Downhole hydraulic mechanical lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12553296-B2
Application number	US-202318834730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2023
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An improved downhole locking mechanism which may include a housing releasably connected to a downhole tool. The housing includes a first housing connected to a second housing. A sleeve disposed within the second housing. A coupling connecting the sleeve and a completion or another assembly. A piston disposed within the sleeve and retained in a locked position via a shear assembly. The piston maintains a retainer in the locked position, where the retainer engages both the sleeve and the lower housing. Hydraulic pressure within the bore of the locking mechanism causes the piston to shear the shear assembly and axially shift the piston towards the upper housing. Shifting the piston causes the retainer to move radially inward to an unlocked position and disengaging the sleeve from the lower housing and unlocking the locking mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A locking mechanism for use with a tubular positionable in a wellbore, the locking mechanism comprising:
an upper housing couplable to the tubular; a lower housing coupled to the upper housing; a transfer ring disposed within the lower housing; a sleeve disposed within the lower housing and adjacent to the transfer ring; a coupling coupled at a first end to the sleeve; a piston disposed within the sleeve and retained in position via a shear assembly, wherein the piston comprises an outer surface having a first portion axially offset from a second portion, and the second portion comprises a retention recess extending radially into the outer surface relative to the first portion; and a retainer retained in a locked position via engagement with the first portion of the piston to prevent relative axial movement of the lower housing and the sleeve when a compressive load is applied to the upper housing, wherein the retainer is configured to change from the locked position to an unlocked position in response to shifting the retainer axially from the first portion to the second portion of the piston and moving radially into the retention recess of the piston.

2 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the retainer is disposed in a recess in the sleeve, and the retainer is configured to move radially through the recess in the sleeve between an inner surface of the lower housing and the retention recess in the piston.

3 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the lower housing has a compression bevel along an inner surface of the lower housing, and the compression bevel is configured to drive the retainer to move radially into the retention recess of the piston in response to axial movement between the piston and the lower housing.

4 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the piston is configured to shift in response to shearing of the shear assembly.

5 . The locking mechanism of claim 4 , wherein a hydraulic pressure within a bore of the locking mechanism will shear the shear assembly.

6 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve extends over the retention recess of the piston in the locked position of the retainer, and the sleeve at least partially uncovers the retention recess of the piston in the unlocked position of the retainer.

7 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the locked position of the retainer has the retainer held radially between the first portion of the piston and an inner surface of the lower housing, and held axially between the sleeve and a compression bevel along the inner surface of the lower housing.

8 . A system for utilizing a hydraulic lock comprises a locking mechanism coupled to a downhole tubular;
wherein a retainer retains the locking mechanism in a locked position and prevents axial movement between a lower housing of the locking mechanism and a sleeve of the locking mechanism; wherein a piston is disposed within an inner surface of the sleeve and retained in position via a shear assembly; wherein the retainer is radially movable within a recess in the sleeve; wherein shifting the piston will align a retention recess on an outer surface of the piston with the retainer; wherein the lower housing has a compression bevel, wherein in response to a compressive force applied to the lower housing, the compression bevel of the lower housing will push the retainer radially inward; and wherein the compressive force applied to the lower housing disengages the sleeve from the lower housing and unlocks the locking mechanism.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the piston is configured to shift in response to shearing of the shear assembly.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein a hydraulic pressure is configured to cause the shearing of the shear assembly.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the piston is configured to shift in response to a hydraulic pressure and the shearing of the shear assembly.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the sleeve extends over the retention recess of the piston in the locked position of the locking mechanism, the sleeve at least partially uncovers the retention recess of the piston in an unlocked position of the locking mechanism, the locked position has the retainer held radially between the outer surface of the piston and an inner surface of the lower housing, and the locked position has the retainer held axially between the sleeve and the compression bevel along the inner surface of the lower housing.

13 . A method comprising:
retaining a retainer of a locking mechanism in a locked position via engagement with a first portion of a piston to prevent relative axial movement between a lower housing of the locking mechanism and a sleeve of the locking mechanism, wherein the piston comprises an outer surface having the first portion axially offset from a second portion, and the second portion comprises a retention recess extending radially into the outer surface relative to the first portion; shifting the piston via a pressure applied within a bore of the locking mechanism to shift the retainer axially from the first portion to the second portion of the piston; applying a compressive force to an upper housing of the locking mechanism to shift the retainer radially inward to an unlocked position within the retention recess in the second portion of the piston; and the applied compressive force to the upper housing causes the relative axial movement between the lower housing and the sleeve of the locking mechanism and actuate a downhole tool coupled to the locking mechanism.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprises shearing a shear assembly to unlock the piston and enable shifting the piston.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein shearing the shear assembly comprises shearing the shear assembly in response to the applied pressure within the bore of the locking mechanism.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprises the compressive force applied to the upper housing will transfer to the lower housing.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprises the retainer is disposed in a recess in the sleeve when the compressive force is applied causing a compression bevel of the lower housing to push the retainer radially inward into the retention recess in the second portion of the piston.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the retainer is configured to move radially through the recess in the sleeve between an inner surface of the lower housing and the retention recess in the piston.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sleeve extends over the retention recess of the piston in the locked position of the retainer, and the sleeve at least partially uncovers the retention recess of the piston in the unlocked position of the retainer.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the locked position of the retainer has the retainer held radially between the first portion of the piston and an inner surface of the lower housing, and held axially between the sleeve and a compression bevel along the inner surface of the lower housing.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Yu Leping
• Lai Weichen
• Bahl Akhil

Classifications

• E21B17/06 Primary

  Releasing-joints, e.g. safety joints · CPC title

• E21B34/14

  operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B34/10

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B23/02 Primary

  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