Collapsible Threaded Pipe Link for Stuck Drill Pipe Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Drill pipes often get stuck in wellbores due to pressure differentials or mechanical issues, leading to potential damage to the pipe, wellbore, and hydrocarbon reservoir, with existing solutions being costly and time-consuming.

Innovation Solution

A drill pipe assembly featuring a tubular pipe link with fewer threads than the drill pipe, allowing for collapsible connections that can be broken under torque to release stuck pipes without damaging the drill string, enabling quick retrieval without expensive tools.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a drill pipe gets stuck in the wellbore, then the drill pipe cannot be retrieved or freed without damaging the pipe, but existing solutions are costly and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrill pipe retrieval capabilityVSAvoidretrieval time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A pipe link with fewer threads than the drill pipe is inserted into the drill string before drilling operations begin. This preliminary action creates a predetermined weak point that can be easily broken to free stuck pipes, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming retrieval operations while ensuring the drill pipe can be freed if stuck.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Strength

If torque is applied to tighten the drill pipe to the pipe link, then the threaded connection is formed, but the pipe link threads collapse to disconnect the drill pipe

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethreaded connection strengthVSAvoiddrill pipe disconnection ease

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pipe link is designed with a specific parameter change: it has fewer threads than the drill pipe. This parameter difference creates a controlled weakness where the pipe link threads will collapse under torque, enabling easy disconnection of stuck pipes while maintaining adequate connection strength during normal operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The pipe link is designed as a disposable component that is intentionally weaker than the drill pipe. When the drill pipe gets stuck, the pipe link is meant to be broken and discarded rather than retrieved, allowing quick and economical freeing of the expensive drill pipe.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS11035179B2Disconnecting a stuck drill pipe

Publication Date: 2021.06.15 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A drill pipe assembly includes a first drill pipe, a second drill pipe, and a tubular pipe link residing between and fluidically coupled to the first drill pipe and the second drill pipe. The tubular pipe link includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end is threadedly coupled to a threaded end of the first drill pipe to form a threaded connection. The second end is attached to the second drill pipe. The first end of the pipe link has less threads than the threaded end of the first drill pipe. At least some of the threads of the first end of the pipe link are collapsible to disconnect the first drill pipe from the second drill pipe responsive to torque to tighten the first drill pipe to the pipe link.