Downhole spear having mechanical release mechanism for use in wellbores and methods of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637992-B2
Application number	US-201313957049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A downhole retrieval tool for engaging and retrieving an object from a wellbore includes a mandrel and a grapple having a contracted position and an expanded position. In the expanded position, the grapple engages the object for retrieval. The grapple is operably associated with an expansion member disposed on the mandrel to facilitate movement of the grapple between the contracted and expanded positions. The expansion member is releasably connected to the mandrel. In the event that the downhole tool and object, once secured to each other, are unable to be retrieved from the wellbore, the expansion member can be released from the mandrel which, in turn, causes the grapple to release from the object so that the downhole tool can be removed from the wellbore. A stored energy member facilitates movement of the grapple from the contracted position to the expanded position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole tool for engaging an object in a wellbore, the downhole tool comprising:
a mandrel having an upper end, a lower end, and an outer wall surface;
a slip member in sliding engagement with the outer wall surface of the mandrel, the slip member having a fully contracted position defining a fully contracted diameter, a fully expanded position defining a fully expanded diameter, and a plurality of contracted positions each having a respective variable contracted diameter, the fully expanded diameter being greater than the fully contracted diameter, and each of the variable contracted diameters being less than the fully expanded diameter and greater than the fully contracted diameter;
an expansion member disposed on the outer wall surface of the mandrel and operatively associated with the slip member to move the slip member between the fully contracted position and the fully expanded position; and
a mechanical release member, the expansion member being mechanically releasably secured to the outer wall surface of the mandrel by the mechanical release member, the expansion member including a first position and a second position, the first position being in operable contact with the slip member to facilitate movement of the slip member between the fully contracted position and the fully expanded position, and the second position being out of operable contact with the slip member;
wherein the mechanical release member selectively secures the expansion member in the first position, wherein the mechanical release member inhibits movement of the expansion member upwards, downwards, and around the mandrel, and wherein the actuation of the mechanical release member permits the expansion member to slide along the mandrel from the first position to the second position.

2. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall surface of the mandrel includes an expansion member shoulder engaged with the expansion member when the expansion member is in the first position to prevent movement of the expansion member along the outer wall surface of the mandrel in a direction toward a housing.

3. The downhole tool of claim 2 , further comprising a stored energy member operatively associated with the slip member wherein actuation of the stored energy member facilitates movement of the slip member from the fully contracted position toward the fully expanded position.

4. The downhole tool of claim 3 , wherein the stored energy member comprises a coiled spring having an expanded position and a plurality of compressed positions, the coiled spring being in the expanded position when the slip is in the fully expanded position.

5. The downhole tool of claim 4 , wherein the coiled spring is disposed within a chamber at least partially defined by the outer wall surface of the mandrel, an inner wall surface of the housing disposed over a portion of the mandrel, and an upper end of the slip member.

6. The downhole tool of claim 5 , wherein the slip member comprises an inwardly biased collet having at least one collet finger.

7. The downhole tool of claim 6 , wherein the inwardly biased collet comprises a plurality of collet fingers.

8. The downhole tool of claim 7 , wherein the slip member comprises a shoulder disposed on an inner wall surface, and the outer wall surface of the mandrel comprises an upper shoulder, the shoulder on the inner wall surface of the slip member engaging the upper shoulder disposed on the outer wall surface of the mandrel when the slip member is disposed in the fully expanded position.

9. The downhole tool of claim 8 , wherein the upper shoulder disposed on the outer wall surface of the mandrel is disposed on a flange member.

10. The downhole tool of claim 9 wherein the expansion member is releasably secured to the outer wall surface of the mandrel by a shear component.

11. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the slip member is biased toward the fully expanded position.

12. The downhole tool of claim 11 , further comprising a stored energy member operatively associated with the slip member wherein actuation of the stored energy member facilitates movement of the slip member from the fully contracted position toward the fully expanded position.

13. The downhole tool of claim 12 , wherein the stored energy member is disposed within a chamber at least partially defined by the outer wall surface of the mandrel, an inner wall surface of a housing disposed over a portion of the mandrel, and an upper end of the slip member.

14. The downhole tool of claim 13 , wherein the slip member comprises an inwardly biased collet having a plurality of collet fingers.

15. A method of retrieving an object disposed in a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) inserting a downhole retrieval tool into a bore of an object disposed in a wellbore;
(b) during step (a), moving a slip member of the downhole retrieval tool from an expanded position to a contracted position;
(c) moving the slip member from the contracted position toward the expanded position to engage the slip member with an inner wall surface of the object disposed within the wellbore;
(d) withdrawing the downhole retrieval tool and the object from the wellbore; and
(e) mechanically releasing the slip member from the inner wall surface of the object by applying an axial force to the slip member, wherein the axial force is in a downward direction and is applied to an expansion member operatively associated with the slip member to facilitate movement of the slip member between the contracted position and the expanded position the expansion member being mechanically connected to a mandrel inhibiting upward, downward, and rotational movement of the expansion member along the mandrel, and wherein the axial force releases the expansion member from the mandrel of the downhole retrieval tool causing the expansion member to slide along the mandrel out of operable contact with the slip member so that the slip member moves toward a fully contracted position.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein during step (b), the downhole retrieval tool is being inserted through a first diameter of the bore of the object, and during step (c), the downhole retrieval tool is being inserted through a second diameter of the bore of the object, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein during step (b), a stored energy member becomes energized, and during step (c), the stored energy member releases a least a portion of energy.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Reena
• Blair Steven G

Classifications

• E21B31/20 Primary

  gripping internally, e.g. fishing spears · CPC title