Downhole Casing Cutter with Hydraulic Jacking System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing a portion of casing from a wellbore often result in stuck casings due to cement or material settlement, requiring substantial surface forces that can be inconvenient, unsafe, and harmful to equipment, and existing systems lack efficient mechanisms to overcome sticking forces.
Innovation Solution
A downhole system with an upper and lower slip configuration, a radially cutting cutter positioned between the slips, and an extendable section that can be hydraulically actuated to increase distance between the slips, allowing for easier casing removal, featuring an emergency disconnect and a work string for rotating the cutter, which can be an abrasive jet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If substantial force is applied at the surface to overcome sticking forces, then the casing can be retrieved, but surface equipment such as drawworks may be damaged and safety issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pulling system at the surface with a hydraulic system operating downhole. The hydraulic jack applies force directly to the casing at the cutting location, substituting the need for high-force mechanical retrieval at the surface with a controlled hydraulic expansion mechanism that pushes the casing segment upward for retrieval.
Solution Approach 2:
The extendable section acts as an intermediary between the hydraulic jack and the casing. It transfers and amplifies the hydraulic force into mechanical displacement, allowing the jack to push the upper casing segment away from the lower segment without requiring direct contact or high-force pulling from the surface.
2Reliability
If cement or material settles between the casing and wellbore formation, then the casing becomes stuck, but retrieval becomes difficult without substantial force
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic jack is positioned and activated before the casing becomes completely stuck or before retrieval is attempted. By expanding the extendable section and pushing the upper casing segment away from the lower segment while the slips are still engaged, the system prevents the casing from fully settling and sticking to the formation, making retrieval easier.
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the casing into separate segments (upper and lower portions) using the cutter. This segmentation allows the upper segment to be independently manipulated and retrieved using the hydraulic jack and slips, separating the retrieval problem from the stuck condition of the lower segment remaining in the wellbore.
3Ease of manufacture
If a mechanical or abrasive cutter is used to cut the casing, then the casing can be separated, but the system lacks mechanism to overcome sticking forces for retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cutting function with the retrieval function in a single integrated system. The cutter, extendable section, hydraulic jack, and slips are all part of one downhole tool assembly that performs both cutting and retrieval operations sequentially without requiring separate equipment or operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The downhole tool assembly serves multiple functions: the cutter cuts the casing, the hydraulic jack provides expansion force, the slips engage and hold the casing segments, and the extendable section transfers force. This multi-functional system eliminates the need for separate cutting and retrieval operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively cuts and separates casing portions, allowing for safer and more efficient removal by applying hydraulic forces downhole, reducing the risk of equipment damage and improving the ease of retrieving stuck casings.
Implementation Method 1
The extendable section may be hydraulically actuated
Implementation Method 2
The cutter may be an abrasive jet
Data Source
AI summary
A downhole tool that includes a cutter and jacking system and methods of using such a tool to remove a portion of casing or tubing from a wellbore. The tool may include an upper slip and a lower slip configured to selectively engage casing of a wellbore. A cutter and an extendable section may be positioned between the upper and lower slips. The cutter may be used to cut casing into an upper portion and a lower portion and the extendable section may be used to increase a distance between the upper and lower slips that moves the upper portion of the casing and the lower portion of the casing away from each other. The extendable section may be hydraulically actuated to move the upper portion of the casing away from the lower portion of the casing. The cutter may be an abrasive jet configured to cut the casing.