Apparatus and methods for locating a particular location in a wellbore for performing a wellbore operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370916-B2
Application number	US-201414487973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a wellbore. The apparatus includes a locating device having a locating collet configured to engage with a locating profile on a housing and disengage from the locating profile when a first pull load is applied to the locating collet, a delay device that prevents application of the first pull load on the locating collet when it is engaged with the locating profile until the delay device has been activated, and a locking device configured to prevent activation of the delay device until a second pull load less than the first is applied on the locking device for a selected period of time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for use in a wellbore; comprising:
a locating device having a locating collet configured to engage with a locating profile on a housing and disengage from the locating profile when a first pull load is applied to the locating collet;
a mandrel having a locking profile; and
a locking collet of the locating device configured to engage with the locking profile of the mandrel and disengage from the locking profile of the mandrel when a second pull load is applied to the mandrel, wherein the second pull load is less than the first pull load; and
a delay device that is activated by disengagement of the locking collet from the locking profile and prevents application of the first pull load on the engaged locating collet until the delay device has been moved from a first position to a second position, the delay device including a hydraulic fluid chamber that includes a piston dividing the chamber filled with a hydraulic fluid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the locking collet remains engaged with the locking profile to prevent activation of the delay device until application of the second pull load on the mandrel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a preloaded spring and wherein application of the second pull load on the mandrel causes the preloaded spring to compress and move the mandrel from the first position to the second position.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the locating collet and the locking collet are carried by a common member with the locating collet having an outer profile that engages with the locating profile on the housing and the locking collet having an inner profile that engages with the locking profile on the mandrel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the delay device is activated when the delay device switches from the first position to the second position in a selected time period.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the delay device includes a first fluid chamber in pressure communication with a second fluid chamber, a piston between the first chamber and the second chamber, applying a load on the piston causes the fluid to move from the first chamber to the second chamber over a selected time period to activate the delay device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the delay device further includes a hydraulic compensation device to compensate for change in volume of hydraulic fluid in the first chamber and the second chamber during wellbore operations.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is part of an outer string deployed in the wellbore and the delay device and the locking collet are carried by an inner string conveyed inside the outer string to perform a well operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the outer string includes a plurality spaced apart locating profiles and wherein the locating collet is configured to pass each such locating profile when the locating collet is moved downward and engage with each such locating profile collet to the exclusion of any other profile in the outer string when the locating collet is moved upward.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a biasing member supported by the mandrel, wherein the biasing member compresses when the mandrel is pulled to initiate a process to switch the delay device from the first positon to the second position and cause the locking profile on the mandrel to engage with the second profile after the delay device has switched to the second position.

11. A method of performing an operation in a wellbore; comprising:
conveying an outer string and an inner string into a wellbore, wherein the outer string includes a locating profile and the inner string includes:
a locating device having a locating collet configured to engage with the locating profile and disengage from the locating profile when a first pull load is applied to the locating collet,
a mandrel having a locking profile,
a locking collet of the locating device configured to engage with the locking profile of the mandrel and disengage from the locking profile of the mandrel when a second pull load is applied to the mandrel, wherein the second pull load is less than the first pull load, and
a delay device that is activated by disengagement of the locking collect from the locking profile and prevents application of the first pull load on the engaged locating collet until the delay device has been moved from a first position to a second position, the delay device including a hydraulic fluid chamber that includes a piston dividing the chamber filled with a hydraulic fluid;

pulling the inner string to engage the locating collet with the locating profile; and
performing the wellbore operation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wellbore operation includes:
moving the inner string to move the locating collet downhole from the locating profile;
setting the inner string in the outer string at a selected location downhole from the locating profile; and
performing the wellbore operation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wellbore operation includes one of: a fracturing and packing operation; a flooding operation; and a gravel packing operation.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
pulling the inner string upward to engage the locating collet with the locating profile;
activating the delay device; and
applying the first pull load on the locating collet to disengage the locating collet from the locating profile to pull the inner string upward of the locating profile.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein disengaging the locating collet from the locating profile causes the locking collet to engage with another locking profile on the mandrel that is spaced apart from the locking profile.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
wherein the locking collet remains engaged with the locking profile to prevent activation of the delay device until the application of the second pull load on the mandrel.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
providing a preloaded spring so that applying the second pull load on the mandrel causes the preloaded spring to compress and move the mandrel a certain distance to initiate the activation of the delay device.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing the locating collet and the locking collet on a common member with the locating collet having an outer profile that engages with the locating profile on the housing and the locking collet having an inner profile that engages with the locking profile on the mandrel.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
providing for the delay device a first fluid chamber in pressure communication with a second fluid chamber, a piston between the first chamber and the second chamber; and
applying a load on the piston to cause the fluid to move from the first chamber to the second chamber over a selected time period to activate the delay device.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing a hydraulic compensation device to compensate for change in volume of the hydraulic fluid in the first chamber and the second chamber during the wellbore operation.

21. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a plurality of spaced apart locating profiles in the outer string and configuring the locating collet to bypass each such locating profile when the locating collet is moved downward and engages with each such locating profile when the locating collet is moved upward to the exclusion of any other profile in th

Assignees

• Obrien Robert S
• Allen Jason A
• Cayson Andrew James
• Powers Geoffrey York
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• O'Brien Robert S
• Allen Jason A
• Cayson Andrew James
• Powers Geoffrey York

Classifications

• E21B23/02 Primary

  for locking the tools or the like in landing nipples or in recesses between adjacent sections of tubing (E21B23/03 - E21B23/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B23/06

  for setting packers · CPC title