Drop tool impact shock mitigation with fluid retention method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12404733-B2
Application number	US-202418796879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2024
Priority date	Oct 3, 2023
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

Methods and systems provide for landing a tool downhole in a tool dropping operation. In situations where loss of fluid introduced into a tubular string occurs resulting in an interior volume of the tubular string becoming dry or gaseous, a plug is seated in the tubular string and the tubular string is filled with a liquid before the tool is lowered through the tubular string in the tool dropping operation. The tool travels safely through the liquid and lands at a profile above the plug. Thereafter, the plug may be unseated and caught lower within the tubular string to enable reestablishing flow from inside to outside of the tubular string.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of landing a tool downhole in a tool dropping operation, comprising:
running a tubular string into a wellbore, wherein the tubular string includes a seat defining a first restriction in an inner diameter of the tubular string and a landing profile defining a second restriction in the inner diameter of the tubular string above the seat;
dropping a plug into the tubular string and onto the seat to block fluid flow through the seat;
filling the tubular string above the plug on the seat with a liquid-based fluid; and
passing the tool in the tool dropping operation through the fluid until an outward extending landing element of the tool is retained at the landing profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forcing the plug past the seat and catching the plug at a protrusion into the inner diameter of the tubular string below the seat, wherein the protrusion allows fluid flow through the tubular string from above the plug to below the plug.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular string is a drill string.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outward extending landing element of the tool is a landing cone tapering downward in a mating relationship to the landing profile.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outward extending landing element of the tool is a landing cone having openings through a length of the landing cone to allow fluid flow through the tubular string from above the landing cone to below the landing cone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug is a ball and the ball is pushed through the seat by increasing fluid pressure above the ball after the tool is caught at the landing profile.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising logging the wellbore with the tool.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising taking measurements with a gyro of the tool.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising releasing the plug past the seat; catching the plug at a location in the tubular string below the seat; and establishing flow of the fluid from the tubular string above the location with the plug to out of the tubular string exiting below the location with the plug.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filling the tubular string with the fluid uses a surface sub having a bypass valve that opens during the filling at a threshold pressure to divert the fluid from flowing into the tubular string.

11. Tool deployment system for a tool dropping operation to land a tool downhole, comprising:
a tubular string disposed in a wellbore;
a seat defining a first restriction in an inner diameter of the tubular string;
a plug retainable by the seat to block fluid flow through the seat;
a landing profile defining a second restriction in the inner diameter of the tubular string above the seat;
an outward extending landing element of the tool for retention of the tool at the landing profile as the tool travels through the tubular string in the tool dropping operation; and
a protrusion into the inner diameter of the tubular string below the seat, wherein the protrusion is configured to catch the plug and allow fluid flow through the tubular string from above the plug to below the plug.

12. Tool deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the tubular is a drill string.

13. Tool deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the outward extending landing element of the tool is a landing cone tapering downward in a mating relationship to the landing profile.

14. Tool deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the outward extending landing element of the tool is a landing cone having openings through a length of the landing cone to allow fluid flow through the tubular string from above the landing cone to below the landing cone.

15. Tool deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the plug is a ball selectively retained in the seat based on amount of fluid pressure above the ball.

16. Tool deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the tool is a wellbore logging device.

17. Tool deployment system of claim 11 , wherein the tool is a gyro.

18. A method of landing a measuring device downhole in a tool dropping operation, comprising:
drilling a wellbore with a drill string having a bit at a distal end of the drill string, wherein inside the drill string includes a seat and a landing profile above the seat;
dropping a ball onto the seat to block fluid flow past the seat;
filling the drill string above the ball on the seat with a liquid-based fluid;
passing the measuring device in the tool dropping operation through the fluid until a landing cone of the measuring device is caught at the landing profile;
logging the wellbore with the measuring device;
pushing the ball through the seat by increasing fluid pressure above the ball;
catching the ball at a location in the drill string above the bit after the ball is pushed through the seat; and
establishing flow of the fluid from the drill string above the location with the ball to out of the drill string exiting below the location with the ball.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the logging includes taking measurements with a gyro of the measuring device.

Assignees

• Scient Drilling Int Inc

Inventors

• Rapp Jason

Classifications

• E21B47/00 Primary

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• E21B33/12

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

• E21B34/142

  unsupported or free-falling elements, e.g. balls, plugs, darts or pistons · CPC title

• E21B23/08

  Introducing or running tools by fluid pressure, e.g. through-the-flow-line tool systems · CPC title

• E21B23/10 Primary

  Tools specially adapted therefor · CPC title