US 12,669,026 B2Granted

Mechanical release tool for downhole wireline

OwnerJon Randall Rasmussen, Brandon J. Fairinventors

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Abstract

A wireline cutting tool. The wireline cutting tool comprises an elongated tubular body. A knife housing resides within the tubular body proximate an upper end, while a plunger resides within the tubular body proximate a lower end. An electric wireline passes through a bore of the knife housing and the plunger en route to an electrical connection sub. The electrical connection sub includes a pin that transmits signals from the electric wireline down to a downhole tool. The plunger is configured to slide up the bore of the lower sub in response to a first upward shear load applied by the wireline. This causes the plunger to act against knives residing within the knife housing. The knives are configured to travel up the bore of the upper sub in response to a second upward shear load applied by the plunger, pinching the wireline until severed. The second shear load is greater than the first shear load, creating a two-stage cutting tool.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A wireline cutting tool, comprising:

an elongated tubular body having an upper end, a lower end, and a bore extending from the upper end to the lower end;
a knife housing residing within the bore of the tubular body proximate the upper end, the knife housing having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a bore extending from the second end and up through the first end, wherein the bore of the knife housing tapers inwardly moving in a direction from the second end of the knife housing to the first end of the knife housing;
a plunger residing within the bore of the tubular body below the knife housing, the plunger also having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the plunger is held in place by a first shear member at a first longitudinal location and is configured to slide up the bore of the tubular body in response to shearing the first shear member at a first shear load applied by a wellbore wireline;
and
at least one knife residing along the bore of the knife housing, with the at least one knife being held in place by a second shear member at a second longitudinal location above the first longitudinal location and wherein the at least one knife is configured to slide up the bore of the knife housing from the second end of the knife housing towards the first end of the knife housing in response to shearing the second member at a second shear load applied by the wellbore wireline;
and wherein:
the sliding up of the plunger causes the first end of the plunger to engage a lower end of the at least one knife;
and
the sliding up of the at least one knife causes the wellbore wireline to be pinched and severed.

6 more elements

A method of cutting a wireline within a wellbore, comprising:

providing a wireline cutting tool, the wireline cutting tool comprising:
an elongated tubular body;
a knife housing residing within the tubular body proximate an upper end;
at least one knife residing within the knife housing;
a plunger residing within the tubular body proximate a lower end;
and
an electrical connection sub;
releasably connecting the plunger to the electrical connection sub;
connecting the electrical connection sub to a downhole tool below the elongated tubular body;
connecting the downhole tool to the elongated tubular body;
running an electric wireline through a bore of each of the knife housing and the plunger;
mechanically and electrically connecting a lower end of the electric wireline to the electrical connection sub;
pulling the wireline cutting tool, the electrical connection sub, and the downhole tool out of a wellbore together by spooling the electric wireline from a surface;
upon detecting that the downhole tool has become stuck in the wellbore, further spooling the wireline at a first shear load, causing the plunger to separate from the electrical connection sub and travel up a bore of the elongated tubular body, such that the plunger shoulders out against a lower end of the at least one knife;
and
still further spooling the wireline at a second shear load, causing the at least one knife to travel up the bore of the knife housing and sever the electric wireline within the wellbore, leaving the downhole tool in place within the wellbore;
and wherein the second shear load is greater than the first shear load.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/846,932Filed 22 Jun 2022 · us provisional application
Priority: 29 Sep 2021
Published: US 2023/0115354 A113 Apr 2023
Granted: 30 Jun 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

E21B 17/023
Couplings; joints: arrangements for connecting cables or wirelines to downhole devices
E21B 29/04
Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming…
E21B 29/005
Cutting, e.g. milling, a pipe with a cutter rotating along the circumference of the pipe: with a radially-expansible cutter rotating inside the…
E21B
Earth or rock drilling