Diagnostic tool for well abandonment tool
AssigneeWinterhawk Well Abandonment Ltd.
InventorDale Kunz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tool is provided for diagnosing the downhole source of a surface casing vent flow for remediation of an abandoned well. The tool is run into the bore, the tool having a stack of pleated rings slidably mounted on a tubular mandrel. The tool is actuated. One end of the stack is set to engage with the casing and the stack is compressed axially to expand the pleated rings expand the casing for diminishing casing/cement micro-cracks. If surface casing vent flow is reduced, the downhole source is identified for remediation and, if not reduced, the tool is released, traversed uphole and actuated again.
Claims19
A downhole tool conveyed into a casing of a well on a string of tubulars extending downhole into the cased well from surface, comprising:
- a tubular mandrel releasably connected to the string of tubulars;
- a stack of pleated rings slidably mounted on the mandrel;
- a first compression plate slidably mounted on the mandrel at one end of the stack and having a slip cone;
- a second compression plate mounted on the mandrel at another end of the stack with the stack of pleated rings sandwiched therebetween;
- and
- a releasable slip assembly comprising a housing slidable over the mandrel for alternately releasing and compressing the stack of rings,
- a drag block and slips supported by the housing, and
- a pin and slot assembly between the housing and the mandrel, the slot having a profile having at least a run-in-hole (RIH) for spacing the slips from the slip cone, a pull-out-of-hole (POOH) for spacing the slips from the slip cone, and a slip set (SET) position for engaging slips with the slip cone for axially compressing the pleated rings between the first and second compression rings for radially expanding the pleated rings.
A method for identifying a source of surface casing vent flow from an abandoned well completed with casing and having a cemented annulus about at least a portion thereof, the method comprising:
- conveying a tool to traverse the well downhole to a specified location along the cemented portion of the casing;
- expanding the casing at the specified location for diminishing micro-leaks in the cemented annulus;
- and then
- determining a change in the surface casing vent flow.
A downhole tool conveyed into a casing of a well on a string of tubulars extending downhole into the cased well from surface, comprising:
- a tubular mandrel releasably connected to the string of tubulars;
- a stack of pleated rings slidably mounted on the mandrel;
- a first compression plate slidably mounted on the mandrel at one end of the stack and slip assembly for releasable engagement with the casing;
- a second compression plate mounted on the mandrel at another end of the stack with the stack of pleated rings sandwiched therebetween;
- and
- one or more elongate leaves, secured at a first end at the first compression plate and extending axially along the stack of pleated rings to a second end adjacent the second compression plate, each leaf being arcuate and extending circumferentially about a portion of the circumference of the stack of pleated rings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.