Expandable drill pipe centralizer/stabilizer
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorAhmed A. Al-Ramadhan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The centralizer also includes a body defining a central bore and a plurality of cavities fluidically coupled to the central bore and an exterior of the body, where the plurality of cavities are located between the central bore and an outer surface of the body. The centralizer also includes a plurality of springs with each housed in one of the plurality of cavities. The centralizer also includes a plurality of pistons with each housed in one of the plurality of cavities and abutting a respective spring in that cavity. The centralizer also includes a centralizer pad pivotally connected to each of the plurality of pistons and extending radially from a longitudinal axis of the body in response to bias from the plurality of springs.
Claims7
A method, comprising:
- selectively positioning a centralizer in a well bore while pump operations are ceased, wherein the centralizer comprises a body, centralizer pads, and a plurality of springs, wherein the body defines a central bore and a plurality of cavities fluidically coupled to the central bore and an exterior of the body, wherein the plurality of cavities are located between the central bore and an outer surface of the body and comprise a downhole cavity and an uphole cavity and wherein the plurality of springs comprise a downhole spring housed in the downhole cavity and an uphole spring housed in the uphole cavity, wherein while a differential pressure is below a retraction threshold, the plurality of springs apply pressure to each of a plurality of pistons pivotally connected to a centralizer pad of the centralizer pads being brought in contact with an inner diameter of the well bore to centralize a drill pipe;
- retracting the centralizer pads of the centralizer by pumping drilling mud through a drill string;
- adjusting the drill string while the drilling mud is pumped;
- and
- ceasing pumping of the drilling mud to expand the centralizer pads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.