Extrusion ball actuated telescoping lock mechanism
AssigneeBaker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
InventorsJason Cullum, Andres Sosa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An assembly and a method of performing an operation in a borehole. The assembly includes a plug, and a retrieving head rigidly coupled to the plug in a locked configuration. The retrieving head includes a lock disposed therein comprising a housing, a mandrel, and a ball seat. The ball seat is secured to the housing at a first seat location when the assembly is in the locked configuration. The assembly is conveyed assembly in the borehole. A ball is dropped through the assembly to seat at the ball seat. A fluid pressure created at the ball moves the ball seat to a second seat location within the housing to place the assembly in an unlocked configuration. The mandrel is shifted to allow the retrieving head to move axially in the unlocked configuration.
Claims11
A method of performing an operation in a borehole, comprising:
- conveying an assembly in the borehole, the assembly including a retrieving head rigidly coupled to a plug in a locked configuration, the retrieving head including a lock disposed therein comprising a housing having a bore, a mandrel movable within the bore, a ball seat in the bore, and a snap ring, wherein the ball seat is secured to the housing at a first seat location when the assembly is in the locked configuration and the snap ring is disposed in a groove of the housing when the ball seat is at the first seat location, the snap ring wrapped around the ball seat and against a ridge of the mandrel to prevent axial motion of the mandrel;
- dropping a ball through the assembly to seat at the ball seat, wherein a fluid pressure created at the ball moves the ball seat from the first seat location to a second seat location within the housing to place the assembly in an unlocked configuration, wherein moving the ball seat from the first seat location allows the snap ring to collapse radially inward and out of the groove to free the mandrel for movement within the housing;
- and
- shifting the mandrel to allow the retrieving head to move axially in the unlocked configuration.
An assembly for performing a downhole operation, comprising:
- a plug;
- and
- a retrieving head rigidly coupled to the plug in a locked configuration, the retrieving head including a lock disposed therein comprising a housing having a bore, a mandrel movable within the bore, a ball seat in the bore secured to the housing at a first seat location via a snap ring disposed in a groove of the housing when the assembly is in the locked configuration, the snap ring being wrapped around a surface of the ball seat and against a ridge of the mandrel to prevent axial motion of the mandrel, wherein the ball seat is configured to receive a ball and to move within the housing due to an increase in a fluid pressure caused by the ball at the ball seat, thereby placing the assembly in an unlocked configuration that allows axial motion of the retrieving head, wherein movement of the ball seat from the first seat location allows the snap ring to collapse radially inward and out of the groove to free the mandrel for movement within the housing;
- wherein the mandrel is configured to shift within the housing to allow the retrieving head to rotate with respect to the plug in the unlocked configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.