Casing floatation system with latch-in-plugs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648272-B2
Application number	US-201615335215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A casing floatation system includes a casing having a pre-load collar and a landing collar; and a lower bottom latch-in plug comprising: a catch mechanism compatible with the pre-load collar; and a landing mechanism compatible with the landing collar. A method of well completion includes floating a casing in a wellbore with a casing floatation system having a pre-load collar; sequentially engaging a lower bottom latch-in plug and a top latch-in plug having a transitionable seal; pressure testing the casing; and triggering the transitionable seal to unseal the bore of the top latch-in plug.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A casing floatation system comprising:
a casing having a pre-load collar and a landing collar;
a lower bottom latch-in plug comprising:
a first pressure seal, wherein the first pressure seal releases at a first pressure;
a catch mechanism compatible with the pre-load collar, wherein the catch mechanism releases at a second pressure; and
a landing mechanism compatible with the landing collar;

an upper bottom latch-in plug comprising a second pressure seal, wherein the second seal releases at a third pressure; and
a top latch-in plug having a transitionable seal that is triggerable by a pressure signal at a fourth pressure;
wherein:
the first pressure is less than the second pressure, which is less than the third pressure; and
the third pressure is less than the fourth pressure.

2. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , wherein the catch mechanism comprises a collet with a shear ring.

3. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , wherein the catch mechanism releases in response to a pressure signal, wherein the pressure signal is the second pressure.

4. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , wherein, upon release, the catch mechanism does not obstruct an interior of the casing at the pre-load collar.

5. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the latch-in plugs has an anti-rotation feature.

6. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , further comprising a float shoe with a check valve.

7. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more toe sleeves.

8. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure seal blocks a bore of the lower bottom latch-in plug when sealed.

9. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , wherein the second pressure seal blocks a bore of the upper bottom latch-in plug when sealed.

10. The casing floatation system of claim 1 , wherein the transitionable seal is an expendable cap.

11. A casing floatation system, comprising:
a first plug; and
a second plug configured to engage the first plug, comprising:
a tubular housing having a bore;
a transitionable seal releasably fastened to the tubular housing in a first position, wherein the transitionable seal is configured to unfasten from the tubular housing in response to a first pressure of a fluid and move to a second position, wherein the bore is sealed when the transitionable seal is in the first and the second position; and
a biasing member configured to move the transitionable seal to a third position after a second pressure of the fluid, wherein the second pressure is less than the first pressure, wherein the bore is unsealed when the transitionable seal is in the third position.

12. The casing floatation system of claim 11 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.

13. The casing floatation system of claim 11 , wherein the transitionable seal is ejected from the tubular housing when in the third position.

14. The casing floatation system of claim 11 , wherein the transitionable seal is an expendable cap.

15. The casing floatation system of claim 11 , wherein the transitionable seal is a sleeve having at least one port.

16. A casing floatation system, comprising:
a first plug; and
a second plug configured to engage with the first plug, comprising:
a tubular housing having a bore; and
a transitionable seal releasably fastened to the tubular housing in a first position, wherein the transitionable seal is configured to unfasten from the tubular housing in response to a pressure increase of a fluid and move to a second position, wherein the transitionable seal is configured to move from the second position to a third position in response to a pressure decrease of the fluid; wherein:
the bore is sealed when the transitionable seal is in the first and the second position, and
the bore is unsealed when the transitionable seal is in the third position.

17. The casing floatation system of claim 16 , wherein the transitionable seal is an expendable cap.

18. A casing floatation system, comprising:
a first plug having an uphole end; and
a second plug configured to directly engage with the uphole end of the first plug, comprising:
a transitionable seal moveable from a first position to a second position and then moveable from the second position to a third position; and
a tubular housing having a bore, wherein:
the bore is sealed by the transitionable seal when the transitionable seal is in the first position and the second position; and
the bore is unsealed when the transitionable seal is in the third position.

19. The casing floatation system of claim 18 , wherein the transitionable seal is an expendable cap.

Assignees

• Weatherford Netherlands B V
• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Budde Marcel
• Parker Forrest
• Farley Douglas Brian

Classifications

• E21B23/02

  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

• E21B33/1208 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/10

  Setting of casings, screens, liners {or the like} in wells · CPC title

• E21B33/14 Primary

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title

• E21B34/06

  in wells · CPC title