Back to results
US 8,074,724 B2Granted
Bit-run nominal seat protector and method of operating same
AssigneeVetco Gray Inc.
InventorsMarc Minassian, Guilherme Eppinghaus, David L. Ford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drilling system employs a set of bushings that protect seats used for casing hangers. The system includes one or more seat protectors that attach to a running tool. The running tool is lowered down the wellbore with the seat protectors attached and deposits a bushing at each surface to be protected. The running tool may retrieve the bushings as the running tool is withdrawn from the wellbore.
Claims22
A well bore surface protection apparatus comprising:
- a running tool having first and second ends for securing into a drill string;
- and
- a first wear bushing and a second wear bushing, each wear bushing being releaseably disposed on the running tool in a run-in position, the first wear bushing being adapted to disengage the running tool upon landing on a first wellbore component, the second wear bushing remaining in engagement with the running tool and being adapted to pass completely through the first wellbore component as the running tool is lowered below the first wellbore component and disengage the running tool upon landing on a second wellbore component located below the first wellbore component and below the first wear bushing.
A wellbore surface protection apparatus comprising:
- a first wellbore component having a first landing shoulder and a second wellbore component having a second landing shoulder located below the landing shoulder of the first wellbore component, the first landing shoulder having a greater inner diameter than the second landing shoulder;
- a running tool having an upward facing support shoulder;
- a first wear bushing supported on the support shoulder of the running tool, the first wear bushing having a maximum outer diameter smaller than a smallest inner diameter of the first wellbore component and greater than the inner diameter of the second landing shoulder;
- a second wear bushing supported on the first wear bushing, the second wear bushing having a greater maximum outer diameter than the inner diameter of the first landing shoulder;
- and
- a latch mechanism that releasably latches the first and second wear bushings to each other while on the running tool and releases the second wear bushing from the first wear bushing when the second wear bushing lands on the first landing shoulder.
3 more elements
A method for protecting a surface inside a wellbore comprising:
- (a) attaching a first and a second wear bushing to a running tool;
- (b) lowering the running tool on a drill string along with the first and second wear bushings into a wellbore;
- (c) detaching the first wear bushing from the running tool at a first surface to be protected as the drill string is lowered;
- and
- (d) continuing to lower the drill string with the second wear bushing still attached, and detaching the second wear bushing at a second surface to be protected.
2 more elements
A wellbore system, comprising:
- an upper and a lower wellbore component, each having a bore therethrough, the lower wellbore component being located at a lower depth within a wellbore than the first wellbore component, and each wellbore component having a landing shoulder, the landing shoulder of the upper wellbore component having a larger inner diameter than an inner diameter of the landing shoulder of the lower wellbore component;
- a running tool;
- upper and lower wear bushings to protect each of the bore landing shoulders, wherein the wear bushings disposed on a running tool to be deployed sequentially from the running tool as the running tool is lowered through the upper and lower wellbore components to protect each of the bore surfaces of the plurality of wellbore components, and
- wherein the upper wear bushing has a greater outer diameter than the lower wear bushing so that the lower wear bushing passes through the upper wellbore component as the upper wear bushing lands on the upper wellbore component.
1 more element
A wellbore protection apparatus, comprising:
- a first wear bushing, the first wear bushing comprising a ring adapted to be disposed within a bore of a wellbore component to protect the bore of the wellbore component from damage;
- a second wear bushing in a nesting arrangement with the first wear bushing, and
- a releasable connection between the first wear bushing and the second wear bushing that releases the second wear bushing from the first wear bushing in response to a downward force applied to the second wear bushing after the first wear bushing lands on a wellbore component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.