Retractable coupling positioner, positioning method, system and application

Abstract

The invention discloses a retractable coupling positioner, a positioning method, a system and application, an upper joint and a lower joint of the positioner are respectively nested on the outer side of the end part of a core tube, an upper guide ring and a lower guide ring are respectively nested on the outer side of the middle part of the core tube, the upper guide ring is propped against the upper joint, and the lower guide ring is connected with the core tube; the back cap is nested on the outer sides of the upper joint and the upper guide ring, the back cap is connected with the upper joint, and the back cap extends out of the lower end face of the upper guide ring in the axial direction; the contraction mechanism is nested on the outer side of the core tube and connected with the lower joint; a contraction cylinder sleeve in the contraction mechanism extends out of the upper end face of the lower guide ring, and a containing cavity for containing a spring and a positioning claw is formed among a back cap, the contraction cylinder sleeve and a core pipe. The spring and the positioning claw are positioned on the outer side of the core tube; two ends of the positioning claw are axially limited by the upper guide ring and the lower guide ring; the back cap and the contraction cylinder sleeve are used for radially limiting the positioning claw respectively; the positioning claw is in an open state under the action of the spring, and a contraction cylinder sleeve of the contraction mechanism can compress the positioning claw to be contracted into the containing cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of downhole tools for oil and gas wells, and in particular to a retractable coupling locator, a locating method, a system and applications. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous deepening of oil field development, the reservoir needs to be continuously subdivided into strata, which makes the number of injection layers of water injection wells increase continuously. Therefore, it is necessary to more accurately control the depth of the operating string (water injection string) in order to achieve the purpose of matching the sub-injection string with the target layer.

[0003] At present, the depth calibration of water injection well tubing mostly relies on magnetic positioning, which requires the use of special equipment, instruments, and personnel for operation and interpretation. Before magnetic positioning, tubing operations must be suspended, and a depth calibration instrument must be installed at the wellhead. The instrument is lowered into the oil pipe and lowered to the depth calibration pup joint for identification to complete the depth calibration of the tubing. Some wells that cannot be identified or judged on site even need to hand over the data to professional interpreters for identification and interpretation. Therefore, magnetic positioning is not only cumbersome to operate and takes a long time to operate, but also expensive, which is not conducive to the efficient development of oil and gas fields. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to enable the coupling locator to be applicable to the depth calibration operation of the water injection well pipe string and to solve the technical defect of the positioning claw being stuck, the present invention proposes a retractable coupling locator, a positioning method, a system and an application.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a retractable coupling positioner, which may include: an upper joint, a core tube, a lower joint, a back cap, an upper guide ring, a lower guide ring, a plurality of springs, a plurality of positioning claws, and a retracting mechanism;

[0006] Wherein, the upper joint and the lower joint are respectively nested on the outer side of the end of the core tube and are respectively connected to the core tube; the upper guide ring and the lower guide ring are respectively nested on the outer side of the middle part of the core tube, the upper guide ring abuts against the upper joint, and the lower guide ring is threadedly connected to the core tube; the back cap is nested on the outer side of the upper joint and the upper guide ring, the back cap is connected to the upper joint, and the back cap extends axially out of the lower end face of the upper guide ring; the contraction mechanism is nested on the outer side of the core tube, and the contraction mechanism is connected to the lower joint; the contraction cylinder sleeve in the contraction mechanism extends out of the upper end face of the lower guide ring, and a receiving chamber for receiving the spring and the positioning claw is formed between the back cap, the contraction cylinder sleeve and the core tube;

[0007] The plurality of springs and the plurality of positioning claws are located outside the core tube, and the two ends of the positioning claws are axially limited by the upper guide ring and the lower guide ring; the back cap and the shrink cylinder sleeve respectively limit the radial position of the positioning claws; the positioning claws are in an open state under the support of the spring elastic force, and the positioning claws can match the gap of the casing coupling;

[0008] The retracting cylinder sleeve of the retracting mechanism can compress the positioning claw so that the positioning claw is in a compressed state to be retracted into the accommodating cavity, so as to realize the removal of the retractable coupling locator after the depth calibration operation is completed.

[0009] In one embodiment, the retracting mechanism may include: a retracting cylinder sleeve, a fixed cylinder sleeve, and a piston assembly;

[0010] The core tube is provided with a through hole matching the piston assembly, and the piston assembly is nested on the outside of the core tube and the lower joint; the fixed cylinder sleeve is nested on the outside of the lower joint and the piston assembly, and the fixed cylinder sleeve is connected to the lower joint; the shrink cylinder sleeve is nested on the outside of the piston assembly and the lower guide ring, and a preset stroke interval is reserved between the lower guide ring and the vertebral body at the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve;

[0011] High-pressure fluid is injected into the annular cavity between the core tube and the piston assembly through the through hole to act on the piston assembly, so that the piston assembly drives the shrinking cylinder sleeve to move to compress the positioning claw so that the positioning claw is in a compressed state to shrink into the accommodating cavity.

[0012] In one embodiment, the piston assembly may include: a piston, a first pin, a locking tooth, a locking ring, and a piston top ring;

[0013] The piston is nested on the outer sides of the core tube and the lower joint, the annular cavity is formed between the piston and the core tube, and the lower end of the piston is fixed to the lower joint by the first pin;

[0014] The locking teeth are embedded in the outer side of the core tube and connected to the core tube;

[0015] The locking ring is nested on the outer side of the locking teeth, one end of the locking ring abuts against the vertebral body of the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve, and the locking ring is meshed with the locking teeth to limit the travel of the locking ring and the shrink cylinder sleeve;

[0016] The piston top ring is nested on the outside of the core tube, the locking tooth and the locking ring. One end of the piston top ring abuts against the piston, and the other end abuts against the vertebral body of the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve. A preset stroke interval is reserved between the end of the piston top ring abutting against the piston and the locking tooth.

[0017] In one embodiment, the piston assembly may further include: a locking ring retaining ring; the locking ring retaining ring includes an inner boss and an outer boss, the locking ring retaining ring is nested on the outer sides of the locking teeth and the locking ring, the inner boss is located between the locking teeth and the locking ring, and the locking ring retaining ring is limited by the locking teeth through the inner boss;

[0018] The outer boss is located between the fixed cylinder sleeve and the shrink cylinder sleeve, and the lock ring and retaining ring are connected to the shrink cylinder sleeve;

[0019] One end of the lock ring and retaining ring abuts against the piston top ring;

[0020] High-pressure fluid is injected into the annular cavity between the core tube and the piston through the through hole to shear off the first pin, and the piston acts on the locking ring and retaining ring through the piston top ring; the locking ring and retaining ring drive the locking ring and the shrinking cylinder sleeve to move, so that the shrinking cylinder sleeve compresses the positioning claw so that the positioning claw shrinks into the accommodating cavity, and the shrinking cylinder sleeve is locked by engaging the locking ring and the locking teeth.

[0021] In one embodiment, the locking teeth abut against the lower guide ring.

[0022] In one embodiment, the piston assembly may further include: a plurality of first sealing rings; some of the first sealing rings are located between the piston and the core tube, and some of the first sealing rings are located between the piston and the fixed cylinder sleeve.

[0023] In one embodiment, the outer diameter of the shrink cylinder sleeve is the same as the outer diameter of the back cap.

[0024] In one embodiment, the retractable coupling positioner may further include: a plurality of second pins, and the spring and the positioning claw are fixed by the second pins.

[0025] In one embodiment, the retractable coupling positioner may further include: a third pin, and the back cap and the upper joint are fixed by the third pin.

[0026] In one embodiment, the retractable coupling positioner may further include: a plurality of second sealing rings, wherein the plurality of second sealing rings are located between the lower joint and the fixed cylinder sleeve of the retracting mechanism.

[0027] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a coupling positioning system, which may include: a wellhead operating machine, a plurality of oil pipes, and a retractable coupling positioner as described in the first aspect;

[0028] The upper joint of the retractable coupling positioner is connected to the oil pipe, and the lower joint of the retractable coupling positioner is connected to the oil pipe through an oil pipe coupling;

[0029] The wellhead operation machine is equipped with a weight indicator, and the wellhead operation machine is used to lower the oil pipe and the retractable coupling locator into the casing string, and display the suspension point load of the oil pipe and the retractable coupling locator through the weight indicator;

[0030] The retractable coupling locator is used to locate the casing coupling and to calibrate the depth of the pipe string through the change of the hanging point load on the weight indicator.

[0031] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a positioning method, which is implemented by the retractable coupling positioner according to the first aspect, and the positioning method includes:

[0032] Connecting the retractable coupling locator via an oil pipe and lowering it into a target well;

[0033] The oil pipe is lifted up until the positioning claw of the retractable coupling positioner is engaged in the gap of the casing coupling, and the hanging point load displayed by the weight indicator on the wellhead operating machine on the ground rises to realize the positioning and depth calibration of the target well;

[0034] After completing the positioning and depth calibration, high-pressure fluid is injected through the oil pipe. The high-pressure fluid acts on the contraction mechanism of the retractable coupling locator, so that the contraction cylinder sleeve of the contraction machine compresses the positioning claw to shrink into the accommodating cavity, so as to realize the removal of the retractable coupling locator after the depth calibration operation is completed.

[0035] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an application of a retractable coupling locator in coupling positioning and depth calibration, wherein the retractable coupling locator is the retractable coupling locator as described in the first aspect.

[0036] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present invention include at least:

[0037] The embodiment of the present invention provides a retractable coupling locator, positioning method, system and application. The retractable coupling locator solves the technical defect of being unable to adapt to the depth calibration operation of the water injection well pipe string as a whole. Specifically, on the one hand, it can quickly and easily complete the depth calibration of the water injection pipe string by lowering it into the well with the water injection pipe string. Compared with the magnetic positioning depth calibration, it does not require special test vehicles, test instruments, test personnel, and interpreters to complete the depth calibration work, which can greatly improve the efficiency of the depth calibration operation of the water injection well and significantly reduce the depth calibration operation cost. Another key aspect is that after the retractable coupling locator completes the depth calibration operation, it can shrink and lock the positioning claw as the water injection pipe string is sealed, so that it will not affect the normal unsealing of the water injection pipe string and the removal of the pipe string at a later time, thereby improving the safety of the locator in the water well.

[0038] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and partly become apparent from the description, or understood by practicing the present invention. The purpose and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the written description and the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0041] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a casing coupling positioner in the prior art;

[0042] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of a retractable coupling positioner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 A diagram showing a retractable coupling positioner and a casing coupling positioner structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Cross-section view in the AA direction;

[0045] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Cross-section along the middle BB direction;

[0046] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of a coupling positioning system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the variation of the suspended weight load of the short section of the sounding casing provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Among them, 1-retractable coupling locator; 2-oil pipe; 3-oil pipe coupling; 4-wellhead operation machine; 5-casing; 6-casing coupling;

[0049] 11-upper joint; 12-core tube; 13-lower joint; 14-back cap; 15-upper guide ring; 16-lower guide ring; 17-spring; 18-positioning claw; 19-contraction mechanism; 20-accommodating chamber; 21-first sealing ring; 22-second pin; 23-second sealing ring; 24-third pin;

[0050] 121-through hole; 122-annular cavity; 191-retractable cylinder sleeve; 192-fixed cylinder sleeve; 193-piston assembly; 194-piston; 195-first pin; 196-locking tooth; 197-locking ring; 198-piston top ring; 199-locking ring retaining ring; 1911-vertebral body;

[0051] 1001-coupling; 1002-inner tube; 1003-outer tube; 1004-positioning slip; 1005-stopper; 1006-outer mounting groove; 1007-upper clamping device; 1008-lower clamping device; 1009-compression device; 1010-bump; 1011-inner mounting groove; 1012-mounting hole; 1013-upper annular groove; 1014-lower annular groove; 1015-upper locking screw; 1016-lower locking screw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", "far", "near", "front", "back" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] The structure of the casing collar locator in the prior art can be referred to Figure 1As shown, the casing coupling positioner comprises a coupling 1001, an inner tube 1002, an outer tube 1003 and a positioning slip 1004; the lower inner side of the coupling 1001 and the upper outer side of the inner tube 1002 are fixedly mounted together, a stopper 1005 capable of blocking the outer tube 1003 is fixed on the lower outer side of the inner tube 1002, an outer tube 1003 capable of rotating around the inner tube 1002 is mounted on the outer side of the inner tube 1002 between the coupling 1001 and the stopper 1005, at least two outer mounting grooves 1006 are symmetrically arranged on the outer side of the middle part of the outer tube 1003, and at least two outer mounting grooves 1006 are symmetrically arranged on the outer side of the upper part of the outer tube 1003. An upper clamping device 1007 and a lower clamping device 1008 are fixedly installed on the outer side of the lower part respectively, the inner side of the positioning cava 1004 is located in the outer mounting groove 1006, and a compression device 1009 in a compression shape is installed in the outer mounting groove 1006, the upper and lower ends of the positioning cava 1004 are respectively pressed on the inner side surfaces of the upper clamping device 1007 and the lower clamping device 1008 through the compression device 1009, and a protrusion 1010 is fixed on the outer side of the middle part of the positioning cava 1004, the upper part of the protrusion 1010 is an inclined surface that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and the lower part of the protrusion 1010 is an inclined surface that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. In this way, during operation, the outer cylinder 1003 can rotate 360 ​​degrees around the inner cylinder 1002 to avoid locking of the coiled tubing during the process of entering the well. A protrusion 1010 is fixed on the outer side of the middle part of the positioning slip 1004. The outer diameter of the protrusion 1010 is larger than the outer diameters of the upper clamping device 1007 and the lower clamping device 1008. The upper part of the protrusion 1010 is an inclined surface that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and the lower part of the protrusion 1010 is an inclined surface that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. During operation, the coupling locator is fixedly installed at the lower end of the downhole tool string through the coupling 1001 and enters the well. When the coiled tubing is lowered to the vicinity of the construction layer to be positioned, the upper lifting device 1010 is used to lock the coiled tubing. The coiled tubing is used to locate the casing coupling. The coiled tubing is lifted up to observe the change in hanging weight. When the convex block 1010 on the positioning slip 1004 hits the casing coupling when the coiled tubing is lifted up, the compression device 1009 is squeezed to make the positioning slip 1004 shrink inward and pass through the casing coupling 1001 smoothly. The positioning slip 1004 in the coupling locator feeds back a change in hanging weight of about 2.5 tons each time it passes a casing coupling 1001. The actual position of the tool string carried by the coiled tubing in the well can be accurately judged in combination with the wellbore tubing string structure. The system is safe, reliable and highly accurate, convenient to operate and improves work efficiency.

[0056] For details, please refer to Figure 1As shown, six outer mounting grooves 1006 are symmetrically arranged on the outer side of the middle of the outer cylinder 1003; an inner mounting groove 1011 is arranged on the inner side of the middle of the positioning slip 1004, and a compression device 1009 in a compressed state is installed between the outer mounting groove 1006 of the outer cylinder 1003 and the inner mounting groove 1011 of the positioning slip 1004. In this way, it is convenient to better clamp the compression device 1009 in the outer mounting groove 1006 and the inner mounting groove 1011. The upper clamping device 1007 is an upper gland, and a mounting hole 1012 is provided in the middle of the upper gland. The upper gland is installed on the inner cylinder 1002 through the mounting hole 1012, and the inner side of the middle part of the upper gland and the outer side of the upper part of the outer cylinder 1003 are fixedly installed together; the lower clamping device 1008 is a lower gland, and a mounting hole 1012 is provided in the middle of the lower gland. The lower gland is installed on the inner cylinder 1002 through the mounting hole 1012, and the inner side of the middle part of the lower gland and the outer side of the lower part of the outer cylinder 1003 are fixedly installed together, and the upper and lower ends of the positioning slips 1004 are respectively pressed on the inner side surfaces of the upper gland and the lower gland by the compression device 1009. In this way, the upper gland and the lower gland can better limit the outer cylinder 1003 in the axial direction. The compression device 1009 is an arc-shaped compression spring sheet with an opening facing outward; and / or, an upper annular groove 1013 is provided on the outer side of the upper end of the positioning slip 1004, and a lower annular groove 1014 is provided on the outer side of the lower end of the positioning slip 1004, the lower end of the upper clamping device 1007 and the upper end of the lower clamping device 1008 are respectively installed in the upper annular groove 1013 and the lower annular groove 1014, and the upper end and the lower end of the positioning slip 1004 are respectively compressed on the inner side surfaces of the upper clamping device 1007 and the lower clamping device 1008 through the compression device 1009. In this way, the arc-shaped compression spring sheet can achieve a better compression effect.

[0057] An upper screw hole is provided at the lower end of the upper clamping device 1007, an upper locking screw 1015 is fixedly installed in the upper screw hole, the inner end face of the upper locking screw 1015 is pressed against the outer side of the upper end of the positioning slip 1004, a lower screw hole is provided at the upper end of the lower clamping device 1008, a lower locking screw 1016 is fixedly installed in the lower screw hole, the inner end face of the lower locking screw 1016 is pressed against the outer side of the lower end of the positioning slip 1004; and / or, the coupling 1001 and the inner cylinder 1002 are fixedly installed together by threads, the upper clamping device 1007 and the outer cylinder 1003 are fixedly installed together by threads, and the lower clamping device 1008 and the outer cylinder 1003 are fixedly installed together by threads. In this way, the upper locking screw 1015 and the lower locking screw 1016 play a role of locking and positioning, and are fixedly installed together by threads, which is convenient for installation and disassembly.

[0058] The inventors have discovered that the coupling locator in the prior art can be used multiple times and is suitable for multiple fracturing and other working scenarios. However, during water injection well operations, the tools in the water injection well need to be in an environment of corrosion, scaling, and dirt blockage for a long time. After the existing coupling locator completes positioning, its positioning block is always open. The outer diameter of the positioning cava (positioning claw) of the coupling locator in the prior art is larger than the inner diameter of the casing when it is in the expanded state. After working in the water injection well for a long time, the positioning claw is very easy to get stuck, and the water injection pipe string cannot be smoothly lifted out of the well. It may even encounter obstructions and jams, causing a major overhaul of the well, making the coupling locator unable to be used in water injection wells. In order to enable the coupling locator to be applicable to the depth calibration operation of the water injection well pipe string and solve the technical defect of the positioning claw getting stuck, in view of the above problems, the present invention is proposed to provide a retractable coupling locator, positioning method, system and application that overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present invention, a retractable coupling positioner 1 is provided. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the retractable coupling locator 1 may include: an upper joint 11, a core tube 12, a lower joint 13, a back cap 14, an upper guide ring 15, a lower guide ring 16, a plurality of springs 17, a plurality of positioning claws 18, and a retracting mechanism 19; wherein the upper joint 11 and the lower joint 13 are respectively nested on the outer side of the end of the core tube 12 and are respectively connected to the core tube 12; the upper guide ring 15 and the lower guide ring 16 are respectively nested on the outer side of the middle part of the core tube 12, the upper guide ring 15 abuts against the upper joint 11, and the lower guide ring 16 is threadedly connected to the core tube 12; the back cap 14 is nested on the outer side of the upper joint 11 and the upper guide ring 15, the back cap 14 is connected to the upper joint 11, and the back cap 14 extends axially out of the lower end face of the upper guide ring 15; the retracting mechanism 19 is nested on the outer side of the core tube 12, and the retracting mechanism 19 is connected to the lower guide ring 16 The joint 13 is connected; the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 in the shrinking mechanism 19 extends out of the upper end surface of the lower guide ring 16, and a receiving chamber 20 for accommodating the spring 17 and the positioning claw 18 is formed between the back cap 14, the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 and the core tube 12; multiple springs 17 and multiple positioning claws 18 are located on the outside of the core tube 12, and the two ends of the positioning claw 18 are axially limited by the upper guide ring 15 and the lower guide ring 16; the back cap 14 and the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 respectively limit the radial position of the positioning claw 18; the positioning claw 18 is in an open state under the support of the elastic force of the spring 17, and the positioning claw 18 can match the gap of the casing coupling 6; the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 of the shrinking mechanism 19 can compress the positioning claw 18 so that the positioning claw 18 is in a compressed state to shrink into the receiving chamber 20, so as to realize the removal of the retractable coupling positioner 1 after the depth calibration operation is completed.

[0060] Combination Figure 6As shown, when the above-mentioned retractable coupling locator provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used, the upper joint 11 is connected through the oil pipe 2, the lower joint 13 is connected to the oil pipe 2 through the coupling of the oil pipe 2, and the positioning and depth calibration operation is performed by the wellhead operation machine 4. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned positioning claw 18 is used to match the gap of the casing coupling 6. During the positioning and depth calibration process, the positioning claw 18 is clamped in the gap of the casing coupling 6. If the oil pipe 2 is continuously lifted, the hanging point load of the indicator on the wellhead operation machine 4 will be significantly increased. The retractable coupling locator 1 in the embodiment of the present invention can compress and retract the positioning claw 18 into the accommodating chamber 20 through the retracting mechanism 19, so that there will be no resistance from the casing coupling 6 during the lifting operation, and the positioning claw 18 will not be stuck due to long-term corrosion and scaling or dirt blocking in the casing column, so that the retractable coupling locator 1 can better avoid the risks of scaling, corrosion, and blocking of water injection wells.

[0061] It should be noted that the structure of the positioning claw 18 in the embodiment of the present invention is similar to the existing positioning claw 18 structure, the upper part is a narrow upper and wide lower inclined surface, and the lower part is a wide upper and narrow lower inclined surface. When working, the positioning claw 18 is clamped in the gap of the casing coupling 6, and the upper lifting pipe 2 can position the casing coupling 6. Figure 3 As shown, the locator is lowered into the water injection well together with the oil pipe 2 and the tool string required for the water injection well. During the lowering process, the angle between the inclined surface of the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw 18 and the axis is small, so when the positioning claw 18 encounters the gap between the casing coupling 6 between the casing 5, the positioning claw 18 will not get stuck, and will not affect the lowering of the water injection pipe string. It should also be noted that, referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the upper guide ring 15 and the lower guide ring 16 are both provided with a plurality of guide grooves, which match the positions of the spring 17 and the positioning claw 18 and limit the radial movement of the spring 17 and the positioning claw 18 along the guide grooves.

[0062] The above-mentioned retractable coupling locator provided in the embodiment of the present invention solves the technical defect of being unable to adapt to the depth calibration operation of the water injection well pipe string as a whole. Specifically, on the one hand, it can quickly and easily complete the depth calibration of the water injection pipe string by lowering it into the well with the water injection pipe string. Compared with the magnetic positioning depth calibration, it does not require special test vehicles, test instruments, test personnel, and interpreters to complete the depth calibration work, which can greatly improve the efficiency of the depth calibration operation of the water injection well and significantly reduce the depth calibration operation cost. Another key aspect is that after the retractable coupling locator completes the depth calibration operation, it can shrink and lock the positioning claw as the water injection pipe string is sealed, so that it will not affect the normal unsealing of the water injection pipe string and the removal of the pipe string at a later time, thereby improving the safety of the locator in the water well.

[0063] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2As shown, the retraction mechanism 19 may include: a retractable cylinder sleeve 191, a fixed cylinder sleeve 192 and a piston assembly 193; a through hole 121 matching the piston assembly 193 is opened on the core tube 12, and the piston assembly 193 is nested on the outside of the core tube 12 and the lower joint 13; the fixed cylinder sleeve 192 is nested on the outside of the lower joint 13 and the piston assembly 193, and the fixed cylinder sleeve 192 is connected to the lower joint 13; the retractable cylinder sleeve 191 is nested on the outside of the piston assembly 193 and the lower guide ring 16, and a preset stroke interval is reserved between the lower guide ring 16 and the vertebral body 1911 at the lower part of the retractable cylinder sleeve 191; high-pressure fluid is injected into the annular cavity 122 between the core tube 12 and the piston assembly 193 through the through hole 121 to act on the piston assembly 193, so that the piston assembly 193 drives the retractable cylinder sleeve 191 to move to compress the positioning claw 18 so that the positioning claw 18 is in a compressed state to retract into the accommodating cavity 20.

[0064] The fixed cylinder sleeve 192 in the embodiment of the present invention is connected to the lower joint 13 by threads, and a chamber for accommodating the piston assembly 193 is reserved between the fixed cylinder sleeve 192 and the core tube 12, so that the piston assembly 193 can move and compress the shrink cylinder sleeve 191. It should be noted that the through hole 121 provided on the core tube 12 in the embodiment of the present invention is a pressure transmission hole, which is convenient for high-pressure fluid to be injected into the annular cavity 122 between the piston assembly 193 and the core tube 12 to compress the piston assembly 193 to move.

[0065] When the piston 194 in the present embodiment does not exert any force, the shrinkage sleeve cylinder is away from the back cap 14, so that the accommodating chamber 20 is in an open state, and the positioning claw 18 extends out of the accommodating chamber 20 under the elastic force of the spring 17; after completing the positioning and depth calibration operation, the piston assembly 193 can drive the shrinkage sleeve 191 to move to compress the positioning claw 18 so that the positioning claw 18 is in a compressed state to shrink into the accommodating chamber 20, so as not to affect the normal unsealing of the injection pipe column and the removal of the pipe column in the later stage, thereby improving the safety of the locator in the water well.

[0066] In another embodiment, referring to Figure 2As shown, the piston assembly 193 may include: a piston 194, a first pin 195, a locking tooth 196, a locking ring 197 and a piston top ring 198; the piston 194 is nested on the outer side of the core tube 12 and the lower joint 13, and an annular cavity 122 is formed between the piston 194 and the core tube 12. The lower end of the piston 194 is fixed to the lower joint 13 by the first pin 195; the locking tooth 196 is nested on the outer side of the core tube 12 and connected to the core tube 12; the locking ring 197 is nested on the outer side of the locking tooth 196, and the locking ring 197 is One end abuts against the vertebral body 1911 at the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve 191, and the locking ring 197 engages with the locking tooth 196 to limit the stroke of the locking ring 197 and the shrink cylinder sleeve 191; the piston top ring 198 is nested on the outside of the core tube 12, the locking tooth 196 and the locking ring 197, one end of the piston top ring 198 abuts against the piston 194, and the other end abuts against the vertebral body 1911 at the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve 191, and a preset stroke interval is reserved between the end of the piston top ring 198 abutting against the piston 194 and the locking tooth 196.

[0067] The piston 194 in the embodiment of the present invention is fixedly connected to the lower joint 13 by the first pin 195 in the initial state. When the positioning claw 18 needs to be retracted, the high-pressure fluid in the oil pipe 2 enters the annular cavity 122 between the piston 194 and the core tube 12 through the through hole 121. The pressure in the oil pipe 2 is transmitted to the piston 194. After the thrust of the piston 194 reaches the shear force of the first pin 195, the first pin 195 is sheared off. The piston 194 can then act on the vertebral body 1911 at the lower part of the contraction cylinder sleeve 191 through the piston top ring 198 under the action of the oil pipe 2 pressure, thereby causing the contraction cylinder sleeve 191 to contract the positioning claw 18 into the accommodating cavity 20.

[0068] In another embodiment, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the piston assembly 193 may also include: a locking ring 199; the locking ring 199 includes an inner boss and an outer boss, the locking ring 199 is nested on the outer side of the locking teeth 196 and the locking ring 197, the inner boss is located between the locking teeth 196 and the locking ring 197, and the locking ring 199 is limited by the locking teeth 196 through the inner boss; the outer boss is located between the fixed cylinder sleeve 192 and the shrink cylinder sleeve 191, and the locking ring 199 is connected to the shrink cylinder sleeve 191; one end of the locking ring 199 is connected to the piston top The ring 198 abuts; the high-pressure fluid is injected into the annular cavity 122 between the core tube 12 and the piston 194 through the through hole 121 to shear off the first pin 195, and the piston 194 acts on the locking ring and retaining ring 199 through the piston top ring 198; the locking ring and retaining ring 199 drives the locking ring 197 and the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 to move, so that the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 compresses the positioning claw 18 so that the positioning claw 18 shrinks into the accommodating cavity 20, and the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 is locked by engaging the locking ring 197 and the locking tooth 196.

[0069] In this embodiment, when the piston 194 pushes the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 to move, it can also drive the locking ring and baffle ring 199 to move, and then the locking ring 197 can move upward together. The locking ring 197 slides along the outside of the locking tooth 196 to finally lock the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191. In this way, after the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 is locked, the high-pressure fluid operation in the oil pipe 2 can be ended, so that the retractable coupling locator 1 can be removed.

[0070] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the locking teeth 196 abut against the lower guide ring 16. In this embodiment, the locking teeth 196 abut against the lower guide ring 16, so that the sliding stroke of the locking ring 197 can be maximized, so that the distance between the back cap 14 and the shrink cylinder sleeve 191 is minimized.

[0071] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the piston assembly 193 may further include: a plurality of first sealing rings 21; part of the first sealing rings 21 is located between the piston 194 and the core tube 12, and part of the first sealing rings 21 is located between the piston 194 and the fixed cylinder sleeve 192. The first sealing ring 21 in the embodiment of the present invention can ensure the sealing between the piston 194 and the core tube 12, and ensure that the annular cavity 122 and the oil pipe 2 are in the same high pressure state during the process of contracting the positioning claw 18.

[0072] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the outer diameter of the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 is the same as the outer diameter of the back cap 14. In this embodiment, by setting the outer diameters of the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 and the back cap 14 to the same size, on the one hand, after the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 compresses the positioning claw 18 to the accommodating chamber 20, the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191 and the back cap 14 can completely close the accommodating chamber 20, and it can also avoid the back cap 14 or the accommodating chamber 20 partially protruding to cause the back cap 14 or the accommodating chamber 20 to be stuck or lifted unsmoothly during the lifting process. Further, when the positioning claw 18 compresses the spring 17 and is close to the core tube 12, the positioning claw 18 is in a retracted state. When the positioning claw 18 is in a retracted state, the maximum diameter of the positioning claw 18 can be equal to the maximum diameter of the back cap 14 and the shrinking cylinder sleeve 191, thereby avoiding the positioning claw 18 still in an open state during the lifting operation to generate a blocking load at each casing coupling 6 to affect the smooth lifting of the water injection pipe column.

[0073] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 2As shown, the retractable coupling positioner 1 may further include: a plurality of second pins 22, and the spring 17 and the positioning claw 18 are fixed by the second pins 22. In this embodiment, the spring 17 and the positioning claw 18 are fixed, so that during the positioning and depth calibration operation, the positioning claw 18 is in an open state supported by the elastic force of the spring 17; after the positioning and depth calibration operation is completed, the positioning claw 18 is compressed by contracting the cylinder sleeve 191, so that the spring 17 is compressed and the positioning claw 18 can be contracted into the accommodating chamber 20. It should be noted that in this embodiment, during the process of compressing the positioning claw 18, the second pin 22 may be sheared or not, and the embodiment of the present invention does not specifically limit this.

[0074] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the retractable coupling locator 1 may further include: a third pin 24, and the back cap 14 and the upper joint 11 are fixed by the third pin 24. In this embodiment, the back cap 14 and the upper joint 11 are fixedly connected by the third pin 24, which enhances the connection stability between the back cap 14 and the upper joint 11.

[0075] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the retractable coupling positioner 1 may further include: a plurality of second sealing rings 23, which are located between the lower joint 13 and the fixed cylinder sleeve 192 of the retracting mechanism 19. In this embodiment, since the piston assembly 193 is located in the chamber between the fixed cylinder sleeve 192 and the core tube 12, the sealing between the lower joint 13 and the fixed cylinder sleeve 192 needs to be ensured during the upward movement of the piston 194 in the piston assembly 193, and the sealing between the components is ensured by providing the second sealing rings 23.

[0076] Based on the same inventive concept, a coupling positioning system is also provided in the embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the coupling positioning system may include: a wellhead operating machine 4, a plurality of oil pipes 2 and the above-mentioned retractable coupling locator 1; the upper joint 11 of the retractable coupling locator 1 is connected to the oil pipe 2, and the lower joint 13 of the retractable coupling locator 1 is connected to the oil pipe 2 through the oil pipe coupling 3; a weight indicator is provided in the wellhead operating machine 4, and the wellhead operating machine 4 is used to lower the oil pipe 2 and the retractable coupling locator 1 into the casing 5 string, and display the hanging point load of the oil pipe 2 and the retractable coupling locator 1 through the weight indicator; the retractable coupling locator 1 is used to locate the casing coupling 6, and calibrate the depth of the string through the change of the hanging point load on the weight indicator.

[0077] The tubular assembly of the coupling positioning system: The retractable coupling locator can be connected to the upper or lower part of the tool string. The construction design needs to provide the depth data of 5 casing pipes above and below the depth of the retractable coupling locator and the depth data of the casing short section. When the retractable coupling locator is connected to the upper part of the tool string and the calculated depth calibration result needs to be compared with the magnetic positioning depth calibration result, the depth calibration short section needs to be connected above the two oil pipes at the upper part of the tool string, and the retractable coupling locator is connected to the middle of the two oil pipes below the depth calibration short section. When the retractable coupling locator is connected to the upper part of the tool string and the calculated depth calibration result does not need to be compared with the magnetic positioning depth calibration result, the depth calibration short section does not need to be connected above the two oil pipes at the upper part of the tool string, and the retractable coupling locator is connected to the middle of the two oil pipes at the upper part of the tool string. When the retractable coupling locator is connected to the lower part of the tool string, it can be connected below a oil pipe at the lower part of the tool string.

[0078] Specifically, after the retractable coupling locator in the embodiment of the present invention is lowered to a predetermined position along with the oil pipe, the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw fits with the inner diameter of the lower casing under the elastic force of the spring during the process of slowly lifting the oil pipe. Figure 3 As shown, when the positioning claw of the retractable coupling locator 1 passes through the gap between the casing coupling 6 between the casing 5, the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw can slide into the gap between the casing coupling 6. At this time, under the elastic force of the spring, the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw fits the inner diameter of the casing coupling. After that, the inclined surface of the upper part of the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw will slide out close to the inner diameter of the upper casing if it is lifted up. Since the angle between the inclined surface of the upper part of the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw and the axis is large, an additional lifting load is required to make the positioning claw completely slide out of the gap between the casing coupling 6 between the casing 5. Figure 7 As shown in the figure, before the positioning claw completely slides out of the casing coupling gap between the casings, the weight gauge of the wellhead operation machine will observe a slow increase in load. Continue to lift the tubing until the lifting load exceeds the maximum load required for the positioning claw to completely slide out of the casing coupling gap between the casings. The weight gauge of the wellhead operation machine will observe a sudden drop in load. At this time, it can be determined that the positioning claw has completely slid out of the casing coupling gap between the casings. Mark the tubing position at the wellhead when the weight gauge load suddenly drops and is level with the wellhead plane. According to the geometric length data of the tubing that has been lowered into the well measured on the ground and compared with the casing depth record in the completion data, the actual lowering depth of the positioning claw in the water injection well when the lowered tubing and tool string are affected by their own weight and buoyancy can be calibrated and calculated, thereby inferring the actual lowering depth of each tool in the tool string, and achieving the purpose of calibrating the depth of the water injection string.

[0079] Since the entire water injection string needs to work for a long time under the harsh conditions of corrosion, scaling, sand settling and dirt blocking, if the positioning claw is still in an open state after completing the positioning depth calibration, it will be difficult for the positioning claw to flexibly shrink or even lose its shrinking ability after working for a long time in the harsh environment of the water injection well, so that when the water injection string needs to be pulled out, an additional lifting load will be generated at each casing coupling, which is not conducive to the smooth pulling out of the water injection string. If the positioning claw loses its shrinkage space due to corrosion, scaling, sand settling and dirt blocking, it will be difficult for the positioning claw to pass through the casing coupling or the casing reduction section or even completely stuck, resulting in the serious consequence that the water injection string cannot be pulled out, causing huge economic losses to the oil field. Therefore, it is necessary to make the positioning claw in a retracted state after completing the depth calibration of the string, and the water injection string needs to be immediately set after completing the depth calibration of the tool string. The setting pressure in the oil pipe during the setting can be used to push the piston, piston top ring, lock ring retaining ring, and shrink cylinder sleeve upward, and the lock ring is pushed by the lock ring retaining ring and slides upward along the outer surface of the lock tooth. In addition, since the pressure required for the shear pin to cut is set to be higher than the setting pressure of the packer in the tool string, the relative position of the piston and the lower joint is limited by the shear pin before the depth calibration operation is completed, and the piston will not erroneously retract the positioning claw in advance, which can ensure that the positioning claw is always in an open state before the packer in the tool string is set. When the shrink cylinder sleeve moves up to the lower end face of the guide ring and fits, the piston, piston top ring, and lock ring and retaining ring cannot continue to move up. At this time, the lock ring slides to the final position and engages with the reverse teeth on the locking teeth to lock the relative position between the shrink cylinder sleeve and the locking teeth. At the same time, the shrink cylinder sleeve slides along the inclined surface below the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw to compress the maximum outer diameter of the positioning claw to the same as the outer diameter of the shrink cylinder sleeve, eliminating the risk of the entire water injection string being stuck due to the inability of the positioning claw to retract after the positioner has worked in the water well for a long time, thereby achieving the purpose of safe, convenient, and low-cost depth calibration of the water injection string.

[0080] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an application of a retractable coupling positioner in coupling positioning and depth calibration. The retractable coupling positioner is the retractable coupling positioner in the above embodiment.

[0081] The specific description and beneficial effects of the application of the above-mentioned coupling positioning system, positioning method and retractable coupling locator in the embodiments of the present invention in coupling positioning and depth calibration can be referred to the relevant description of the above-mentioned retractable coupling locator, and the embodiments of the present invention will not be repeated here.

[0082] Obviously, various changes and modifications may be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present disclosure is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims. Thus, if these changes and modifications of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include these changes and modifications.

Claims

1. A retractable coupling locator, characterized in that: include: An upper joint, a core tube, a lower joint, a back cap, an upper guide ring, a lower guide ring, a plurality of springs, a plurality of positioning claws, and a retracting mechanism; Wherein, the upper joint and the lower joint are respectively nested on the outer side of the end of the core tube and are respectively connected to the core tube; the upper guide ring and the lower guide ring are respectively nested on the outer side of the middle part of the core tube, the upper guide ring abuts against the upper joint, and the lower guide ring is threadedly connected to the core tube; the back cap is nested on the outer side of the upper joint and the upper guide ring, the back cap is connected to the upper joint, and the back cap extends axially out of the lower end face of the upper guide ring; the contraction mechanism is nested on the outer side of the core tube, and the contraction mechanism is connected to the lower joint; the contraction cylinder sleeve in the contraction mechanism extends out of the upper end face of the lower guide ring, and a receiving chamber for receiving the spring and the positioning claw is formed between the back cap, the contraction cylinder sleeve and the core tube; The plurality of springs and the plurality of positioning claws are located outside the core tube, and the two ends of the positioning claws are axially limited by the upper guide ring and the lower guide ring; the back cap and the shrink cylinder sleeve respectively limit the radial position of the positioning claws; the positioning claws are in an open state under the support of the spring elastic force, and the positioning claws can match the gap of the casing coupling; The retracting cylinder sleeve of the retracting mechanism can compress the positioning claw so that the positioning claw is in a compressed state to be retracted into the accommodating cavity, so as to realize the removal of the retractable coupling locator after the depth calibration operation is completed.

2. The retractable coupling locator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The retracting mechanism comprises: a retracting cylinder sleeve, a fixed cylinder sleeve and a piston assembly; The core tube is provided with a through hole matching the piston assembly, and the piston assembly is nested on the outside of the core tube and the lower joint; the fixed cylinder sleeve is nested on the outside of the lower joint and the piston assembly, and the fixed cylinder sleeve is connected to the lower joint; the shrink cylinder sleeve is nested on the outside of the piston assembly and the lower guide ring, and a preset stroke interval is reserved between the lower guide ring and the vertebral body at the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve; High-pressure fluid is injected into the annular cavity between the core tube and the piston assembly through the through hole to act on the piston assembly, so that the piston assembly drives the shrinking cylinder sleeve to move to compress the positioning claw so that the positioning claw is in a compressed state to shrink into the accommodating cavity.

3. The retractable coupling locator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The piston assembly comprises: a piston, a first pin, a locking tooth, a locking ring and a piston top ring; The piston is nested on the outer sides of the core tube and the lower joint, the annular cavity is formed between the piston and the core tube, and the lower end of the piston is fixed to the lower joint by the first pin; The locking teeth are embedded in the outer side of the core tube and connected to the core tube; The locking ring is nested on the outer side of the locking teeth, one end of the locking ring abuts against the vertebral body of the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve, and the locking ring is meshed with the locking teeth to limit the travel of the locking ring and the shrink cylinder sleeve; The piston top ring is nested on the outside of the core tube, the locking tooth and the locking ring. One end of the piston top ring abuts against the piston, and the other end abuts against the vertebral body of the lower part of the shrink cylinder sleeve. A preset stroke interval is reserved between the end of the piston top ring abutting against the piston and the locking tooth.

4. The retractable coupling locator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The piston assembly further includes: a locking ring retaining ring; the locking ring retaining ring includes an inner boss and an outer boss, the locking ring retaining ring is nested on the outer sides of the locking teeth and the locking ring, the inner boss is located between the locking teeth and the locking ring, and the locking ring retaining ring is limited by the locking teeth through the inner boss; The outer boss is located between the fixed cylinder sleeve and the shrink cylinder sleeve, and the lock ring and retaining ring are connected to the shrink cylinder sleeve; One end of the lock ring and retaining ring abuts against the piston top ring; High-pressure fluid is injected into the annular cavity between the core tube and the piston through the through hole to shear off the first pin, and the piston acts on the locking ring and retaining ring through the piston top ring; the locking ring and retaining ring drive the locking ring and the shrinking cylinder sleeve to move, so that the shrinking cylinder sleeve compresses the positioning claw so that the positioning claw shrinks into the accommodating cavity, and the shrinking cylinder sleeve is locked by engaging the locking ring and the locking teeth.

5. The retractable coupling locator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking teeth abut against the lower guide ring.

6. The retractable coupling locator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The piston assembly further includes: a plurality of first sealing rings; some of the first sealing rings are located between the piston and the core tube, and some of the first sealing rings are located between the piston and the fixed cylinder sleeve.

7. The retractable coupling locator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the shrink cylinder sleeve is the same as the outer diameter of the back cap.

8. The retractable coupling positioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Also includes: A plurality of second pins, the spring and the positioning claw are fixed by the second pins.

9. The retractable coupling positioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Also includes: A third pin, the back cap and the upper joint are fixed by the third pin.

10. The retractable coupling positioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Also includes: A plurality of second sealing rings are located between the lower joint and the fixed cylinder sleeve of the contraction mechanism.

11. A coupling positioning system, characterized in that: include: A wellhead operating machine, a plurality of oil pipes and a retractable coupling locator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10; The upper joint of the retractable coupling positioner is connected to the oil pipe, and the lower joint of the retractable coupling positioner is connected to the oil pipe through an oil pipe coupling; The wellhead operation machine is equipped with a weight indicator, and the wellhead operation machine is used to lower the oil pipe and the retractable coupling locator into the casing string, and display the suspension point load of the oil pipe and the retractable coupling locator through the weight indicator; The retractable coupling locator is used to locate the casing coupling and to calibrate the depth of the pipe string through the change of the hanging point load on the weight indicator.

12. A positioning method, characterized in that: The positioning method is implemented by the retractable coupling positioner according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and the positioning method comprises: Connecting the retractable coupling locator via an oil pipe and lowering it into a target well; The oil pipe is lifted up until the positioning claw of the retractable coupling positioner is engaged in the gap of the casing coupling, and the hanging point load displayed by the weight indicator on the wellhead operating machine on the ground rises to realize the positioning and depth calibration of the target well; After completing the positioning and depth calibration, high-pressure fluid is injected through the oil pipe. The high-pressure fluid acts on the contraction mechanism of the retractable coupling locator, so that the contraction cylinder sleeve of the contraction machine compresses the positioning claw to shrink into the accommodating cavity, so as to realize the removal of the retractable coupling locator after the depth calibration operation is completed.

13. Application of a retractable coupling locator in coupling positioning and depth calibration, characterized in that: The retractable coupling positioner is the retractable coupling positioner according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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