comprises a sliding plug breaker.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contingency trigger comprises a redundant flow path and a rupturable closure.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein the closure is a thin wall portion covering the redundant flow path.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein the closure is a burst disk.

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contingency trigger comprises a cyclic trigger.

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tool includes a plurality of control line feedthroughs.

13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 12 wherein the plurality of control line feedthroughs include one that begins at an end of the tool and terminates at an actuation pressure chamber of the tool.

14. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13 wherein the end is an uphole end.

15. The arrangement as claimed in claim 14 wherein an actuation pathway begins downhole of the tool, extends through a first of the plurality of control lines, reverses direction and extends through the one of the plurality of control lines.

16. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13 wherein a control line of the plurality of control lines extending through the one feedthrough is sealingly terminated at the actuation pressure chamber.

17. A borehole system comprising: a borehole in a subsurface formation; a string in the borehole; and the remote setting tool arrangement as claimed in claim 1 disposed within or as a part of the string.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a side view of a tool with primary trigger;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view illustrating the trigger portion of FIG. 1 and a contingency trigger in a closed position;

[0008] FIG. 3 is the view of FIG. 2 illustrating the contingency trigger in an open position;

[0009] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of FIG. 3;

[0010] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view illustrating the trigger portion of FIG. 1 and an alternate contingency trigger in a closed position;

[0011] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a break-off plug;

[0012] FIG. 7 is the view of FIG. 5 illustrating the contingency trigger in an intermediate position;

[0013] FIG. 8 is the view of FIG. 5 illustrating the contingency trigger in an open position;

[0014] FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view illustrating the trigger portion of FIG. 1 and an alternate contingency trigger arrangement in a closed position;

[0015] FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of a prior art punch tool that is employable to open the contingency trigger illustrated in FIG. 9;

[0016] FIG. 11 is a view of a prior art cutting tool that is employable to open the contingency trigger illustrated in FIG. 9;

[0017] FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view illustrating the trigger portion of FIG. 1 and an alternate contingency trigger arrangement in a closed position;

[0018] FIG. 13 is a view related to FIG. 1 that shows a fluid path from the trigger to the pressure chamber of a tool;

[0019] FIG. 14 is a cross section view showing passthroughs that are used for the fluid path illustrated in FIG. 13;

[0020] FIGS. 15 and 16 are slightly rotated cross sectional views of the tool of FIG. 1 where the fluid path can be additionally understood; and

[0021] FIG. 17 is a view of a borehole system including the remote set tool with contingency trigger disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, a remote set tool arrangement 10 is illustrated. The arrangement 10 includes a tool 12 to be set, a primary trigger 14 to set the tool, and a contingency trigger 16 visible in FIGS. 2-9. The tool 12 may be a packer or any other settable tool and particularly a settable tool that responds to hydraulic pressure. In embodiments, the hydraulic pressure may be hydrostatic pressure. The primary trigger 14 is a remotely actuatable trigger that upon signal opens a port. In an embodiment, trigger 14 is an e-trigger such as that commercially available from Wellbor Technology, Houston Tex. Trigger 14 may respond to an electric signal, an acoustic signal, an identification chip (RF, Nuclear, etc.), a gravity or fluid conveyed object, pressure cycles, etc. The contingency trigger 16 comprises a separate fluid pathway that is controlled and is openable upon command if the primary trigger does not function as designed.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, a first embodiment of contingent trigger 16a is illustrated. Contingent trigger 16a is disposed within the same housing 18 as is trigger 14 but need not be in that location solely. It is contemplated that the contingent trigger 16a may be anywhere between the primary trigger and the tool to be set. The trigger 16a provides access to pressure (hydrostatic or hydraulic) from another fluid pathway 20. Fluid pathway 20 is connectable to an inside diameter (ID) 22 of the arrangement 10, which is distinct from the primary fluid pathway 24 in this embodiment that extends into fluid contact with an annulus 26 about the arrangement 10. The fluid pathway 20 is segregated from the ID 22 by a sliding sleeve 28 that is sealed within the arrangement 10 by seals 30 such as o-rings. The sleeve 28 includes a port 32 that can be aligned with the fluid pathway 20 upon movement of the sleeve 28. The sleeve 28 may be moved by conveying an object onto a seat therein, by a shifting tool, etc. Once the port 32 is aligned with the pathway 20. fluid pressure from the ID is connected to a primary actuation pathway 34 that leads to the tool 12. FIG. 2 depicts a closed position of the sliding sleeve 28 and FIG. 3 depicts an open position of the sliding sleeve 28. FIG. 4, is simply an enlarged view of FIG. 2 for clarity.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 5-8, another embodiment of the contingency trigger 16b is illustrated. Contingency trigger 16b comprises a break-off plug 38 that defines an opening 40 therein. When a tip 42 is broken off the plug 38, fluid may flow through the opening 40. The plug 38 is disposed in a fluid pathway 44 that is otherwise similar to pathway 20. Also similar to the foregoing embodiment is a sliding plug breaker 46 similar to sleeve 28 but which requires no seals and whose port 48 also acts as a cleaver to shear off the tip 42. It can be appreciated by comparing FIGS. 5 and 6 that the tip 42 is in a different portion of the port 48 but not yet severed and then compare to FIG. 8 where the port 48 has moved beyond the plug 38 and has severed the tip 42. The port 48 is in fluid communication with the opening 40 because of a manifold area 50 that bridges features 40 and 48 when the sliding member 46 is in the position where the tip 42 has already been sheared. The sliding member 46 can be moved in the same ways contemplated above for sleeve 28.

[0026] in yet another embodiment of the contingency trigger 16c, referring to FIG. 9, a pathway 52, similar to pathway 20 is closed off by a thin wall 54 or a disk (would look the same so not numbered or separately shown). In this embodiment, no seals are needed because there is no pressure path without the thin wall or disk being disrupted. The embodiment is sometimes provided with a location profile 56 to ensure a tool to open the thin wall/disk 54 will be properly registered. Tools that may be used to open the thin wall/disk include those illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 both of which represent prior art devices that may be run to depth to open the thin wall/disk 54. Respectively, these are a punch tool and a rotary pipe cutter tool. Both tools are available commercially from Baker Hughes and need not be explained in detail.

[0027] In yet another embodiment of the contingency trigger 16d, referring to FIG. 12, an incremental movement mechanism 56 is employed. A detailed explanation of such a mechanism is not needed since the mechanism itself is commercially available from Baker Hughes, Houston Tex. and is colloquially known as a Cyclic Trigger. Its employment as a part of the contingency 16d in combination with other elements of the invention is new. The mechanism 56 is ported to the inside diameter 22 of the arrangement 10 by pathway 57. Pressure cycles in the ID 22 will increment the mechanism 56 until a secondary pathway 58 fluidly links the annulus 26 around arrangement 10 to a connector pathway 59 that connects to the primly actuation pathway 34.

[0028] In an embodiment of the arrangement described herein, triggering occurs from a position downhole of the tool to be set. In order to enhance and simplify sealing requirements, a full-length feedthrough 60 is used and a partial length feedthrough 62 is used for the setting operation of the arrangement 10. FIGS. 13-16 are useful in understanding the particular construction. While a control line extends all the way through the feedthrough 60, the partial length feedthrough 62 is fluid containing without a control line extending all the way therethrough but rather only a couple of inches into the partial feedthrough 62. Sealing of the control lines is accomplished at nuts 64, 66, and 70. Nut 64 is at the trigger, nut 66 is at an uphole end of the feedthrough 60 adjacent nut 70, which seals the control line to partial feedthrough 62. The partial feedthrough 62 then conveys fluid to the pressure chamber 68, which may be an atmospheric pressure chamber in some embodiments, of tool 12.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 17, a borehole system 80 is illustrated. The system 80 includes a borehole 82 in a subsurface formation 84. A string 86 is disposed in the borehole 82. A remote set tool arrangement 10 is disposed within or as a part of the string 86.

[0030] Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:

[0031] Embodiment 1: A remote set tool arrangement including a tool, a primary trigger operatively connected to the tool, and a contingency trigger operatively connected to the tool.

[0032] Embodiment 2: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the primary trigger is an e-trigger.

[0033] Embodiment 3: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the contingency trigger comprises a redundant flow path and a valve.

[0034] Embodiment 4: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the redundant flow path accesses an actuation flow path between and including a housing of the primary trigger and the tool.

[0035] Embodiment 5: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the valve is a sliding sleeve.

[0036] Embodiment 6: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the contingency trigger comprises a break-off plug.

[0037] Embodiment 7: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the contingency trigger further comprises a sliding plug breaker.

[0038] Embodiment 8: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the contingency trigger comprises a redundant flow path and a rupturable closure.

[0039] Embodiment 9: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the closure is a thin wall portion covering the redundant flow path.

[0040] Embodiment 10: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the closure is a burst disk.

[0041] Embodiment 11: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the contingency trigger comprises a cyclic trigger.

[0042] Embodiment 12: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the tool includes a plurality of control line feedthroughs.

[0043] Embodiment 13: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the plurality of control line feedthroughs include one that begins at an end of the tool and terminates at an actuation pressure chamber of the tool.

[0044] Embodiment 14: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the end is an uphole end.

[0045] Embodiment 15: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein an actuation pathway begins downhole of the tool, extends through a first of the plurality of control lines, reverses direction and extends through the one of the plurality of control lines.

[0046] Embodiment 16: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein a control line of the plurality of control lines extending through the one feedthrough is sealingly terminated at the actuation pressure chamber.

[0047] Embodiment 17: A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, and the remote setting tool arrangement as in any prior embodiment disposed within or as a part of the string.

[0048] The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of ±8% or 5%, or 2% of a given value.

[0049] The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a borehole, and/or equipment in the borehole, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.

[0050] While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.