Method and apparatus to cut and remove casing
AssigneeHomco International, Inc.
InventorsThurman B. Carter, Shane P. Hart, Carl D. Reynolds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is established which facilitates the cutting and removal of well casing on a single trip into the wellbore. The apparatus is run into the wellbore on the tubing string and provides a rotatable sleeve including grapples adapted to engage the casing, and to facilitate removal of the casing. The apparatus also includes cutting assemblies coupled to the mandrel, which may be rotated so as to cut the casing, thereby facilitating removal of the casing through use of the grapples.
Claims16
An apparatus for cutting and retrieving a casing string, and adapted to be utilized on a workstring, comprising:
- a hydraulically actuable grapple assembly adapted to be insertable into said casing, said grapple assembly including a plurality of slips adapted to move between a first position wherein said slips to not substantially engage said casing and a second position in which said slips substantially engage said casing, said slips moveable between said first and second positions at virtually any location within said casing, said slips movable from said first position to said second position in response to fluid pressure, said slips oriented to engage said casing and to place said casing in tension proximate the location at which said casing is to be cut;
- a mandrel assembly extending through said grapple assembly, said mandrel assembly being mounted in rotatable relation relative to said grapple assembly;
- and
- a cutting assembly operatively coupled to said mandrel assembly.
An apparatus adapted for use with a workstring to cut and remove casing from a well, said apparatus adapted to allow multiple cuts of said casing on a single trip of the workstring into said well, comprising:
- a spear assembly having a connector to facilitate coupling of said assembly to said workstring, said spear assembly comprising,
- a mandrel,
- a housing assembly rotatably mounted around said mandrel, and a plurality of grapple slips generally circumferentially arranged around said body assembly, said slips moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein in said second position said slips will engage said casing and allow tension to be applied to said casing through said workstring, and wherein in said first position said slips will substantially be disengaged from said casing and allow movement of said spear assembly upwardly and downwardly through said casing said slips from said first position to said second position in response to fluid pressure;
- and
- a cutting assembly coupled to said mandrel and adapted to selectively cut said casing.
A method for cutting and removing casing from a wellbore on a single trip of a workstring into said wellbore, comprising the steps of:
- securing a cutting assembly and a grapple assembly to said workstring, said cutting assembly being selectively actuable at least partially in response to hydraulic pressure and said grapple assembly being actuable at least partially in response to hydraulic pressure;
- lowering said cutting assembly and said grapple assembly into said wellbore until said cutting assembly is at a depth where it is desired to cut said casing;
- applying hydraulic pressure in said workstring to actuate said grapple to cause said grapple to engage said casing;
- applying tension to said workstring to place said casing in tension through said grapple assembly;
- rotating said workstring to rotate said cutting assembly, which has been extended in response to hydraulic pressure, so as to cut said casing;
- and
- after said casing has been cut, applying pull on said workstring to remove said casing from said wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.