Plug for downhole logging tool
AssigneeScientific Drilling International, Inc.
InventorRichard Murray Whiddon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plug for use in a downhole tool collar allows a seal between the inside and outside of the collar. The plug provides an electromagnetically transparent window through which the signals from the measurement device may propagate to or from the surrounding formation. The plug assembly includes an inner retainer, an outer retainer, and a plug. The inner retainer may be inserted into the inside of a slot formed in the collar. The inner retainer may have a concave inner surface to match the cylindrical inner surface of the collar. Likewise, the outer collar may be inserted into the outside of the slot, and may have a convex outer surface to match the cylindrical outer surface of the collar. The plug may fit into slots in the inner and outer retainers and be held in place within the slot.
Claims20
A plug assembly for plugging a slot having an inner edge and an outer edge formed in the wall of a tubular member comprising:
- a plug including a plug body having an inner face and an outer face;
- an inner retainer, the inner retainer having a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner edge of the slot and an inner retainer slot corresponding to the shape of the inner face of the plug;
- and
- an outer retainer, the outer retainer having a shape corresponding to the shape of the outer edge of the slot and an outer retainer slot corresponding to the shape of the outer face of the plug, the outer retainer coupled to the inner retainer with the plug disposed therebetween.
A method of installing a plug assembly comprising:
- forming a slot in the wall of a tubular member, the slot including an inner edge and an outer edge;
- installing an inner retainer within the inner edge of the slot, the inner retainer having a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner edge of the slot and an inner retainer slot corresponding to the shape of an inner face of a plug;
- installing the plug within the inner retainer slot, the plug including a plug body having the inner face and an outer face;
- installing an outer retainer within the outer edge of the slot, the outer retainer having a shape corresponding to the shape of the outer edge of the slot and an outer retainer slot corresponding to the shape of the outer face of the plug;
- and
- coupling the outer retainer to the inner retainer.
A system for measuring one or more parameters of a formation surrounding a wellbore utilizing electromagnetic waves, the system comprising:
- a collar, the collar being a generally tubular member, the collar including one or more slots, the slots including an inner edge and an outer edge;
- a measurement device positioned within the collar, the measurement device including at least one energy transmitting or receiving antenna, each antenna positioned to generally correspond with at least one of the slots;
- and
- a plug assembly for plugging each slot, the plug assembly including:
- a plug including a plug body having an inner face and an outer face;
- an inner retainer, the inner retainer having a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner edge of the slot and an inner retainer slot corresponding to the shape of the inner face of the plug;
- and
- an outer retainer, the outer retainer having a shape corresponding to the shape of the outer edge of the slot and an outer retainer slot corresponding to the shape of the outer face of the plug, the outer retainer coupled to the inner retainer with the plug disposed therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.