Autonomous tractor using counter flow-driven propulsion
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsJames Dan Vick, Jr., Michael Linley Fripp, Xiaoguang Allan Zhong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is a wellbore tractor and method for operating a well system. The wellbore tractor, in one aspect, includes a base member, and one or more turbines fixed to the base member for rotating the base member in a first rotational direction based upon a first direction of fluid flow. The wellbore tractor, according to this aspect, further includes one or more wellbore engaging devices radially extending from the base member, the one or more wellbore engaging devices contactable with a surface of a wellbore for displacing the base member and one or more turbines axially downhole as the one or more turbines rotate in the first rotational direction.
Claims17
A method for operating a well system, comprising:
- placing a wellbore tractor within a wellbore, the wellbore tractor including:
- a base member;
- one or more turbines fixed to the base member for rotating the base member in a first rotational direction based upon a flow of wellbore fluid in a first direction;
- and
- one or more wellbore engaging devices radially extending from the base member and configured to rotate along with the base member, the one or more wellbore engaging devices contactable with a surface of a wellbore for displacing the base member and one or more turbines axially downhole as the one or more turbines rotate in the first rotational direction;
- and
- subjecting the wellbore tractor to a flow of wellbore fluid in the first direction to displace the wellbore tractor axially downhole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.