Tubing hanger alignment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11180968-B2
Application number	US-202016869452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2020
Priority date	Oct 19, 2017
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for landing a tubing hanger in a wellhead and then orienting a tubular housing (e.g., tree, spool, or flowline connection body) relative to the tubing hanger while landing the tubular housing on the wellhead are provided. The systems may include a tubing hanger alignment device, wherein the tubing hanger alignment device includes one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines extending therethrough and one or more couplings disposed on a lower end thereof. The tubing hanger alignment device is configured to couple one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines on the tubular housing with one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic couplings on the tubing hanger during landing of the tubular housing onto the wellhead regardless of a relative orientation of the tubing hanger and the tubular housing with respect to the wellhead.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a tubing hanger positioned in a wellhead, wherein the tubing hanger comprises one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic couplings on an upward facing surface thereof;
a tubular housing comprising one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines disposed therethrough; and
a tubing hanger alignment device, wherein the tubing hanger alignment device comprises one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines extending therethrough and one or more couplings disposed on a lower end thereof, wherein the tubing hanger alignment device is configured to couple the one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines on the tubular housing with the one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic couplings on the tubing hanger during landing of the tubular housing onto the wellhead regardless of a relative orientation of the tubing hanger and the tubular housing with respect to the wellhead;
wherein at least a portion of the tubing hanger alignment device is adapted to rotate with respect to the tubular housing while the tubular housing is being moved with respect to the wellhead.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing hanger alignment device is self-aligning between the tubular housing and the tubing hanger.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubular housing comprises one of a tree body, a spool, or a flowline connection body.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing hanger alignment device is coupled to the tubing hanger.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing hanger alignment device is coupled to the tubular housing.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing hanger alignment device comprises:
a production stab sub mounted to and extending from the tubular housing;
a rotating sub disposed around and rotatably coupled to the production stab sub, wherein the one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the tubing hanger alignment device extend through the rotating sub to the one or more couplings at a lower end of the rotating sub; and
coiled tubing wrapped around the production stab sub and coupled to the one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the tubular housing at one end and to the one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the rotating sub at an opposite end.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the rotating sub comprises an alignment key coupled to an outer diameter of the rotating sub.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a mule shoe sub having a mule shoe profile disposed on an inner diameter of the tubing hanger, wherein the mule shoe profile interfaces with the alignment key on the rotating sub to align the one or more couplings of the rotating sub with the one or more couplings on the tubing hanger.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mule shoe profile comprises a recessed edge that slopes in a downward direction from a first side of the mule shoe sub in both directions circumferentially around the mule shoe sub to a second side of the mule shoe sub opposite the first side.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein at a lowest point on the second side of the mule shoe profile, the mule shoe profile comprises a vertically oriented alignment slot.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the alignment key comprises two downward facing angled surfaces on a lower end thereof and two vertically oriented surfaces extending upward from the downward facing angled surfaces.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein the rotating sub is coupled to the production stab sub via a bearing interface.

13. The system of claim 6 , further comprising one or more fluid flow paths extending through the production stab sub, wherein the one or more fluid flow paths are configured to fluidly couple an annulus flow path of the tubing hanger to an annulus flow path of the tubular housing.

14. A method, comprising:
landing a tubing hanger in a wellhead;
coupling a tubing hanger alignment device to a tubular housing, wherein the tubing hanger alignment device comprises one or more couplings disposed on a lower end thereof;
lowering the tubular housing with the tubing hanger alignment device partially into the wellhead;
allowing rotation of at least a portion of the tubing hanger alignment device with respect to the tubular housing;
orienting the one or more couplings of the tubing hanger alignment device so that they align with a corresponding one or more couplings on an upper end of the tubing hanger, via the tubing hanger alignment device while lowering the tubular housing onto the wellhead; and
landing the tubular housing in the wellhead, wherein the tubing hanger alignment device communicatively couples one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the tubular housing with the one or more couplings on the tubing hanger.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein coupling the tubing hanger alignment device to the tubular housing comprises coupling the tubing hanger alignment device to one of a tree body, a spool, or a flowline connection body.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tubing hanger alignment device is constructed and arranged such that the one or more couplings of the tubing hanger alignment device and the one or more couplings on the upper end of the tubing hanger self-align as the tubular housing is lowered into the wellhead.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tubing hanger alignment device comprises:
a production stab sub mounted to the tubular housing;
a rotating sub disposed around and rotatably coupled to the production stab sub; and
coiled tubing wrapped around the production stab sub and coupled to one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the tubular housing at one end and to the one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the rotating sub at an opposite end.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein orienting the one or more couplings of the tubing hanger alignment device comprises:
interfacing an alignment key extending from the rotating sub with a mule shoe profile on an inner surface of a mule shoe sub coupled to the tubing hanger;
urging rotation of the rotating sub about the production stab sub in response to the interfacing of the alignment key with the mule shoe profile; and
flexing one or more lengths of the coiled tubing extending between the one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the rotating sub and one or more hydraulic, electric, or fiber optic lines of the tubular housing.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the mule shoe profile comprises a recessed edge that slopes in a downward direction from a first side of the mule shoe sub in both directions circumferentially around the mule shoe sub to a second side of the mule shoe sub opposite the first side.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein at a lowest point on the second side of the mule shoe profile, the mule shoe profile comprises a vertically oriented alignment slot.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein allowing rotation of the at least a portion of the tubing hanger alignment device with respect to the tubular housing comprises allowing the rotation while moving the tubular housing with respect to the wellhead.

Assignees

• Dril Quip Inc

Inventors

• Mitchell Andrew
• Buxton Robert
• Scantlebury David
• Crotwell Matthew
• Norwood Gregory
• Rye Justin

Classifications

• E21B33/0407 Primary

  with a suspended electrical cable · CPC title

• E21B17/023

  Arrangements for connecting cables or wirelines to downhole devices · CPC title

• E21B33/043 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater well heads ({E21B33/0407,} E21B33/047 take precedence) · CPC title