Method and system for moving equipment into and through a conduit
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsHagen Schempf, Steve J. Kimminau, Hans J. J. den Boer, John F. Stewart, A. F. Bijleveld
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system are disclosed for moving equipment into and through a conduit that is preferably an oil and/or gas production well, wherein use is made of an uphole equipment storage and handling unit via which equipment modules can be moved into a launch conduit and connected to a shuttle device which is able to locomote itself as a wireless tractor via the launch conduit into and from the underlying conduit.
Claims11
A method for moving equipment into and through a conduit, the method comprising:
- inserting one or more pieces of equipment into an equipment storage and handling unit which is located near an accessible point of the conduit and which comprises an equipment storage rack, a launch conduit and a handling mechanism for moving the one or more pieces of equipment from the storage rack into the launch conduit which is in communication with the conduit;
- inducing the handling mechanism to insert the one or more pieces of equipment into the launch conduit;
- releasably connecting each inserted piece of equipment in the launch conduit to a shuttle device which is able to locomote itself through the conduit;
- inducing the shuttle device to locomote itself and each piece of equipment connected thereto through the conduit;
- releasing each piece of equipment from the shuttle device at a downhole location in the conduit;
- and
- inducing the shuttle device to return to the launch conduit.
A system for moving equipment into and through a conduit, the system comprising:
- an equipment handling unit which is located near an accessible point in the conduit and which comprises an equipment storage rack, a launch conduit which is in communication with the conduit and a handling mechanism for moving one or more pieces equipment from the storage rack into the launch conduit;
- and
- a shuttle device which is able to locomote itself as a wireless tractor through the launch conduit and the conduit and which is equipped with a connector to which said one or more pieces of equipment can be releasably connected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.