Methods and systems for installing tubulars in wells
AssigneeGreenFire Energy Inc.
InventorsGreg Szutiak, John R. Muir, Alan D. Eastman, Joseph A. Scherer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system may include a handling mast, a tubular source stack, a tubing loader, a spider device, and a connection device. The tubing loader is configured to capture a first HVT from the tubular source stack, load the first HVT into the handling mast, capture a second HVT from the tubular source stack, and load the second HVT into the handling mast. The spider device is configured to grasp the first HVT. The connection device is configured to align a proximal end of the first HVT and a distal end of the second HVT and couple the first HVT and the second HVT to form a tubing string. The handling mast is configured to insert the tubing string into the wellbore.
Claims16
A specialized tubing insertion rig (STIR) for installing a plurality of bidirectional fluid conduits (BFC) in a wellbore, the STIR comprising:
- a handling mast;
- a tubular source stack, configured to store the plurality of BFC;
- and
- a tubing loader, comprising a tubular running too, configured to:
- capture a first BFC from the tubular source stack,
- load the first BFC into the handling mast,
- capture a second BFC from the tubular source stack, and
- load the second BFC into the handling mast,
- wherein the handling mast is configured to insert a downhole heat exchanger and the first BFC into the wellbore;
- a spider device configured to grasp the first BFC so that the first BFC is suspended at least partially within the wellbore by the spider device;
- and
- a connection device configured to:
- align a proximal end of the first BFC and a distal end of the second BFC;
- and
- couple a first portion of a fastening component of the proximal end of the first BFC and a second portion of the fastening component of the distal end of the second BFC to form a tubing string, wherein the STIR is configured to insert the tubing string into the wellbore;
- and
- a control system configured to:
- determine a number of rotations of the proximal end of the second BFC during coupling of each BFC and detecting if the number of rotations exceeds a preset rotation threshold;
- determine a torque experienced between the proximal end of the first BFC and the distal end of the second BFC and detecting if the torque is greater than a preset torque threshold.
A method for installing bidirectional fluid conduits (BFC) in a wellbore penetrating a source formation, the method comprising:
- placing a specialized tubing insertion rig (STIR) at a well site including the wellbore,
- wherein the STIR is configured to handle a plurality of BFC so as not to damage each of the plurality of BFC and insert the plurality of BFC in the wellbore, wherein the plurality of BFC comprises a first BFC and a second BFC;
- capturing, using a tubular loading tool, the first BFC from a tubular source stack,
- wherein each of the plurality of BFC comprises a distal end and a proximal end,
- wherein each distal end comprises a first portion of a fastening component and each proximal end comprises a second portion of the fastening component;
- loading, using the tubular loading tool, the first BFC into a handling mast;
- disposing a downhole heat exchanger on the distal end of the first BFC;
- inserting, using the handling mast, the downhole heat exchanger and the first BFC into the wellbore,
- wherein the first BFC is inserted with the distal end inserted first and is inserted until the proximal end is positioned adjacent to a spider device configured to grasp each BFC;
- grasping, using the spider device, the first BFC so that the first BFC is supported at least partially within the wellbore by the spider device;
- capturing, using the tubular loading tool, the second BFC from the tubular source stack,
- loading, using the tubular loading tool, the second BFC into the handling mast;
- aligning, using a connection device, the proximal end of the first BFC and the distal end of the second BFC;
- coupling, using the connection device, the first portion of the fastening component of the proximal end of the first BFC and the second portion of the fastening component of the distal end of the second BFC to form a tubing string;
- using a control system:
- determining a number of rotations of the proximal end of the second BFC during coupling of each BFC and detecting if the number of rotations exceeds a preset rotation threshold, and
- determining a torque experienced between the proximal end of the first BFC and the distal end of the second BFC and detecting if the torque is greater than a preset torque threshold;
- and
- inserting, using the handling mast, the tubing string into the wellbore if the torque is not greater than the preset torque threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.