Jettisonable ball seal
AssigneeCAJUN SERVICES UNLIMITED, LLC d/b/a SPOKED MANUFACTURING
InventorsBryce Elliott Randle, Patrick Francis Campbell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device, system and method are provided for using a seal sub to isolate a well. The seal sub generally has a primary channel extending through the seal sub and seat positioned within the primary channel. As a ball setting tool passes through the seal sub and the seat, a ball connected to the setting tool with a shear pin contacts the seat and selectively connects to the seal sub. A predetermined force can be applied to the ball setting tool to break the shear pin, which leaves the seal ball in place, and the seal sub and the seal ball isolate the downhole pressures and contents from the uphole pressures and contents.
Claims20
A method for isolating a wellbore, comprising:
- providing a seal sub, a grapple assembly coupled to the seal sub via a shear screw, a washpipe, a ball setting tool and a seal ball, wherein the ball setting tool is coupled to one end of the washpipe, and wherein the seal ball is coupled to the ball setting tool;
- pulling the washpipe through the interior volume of the seal sub such that a grapple catch of the seal ball contacts a ball catch lip of the seal sub;
- and
- pulling the washpipe, after the contact between the grapple catch and the ball catch lip, through an interior volume of the seal sub with a sufficient force to shear the shear screw, which causes the grapple assembly to decouple from the seal sub.
A system for isolating a wellbore, comprising:
- a setting tool having an upper end, a lower end, and an outer diameter;
- a seal ball having an upper end, a lower end, and a gripping feature disposed around at least a portion of an outer circumference of the seal ball;
- a shear pin selectively connecting the lower end of the setting tool to the upper end of the seal ball, wherein the shear pin is configured to break in response to a predetermined force;
- a seal sub having a ball seat and a gripping feature, wherein at least a portion of the ball seat has an inner diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the setting tool and that is smaller than an outer diameter of the gripping feature of the seal ball;
- and
- wherein as the setting tool passes through the ball seat, the seal ball contacts the ball seat of the seal sub, and the gripping feature of the seal ball selectively connects with the gripping feature of the seal sub, and wherein the predetermined force is applied to the setting tool and the shear pin to break the shear pin and leave the seal ball selectively connected to the seal sub.
A system for isolating a wellbore, comprising:
- a seal sub having an inner surface with an inner diameter and a lip forming a recess in the inner surface;
- a grapple assembly having an outer surface with an outer diameter and a collet extending outward from the outer surface, and the grapple assembly having an inner surface with a ball seat;
- a seal ball positioned adjacent the ball seat, and the seal ball selectively connected to the inner surface of the grapple assembly with at least one shear pin that is configured to break when subjected to a predetermined force;
- and
- wherein as the grapple assembly travels uphole, the inner surface of the seal sub deflects the collet inwards until the collet reaches the lip and deflects outward into the recess in the inner surface to secure the relative position of the seal sub and the grapple assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.