Methods and devices for casing and cementing well bores

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546536-B2
Application number	US-201313788024-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	May 18, 2011
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A casing string is augmented with one or more variable flow resistance devices or “vibrating tools” to facilitate advancement of the casing and distribution of the cement in the annulus once the casing is properly positioned. The method includes vibrating the casing string while advancing the casing down the wellbore or while the cement is pumped into the annulus, or both. After the cementing operation is completed, the devices may be drilled out to open the casing string for further operations. The casing string assembly may include a vibrating tool at the end in place of a conventional float shoe or float collar. Multiple vibrating tools can be employed in the casing string, and they may be combined with conventional float shoes and collars. Additionally, vibrating tools in the form of plugs can be pumped down and landed inside the casing string.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibrating tool for use with a casing string in finishing a wellbore, the tool comprising:
a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the housing being installable in the casing string; and
a variable flow resistance device in the housing, the device comprising a flow path with a vortex chamber and a switch to alternate the direction of flow in the vortex chamber between clockwise and counterclockwise;
wherein the variable flow resistance device is configured so that, when the vibrating tool is installed in the casing string and fluid is pumped through the casing string, the device will cause repetitive interruptions of fluid flow through the vibrating tool to generate cyclic hydraulic loading on the casing string, thereby causing repeated extension and contraction of the casing string sufficient to reduce the drag force on the casing string thereby facilitating advancement of the casing string down the wellbore.

2. The vibrating tool of claim 1 wherein the switch of the flow path is a fluidic switch.

3. The vibrating tool of claim 2 wherein the flow path includes an inlet and an outlet, and wherein the fluidic switch comprises a jet chamber having first and second control ports, and a nozzle to direct fluid from the inlet into the jet chamber.

4. The vibrating tool of claim 3 wherein the flow path further comprises:
first and second input channels diverging from the jet chamber;
wherein the vortex chamber is continuous with the outlet and has first and second inlet openings and first and second feedback outlets, wherein the first and second inlet openings of the vortex chamber are positioned to direct fluid in opposite, tangential paths into the vortex chamber so that fluid entering the first input inlet opening produces a clockwise vortex and fluid entering the second inlet opening produces a counterclockwise vortex, and wherein the first and second feedback outlets of the vortex chamber are positioned to direct fluid in opposite, tangential paths out of the vortex chamber, whereby fluid in a clockwise vortex will tend to exit through the second feedback outlet and fluid in a counterclockwise vortex will tend to exit through the first feedback outlet;
wherein the first and second inlet openings of the vortex chamber are continuous with the first and second input channels and wherein each of the first and second input channels defines a straight flow path from the jet chamber to the first and second inlet openings, respectively, of the vortex chamber;
a first feedback channel extending from the first feedback outlet of the vortex chamber to the first control port in the jet chamber; and
a second feedback channel extending from the second feedback outlet of the vortex chamber to the second control port in the jet chamber;
whereby fluid from a counter-clockwise vortex passing through the first feedback channel to the first control port will tend to switch fluid flow from the second input channel to the first input channel, and fluid from a clockwise vortex passing through the second feedback channel to the second control port will tend to switch fluid flow from the first input channel to the second input channel.

5. The vibrating tool of claim 1 wherein the flow path is formed in an insert supported inside the housing.

6. The vibrating tool of claim 5 wherein the housing is formed of steel and the insert is formed of one of the group consisting of rubber, brass, aluminum, composite, and plastic.

7. The vibrating tool of claim 6 wherein the insert comprises in two halves defining opposing inner faces, and wherein the flow path is formed as a patterned recess in each of the faces, and wherein the faces form the complete flow path.

8. The vibrating tool of claim 5 wherein the tool is drillable.

9. The vibrating tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is drillable.

10. The vibrating tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is a plug sized to be pumped down the casing string and landed in the casing string.

11. The vibrating tool of claim 10 wherein the housing is formed of rubber and includes a plurality of circumferential wipers.

12. The vibrating tool of claim 11 wherein the tool further comprises a frangible rupture disk.

13. The vibrating tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is a collar and wherein each end of the tool is adapted for connection as part of the casing string.

14. The vibrating tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is a shoe having an uphole end and a downhole end, wherein the uphole end of the tool is connectable as part of the casing string, and wherein the downhole end is open and blunted to facilitate advancement of the leading end of the casing string through the wellbore.

15. A casing string assembly comprising a casing string and the vibrating tool of claim 1 .

16. A casing deployment system comprising the casing string assembly of claim 15 .

Assignees

• Thru Tubing Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Schultz Roger L
• Johnson Chad A
• Ferguson Andrew M

Classifications

• E21B28/00

  Vibration generating arrangements for boreholes or wells, e.g. for stimulating production ({for fishing for or freeing objects E21B31/005;} for transmitting measuring-signals E21B47/14; for geophysical measurements G01V1/02) · CPC title

• E21B33/14 Primary

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title

• E21B33/16

  using plugs for isolating cement charge; Plugs therefor {(stage cementing E21B33/146; spacer compositions C09K8/424)} · CPC title

• E21B33/167

  Cementing plugs provided with anti-rotation mechanisms, e.g. for easier drill-out · CPC title

• E21B43/10

  Setting of casings, screens, liners {or the like} in wells · CPC title