Well orienting tool and method of use

• US 5,339,913 A
• Filed: 09/30/1992
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company), Tiger 19 Partners, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Allen K. Rives
• Inventors: Rives, Allen K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSAY, FRANK
• Application Number:
  US07/927,290
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 175/61, 175/73-76, 175/45, 175/321, 175/323, 175/322, 166/384, 166/237, 166/240, 166/330, 166/331, 166/117.7
• US Class Current: 175/73
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/00 Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/04 operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion E21B23/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/067 with means for locking sections of a pipe or of a guide for a shaft in angular relation, e.g. adjustable bent sub
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/068 drilled by a down-hole drilling motor down-hole drives per se E21B4/00, E21B7/067 takes precedence

Abstract

A down hole well tool shown in the form of an orienting tool (OT) has mandrel (16) with helical grooves (16a) thereon and a tubular member (20) which telescopically receives the mandrel (16). Keys (22) on tubular member (22) engage in the grooves (16a). Mandrel (16) is connected with non rotatable coil tubing (T) and member (20) is connected to a bottom hole assembly (BHA) which may comprise a plurality of components or a single device to form a well tool. The orienting or rotating tool (OT) and down hole assembly (BHA) constitute an orienting assembly, for orienting or rotating a device such as a drill bit (13) to drill a deviated well bore, including a horizontal well bore, to a desired target area. Downhole instruments relay to the surface equipment (1) the azimuth, inclination and tool face of the directional drilling equipment.

Claims

1. A well tool operable by a non rotatable, longitudinally movable well string extending into a well bore for rotating a down hole device, said well tool comprising:

a rotator for connection with the non rotatable well string to move longitudinally in the well bore in response to longitudinal movement of the non rotatable well string;

a rotatable member for telescopically receiving said rotator;

cooperating means on said rotator and said rotatable member for imparting rotation to said rotatable member and the down hole device upon longitudinal movement of the non rotatable well string and said rotator to telescope said rotator into said rotatable member; and

a releasable lock to lock said rotator, said non rotatable well string and said rotatable member in a telescoped position to lock the device in a rotated position.

2. The well tool of claim 1 wherein the non rotatable well string is coiled tubing.

3. The well tool of claim 1 wherein:

said rotator is a tubular mandrel with a bore therethrough;

said rotatable member is a tubular member having a bore therethrough to telescopically receive said tubular mandrel; and

wherein

said cooperating means comprises;

longitudinally extending helical groove means on said tubular mandrel;

key means on said tubular member for engaging with said tubular mandrel groove means to impart rotation to said rotatable means upon longitudinal movement of the non rotatable well string and said rotator relative to said rotatable member.

4. The well tool of claim 1 wherein:

said rotator is a tubular mandrel with a bore therethrough;

said rotatable member is a tubular member having a bore therethrough for receiving said tubular mandrel;

key means on said tubular mandrel;

longitudinally extending helical groove means on said tubular member for engaging with said tubular mandrel key means to impart rotation to said rotatable member upon relative longitudinal movement between said rotator and said rotatable member.

5. The well tool of claim 1 wherein said releasable lock includes movable piston means and slip means movable by said movable piston means to engage and lock said rotatable member and said rotator connected with the well string together and wherein said rotatable member has an inner surface including an annular tapered portion and wherein said rotator has an outer surface.

6. The well tool of claim 1 including a centralizer on said rotator for maintaining alignment between said rotator and said rotatable member during relative longitudinal movement.

7. The well tool of claim 5 wherein said slid means is on said piston means.

8. The well tool of claim 7 wherein said rotatable member includes a first and a second shoulder and wherein:

said piston means is supported on said first shoulder; and

spring means abutting between said piston means and said second shoulder to normally maintain said slip means retracted from locking engagement with said rotator and said rotatable member.

9. The well tool of claim 5 wherein said slip means includes annular slip segments and said slip means is integral with said piston means.

10. The well tool of claim 5 wherein said slip means includes annular slip segments and said slip means is supported by said rotator.

11. The well tool of claim 5 wherein said movable piston means sealably engages with the inner surface of said tubular member and with the outer surface of said tubular mandrel.

12. The well tool of claim 5 wherein said slip means includes annular slip segments with annular tapered surface means on one side and another surface on the the other side of said slip segments for engaging with the annular tapered surface means on said rotatable member and with the outer surface of said rotator.

13. The well tool of claim 5 wherein said slip means includes annular slip segments with annular tapered surface means on one side and another surface on the other side for engaging, respectively, with an annular tapered surface on said rotator and with the inner surface of said rotatable member.

14. The well tool of claim 13 wherein said annular slip segment surfaces which engage the outer surface of said rotator are serrated.

15. The well tool of claim 5 including a shoulder on said rotator and a spring abutting between said shoulder and said slip means.

16. The well tool of claim 5 wherein;

said piston means includes a piston;

a tubular extension for supporting said piston through which extension said rotator extends;

said slip means include a base;

slip arms extending from said base;

slip segments on said arms; and

spring means to normally maintain said slip means disengaged from locking engagement with said rotator and rotatable member.

17. The well tool of claim 16 wherein said spring means abuts between said slip means base and rotatable member to normally maintain said slip means disengaged from locking engagement with said rotator and rotatable member.

18. The well tool of claim 16 wherein said spring means abuts between said slip means base and rotator to normally maintain said slip means disengaged from locking engagement with said rotator and rotatable member.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotator has a piston secured thereon sealably engaging with said rotatable member.

20. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said rotator has a piston secured thereon sealably engaging with said rotatable member.

21. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said rotator has a piston secured thereon sealably engaging with said rotatable member.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 including a spring between said rotatable member and rotator.

23. The apparatus of claim 2 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

24. The apparatus of claim 3 including a spring between said rotatable member and said tubular mandrel.

25. The apparatus of claim 4 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

26. The apparatus of claim 5 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

27. The apparatus of claim 6 including a spring between said rotatable member and said tubular mandrel.

28. The apparatus of claim 7 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

29. The apparatus of claim 8 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

30. The apparatus of claim 9 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

31. The apparatus of claim 10 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

32. The apparatus of claim 11 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

33. The apparatus of claim 12 including a spring between said rotatable member and said tubular mandrel.

34. The apparatus of claim 13 including a spring between said rotatable member and said rotator.

35. The apparatus of claim 14 including a spring between said rotatable member and said rotator.

36. The apparatus of claim 15 including a spring between said rotatable member and said rotator.

37. The apparatus of claim 16 including a spring between said rotatable member and said rotator.

38. The apparatus of claim 17 including a spring between said rotatable member and said rotator.

39. The apparatus of claim 18 including a spring between said rotatable member and said rotator.

40. The apparatus of claim 19 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart.

41. The apparatus of claim 20 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said rotator apart.

42. The apparatus of claim 21 including a spring for urging said rotatable member and said tubular mandrel apart.

43. The orienting tool of claim 23 including a spring for urging said first member and said second member apart.

44. Apparatus for guiding and drilling a well bore to a desired target area with a non rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string comprising:

directional drilling equipment including a drilling member to guide the drilling member to drill the well bore;

instruments associated with said directional drilling equipment to determine the azimuth, inclination and direction of the tool face of said directional drilling equipment;

surface means to receive the instrument determinations of azimuth, inclination and tool face;

relay means to conduct said instrument determinations to the earth'"'"'s surface; and

an orienting well tool connected with the non rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string and with said directional drilling equipment, including the drilling member to orient said directional drilling equipment including the drilling member to a predetermined position upon longitudinal movement of the non rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string to position the drilling member to drill the well bore to the desired target area.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said orienting well tool includes:

a tubular mandrel connected with the non-rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string and depending therefrom;

a rotatable member for telescopically receiving said tubular mandrel; and

cooperating means associated with said rotatable member and with said tubular mandrel for imparting rotation to the rotatable member upon longitudinal movement of the longitudinally movable drill string arid said tubular mandrel relative to said rotatable member to position the drilling member for drilling to the desired target area.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 including stop means to limit the telescoping relation of said rotatable member and said tubular mandrel and wherein the cooperating means accommodate not less than 360 degrees of rotation of said rotatable member relative to said mandrel.

47. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said orienting well tool includes:

a tubular mandrel connected with the non-rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string and depends therefrom;

a rotatable member telescopically receiving said tubular mandrel; and

cooperating means on said tubular mandrel and said rotatable member to rotate said rotatable member upon longitudinal movement of the non rotatable well string.

48. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein said orienting tool includes a spring between said rotatable member and said tubular mandrel.

49. The apparatus of claim 47 including a spring between said rotatable member and said tubular mandrel.

50. In an orienting tool for connection between a well string and a device to orient the device by longitudinal movement of the well string to a predetermined position in a well bore, the invention comprising:

a first member for connection with the well string;

a second member for connection with the device and telescopically receiving said first member;

a releasable lock to lock said first member and said second member together in the predetermined position; and

a spring between said first member and said second member to inhibit premature actuation of said lock means.

51. The orienting tool of claim 50 including cooperating means on said first member and on said second member responsive to longitudinal movement of the well string and said first member to orient the device in the well bore to the predetermined position.

52. The orienting tool of claim 51 wherein said cooperating means comprises helical groove means on one of said member and keys on the other of said members to engage the helical grooves means on said one member.

53. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein one of said members has a piston secured thereon sealably engaging with the other of said members.

54. The orienting tool of claim 50 including a spring for urging said first member and said second member apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

55. The orienting tool of claim 51 including a spring for urging said one and other members apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

56. The orienting tool of claim 52 including a spring for urging said first member and said second member apart when they are not locked together by said releasable lock.

57. In a rotatable tool for connection between a coiled tubing well string and a device to be oriented in a well bore the invention including:

first and second members telescopically engageable, with one of said members engageable with the coiled tubing well string and the other member engageable with the device to be oriented in the well bore;

cooperating means on said first and second members to effect rotation of said member connected with the device to be oriented upon longitudinal movement of the coiled tubing well string and the member connected therewith to position the device in a predetermined rotated position; and

lock means to lock said first and second members together in the predetermined rotated position.

58. The orienting tool of claim 57 wherein said lock means includes piston means and slip means movable by said piston means to lock with said first and second members to retain them in the rotated position.

59. The orienting tool of claim 57 including piston means on one of said members which is responsive to fluid pressure to move said first and second members apart when substantially fully telescoped together.

60. The orienting tool of claim 57 including limit means to stop the telescoping together of said first and second members when said first and second members are substantially fully telescoped together to prevent actuation of said lock means.

61. The rotatable tool of claim 57 including a spring for urging said first member and said second member apart when said first member and said second members are not locked together by said lock means.

62. A releasable lock for a down hole well tool for rotating a device in a well bore, which tool has a first non rotatable member for connection with a non-rotatable well string and a second rotatable member for connection with the device to be rotated including:

a piston;

seal means for sealably engaging said piston between the first and second members; and

slip means associated with said piston means movable in response to movement of said piston means to secure the first and second members together.

63. A method of assembling apparatus for drilling a well bore with a non rotatable longitudinally movable, drill string wherein the apparatus includes down hole directional drilling equipment including a drilling member forming a bottom hole assembly, instruments for determining the azimuth, inclination and direction of the tool face of the bottom hole assembly, surface equipment for receiving the instrument determinations, relay means for relaying the instrument determinations to the surface equipment and a down hole well tool having a non rotatable member telescopically engageable with a rotatable member, the well tool operable by moving the nonrotatable longitudinally movable drill string to rotate the down hole directional drilling equipment including a drilling member and to lock the non rotatable member and the rotatable member together to guide drilling the well bore to a target area comprising the steps of:

connecting the rotatable member of the well tool with the down hole directional drilling equipment including a drilling member; and

connecting the non rotatable member of the well tool with the non-rotatable longitudinally movable drill string.

64. A method of orienting a bottom hole assembly in a well bore with a non-rotatable drill string to drill a well bore to a desired target area wherein the bottom hole assembly includes directional drilling equipment including a fluid actuated motor and a drilling member operable thereby to drill the well bore to drill a well bore to a desired target area instruments for determining the azimuth, inclination and direction of the tool face of the bottom hole assembly, surface equipment for receiving the instrument determinations, relay means for relaying the instrument determinations to the surface equipment, a down hole orienting well tool having first and second members telescopically engageable, with one of said members engageable with the non rotatable, longitudinally movable well string and the other member engageable with the bottom hole assembly to be oriented in the well bore and cooperating means on the first and second members to effect rotation of the member connected with the bottom hole assembly to be oriented and a lock normally retained by a spring in unlocked relation to the first and second members but responsive to fluid pressure in the orienting well tool to lock the first and second members together in a predetermined oriented position comprising the steps of:

lowering the drill string with the well tool and bottom hole assembly including the directional drilling equipment including a fluid actuated motor and drilling member actuated thereby into the well bore;

relaying to the surface equipment information from the instruments;

manipulating the drill string longitudinally and the member connected therewith longitudinally to rotate the member connected with the bottom hole assembly directional drilling equipment including a fluid actuated motor and drilling member actuated thereby relative to the member connected to the drill string to orient the bottom hole assembly to position the directional drilling equipment including a fluid actuated motor and drilling member actuated thereby to drill the well bore to the target area;

supplying fluid pressure to the motor to actuate the drilling member to drill the well bore; and

moving the non rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string in the well bore.

65. The method of claim 64 including the steps of increasing the fluid pressure in the non rotatable, longitudinally movable well string and orienting well tool to overcome the spring so that the lock secures the first and second members together.

66. The method of claim 65 including the step of releasing the lock by decreasing the fluid pressure in the non rotatable, longitudinally movable well string and orienting well tool to enable the spring to disengage the lock from the first and second members.

67. The method of claim 66 including the step of bumping the drill member on the bottom of the well bore to assist in releasing the lock means.

68. The method claim 66 including the step of manipulating the non-rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string and the member connected therewith to move the member connected with the drill string outwardly of the member connected with the bottom hole assembly.

69. The method of claim 68 including the step of lowering the member connected with the longitudinally movable drill string to move it into the member connected with the bottom hole assembly to reorient the bottom hole assembly to another oriented position.

70. The method claim 67 including the step of manipulating the non-rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string and the member connected therewith to move the member connected with the drill string outwardly of the member connected with the bottom hole assembly.

71. The method of claim 70 including the step of lowering the member connected with the drill string to move it into the member connected with the bottom hole assembly to reorient the bottom hole assembly to another desired position.

72. The method of claim 65 wherein seal means are provided between the first and second members, and including the step of providing fluid pressure to pump the member connected to the drill string outwardly relative to the member connected to the drilling member.

73. The method claim of 72 including the step of raising the non-rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string and the member connected therewith to move the member connected with the drill string outwardly of the member connected with the directional drilling equipment, including a fluid actuated motor and drilling member actuated thereby.

74. The method of claim 72 including the step of lowering the non rotatable, longitudinally movable drill string and the member connected therewith to move it into the member connected with the bottom hole assembly to rotate the bottom hole assembly.

75. A method of orienting a device to at least one position in a well bore by a well string which is connected to one member of a down hole orienting tool with the device connected to to at least one other member of the down hole orienting tool, the members including cooperating means operable by manipulation of the well string to rotate the member connected to the device relative to the well string and a releasable, fluid actuated lock to lock the members in the position to which the device is oriented, comprising the steps of:

lowering the well string with the members and the device into the well bore;

lowering the well string with the one member connected therewith to rotate the device connected with the other member to a predetermined oriented position; and

locking the members together in the oriented position.

76. The method of claim 75 including the steps of:

unlocking the lock and manipulating the well string to rotate and lock the members and device in another oriented position.