Rotating mandrel casing hangers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689229-B2
Application number	US-201313867947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2013
Priority date	Apr 22, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Rotating mandrel casing hangers are provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a casing hanger having a lower end configured to engage a casing string and a running tool configured to engage the casing hanger. The system is configured to facilitate rotation of the casing hanger within a casing head to rotate the casing string while cementing the casing string within a well. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a casing hanger having external threads and external recesses positioned radially about an outer surface of the casing hanger; and
a running tool having internal threads for engaging the external threads of the casing hanger, the running tool further including locking pins positioned within radial holes in the running tool and arranged to engage the external recesses and enable torque on the running tool to be applied to the casing hanger for synchronous rotation via engagement of the locking pins with the external recesses when the running tool is threaded onto the casing hanger, wherein the running tool and locking pins are further arranged to enable the locking pins to extend from the running tool into contact with the casing hanger as the running tool is threaded onto the casing hanger, and the system does not rely on a retention mechanism that prevents the locking pins from extending from the running tool into contact with the casing hanger as the running tool is threaded onto the casing hanger, such that, during threading of the running tool onto the casing hanger, the locking pins rotate about and in contact with the casing hanger as the running tool translates axially along the casing hanger and the locking pins automatically extend inwardly into the external recesses of the casing hanger when the axial translation of the running tool along the casing hanger brings the radial holes in which the locking pins are positioned into alignment with the external recesses.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the locking pins include spring-loaded locking pins.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the external recesses comprise:
stop surfaces configured to bear against the locking pins during synchronous rotation of the running tool and the casing hanger when the running tool is rotated in a first direction; and
angled surfaces configured to bias the spring-loaded locking pins out of the external recesses when the running tool is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising a landing collar configured to receive the casing hanger.

5. The system of claim 4 , comprising a plurality of gall-resistant rings disposed between the landing collar and the casing hanger.

6. The system of claim 5 , comprising a casing head, wherein the landing collar is landed on a shoulder of the casing head and the gall-resistant rings facilitate rotation of the casing hanger inside the casing head with respect to the landing collar.

7. A system comprising:
a casing hanger having a lower end configured to engage a casing string; and
a running tool configured to engage the casing hanger;
wherein the system is configured to facilitate rotation of the casing hanger within a casing head to rotate the casing string while cementing the casing string within a well, the casing hanger and the running tool include mating threaded surfaces, the casing hanger includes external recesses facing radially outward from the casing hanger, and the running tool includes spring-loaded locking pins positioned to move circumferentially about and in contact with the casing hanger during rotation of the running tool onto the casing hanger along the mating threaded surfaces and to automatically engage the external recesses once rotation of the running tool onto the casing hanger along the mating threaded surfaces brings the spring-loaded locking pins into alignment with the external recesses of the casing hanger.

8. The system of claim 7 , comprising a landing ring and at least one gall-resistant ring to facilitate rotation of the casing hanger with respect to the landing ring.

9. The system of claim 7 , comprising the casing string.

10. A method comprising:
coupling a running tool to a mandrel casing hanger, wherein coupling the running tool to the mandrel casing hanger includes threading the running tool onto the mandrel casing hanger, and threading the running tool onto the mandrel casing hanger includes:
rotating the running tool in a first direction with respect to the mandrel casing hanger to thread the running tool and the mandrel casing hanger together while spring-loaded locking pins in the running tool extend inwardly into engagement with an exterior surface of the mandrel casing hanger; and
continuing to rotate the running tool in the first direction with the spring-loaded locking pins in engagement with the exterior surface of the mandrel casing hanger until the spring-loaded locking pins in the running tool are axially and radially aligned with radially positioned recesses formed in the exterior surface of the mandrel casing hanger, at which time the spring-loaded locking pins automatically extend further inward into the radially positioned recesses formed in the exterior surface of the mandrel casing hanger;

coupling the mandrel casing hanger to a casing string; and
rotating the casing string within a well in the first direction via the mandrel casing hanger, wherein rotating the casing string within the well in the first direction via the mandrel casing hanger includes rotating the running tool in the first direction to transmit torque from the running tool to the mandrel casing hanger via the spring-loaded locking pins and cause rotation of the casing string within the well.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein rotating the casing string within the well in the first direction via the mandrel casing hanger includes rotating the casing string within the well in the first direction via the mandrel casing hanger during cementing of the casing string within the well.

12. The method of claim 10 , comprising rotating the running tool in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to cause the spring-loaded locking pins to retract and to detach the running tool from the mandrel casing hanger.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Hanson Andrew R
• Cavanagh James D
• Levert Jr Michael F
• Shirley Brandon B
• Sommerfeld Kyle A
• Lim Timothy W
• Christopherson Adam J

Classifications

• E21B33/14 Primary

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title

• E21B33/0415

  rotating or floating support for tubing or casing hanger · CPC title