Patent application title: Electric Submersible Pump Service Truck
Inventors:
Osvaldo Funes (Godoy Cruz, AR)
Assignees:
BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
IPC8 Class: AE21B2300FI
USPC Class:
166 851
Class name: Wells above ground apparatus with assembly or disassembly means (e.g., handling, guiding, or tool feature)
Publication date: 2011-09-22
Patent application number: 20110226466
Abstract:
A self propelled or trailer frame is provided with a cradle on which the
tool for subterranean use can be assembled preferably in a shop protected
from the weather. The tool is transported to a well site and the truck is
positioned for deployment. The cradle is on a sub-frame that can
translate off the end of the truck bed to get an end of the tool closer
to the wellhead. The truck has a hydraulic linkage to upend the nearest
end to the wellhead to a point close to where a hook in a derrick that is
over the wellhead can be attached to the tool for hoisting the tool up so
as to lift it off the cradle with minimal side loading on the derrick as
the tool lower end leaves the cradle. The tool can be an electric
submersible pump and can be used for delivery as well as removal of the
tool through a wellhead.Claims:
1. A service vehicle assembly for delivery or removal of tools with
respect to a subterranean location using a lifting device located at the
surface, comprising: a carriage for supporting a tool thereon, said
carriage mounted to a frame assembly, said frame assembly supported on
the service vehicle for selectively moving said carriage with respect to
the vehicle; said carriage movable with respect to said frame assembly
after movement in tandem with said frame assembly.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein: said carriage comprises a leading end that can be moved away from said frame assembly by the lifting device while a trailing end is movably retained to said frame assembly.
3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein: said carriage can translate relative to said frame assembly while still retained to said frame assembly.
4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein: said carriage can tilt away from said frame assembly as at least a portion of said carriage translates along said frame assembly.
5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein: said carriage has at least one roller adjacent an end thereof that retains said carriage to said frame assembly as that end translates along said frame assembly.
6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein: said frame assembly comprises a base frame and a sub frame movable with respect to said base frame that is supported by the service vehicle.
7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein: said subframe is tilted with respect to said base frame by a hydraulically powered linkage.
8. The assembly of claim 4, wherein: said carriage tilts away from said frame assembly when the tool that is secured to said carriage is lifted by the lifting device.
9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein: said frame assembly comprising a let down mechanism to allow said carriage to descend to said frame assembly when the tool is released from the carriage while the tool is still supported by the lifting device.
10. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising: an electric submersible pump assembly ready for subterranean use and mounted to said carriage.
11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein: said carriage can translate relative to said frame assembly while still retained to said frame assembly.
12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein: said carriage can tilt away from said frame assembly as at least a portion of said carriage translates along said frame assembly.
13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein: said carriage has at least one roller adjacent an end thereof that retains said carriage to said frame assembly as that end translates along said frame assembly.
14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein: said frame assembly comprises a base frame and a sub frame movable with respect to said base frame that is supported by the service vehicle.
15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein: said subframe is tilted with respect to said base frame by a hydraulically powered linkage.
16. The assembly of claim 12, wherein: said carriage tilts away from said frame assembly when the tool that is secured to said carriage is lifted by the lifting device.
17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein: said frame assembly comprising a let down mechanism to allow said carriage to descend to said frame assembly when the tool is released from the carriage while the tool is still supported by the lifting device.
Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The field of the invention is service vehicles for land based wells and more particularly vehicles that allow the assembly and placement of electric submersible pumps in position for insertion or removal from a subterranean location.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Self propelled and trailer service vehicles designed to be placed near a wellhead and having a tilt up derrick have long been in use to service wells in certain circumstances. These derrick structures pivot into position over the cab or off the rear of the vehicle whether self propelled or a trailer. Some examples of such designs are U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,591,006; 4,743,175; 4,901,805; 5,174,389; 5,524,716; 5,711,382; 5,931,238; 6,003,598; 6,530,432; 7,111,689 and 7,249,629. U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,080 shows a pipe carrier on wheels to go into a larger access pipe and carry a submersible pump to deliver fluids that flow into the collection pipe to a remote storage tank.
[0003] Electric submersible pumps (ESP) are long assemblies designed to be delivered to a subterranean location for deployment in wells that need to be pumped to remove hydrocarbons from formations where the pressure in the formation will not bring the hydrocarbons to the surface. Such pump assemblies are made of components such as the pump section, the motor and an instrument housing. Typically these segments are brought to the well site and assembled together in a derrick that is already there over the wellhead. The assembly process has to take place at elevated locations in the derrick and frequently in harsh climates. Not only are there safety issues with this procedure but such assembly procedures at the well site are expensive and take time thus delaying resumption or initiation of production.
[0004] The present invention addresses such issues by allowing the ESP to be assembled in a cradle that is on a self propelled truck or on a trailer. The ESP can be retained in such a cradle for over the road transport to the well site. At the well site the cradle can be translated off an end of the vehicle to get it closer to the wellhead from the point where the vehicle cannot get any closer. The ability to bring the cradle back with the assembled ESP then facilitates getting a end of the assembled ESP hooked to a travelling block or hoist already in the derrick over the wellhead so that the hook can be attached to allow the hook to further lift the ESP from the cradle for ultimate alignment with the wellhead in the derrick. The ability to extend the cradle before tilting toward vertical reduces the lateral forces on the derrick as it assumes the weight of the ESP after the hook is attached and as the ESP comes off the cradle. The vehicle can be used to deliver or remove an ESP or any other tool with respect to the wellhead. These and other features will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the detailed description and the associated drawings while recognizing that the claims determine the full scope of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A self propelled or trailer frame is provided with a cradle on which the tool for subterranean use can be assembled preferably in a shop protected from the weather. The tool is transported to a well site and the truck is positioned for deployment. The cradle is on a sub-frame that can translate off the end of the truck bed to get an end of the tool closer to the wellhead. The truck has a hydraulic linkage to upend the nearest end to the wellhead to a point close to where a hook in a derrick that is over the wellhead can be attached to the tool for hoisting the tool up so as to lift it off the cradle with minimal side loading on the derrick as the tool lower end leaves the cradle. The tool can be an electric submersible pump and can be used for delivery as well as removal of the tool through a wellhead.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 shows the trailer in the over the road position;
[0007] FIG. 2 shows the trailer with the boom tilted and the subframe pulled along the boom with a separate hook at the well site so as to get the tool as close to vertical as possible before removal of the tool from the subframe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0008] FIG. 1 shows a trailer 10 with a wheel assembly 12 near the rear end 14. Spaced apart booms 16 and 18 are mounted on the trailer 10 to assist in assembly of the components of an ESP 20 on a carriage 22. Carriage 22 has a leading end 24 and a trailing end 26. Carriage 22 is supported from a subframe 30 and can be lifted at the leading end 24 by a hook 32 that is supported by a truck mounted derrick, not shown, or some other support structure that is provided over the wellhead, also not shown. Carriage 22 can roll along the subframe 30 such as on a wheel assembly 28. The ESP 20 can be initially assembled onto the carriage 22 using the booms 16 or 18 or other lifting equipment and secured to the carriage for over the road transport.
[0009] The subframe 30 is mounted on a base frame 34 that is in turn supported off the truck bed 36. A hydraulic linkage 38 can tilt the subframe 30 by urging its trailing end 26 to slide along the base frame 34 using a sliding member 40 whose shifted position can be seen in FIG. 2 with the linkage 38 having extended to raise the connection point 42. In this manner the subframe 30 is maintained in a stable position with respect to the trailer 10 as it is secured at the sliding member 40 and at connection point 42 while tilted into the FIG. 2 position.
[0010] It is while the ESP 20 is in the subframe 30 and in the FIG. 2 position that the hook 32 is attached to the ESP 20, which at that time is still secured to the carriage 24. As a lifting force is applied by the hook 32 the ESP 20 and the carriage 24 move in tandem and the rear 26 of the is retained to the carriage 24 which glides on subframe 30 that has stopped moving as linkage 38 has moved to its travel limit. With rollers 28 secured to the subframe 30, the carriage 24 can then tilt up under the pulling force of the hook 32 as the carriage 24 and the ESP 20 approach a nearly vertical position. At that time the ESP while supported from the hook 32 is released from the carriage 24. At this point there is not much of a swinging momentum to the ESP as it is nearly vertical. The carriage 24 can be supported off the subframe with a hydraulic dampener 25, shown schematically in FIG. 2, that allows it to slowly descend, but which does not retard movement when the carriage 24 is lifted by the hook 32, when the carriage 24 is released from the ESP 20 that is now supported solo by the hook 32. Preferably, the ESP 20 is allowed to swing through the carriage 24 to reach a vertical position over the wellhead. Alternative designs can also reposition the ESP off either side of the carriage 24 to allow it to go into a vertical position. After the ESP 20 is off the carriage 24 the carriage 24 is slowly brought down to the still inclined subframe 30. Upon landing in the subframe 30, the hydraulic system linkage 38 is activated to lower the subframe 30 back down to the base frame 34. The trailer 10 is then ready to go over the road.
[0011] Those skilled in the art will realize that an ESP can be delivered to a site fully assembled and picked up and lowered into a wellbore as an assembly. The reverse is also possible using this equipment.
[0012] As an option the base frame 34 can be mounted to translate longitudinally with respect to the truck bed 36 to allow a closer approach to the wellhead than would otherwise be allowed with the trailer 10. While a trailer 10 is illustrated, the described assembly can be a part of a self propelled vehicle such as a straight truck. While an ESP is contemplated to be used with such a service vehicle, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of downhole equipment can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0013] When installing an ESP, the assembly can be built onto the carriage 24 inside a shop and out of the weather and delivered to a site as an assembly for installation. Field assembly of the ESP components is no longer required. With the ability to tilt the carriage 24 with respect to the already inclined subframe 30 the handling of the assembled ESP is simplified due to the ability to get the ESP closer to vertical before lifting it off the carriage 24. As a further option the base frame 34 can be mounted to translate toward the well to get the end of the ESP that is being picked up that much closer to the well to allow for a safer repositioning of the ESP from the carriage 24 to a supported vertical position over the wellhead.
[0014] The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below.
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