Well Intervention Gripper Arms for Retrieving Annular Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional well intervention methods are expensive, time-consuming, and risky when dealing with failed tubular strings in wells, especially when external lines or cables are present in the annular space, making it difficult to establish hydraulic integrity and requiring costly and hazardous procedures to remove or retrieve them.
Innovation Solution
A well intervention tool with gripper arms that can be conveyed through a severed tubular string to locate and retrieve external lines or cables using a single motor-driven differential mechanism, allowing for cutting and retrieval without the need to remove the severed tubular string.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional well intervention methods are used to remove or retrieve external lines or cables from the annular space, then the lines or cables can be removed, but the process becomes expensive, time-consuming, and hazardous
Solution Approach 1:
The intervention tool is conveyed through the severed tubular string (nested within the annular space) to access and retrieve external lines or cables. This nested approach allows the tool to reach the target objects without requiring removal of the tubular string or use of expensive workover rigs, thereby reducing time, cost, and safety risks while maintaining effective intervention capability
Solution Approach 2:
The intervention tool extracts or retrieves the external lines or cables from the annular space between the tubular string and casing. By extracting only the necessary components (lines/cables) rather than removing the entire tubular string or using complex conventional procedures, the process becomes faster, cheaper, and safer
2Reliability
If a through tubing plug is used to establish hydraulic integrity, then hydraulic integrity can be established, but the presence of external lines or cables in the annular space makes this impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The intervention tool removes or retrieves the external lines or cables from the annular space that are preventing the use of through tubing plugs. Once these obstructions are extracted, the annular space becomes clear, allowing standard through tubing plug methods to be used for establishing hydraulic integrity, thereby combining the benefits of both approaches
Solution Approach 2:
The intervention tool performs preliminary retrieval or cutting of external lines or cables before deploying a through tubing plug. This preliminary action clears the annular space of obstructions, making subsequent hydraulic sealing operations possible and effective
Data Source
AI summary
A method for locating and retrieving a line, tube or conduit (“line”) disposed in a well includes moving an intervention tool into a part of the well wherein the line is accessible to the tool when the tool is conveyed into the well from within a first tubular string. A first gripper arm is rotated in a first direction around an inner circumference of the first tubular string by operating a first motor in the tool until the first gripper arm contacts the line. A second gripper arm is rotated in a second direction opposed to the first direction around the inner circumference until the second gripper arm contacts the line by operating the first motor in a same direction as for rotating the first gripper arm. The first gripper arm and the second gripped arm are retracted to move the line toward the intervention tool.