TREATMENT PLUG SETTING TOOL, SETTING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF AVOIDING SETTING A TREATMENT PLUG WHILE RUNNING

Abstract

A treatment plug setting tool includes, a shank, a collet attached to the shank, and a sleeve attached to the shank that is positioned and configured to provide longitudinally compressive support to fingers of the collet while allowing the fingers to radially deflect.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Tubular systems, such as those used in the completion and carbon dioxide sequestration industries often employ anchors to positionally fix one tubular to another tubular, as well as seals to seal the tubulars to one another. Although existing anchoring and sealing tools and systems for setting such tools serve the functions for which they are intended, the industry is always receptive to new systems and methods for anchoring and sealing tubulars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0002] Disclosed herein is a treatment plug setting tool. The tool includes a shank, a collet attached to the shank, and a sleeve attached to the shank that is positioned and configured to provide longitudinally compressive support to fingers of the collet while allowing the fingers to radially deflect.

[0003] Further disclosed herein is a method of preventing actuation of a setting tool while running the setting tool through a tubular. The method includes, longitudinally supporting a collar of the setting tool through protruding portions of fingers of a collet and a perimetrically continuous portion of a sleeve attached to a shank, and preventing actuatingly moving the collar of the setting tool relative to other components of the setting tool.

[0004] Further disclosed herein is a treatment plug and setting system. The system includes, a treatment plug having, a cone, at least one slip in operable communication with the cone that is radially movable in response to longitudinal movement relative to the cone, and a collar configured to prevent longitudinal movement of the at least one slip when the cone is moving relative thereto. The setting system further includes a setting tool having, a shank, a collet attached to the shank, and a sleeve attached to the shank that is positioned and configured to prevent disconnection of the setting tool from the treatment plug until after a releasable member in operable communication with both the sleeve and the collar has been released.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

[0006] FIG. 1 depicts a cross sectional view of a treatment plug and setting tool system disclose herein; and

[0007] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the setting tool shown in FIG. 1 with the sleeve shown as semi-transparent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.

[0009] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a treatment plug setting system is illustrated at 10. The system 10 includes a treatment plug 14 and a setting tool 18. The treatment plug 14 has a cone 22, a plurality of slips 26 and a collar 30. The slips 26 abut the collar 30 and are configured to move with the collar 30 longitudinally relative to the cone 22. Such movement causes the slips 26 to move radially (outwardly in the embodiment illustrated) and into engagement with a structure 34 shown herein as a casing or liner of a borehole in a hydrocarbon recovery completion, for example. Optional, teeth 38 on a surface 42 of the slips 26 bite into the structure 34 to fixedly attach the slips 26 and the bride plug 14 to the structure.

[0010] The setting tool 18 includes a shank 46, a collet 50 and a sleeve 54. Both the collet 50 and the sleeve 54 are attached to the shank 46 by threads 58 and 62, respectively, in this embodiment. An end of the sleeve 54 has a perimetrically continuous wall 70 providing hoop strength to resist radial deformation thereof. The wall 70 and protrusions 74 on fingers 78 of the collet 50 are positioned longitudinally between a releasable member 82, shown herein as a shear ring attached to the collar 30, and a shoulder 84 on the collar 30. The wall 70 provides longitudinal support to the fingers 78 through the protrusions 74 against loads applied to the protrusions 74 from the shoulder 84. This support from the wall 70 prevents the fingers 78 from deforming under compressive loading as might otherwise occur if the collar 30 momentarily catches on the structure 34 during running therethrough. When loading is reversed, angled surfaces 86 on the protrusions 74 are configured to ramp against a complementary surface 90 on the collar 30 to urge the fingers 78 to deflect radially inwardly only after release of the releasable member 82. The radial deflection of the fingers 78 allows the setting tool 18 to release from the treatment plug 14 and to subsequently be retrieved, for example, to surface.

[0011] The releasable member 82 is strong enough to resist releasing while being loaded during the setting of the treatment plug 14. During setting of the treatment plug 14 the cone 22 is moved relative to the slips 26 and the collar 30 thereby causing the slips 26 to expand radially outwardly. This action causes longitudinal loading of the collar 30 that is supported through the releasable member 82 via contact with the continuous wall 70 of the sleeve 54 that is attached to the shank 46. A longitudinal dimension 94 of the continuous wall 70 is sized to prevent contact between the angled surfaces 86 and the surface 90 until after release of the releasable member 82. Only after the releasable member 82 releases the angled surfaces 86 can contact the surface 90 causing the fingers 78 of the collet 60 to deflect allowing disconnection of the setting tool 18 from the treatment plug 14. It should be noted that although both of the angled surfaces 86 and the surface 90 are oriented to cause the fingers 78 to deflect radially, ramping forces would still be generated on the fingers 78 even if only one or the other of the surfaces 86 and 90 were angled.

[0012] Optionally the treatment plug 14 may include a seal 100 configured to sealingly engage with the structure 34 when actuated. Actuation of the seal 100 occurs in a similar fashion to that of the slips 26. A tapered member 104 is moved relative to a tubular 108 that is radially supportive of a seal element 112, which may be made of a ductile material such as a polymer. This movement of the tapered member 104 causes radial expansion of the tubular 108 that causes radial expansion of the seal element 112 into sealing engagement with the structure 34. The tubular 108 may be made of metal or other material that plastically deforms to retain the seal element 112 in sealing engagement even if the tapered member 104 is moved in a reversed direction. Alternate embodiments could have the tapered member 104 engage with the seal element 112 direction without the tubular 108 positioned therebetween. As with the setting of the slips 26 the setting of the seal 100 also causes loading on the collar 30 through the releasable member 82. This loading can be greater, or less than that generated during setting of the slips 26. Regardless of the loads applied to the collar 30 during the setting of the either or both of the slips 26 and the seal 100 the releasable member 82 is configured to not release until after both the slips 26 and the seal 100 are fully set.

[0013] Additionally, the treatment plug 14 may include a ratcheting mechanism 116 that has teeth 120 on the cone 22 that ratchetingly engage with teeth 124 on the collar 30 to maintain slips 26 in a position on the cone 22 to assure that the slips 26 sufficiently remain engaged with the structure 34 even after loads that move the cone 22 relative to the slips 26 has been removed.

[0014] While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Claims

1. A treatment plug setting tool comprising: a shank; a collet attached to the shank; and a sleeve attached to the shank being positioned and configured to provide longitudinally compressive support to fingers of the collet while allowing the fingers to radially deflect.

2. The treatment plug setting tool of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes a perimetrically continuous wall positioned radially of at least a portion of the fingers.

3. The treatment plug setting tool of claim 2, wherein the fingers include radial protrusions that radially overlap the perimetrically continuous wall when the sleeve is providing longitudinally compressive support to the fingers.

4. The treatment plug setting tool of claim 3, wherein the radial protrusions have angled surfaces to bias the fingers radially when urged against an object.

5. The treatment plug setting tool of claim 4, wherein a longitudinal dimension of the perimetrically continuous wall is sized to prevent contact between the angled surfaces and an object.

6. The treatment plug setting tool of claim 1, wherein the fingers are configured to radially deflect inwardly.

7. A method of preventing actuation of a setting tool while miming the setting tool through a tubular, comprising: longitudinally supporting a collar of the setting tool through protruding portions of fingers of a collet and a perimetrically continuous portion of a sleeve attached to a shank; and preventing actuatingly moving the collar of the setting tool relative to other components of the setting.

8. A treatment plug and setting system comprising: a treatment plug comprising: a cone; at least one slip in operable communication with the cone being radially movable in response to longitudinal movement relative to the cone; and a collar configured to prevent longitudinal movement of the at least one slip when the cone is moving relative thereto; and a setting tool comprising: a shank; a collet attached to the shank; and a sleeve attached to the shank being positioned and configured to prevent disconnection of the setting tool from the treatment plug until after a releasable member in operable communication with both the sleeve and the collar has been released.

9. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 8, wherein the sleeve transfers loads of the shank to the releasable member.

10. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 9, wherein a perimetrically continuous portion of the sleeve transfers the loads.

11. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 8, wherein protrusions on fingers of the collet engagable with the collar after release of the releasable member cause radial deflection of the fingers.

12. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 11, wherein the protrusions include angled surfaces that are engagable with the collar.

13. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 11, wherein the radial deflection of the fingers is radially inwardly.

14. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 11, wherein the collar has a ramped surface engagable with the protrusions.

15. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 8, wherein the releasable member is a shear ring.

16. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 8, wherein the treatment plug further includes a seal sealingly engagable with a structure comprising: a tapered member; and a seal element radially deformable in response to longitudinal movement of the tapered member relative thereto.

17. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 16, wherein the seal further includes a tubular in operable communication with the tapered member and the seal element the tubular being configured and positioned to radially expand in response to longitudinal movement relative to the tapered member.

18. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 17, wherein the tubular is metallic.

19. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 16, wherein the seal element is polymeric.

20. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 8, wherein the treatment plug further includes a ratcheting mechanism configured to maintain the cone in position relative to the at least one slip after release of the releasable member.

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