Tubing hanger with shiftable annulus seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11828127-B2
Application number	US-201917414809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A tubing: hanger assembly with a shiftable annulus seal is provided. The shiftable annulus seal allows for selectively sealing the tubing hanger within a easing hanger, a wellhead, or a tubing head. The tubing hanger assembly also includes a secondary annulus flow path formed through the body of the tubing hanger. The shiftable annulus seal selectively opens/closes a relatively large flow path to the tubing string annulus for circulation of fluid through the tubing string and setting a-packer. The secondary annulus flow path facilitates monitoring and bleeding of pressure front the annulus after the shiftable annulus seal is closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a tubing hanger comprising a shiftable annulus seal assembly configured to be axially shifted between a first position where the shiftable annulus seal assembly blocks a first annulus flow path around a main body of the tubing hanger and a second position where the first annulus flow path is open, wherein the shiftable annulus seal assembly is disposed around the main body;
wherein the tubing hanger further comprises a second annulus flow path extending through the main body of the tubing hanger.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first annulus flow path comprises an annular space between a radially outer edge of the tubing hanger and a radially inner edge of a casing hanger, wellhead, or tubing head in which the tubing hanger is located, wherein the annular space extends from a position below the tubing hanger to a position above the tubing hanger while the first annulus flow path is open.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shiftable annulus seal assembly comprises:
a sealing sleeve, wherein the sealing sleeve is located in an annular space between the tubing hanger and a surrounding casing hanger, wellhead, or tubing head; and
a primary annulus seal, wherein the primary annulus seal is disposed on a lower end of the sealing sleeve to selectively seal an interface between the sealing sleeve and the surrounding casing hanger, wellhead, or tubing head.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the shiftable annulus seal assembly further comprises a housing, wherein the housing is an axially oriented cylindrical piece of material extending downward from a radially external edge of the main body of the tubing hanger;
wherein a chamber is defined between the housing and the main body of the tubing hanger, and wherein an upper end of the sealing sleeve is disposed within the chamber and functions as a piston.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the housing is integral with the main body.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first port that extends through the main body of the tubing hanger to a radially external surface of the main body axially located above the second seal disposed on the main body; and
a second port that extends through the main body of the tubing hanger to a radially external surface of the main body axially located between the second seal disposed on the main body and the third seal disposed on the main body.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a sealing sleeve port, wherein the sealing sleeve port extends through the sealing sleeve to fluidly connect the second port to a lower side of the chamber.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sealing sleeve port extends from a first location on a radially inner surface of the sealing sleeve to a second location on a radially outer surface of the sealing sleeve.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first location of the sealing sleeve port is disposed axially between the second seal disposed on the main body and the third seal disposed on the main body throughout an entire range of motion of the sealing sleeve with respect to the main body, wherein the second location of the sealing sleeve port is disposed axially between the first seal disposed on the sealing sleeve and the second seal disposed on the sealing sleeve.

10. The system of claim 4 , wherein the housing is a separate piece of material from the main body, wherein the shiftable annulus seal assembly further comprises a first seal disposed on the main body that seals between a radially external edge of the main body and the housing.

11. The system of claim 4 , wherein the shiftable annulus seal assembly further comprises:
a second seal disposed on the main body that seals an interface between the main body and the sealing sleeve;
a first seal disposed on the sealing sleeve that seals an interface between the sealing sleeve and the housing at position within the chamber; and
a second seal disposed on the sealing sleeve that seals an interface between the sealing sleeve and the housing at an axial position below the chamber; and
a third seal disposed on the main body that seals an interface between the main body and the sealing sleeve at an axial position below the second seal disposed on the main body.

12. The system of claim 4 , further comprising hydraulic control fluid ports extending at least through the main body, wherein the hydraulic control fluid ports are configured to communicate hydraulic fluid to opposite sides of the piston within the chamber.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second annulus flow path extends from an annulus between an outer diameter of a tubing string coupled to the tubing hanger and an inner diameter of a surrounding casing string at a lower end to a hydraulic coupling at an upper end.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the hydraulic coupling is coupled to a valve.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a tubing connected to the second annulus flow path via a coupling, wherein the tubing extends downward through the annulus.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wellhead housing; and
a casing hanger supporting a casing string,
wherein the casing hanger is landed in and sealed against the wellhead housing, wherein the tubing hanger is seated against the casing hanger.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein a running tool is coupled to the tubing hanger, wherein the running tool includes a flow path formed therethrough that intersects or interfaces with the annulus flow path around the main body of the tubing hanger.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein a subsea tree is coupled to the tubing hanger and is fluidly coupled to the second annulus flow path.

19. A method, comprising:
landing a tubing hanger in a casing hanger, wellhead, or tubing head, wherein the tubing hanger comprises:
a main body;
a shiftable annulus seal assembly disposed around the main body; and
a secondary annulus flow path extending through the main body of the tubing hanger;

maintaining the shiftable annulus seal assembly in a first position to keep the a first annulus flow path open around the main body of the tubing hanger; and
axially shifting the shiftable annulus seal assembly from the first position to a second position in which the shiftable annulus seal assembly blocks the first annulus flow path.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
circulating fluid through the first annulus flow path while the shiftable annulus seal is in the first position; and
communicating fluid through the second annulus flow path while the shiftable annulus seal is in the second position.

Assignees

• Dril Quip Inc

Inventors

• Bartlett Chris D

Classifications

• E21B33/047 Primary

  for plural tubing strings · CPC title

• E21B34/02

  in well heads · CPC title

• E21B33/043 Primary

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

• E21B33/12

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title