Articulated drillstring entry apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. An apparatus located above a wellhead to allow a communications conduit to enter a drillstring, the apparatus comprising:
- a main body having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end including a lower connection to the drillstring and said upper end providing an upper connection to the drillstring and an entry port;
an articulated knuckle joint to allow deflection of said main body relative to said lower connection to the drillstring;
said main body configured to provide fluid communication between said upper connection and said lower connection; and
a communications pathway extending through said main body from said entry port to said lower connection wherein said pathway is configured to receive the communications conduit therethrough.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatuses and methods to allow tools disposed upon a conduit to enter the bore of a drillstring is presented. The apparatuses and methods include the use of one or more articulated knuckle joints at ends of an entry sub. The articulated knuckle joints are capable of articulating the entry sub among various conduit entry and load carrying positions.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. An apparatus located above a wellhead to allow a communications conduit to enter a drillstring, the apparatus comprising:
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a main body having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end including a lower connection to the drillstring and said upper end providing an upper connection to the drillstring and an entry port; an articulated knuckle joint to allow deflection of said main body relative to said lower connection to the drillstring; said main body configured to provide fluid communication between said upper connection and said lower connection; and a communications pathway extending through said main body from said entry port to said lower connection wherein said pathway is configured to receive the communications conduit therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus located above a wellhead to allow a communications conduit to enter a drillstring, the apparatus comprising:
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a main body having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end including a lower connection to the drillstring and said upper end providing an upper connection to the drillstring and an entry port; an articulated knuckle joint to allow deflection of said main body relative to said upper connection to the drillstring; said main body configured to provide fluid communication between said upper connection and said lower connection; and a communications pathway extending through said main body from said entry port to said lower connection wherein said pathway is configured to receive the communications conduit therethrough.
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16. An improved entry sub located above a wellhead to allow the insertion and removal of tools disposed upon a distal end of a communications conduit, the improvement comprising:
an articulated knuckle joint configured to allow relative deflection between an entry sub and a drillstring, wherein said articulated knuckle joint prevents bending moment loads from acting across said entry sub and is located between the entry sub and at least one of an upper and a lower connection to the drillstring. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method to deploy tools connected to a distal end of a communications conduit into a drillstring, the method comprising:
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connecting an articulatable entry sub to the drillstring, the articulatable entry sub providing an entry port, an upper connection to the drillstring, a lower connection to the drillstring, and an articulated knuckle joint, wherein the entry port is connected to the lower connection of the drillstring by a communications pathway; positioning the articulatable entry sub so the communications pathway and the lower connection to the drillstring are substantially coaxial; engaging tools through the entry port of the articulatable entry sub, through the communications pathway, through the lower connection to the drillstring, and into a portion of the drillstring located below the articulatable entry sub; and positioning the articulatable entry sub so the communications pathway is axially skewed from the lower connection to the drillstring. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. An entry sub comprising:
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a tubular member with opposed articulating joints at respective first and second ends thereof; a first longitudinal passage in the tubular member opening at the joint at the first end; a second longitudinal passage in the tubular member diverging from the first longitudinal passage and in communication between the first longitudinal passage and the joint at the second end; and a third longitudinal passage in the tubular member in communication between the first longitudinal passage and a port in the second end of the tubular member. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An articulated top entry sub, comprising:
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a tubular member; a first longitudinal bore into the member from a lower drillstring port at a lower end; a second longitudinal bore into the member from a wireline entry port at an upper end to communicate with the first longitudinal bore; a third longitudinal bore from an upper drillstring port at the upper end to communicate with the first longitudinal bore at a divergent angle; an upper drillstring connection sub having a lower end terminating at an upper deflection joint in the upper drillstring port having a maximum deflection angle at least as great as the divergent angle; and a lower drillstring connection sub having an upper end terminating at a lower deflection joint in the lower drillstring port having a maximum deflection angle at least as great as the divergent angle. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A wireline service method for a drill string comprising a top drive and a rotary table, comprising:
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installing a top entry sub with opposing deflection knuckles into the drill string above the rotary table and below the top drive; positioning the deflection knuckles to align an entry port of the top entry sub with the drill string below the top entry sub and offset the drill string above the top entry sub; inserting a wireline tool suspended from a wireline through the aligned entry port into the drill string below the entry sub; positioning the deflection knuckles to align the drill string above and below the entry sub and offset the entry port; and operating the tool in the drill string below the entry sub with the wireline through the entry port. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification