US 2003/0192704 A1 · Run and retrieval wear bushing and tool

Abstract

A wear bushing has a lower portion that is landed on a casing hanger in a wellhead housing. The wear bushing is mounted to the running tool, which is joined to a drill string. With running-in keys locked on the tool, the wear bushing is lowered down the well into the wellhead housing. The wear bushing is landed on the casing hanger and anti-rotation pins are pressed upward as they contact a seal assembly. The wear bushing is rotated until the anti-rotation pins align and fall into slots. With the anti-rotation pins in the slots, the running tool is released from the wear bushing by opposite rotation, and the running tool may then be run deeper into the well. The wear bushing is extracted using a retrieval tool. The retrieval tool is axially positioned relative to the wear bushing such that tool retrieval teeth engage a wear bushing retrieval ring so that the wear bushing can be extracted from the casing hanger.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims23

Dependent claims

A downhole assembly for a well, comprising in combination:

a wellhead housing having an axial bore with an upward facing shoulder;
a wear bushing including a tubular member having an axial bore with an internal recess;
a plurality of radially movable running-in keys mounted in the wear bushing, the running-in keys being movably biased to protrude into the axial bore;
a tool having threaded upper and lower ends for securing into a drill string;
a plurality of support ridges on the tool, the support ridges being spaced circumferentially apart from each other;
wherein
the wear bushing is secured to the tool by rotating the tool and wear bushing relative to each other as necessary to align the support ridges with the keys, enabling the tool to support the wear bushing until the wear bushing lands on the shoulder, and wherein
the wear bushing is released from the tool by rotating the tool relative to the wear bushing to disengage the support ridges from the keys, enabling the drill string to be lowered further into the well.

5 more elements

A downhole assembly for a well, comprising in combination:

a wellhead housing having an axial bore with an upward facing shoulder;
a wear bushing including a tubular member having an axial bore with an internal recess;
a plurality of radially movable running-in keys mounted in the wear bushing, the running-in keys being movably biased to protrude into the axial bore;
a retrieval ring having retrieval teeth mounted in the wear bushing, the retrieval ring being movably biased to protrude into the axial bore;
a first tool having threaded upper and lower ends for securing into a drill string;
a plurality of support ridges on the first tool, the support ridges being spaced circumferentially apart from each other to engage the keys;
wherein
the wear bushing is adapted to be released from the first tool by rotating the first tool relative to the wear bushing to disengage the support ridges from the keys, enabling the drill string to be lowered further into the well;
the first tool being free of any profile that mates with the retrieval ring, enabling the first tool to be pulled upward through the wear bushing without retrieving the wear bushing;
a second tool having threaded upper and lower ends for securing into a drill string in lieu of the first tool;
and
a plurality of grooves on the second tool forming retrieval teeth for engaging the retrieval ring, as the second tool is pulled upward through the wear bushing.

9 more elements

A method of implementing a wear bushing in a wellhead housing having an axial bore with an upward facing shoulder, comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting a plurality of radially movable running-in keys to the wear bushing, the running-in keys being movably biased to protrude into the axial bore;
(b) providing a tool having a plurality of support ridges, the support ridges being spaced circumferentially apart from each other;
(c) securing the wear bushing to the tool by rotating the tool and wear bushing relative to each other as necessary to align the support ridges with the keys;
(d) connecting the tool into a drill string, lowering the tool and the wear bushing into the wellhead, and landing the wear bushing on the shoulder;
and then
(e) rotating the tool relative to the wear bushing to disengage the support ridges from the keys, and lowering the drill string further into the well and performing drilling operations with the drill string.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description4,381 words

Summary710 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates in general to an improved wear bushing, and in particular to an improved bit run and retrieval wear bushing and tool.

#2. Brief Description of Related Art

Brief description of the drawings5 figures

#So that the manner in which the features, advantages and objects of the invention, as well as others which will become apparent, are attained and can be understood in more detail, more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to the embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the appended drawings, which drawings form a part of this specification. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only a preferred embodiment of the invention and is therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope as the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

#FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a wear bushing constructed in accordance with the present invention and landed in a wellhead, with the right side showing a running tool engaged in the wear bushing.

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the wear bushing and running tool of FIG. 1 .

Detailed description3,445 words

#The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and the prime notation, if used, indicates similar elements in alternative embodiments.

#Referring to FIG. 1, a subsea wellhead has a tubular outer wellhead housing 10 with an inner bore 12. Inner bore 12 concentrically accepts a casing hanger 14 that lands in housing 10. Casing hanger 14 has a bore extending through it, with a lower section 16 separated from a middle section 18 by a conical shoulder 20. The middle section 18 has a larger diameter than lower section 16. An upper section 22 of larger diameter than middle section 18 is located above middle section 18. There is a recess 23 with a diameter greater than upper section 22 between upper and middle sections 22, 18. The upper end of casing hanger 14 has a conical rim 24 that slopes downward and inward. A conventional seal assembly 26 seals the annular space between casing hanger 14 and inner bore 12.

#A wear bushing 28 constructed in accordance with the present invention lands in casing hanger 14. Wear bushing 28 is a generally tubular member and has a landing portion 30 on its lower end. Landing portion 30 has a lower portion 32 adapted to be tightly accepted in middle section 18. As shown in FIG. 2, landing portion 30 has an upper portion 34 adapted to be tightly accepted in upper section 22 and carries a seal 36 which seals against upper bore 22. A landing shoulder 38 is positioned above upper portion 34 such that when landing shoulder 38 rests on rim 24, lower portion 32 is concentrically accepted into middle section 18 of casing hanger 14 and upper portion is concentrically accepted into upper section 22.

Facts

Application

10/449,405Filed 30 May 2003

Priority

21 Nov 2000

Published

16 Oct 2003

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

E21B 17/1007
Wear protectors; Centralising devices , e.g. stabilisers: for the internal surface of a pipe, e.g. wear bushings for underwater well-heads
E21B 17/12
Wear protectors; Centralising devices , e.g. stabilisers: devices for placing or drawing out wear protectors
E21B
Earth or rock drilling

Timeline

21 Nov 2000Priority claimedParent application 09/717,870
30 May 2003Application filedUS 10/449,405
30 May 2003Assigned to ABB Vetco Gray Inc.assignment of assignor's interest
16 Oct 2003Published
6 Oct 2004Assigned to J.P. Morgan Europe Limited, AS Security Agentsecurity agreement
16 Dec 2004Assigned to Vetco Gray Inc.change of name

Run and retrieval wear bushing and tool

Life of this patent

Run and retrieval wear bushing and tool

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims23

Description4,381 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description4,381 words