Hanger lock system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138699-B2
Application number	US-201414587952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A system including a hanger lock system, including a positive lock system, including a load ring configured to engage a first tubular, and a lock ring configured to energize the load ring, a tool including a first piston configured to couple to a second tubular, a second piston configured to couple to the lock ring to energize the load ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a hanger lock system, comprising:
a positive lock system, comprising:
a load ring configured to engage a first tubular; and
a lock ring configured to energize the load ring, wherein the lock ring comprises first threads configured to interface with first mating threads of a second tubular along a first threaded interface;

a tool, comprising:
a first piston having second threads configured to interface with second mating threads of the second tubular along a second threaded interface, wherein the tool is configured to rotate the first piston to couple and uncouple the tool with the second tubular via the second threaded interface; and
a second piston configured to couple to the lock ring with at least one torque transfer interface to energize the load ring, wherein the at least one torque transfer interface comprises an axial protrusion that interfaces with an axial groove over an axial path of movement between the second piston and the lock ring, the tool is configured to rotate the second piston to drive rotation of the lock ring along the first threaded interface to cause axial movement of the lock ring that causes radial movement of the load ring between an unenergized position and an energized position relative to the first tubular, and the second piston couples to the first piston with one or more shear structures configured to shear in response to torque after the load ring is driven from the unenergized position to the energized position.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second piston is disposed about the first piston.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second threads are oppositely oriented.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the tool is configured to rotate the first piston along the second threaded interface to unthread the first piston from the second tubular while rotating the second piston to rotate the lock ring along the first threaded interface to drive the load ring from the unenergized position to the energized position relative to the first tubular.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first and second pistons are configured to rotate together and move axially together while driving the load ring from the unenergized position to the energized position relative to the first tubular.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool is configured to move the second piston axially away from the lock ring over the axial path of movement while the tool causes the axial movement of the lock ring that causes the radial movement of the load ring between the unenergized position and the energized position.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second threads have the same orientation.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the tool is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction until the one or more shear structures shear in response to the torque, and the tool is configured to rotate in an opposite second rotational direction after shearing the one or more shear structures to disengage the tool.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lock ring comprises a tapered annular surface and a cylindrical surface, the tapered annular surface is configured to wedgingly drive the load ring from the unenergized position to the energized position, and the cylindrical surface is configured to overlap and hold the load ring in the energized position after being energized by the tapered annular surface.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one torque transfer interface comprises a plurality of torque transfer interfaces spaced circumferentially about a central axis, and each of the plurality of torque transfer interfaces has the axial protrusion that interfaces with the axial groove over the axial path of movement between the second piston and the lock ring.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the axial protrusion comprises an axial finger disposed on the second piston, and the axial groove is disposed on the lock ring.

12. The system of claim 1 , comprising at least one of the first tubular or the second tubular, wherein at least one of the first tubular is a casing spool or the second tubular is a hanger.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pistons are coupled together by a rotatable coupling having one or more structures disposed in an annular groove, the rotatable coupling is configured to block axial movement between the first and second pistons, and the rotatable coupling is configured to allow rotational movement between the first and second pistons.

14. A system, comprising:
a tool, comprising:
a first piston having first threads configured to interface with first mating threads along a first threaded interface; and
a second piston configured to couple to a lock ring with at least one torque transfer interface to energize a load ring against a first tubular, wherein the at least one torque transfer interface comprises an axial protrusion that interfaces with an axial groove over an axial path of movement between the second piston and the lock ring, the tool is configured to rotate the second piston to drive rotation of the lock ring along a second threaded interface to cause axial movement of the lock ring that causes radial movement of the load ring between an unenergized position and an energized position relative to the first tubular, and the second piston couples to the first piston with one or more shear structures configured to shear in response to torque after the load ring is driven from the unenergized position to the energized position.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first and second threads are oppositely oriented, and the tool is configured to move the second piston axially away from the lock ring over the axial path of movement while the tool causes the axial movement of the lock ring that causes the radial movement of the load ring between the unenergized position and the energized position.

16. A method, comprising:
rotating a tool having first and second pistons;
driving a lock ring to move along a first threaded interface via rotation of the second piston of the tool and torque transfer via at least one torque transfer interface between the second piston and the lock ring, wherein the at least one torque transfer interface comprises an axial protrusion that interfaces with an axial groove over an axial path of movement between the second piston and the lock ring while driving the lock ring;
driving the first piston to move along a second threaded interface of a second tubular disposed in a first tubular via rotation of the first piston of the tool;
energizing a load ring with the lock ring via movement of the lock ring along the first threaded interface, wherein energizing comprises driving radial movement of the load ring from an unenergized position to an energized position; and
shearing through one or more shear structures between the first and second pistons by continuing to rotate the tool after energizing the load ring with the lock ring.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one torque transfer interface comprises a plurality of torque transfer interfaces spaced circumferentially about a central axis, and each of the plurality of torque transfer interfaces has the axial protrusion that interfaces with the axial groove over the axial path of movement between the second piston and the lock ring.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising moving the second piston axially away from the lock ring over the axial path of movement while energizing the load ring with the lock ring.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Nguyen Dennis P

Classifications

• E21B33/04 Primary

  Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads · CPC title

• E21B33/0415 Primary

  rotating or floating support for tubing or casing hanger · CPC title

• E21B19/06

  Elevators, i.e. rod- or tube-gripping devices · CPC title

• E21B33/0422

  a suspended tubing or casing being gripped by a slip or an internally serrated member · CPC title

• E21B19/00

  Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables · CPC title