# US 11,078,777 B2 · Permanent or removable positioning apparatus and method for downhole tool operations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,777 B2 - Document ID: US11078777B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/673,178 - Filed: 2019-11-04 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-25 - Assignees: Robertson Intellectual Properties, LLC - Applicants: Robertson Intellectual Properties, LLC - Inventors: Michael C. Robertson; William F. Boelte; Douglas J. Streibich; Marcelo Laxalt; Antony F. Grattan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078777B2 ## CPC - E21B 33/1293: {with means for anchoring against downward and upward movement (E21B33/1291, E21B33/1295 take precedence)} - E21B 47/09: Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes - E21B 23/02: for locking the tools or the like in landing nipples or in recesses between adjacent sections of tubing (E21B23/03 - E21B23/06 take precedence) - E21B 47/01: Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like - E21B 47/024: of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A location connector connects a first tubular to a second tubular, and includes a cylindrical main body extending in a longitudinal direction. An outer surface extends around a circumference of the main body, and an inner surface faces the central bore of the main body. A first connector is on a first end of the main body and is configured to attach to the first tubular. A second connector on an opposite second end of the main body is configured to attach to the second tubular. A female profile is provided on the inner surface, and includes a plurality of grooves for selective engagement with a discrete complementary profile comprising one or more protruding members of a downhole tool. Each of the grooves comprises a no-go shoulder that prevents movement of the tool in one direction, and each of the grooves permits clocking movement of the tool in an azimuthal direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A location connector for connecting a first tubular to a second tubular, the location connector comprising: a cylindrical main body extending in a longitudinal direction and formed of at least two stacked segments that are connectable to each other, the cylindrical main body comprising a central bore extending through the cylindrical main body in the longitudinal direction; an outer surface around a circumference of the cylindrical main body, and an inner surface facing the central bore; a first connector on a first end of the cylindrical main body and configured to attach to an end of the first tubular, and a second connector on an opposite second end of the cylindrical main body and configured to attach to an end of the second tubular; and a female profile on the inner surface, the female profile comprising a plurality of grooves for selective engagement with a discrete complementary profile comprising one or more protruding members of a tool that is insertable into the location connecter in an insertion direction, wherein each of the at least two stacked segments includes one of the grooves in a configuration in which a spacing is provided between a groove in one of the stacked segments and another groove in an adjacent one of the stacked segments, wherein each of the grooves in the plurality of grooves comprises a tapered shoulder and a non-tapered no-go shoulder that is configured to prevent movement of the tool in one direction, and each of the grooves permits clocking movement of the tool in an azimuthal direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the non-tapered no-go shoulders of the plurality of grooves prevents upward movement of the tool in the direction opposite to the insertion direction and permits downward movement of the tool in addition to the clocking movement. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction, and at least another of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body orthogonally to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein the female profile comprises at least one magnetic member for communicating with a resonant entity on the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein the female profile comprises at least one chemical element for reacting with a material of the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein the female profile comprises at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for communicating with a resonant entity on the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein the female profile comprises a biased member configured to clock the discrete complementary profile in a selective azimuthal direction and position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The location connector according to claim 1, wherein the female profile comprises a predetermined space between the grooves in the plurality of grooves, a predetermined depth of the grooves in the plurality of grooves, a predetermined interior shape of the grooves in the plurality of grooves, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 A system for locating a tool relative to a location connector that connects a first tubular to a second tubular, the system comprising: a first tubular having an end; a second tubular having an end; a location connector comprising: a cylindrical main body extending in a longitudinal direction and formed of at least two stacked segments that are connectable to each other, the cylindrical main body comprising a central bore extending through the cylindrical main body in the longitudinal direction; an outer surface around a circumference of the cylindrical main body, and an inner surface facing the central bore; a first connector on a first end of the cylindrical main body and configured to attach to an end of the first tubular, and a second connector on an opposite second end of the cylindrical main body and configured to attach to an end of the second tubular; and a female profile on the inner surface, the female profile comprising a plurality of grooves, wherein each of the grooves in the plurality of grooves comprises a tapered shoulder and a non-tapered no-go shoulder, and wherein each of the at least two stacked segments includes one of the grooves in a configuration in which a spacing is provided between a groove in one of the stacked segments and another groove in an adjacent one of the stacked segments; and a tool that is insertable into the location connecter in an insertion direction, the tool comprising a discrete complementary profile comprising one or more protruding members for selective engagement with the female profile of the location connector, wherein the non-tapered no-go shoulder is configured to prevent movement of the tool in one direction, and each of the grooves permits clocking movement of the tool in an azimuthal direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the non-tapered no-go shoulders of the plurality of grooves prevents upward movement of the tool in the direction opposite to the insertion direction and permits downward movement of the tool in addition to the clocking movement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction, and at least another of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body orthogonally to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the female profile comprises at least one magnetic member for communicating with a resonant entity on the tool, or a chemical element for reacting with a material of the tool, to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14, wherein the chemical element comprises cobalt. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the female profile comprises at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for communicating with a resonant entity on the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the tool is clocked in the azimuthal direction by lifting or lowering the tool relative to the female profile so that the one or more protruding members of the tool engaged with at least one groove of the plurality of grooves slides along the at least one groove. ### Claim 18 A method of locating a tool relative to a location connector that connects a first tubular to a second tubular, the method comprising: attaching a first end of the location connector to one end of a first tubular, the location connector comprising a cylindrical main body extending in a longitudinal direction and formed of at least two stacked segments that are connectable to each other, the cylindrical main body comprising a central bore extending through the cylindrical main body in the longitudinal direction; an outer surface around a circumference of the cylindrical main body, and an inner surface facing the central bore; and a female profile on the inner surface, the female profile comprising a plurality of grooves, wherein each of the grooves in the plurality of grooves comprises a tapered shoulder and a non-tapered no-go shoulder that is configured to prevent movement in one direction, and wherein each of the at least two stacked segments includes one of the grooves in a configuration in which a spacing is provided between a groove in one of the stacked segments and another groove in an adjacent one of the stacked segments; attaching one end of a second tubular to an opposite second end of the location connector, so that the location connector connects the first tubular to the second tubular; inserting the tool into the second tubular in the insertion direction, the tool comprising a discrete complementary profile comprising one or more protruding members for selective engagement with the female profile of the location connector; lowering the tool through the second tubular in the insertion direction until the one or more protruding members of the tool engages with at least one groove of the plurality of grooves of the female profile; and clocking the tool in the azimuthal direction by lifting or lowering the tool relative to the female profile so that the one or more protruding members of the tool engaged with the at least one groove of the plurality of grooves slides along the at least one groove. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction, and at least another of the plurality of grooves extends around the inner surface of the cylindrical main body orthogonally to the longitudinal direction. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the female profile comprises at least one magnetic member for communicating with a resonant entity on the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein female profile comprises at least one at least one chemical element for reacting with a material of the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the female profile comprises at least one radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for communicating with a resonant entity on the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector. ### Claim 24 A location connector for connecting a first tubular to a second tubular, the location connector comprising: a cylindrical main body extending in a longitudinal direction and comprising a central bore extending through the cylindrical main body in the longitudinal direction; an outer surface around a circumference of the cylindrical main body, and an inner surface facing the central bore; a first connector on a first end of the cylindrical main body and configured to attach to an end of the first tubular, and a second connector on an opposite second end of the cylindrical main body and configured to attach to an end of the second tubular; and a female profile on the inner surface, the female profile comprising a plurality of grooves for selective engagement with a discrete complementary profile comprising one or more protruding members of a tool, wherein each of the grooves in the plurality of grooves comprises a no-go shoulder configured to prevent movement of the tool in one direction, and each of the grooves permits clocking movement of the tool in an azimuthal direction, wherein the female profile comprises at least one chemical element for reacting with a material of the tool to output a signal when the tool is located at a predetermined position relative to the location connector.