Supporting a string within a wellbore with a smart stabilizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10689913-B2
Application number	US-201815927683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A retractable and extendable roller reamer is positioned on a string. The retractable and extendable roller reamer is configured to support and centralize the string within the wellbore. An extension and retraction mechanism is configured to extend and retract the roller reamer. A hydraulic power unit is configured to control the extension and retraction mechanism. Sensors positioned on or within the roller reamer. The sensors are configured to detect parameters of the well-string stabilizing system. A controller is operatively coupled to the hydraulic power unit and the plurality of sensors. The controller is configured to be positioned in a wellbore. The controller is configured to receive signals from the sensors. The signals represent the parameters detected by the sensors. The controller is configured to identify the parameters represented by the signals. The controller is configured to adjust a well-string stabilizing operation in response to the received signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A well-string stabilizing system comprising:
a retractable and extendable roller reamer positioned on a string and comprising three rollers, the retractable and extendable roller reamer configured to support and centralize the string within a wellbore;
an extension and retraction mechanism configured to extend and retract the roller reamer;
a hydraulic power unit configured to control the extension and retraction mechanism and independently control the extension and retraction of the three rollers of the retractable and extendable roller reamer;
a plurality of sensors positioned on or within the roller reamer, the plurality of sensors configured to detect parameters of the well-string stabilizing system; and
a controller operatively coupled to the hydraulic power unit and the plurality of sensors, the controller configured to be positioned in a wellbore, the controller configured to:
receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of sensors, the plurality of signals representing the parameters detected by the plurality of sensors,
identify the parameters represented by the plurality of signals, and
adjust a well-string stabilizing operation in response to the received plurality of signals.

2. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein adjusting a parameter of a well-string stabilizing operation comprises adjusting the retractable and extendable roller reamer.

3. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic power unit comprises:
a hydraulic reservoir configured to retain hydraulic fluid;
an expansion member configured to expand when pressurized hydraulic fluid is received into the expansion member, the expansion member configured to expand the extension and retraction mechanism; and
a hydraulic pump configured to move hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic reservoir to the expansion member.

4. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 3 , wherein the extension and retraction mechanism comprises:
a wedge-shaped mandrel coupled to the expansion member, the wedge-shaped mandrel configured to move in a longitudinal direction;
a wedge-shaped member attached to a roller of the roller reamer, the wedge-shaped member configured to interact with the wedge-shaped mandrel, the wedge-shaped member configured to move laterally outward from the string in response to movement from the mandrel; and
a retraction spring configured to retract wedge-shaped member.

5. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the retractable and extendable roller reamer is configured to smooth an inner surface of the wellbore.

6. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply configured to provide electrical power to the controller and the hydraulic power unit.

7. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , further comprising a drill bit positioned downhole of the retractable and extendable roller reamer, the drill bit configured to form a wellbore downhole of the retractable and extendable roller reamer.

8. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic power unit is a first hydraulic power unit, wherein the system comprises a second hydraulic power unit and a third hydraulic power unit, wherein each hydraulic power unit is operatively coupled to the three rollers, each hydraulic power unit configured to retract or extend at least one of the three rollers.

9. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein any one hydraulic power unit can control any one of the three rollers.

10. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is attached to the roller reamer and is positioned uphole of the roller reamer.

11. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises:
one or more processors; and
a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a topside facility outside of the wellbore, instructions to perform operations within the wellbore;
transmitting at least a portion of instructions to the controller, the retractable and extendable roller reamer smoothing a wall of the wellbore in response to the instructions;
receiving a status signal representing a status of the retractable and extendable roller-type reamer from at least one of the plurality of sensors; and
transmitting, to the topside facility, the status signal.

12. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 11 , wherein the status signal comprises a state of the well-string stabilizing system, the state comprising either an engaged or a disengaged state, wherein an engaged state comprises the roller reamer being in an extended position, an extended position comprising extending from a cylindrical body of the well-string stabilizing system to a wall of the wellbore, and wherein a disengaged state comprises the rollers to not extend from the cylindrical body to the wall of the wellbore.

13. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 11 , wherein the status signal comprises a torque experienced by the roller reamer, a rotational speed of the roller reamer, or a radius of a wellbore.

14. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 11 , further comprising:
one or more transmitters at the topside facility, the one or more transmitters configured to transmit the instructions to the one or more processors; and
one or more receivers at the topside facility, the one or more receivers configured to receive a status signal from the one or more processors.

15. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more transmitters and the one or more receivers are configured to communicate wirelessly with the one or more processors.

16. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a first sensor connected to a first roller of the three rollers, a second sensor connected to a second roller of the three rollers, and a third sensor connected to a third roller of the three rollers, and the status signal comprises a torque experienced by one or more of the first roller, second roller, or third roller, or a rotational speed of one or more of the first roller, second roller, or third roller.

17. The well-string stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic power unit comprises a hydraulic pump fluidically connected to the system, the hydraulic pump configured to supply hydraulic fluid at a pressure sufficient to extend and retract the roller reamer.

18. A method comprising:
receiving, by a controller deployed within a wellbore and from a topside facility located outside of the wellbore, instructions to perform hole opening operations within the wellbore;
transmitting, by the controller, at least a portion of the instructions to a hydraulic power unit;
activating, by the hydraulic power unit, a retractable and extendable roller reamer to smooth a wall of a wellbore, the retractable and extendible roller reamer comprising a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller;
detecting a set of parameters of the hydraulic power unit and the retractable and extendable roller reamer from a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors comprising a first sensor connected to the first roller, a second sensor connected to the second roller, and a third sensor connected to the third roller;
determining a status of the retractable and extendable roller reamer in response to receiving signals from the plurality of sensors including the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Costa De Oliveira Victor Carlos
• Martinez Mario Augusto Rivas
• Abouelnaaj Khaled K
• Al-Zahrani Bader S

Classifications

• E21B47/08

  Measuring diameters or related dimensions at the borehole · CPC title

• E21B44/04

  in response to the torque of the drive {; Measuring drilling torque (E21B44/06 takes precedence; measuring stresses in a well bore pipe E21B47/007)} · CPC title

• E21B17/1021

  with articulated arms or arcuate springs · CPC title

• E21B7/28

  Enlarging drilled holes, e.g. by counterboring · CPC title

• E21B44/00

  Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions · CPC title