Wells – Cementing device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2003-05-27
Neuder, William (Department: 3672)
Wells
Cementing device
C166S207000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06568471
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to wellbore casings, and in particular to wellbore casings that are formed using expandable tubing.
Conventionally, when a wellbore is created, a number of casings are installed in the borehole to prevent collapse of the borehole wall and to prevent undesired outflow of drilling fluid into the formation or inflow of fluid from the formation into the borehole. The borehole is drilled in intervals whereby a casing which is to be installed in a lower borehole interval is lowered through a previously installed casing of an upper borehole interval. As a consequence of this procedure the casing of the lower interval is of smaller diameter than the casing of the upper interval. Thus, the casings are in a nested arrangement with casing diameters decreasing in downward direction. Cement annuli are provided between the outer surfaces of the casings and the borehole wall to seal the casings from the borehole wall. As a consequence of this nested arrangement a relatively large borehole diameter is required at the upper part of the wellbore. Such a large borehole diameter involves increased costs due to heavy casing handling equipment, large drill bits and increased volumes of drilling fluid and drill cuttings. Moreover, increased drilling rig time is involved due to required cement pumping, cement hardening, required equipment changes due to large variations in hole diameters drilled in the course of the well, and the large volume of cuttings drilled and removed.
Conventionally, at the surface end of the wellbore, a wellhead is formed that typically includes a surface casing, a number of production and/or drilling spools, valving, and a Christmas tree. Typically the wellhead further includes a concentric arrangement of casings including a production casing and one or more intermediate casings. The casings are typically supported using load bearing slips positioned above the ground. The conventional design and construction of wellheads is expensive and complex.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations of the existing procedures for forming wellbores and wellheads.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for coupling a tubular member to a preexisting structure has been described that includes a first support member including a first fluid passage, a manifold coupled to the support member including: a second fluid passage coupled to the first fluid passage including a throat passage adapted to receive a plug, a third fluid passage coupled to the second fluid passage, and a fourth fluid passage coupled to the second fluid passage, a second support member coupled to the manifold including a fifth fluid passage coupled to the second fluid passage, an expansion cone coupled to the second support member, a tubular member coupled to the first support member including one or more sealing members positioned on an exterior surface, a first interior chamber defined by the portion of the tubular member above the manifold, the first interior chamber coupled to the fourth fluid passage, a second interior chamber defined by the portion of the tubular member between the manifold and the expansion cone, the second interior chamber coupled to the third fluid passage, a third interior chamber defined by the portion of the tubular member below the expansion cone, the third interior chamber coupled to the fifth fluid passage, and a shoe coupled to the tubular member including: a throat passage coupled to the third interior chamber adapted to receive a wiper dart, and a sixth fluid passage coupled to the throat passage.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of coupling a tubular member to a preexisting structure is provided that includes positioning a support member, an expansion cone, and a tubular member within a preexisting structure, injecting a first quantity of a fluidic material into the preexisting structure below the expansion cone, and injecting a second quantity of a fluidic material into the preexisting structure above the expansion cone.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided that includes a preexisting structure and an expanded tubular member coupled to the preexisting structure. The expanded tubular member is coupled to the preexisting structure by the process of: positioning a support member, an expansion cone, and the tubular member within the preexisting structure, injecting a first quantity of a fluidic material into the preexisting structure below the expansion cone, and injecting a second quantity of a fluidic material into the preexisting structure above the expansion cone.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for coupling two elements is provided that includes a support member including one or more support member slots, a tubular member including one or more tubular member slots, and a coupling for removably coupling the tubular member to the support member, including: a coupling body movably coupled to the support member, one or more coupling arms extending from the coupling body and coupling elements extending from corresponding coupling arms adapted to mate with corresponding support member and tubular member slots.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of coupling a first member to a second member is provided that includes forming a first set of coupling slots in the first member, forming a second set of coupling slots in the second member, aligning the first and second pairs of coupling slots and inserting coupling elements into each of the pairs of coupling slots.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for controlling the flow of fluidic materials within a housing is provided that includes a first passage within the housing, a throat passage within the housing fluidicly coupled to the first passage adapted to receive a plug, a second passage within the housing fluidicly coupled to the throat passage, a third passage within the housing fluidicly coupled to the first passage, one or more valve chambers within the housing fluidicly coupled to the third passage including moveable valve elements, a fourth passage within the housing fluidicly coupled to the valve chambers and a region outside of the housing, a fifth passage within the housing fluidicly coupled to the second passage and controllably coupled to the valve chambers by corresponding valve elements, and a sixth passage within the housing fluidicly coupled to the second passage and the valve chambers.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling the flow of fluidic materials within a housing including an inlet passage and an outlet passage is provided that includes injecting fluidic materials into the inlet passage, blocking the inlet passage, and opening the outlet passage.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided that includes a first tubular member, a second tubular member positioned within and coupled to the first tubular member, a first annular chamber defined by the space between the first and second tubular members, an annular piston movably coupled to the second tubular member and positioned within the first annular chamber, an annular sleeve coupled to the annular piston and positioned within the first annular chamber, a third annular member coupled to the second annular member and positioned within and movably coupled to the annular sleeve, a second annular chamber defined by the space between the annular piston, the third annular member, the second tubular member, and the annular sleeve, an inlet passage fluidicly coupled to the first annular chamber, and an outlet passage fluidicly coupled to the second annular chamber.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of applying an axial force to a first piston positioned within a first piston chamber is provided that includes applying an axial force to the first piston using a second piston p
Brisco David Paul
Bullock Michael
Cook Robert Lance
Ring Lev
Dougherty Jennifer
Haynes and Boone LLP
Mattingly Todd
Neuder William
Shell Oil Company
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