Downhole tool
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsMohammed Madan, Mahdy Jezany, Abdullah Alshooq, Talal A. Shihabuddin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A downhole tool includes a plugging portion including a plug transitionable between a running state, where the plug is retracted and allows the downhole tool to traverse an interior of production tubing, and a plugging state, where the plug expands radially outward to sealingly engage an inner wall of the production tubing. A perforating portion is operatively coupled to the plugging portion and provides a housing that houses a perforating device actuatable to penetrate the inner wall of the production tubing and thereby generate a perforation through which a kill fluid may be circulated into an annulus surrounding the production tubing.
Claims20
A downhole tool, comprising:
- a plugging portion including a plug transitionable between a running state, where the plug is retracted and allows the downhole tool to traverse an interior of production tubing, and a plugging state, where the plug expands radially outward to sealingly engage an inner wall of the production tubing;
- a plug displacement mechanism included in the plugging portion and operable to transition the plug between the running and plugging states, the plug displacement mechanism including:
- a plug controller operable to control operation of the plug displacement mechanism;
- and
- a plug control timer in communication with the plug controller and configured to activate the plug displacement mechanism via the plug controller after expiration of a predetermined time period;
- and
- a perforating portion operatively coupled to the plugging portion and providing a housing that houses a perforating device actuatable to penetrate the inner wall of the production tubing and thereby generate a perforation through which a kill fluid may be circulated into an annulus surrounding the production tubing,
- wherein the housing is translatable relative to the plugging portion between a first axial position and a second axial position, and
- wherein the perforating device is actuatable to penetrate in the inner wall while the housing is in the second axial position.
A method for preparing a well for the introduction of a kill fluid, the method comprising:
- setting a plug control timer of a downhole tool to activate a plug displacement mechanism of the downhole tool after expiration of a predetermined time period;
- conveying the downhole tool into production tubing on a conveyance extended from a surface installation, the production tubing being arranged within a wellbore extending from the surface installation and the downhole tool including:
- a plugging portion including the plug controller and the plug control timer in communication with the plug controller, and further including a plug transitionable between a running state, where the plug is retracted and allows the downhole tool to traverse an interior of the production tubing, and a plugging state, where the plug expands radially outward to sealingly engage an inner wall of the production tubing;
- and
- a perforating portion operatively coupled to the plugging portion and providing a housing that houses a perforating device, wherein the housing is translatable relative to the plugging portion between a first axial position and a second axial position;
- lowering the downhole tool to a predetermined depth within the production tubing;
- allowing the predetermined time period to expire once the downhole tool reaches the predetermined depth;
- transitioning the plug from the running state to the plugging state and thereby sealingly engaging the inner wall of the production tubing by operating the plug displacement mechanism with the plug controller;
- extending the housing from the first axial position to the second axial position;
- and
- actuating the perforating device and thereby generating a perforation in the inner wall after extending the housing to the second axial position.
A downhole tool, comprising:
- a plugging portion including a plug transitionable between a running state, where the plug is retracted and allows the downhole tool to traverse an interior of production tubing, and a plugging state, where the plug expands radially outward to sealingly engage an inner wall of the production tubing;
- and
- a perforating portion operatively coupled to the plugging portion and providing a housing that houses a perforating device actuatable to penetrate the inner wall of the production tubing and thereby generate a perforation through which a kill fluid may be circulated into an annulus surrounding the production tubing,
- wherein a profile is provided within the housing and is sized to receive and mate with a latching mechanism provided on a distal end of a retrieving tool, and
- wherein, once the latching mechanism locates and is received within the profile, an uphole force applied to the retrieving tool at the profile causes the plug to transition from the plugging state to the running state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.