One-trip hanger running tool with lock ring mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hanger running tools in mineral extraction systems require multiple trips to install and remove hangers from wellhead assemblies, increasing time and costs associated with drilling and production operations.
Innovation Solution
A mechanically actuated hanger running tool and hanger configuration that allows for secure locking and preloading of the hanger to a wellhead component in a single trip, utilizing a lock ring mechanism and push ring to facilitate secure attachment and subsequent removal without requiring multiple trips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional hanger running tool is used to install hangers in multiple trips, then the hanger can be securely installed, but the installation time and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger running tool is divided into separate functional components: a running tool assembly for lowering and positioning, and a locking mechanism with lock rings and push rings for securing the hanger. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, enabling secure installation in a single trip by eliminating the need for multiple tool interventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is pre-configured on the hanger before insertion into the wellhead. The lock rings and push rings are positioned in advance on the hanger body, allowing immediate engagement with the wellhead components upon insertion. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for subsequent trips to install locking components, reducing installation time while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If multiple trips are made to install and remove hangers, then proper securing can be achieved, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through mechanical interaction. When the hanger is lowered into the wellhead, the push rings automatically engage with the lock rings, and the weight of the hanger itself provides the force necessary to secure the locking mechanism. This self-service design eliminates the need for additional tool trips to operate locking mechanisms, improving operational efficiency while ensuring reliable attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The functions of lowering, positioning, and locking the hanger are merged into a single integrated operation. The running tool delivers the hanger to position, and the locking mechanism simultaneously engages secures the hanger to the wellhead in one continuous action. This merging of functions into a single trip operation improves productivity while maintaining secure attachment through the combined mechanical actions of the integrated system.
3Productivity
If a single-trip installation method is used, then time and costs are reduced, but the complexity of the tool increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock rings are designed with multi-functionality: they serve as both the locking elements that secure the hanger to the wellhead and as the engagement surfaces for the push rings. This universal design allows a single component to perform multiple functions (locking, engaging, and providing mechanical advantage), reducing the total number of separate components needed and thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity despite the enhanced single-trip capability.
4Loss of time
If a lock ring mechanism with push ring is used, then single-trip installation is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism transitions from a static configuration to a dynamic one during installation. The push rings are initially positioned to engage the lock rings, and as the hanger is lowered and weighted, the mechanism dynamically transitions as the push rings force the lock rings into their locked position against the wellhead. This dynamic operation allows the mechanism to perform complex locking functions through simple mechanical motion, reducing the apparent complexity while enabling single-trip installation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a hanger running tool that has a tool body, a first sleeve coupled to an external surface of the tool body, a second sleeve coupled to the first sleeve, where the second sleeve is configured to engage a push ring of a hanger to drive a lock ring of the hanger into a recess of a casing spool, and a pin disposed in the tool body and the first sleeve, where the pin is configured to enable rotation of the tool body independent of the first sleeve in a first circumferential direction, and where the pin is configured to block rotation of the tool body independent of the first sleeve in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction.