REMOTELY CONTROLLED ASSEMBLY FOR WELLBORE FLOW DIVERTER

Abstract: A wellbore flow diverter has a housing (12) with a main bore (19) therethrough for fluid flow and a diverter bore (18) therethrough for diverted fluid flow, the diverter bore in fluid communication with the main bore, internal apparatus (34) including a spindle (59) with a portion thereof (35) within the housing, the internal apparatus for selectively closing off the main bore, at least one securement apparatus (54, 57, 93) for releasably holding the internal apparatus in the housing, and a remote control system (70) operatively interconnected with and for remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus in the housing.

Description: Remotely Controlled Assembly for Wellbore Flow Diverter This invention is directed to a control head flow diverter for a wellbore system and, in one particular aspect to a remotely controlled flow diverter whose interior apparatus is non-manually removable. There are a variety of control head flow diverters in the prior art. Fig. 7 shows a typical prior art control head flow diverter F that is secured on top of a typical blow out preventer ("BOP") stack (not shown). The head F has inner mechanisms, structures and apparatus, including a rotatable spindle S whose top is connected to a kelly and whose bottom is connected to a metal ring M and a movable or collapsible seal R. Bearings B facilitate rotation of the spindle S. Bolts L and T releasably secure the internal apparatus including the spindle S to a main body A of the head F. Flow enters the head F from below through an opening O. In response to the pressure of this fluid, the seal R closes to stop flow through the top of the spindle S and flow is then diverted out an exit port E. To remove the internal apparatus from the head F, the bolts L which initially extend into a J slot on the spindle preventing its rotation are manually removed, freeing the spindle for rotation and removal. Bolts T secure various parts together. This requires personnel at the location of the head F which is usually beneath a floor of a drilling rig. There has long been a need for an effective, efficient and easily removable control head flow diverter. There has long been a need, recognized by the present inventors, for such a control head that does not require the manual manipulation of bolts to remove the control head from a BOP stack. There has long been a need, recognized by the present inventors, for a remotely controlled and remotely removable control head flow diverter. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wellbore flow diverter with a housing with a main bore therethrough for fluid flow and a diverter bore therethrough for diverted fluid flow, the diverter bore in fluid communication with the main bore, internal apparatus including a spindle with a portion thereof within the housing, the internal apparatus for selectively closing off the main bore, at least one securement apparatus for releasably holding the internal apparatus in the housing, and a remote control system operatively interconnected with and for remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus in the housing. Further features of preferred embodiments of the invention are set out in claims 2-9. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a wellbore flow diverter assembly with a housing with a main bore therethrough for fluid flow and a diverter bore therethrough for diverted fluid flow, the diverter bore in fluid communication with the main bore, internal apparatus including a spindle with a portion thereof within the housing for selectively closing off main bore, the internal apparatus rotatable within the housing to a position at which it is secured therein against rotation, at least one securement apparatus for releasably holding the internal apparatus in the housing, and remote control system interconnected with and for remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus in the housing, the at least one securement apparatus including a plurality of spaced apart locking cylinders, each mounted on the housing and having a cylinder rod end movable within the housing to block rotation of the internal apparatus therein, and the at least one securement apparatus including a plurality of spaced-apart torque cylinders, each mounted at one end to mounting apparatus interconnected with the housing for rotating the internal apparatus to free the internal apparatus for removal from the housing. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for handling internal apparatus of a wellbore flow diverter, the wellbore flow diverter comprising a housing with a main bore therethrough for fluid flow and a diverter bore therethrough for diverted fluid flow, the diverter bore in fluid communication with the main bore, internal apparatus including a spindle with a portion thereof within the housing, the internal apparatus for selectively closing off the main bore, at least one securement apparatus for releasably holding the internal apparatus in the housing, and remote control system operatively interconnected with and for remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus in the housing, the method comprising releasably holding the internal apparatus within the housing with the at least one securement apparatus. Further features of preferred embodiments of the invention are set out in claims 12-20. Thus, preferred embodiments of the present invention disclose a control head flow diverter with a main housing within which internal apparatus is releasably held by one or more remotely controlled mechanisms which do not require manual manipulation for release of the internal apparatus from the main housing; although such manual manipulation is possible. The internal apparatus may include a seal element (e.g., but not limited to an element like the element R in Fig. 7) for diverting flow from a typical exit up through a spindle of the internal apparatus to an alternate housing exit port. The internal apparatus of the flow diverter may have a series of lugs that releasably enter slots in the main housing. To prevent movement of the internal apparatus to a position that allows it to be removed from a top opening of the main housing, one or more remotely controlled side cylinders mounted on the exterior of the main housing each has an end projectable into the housing and into a slot, thus preventing removal of the internal apparatus until the cylinder ends are retracted. The slot may be any desired shape and may, in one aspect, have a vertical portion and an inner communicating horizontal portion. Preferably, upon selective retraction of the side cylinder ends, rotation of the internal apparatus is permitted to a position in which it is freed so the lugs may move upwardly in a vertical portion of the slot, and the internal apparatus may be lifted out from the main housing. One or more remotely controlled torque cylinders, in certain aspects of the invention, are on a mounting plate on which the internal apparatus is mounted and the torque cylinder(s) is/are selectively activated to rotate the internal apparatus, thereby positioning the lugs for upward vertical movement in the vertical slot portion. The or each torque cylinder, preferably, has a downwardly projecting portion that rides in a corresponding track on a plate on the main housing. When the internal apparatus is removed from the main housing, the plate with the torque cylinders remains on the main housing. In certain aspects the side cylinder(s) and/or torque cylinder(s) are remotely controlled while in other aspects any of the cylinders may also be manually manipulated for selective removal of the internal apparatus up through the main housing. For a better understanding of the present invention and in order to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1A and IB are top views of a control head flow diverter according to the present invention. Fig. IC is a view along line 1C-1C of Fig. 1A. Fig. ID is a view along line ID-ID of Fig. IB. Fig. IE and IF are cross-section views along lines IE-IE of Fig. ID. Fig. 1G shows partially an internal apparatus of the diverter of Fig. 1A. Fig. 1H is a side view of a housing of the diverter of Fig. 1A. Fig. 2A is a top view of a plate of the head of Fig. 1A. Fig. 2B is a view along lines 2B-2B of Fig. 2 A. Fig. 3A is a perspective view of a mounting plate of the system of Fig. 1A. Fig. 3B is a top view and Fig. 3C is a side view of the plate of Fig. 3 A. Fig. 4 is a top view of a plate of the system of Fig. IC with brackets and torque cylinders attached. Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a torque cylinder as in Fig. 4 and its mounting hardware. Fig. 6A is a side view of a side cylinder's housing as in Fig. IC. Fig. 6B is an end view of the housing of Fig. 6A. Fig. 6C is a top view of a mounting bracket for the housing of Fig. 6B. Fig. 6D is a front view of a plate used with the bracket of Fig. 6C. Fig. 7 is a side cross-section view of a prior art control head flow diverter. Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a control circuit for a system as in Fig. 1A. Fig. 9A is a top view of the apparatus of Fig. 9B. Fig. 9B is a side view of a flow diverter according to the present invention. Fig. 9C is another side view of the diverter of Fig. 9B. Figs 1A - IF show a control head flow diverter ("head") 10 with a main housing 12 having a top opening 14, an interior 16, a side flow port 18, and a bottom opening 19. A lower plate 22 is secured above a plate 30 to the housing 12 with bolts 24. The plate 22 has tracks 28 formed therein. A mounting plate 32 is secured on the member 26 by bolts 24. Internal head apparatus 34 is secured to the mounting plate 32 and has a spindle 59 (like the spindle S, Fig. 7) and related structures 35 that extend down into the housing 12, including a hollow cylindrical member 26 on the plate 22. A seal element 90 is connected to the bottom of the spindle 59 (and may be any known suitable seal element, e.g. but not limited to, that of Fig. 7). Lugs 93 project out from the spindle 59 and are movable into and out of the slots 57. Pins 36 extend through holes 38 in the plate 32 into corresponding holes 42 in the cylinders 60 to secure the plate 32 to the cylinders 60. Locking cylinders 50 in protective shrouds 52 are mounted on the sides of the housing 12. Rods 54 of the cylinders 50 project through the housing 12. As shown, the slots 57 have a vertical portion and a lower horizontal portion into which lugs 93 are movable. As shown in Figs. 1A and IB, torque cylinders 60 are movably mounted between brackets 62 which are secured to the plate 22 and the member 26 with the lower projections 44 of cylinder ends 13 movable in the tracks 28 of the plate 22. Fig. 6C shows a mounting bracket 67 for the shrouds 52. Fig. 6D shows a plate 91 used with the bracket 67. Fig. 8 shows schematically a control system 70 for the side cylinders 50 and the torque cylinders 60 with a suction strainer 71, a pump/motor subsystem 72, a two- position safety valve 73, a return filter 74, a relief valve 75, a three position directional valve 76, sequence valves 77 and 78, a fluid level gauge 79, a vent 80, a fluid reservoir 81, and optional flow control valves 82 which maintain the same pressure in the torque cylinders so that they apply a balanced force. Known fluid flow lines and hoses are used between the various components of the system In one method of operation of an apparatus 10, controls, valves, and flow lines etc. of the system 70 are used. The pump/motor subsystem 72 provides and maintains pressurized hydraulic fluid pumped from the reservoir 81 to various flow lines and system components. The relief valve 75 is set at a suitable predetermined pressure. Initially the spindle and internal apparatus 34 is locked in place (as in Fig. IF). To remove it from the main housing 12 (e.g. to "trip" out of the wellbore), the valves 73 and 76 are actuated (using, in one aspect, a control console CC remote from the system 10) so that pressurized hydraulic fluid flows to retract the ends 54 of the locking cylinders 50 (as in Fig. 1A). Fluid also flows to the valve 77 which prevents fluid, initially, from flowing to the torque cylinders 60. When fluid flow to the valve 77 reaches a predetermined pressure, pressurized fluid flows to the torque cylinders 60, extending them (as in Fig.lA) and thereby rotating the mounting plate 32 and the internal apparatus 34 connected thereto to an unlocked position (as in Fig. IE). The internal apparatus 34 can then be removed, e.g. with a line, drill string, or cable connected to lifting eyes 84. The pins 36 are not secured to the cylinder ends, but are movable in the holes therein and therefrom. To reinstall internal apparatus 34, it is positioned above the main housing 12, the pins 36 are aligned with the holes 42 in the cylinder ends 13, and it is then moved down so that the pins 36 enter the holes 42 and the internal apparatus 34 then moves down within the main housing 12 of the flow diverter 10. Valves 73 and 76 are actuated and fluid flows to retract the cylinders 60 moving the apparatus 34 so that the ends 55 can be moved inwardly in the slots to block movement of the lugs 93. At this time fluid flows to the valve 78 which prevents the fluid from flowing to the locking cylinders 50 until a predetermined pressure. Then the locking cylinders 50 are actuated when sufficient fluid pressure is applied to and through the valve 78 to actuate the locking cylinders 50 and to thereby lock the internal apparatus 34 in place. Figs. 9A - 9C show another embodiment of a system 100 according to the present invention which is like the system 10 (and the same numerals for the system 100 indicate the same parts as in the system 10), but with an entry guide 102 having slots 104 for guiding the pins 36 into the holes 42 in the cylinder ends 13.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A wellbore flow diverter comprising a housing (12) with a main bore (19) therethrough for fluid flow and a diverter bore (18) therethrough for diverted fluid flow, the diverter bore in fluid communication with the main bore, internal apparatus (34) including a spindle (59) with a portion thereof (35) within the housing, the internal apparatus for selectively closing off the main bore, at least one securement apparatus (54,57,93) for releasably holding the internal apparatus in the housing, and a remote control system (70) operatively interconnected with and for remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus in the housing. 2. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the internal apparatus (34) is rotatable within the housing (12) and the at least one securement apparatus includes at least one locking cylinder (50) mounted on the housing and having a cylinder rod end (54) movable within the housing to block rotation of the internal apparatus therein. 3. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one locking cylinder (50) is a plurality of spaced apart locking cylinders. 4. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the internal apparatus (34) is rotatable within the housing (12) and the at least one securement apparatus includes at least one torque cylinder (60) mounted at one end to mounting apparatus (62) interconnected with the housing, the at least one securement apparatus for rotating the internal apparatus to free the internal apparatus for removal from the housing. 5. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one torque cylinder is a plurality of spaced-apart torque cylinders. 6. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the internal apparatus (34) is rotatable within the housing (12) to secure it therein against rotation and the at least one securement apparatus includes first apparatus (54) for selectively preventing rotation of the internal apparatus within the housing and second apparatus (60) for selectively rotating the internal apparatus to free the internal apparatus for removal from the housing, and the remote control system (70) includes sequencing apparatus for selective actuation of the first apparatus and the second apparatus. 7. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the at least one torque cylinder (60) is a plurality of torque cylinders each with a torque cylinder end; each torque cylinder end has a hole (42) therein with an opening on top of the torque cylinder end; and the internal apparatus includes a mount plate (32) with pins (36), one pin for removable entry into a hole in torque cylinder end. 8. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the torque cylinder ends has a lower projection, and the housing has for each torque cylinder end a track (28) in which a lower projection of a torque cylinder end is releasably movable. 9. A wellbore flow diverter as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one securement apparatus includes at least one lug (93) projecting out from the internal apparatus (34) and at least one slot (57) in the housing interior into which and from which the at least one lug is movable. 10. A wellbore flow diverter assembly comprising a housing (12) with a main bore (19) therethrough for fluid flow and a diverter bore (18) therethrough for diverted fluid flow, the diverter bore in fluid communication with the main bore, internal apparatus (34) including a spindle (59) with a portion thereof (35) • within the housing for selectively closing off main bore, the internal apparatus rotatable within the housing to a position at which it is secured therein against rotation, at least one securement apparatus (50,93) for releasably holding the internal apparatus in the housing, and a remote control system (70) interconnected with and for remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus in the housing, the at least one securement apparatus including a plurality of spaced apart locking cylinders (50), each mounted on the housing and having a cylinder rod end (54) movable within the housing to block rotation of the internal apparatus therein, and the at least one securement apparatus including a plurality of spaced-apart torque cylinders (60), each mounted at one end to mounting apparatus (62) interconnected with the housing for rotating the internal apparatus to free the internal apparatus for removal from the housing. 11. A method for handling internal apparatus (34) of a wellbore flow diverter, the wellbore flow diverter comprising a housing (12) with a main bore (19) therethrough for fluid flow and a diverter bore (18) therethrough for diverted fluid flow, the diverter bore in fluid communication with the main bore, internal apparatus (34) including a spindle (59) with a portion (35) thereof within the housing, the internal apparatus for selectively closing off the main bore, at least one securement apparatus (50,93) for releasably holding the internal apparatus in the housing, and a remote control system (70) operatively interconnected with and for remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus in the housing, the method comprising releasably holding the internal apparatus within the housing with the at least one securement apparatus. 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising remotely controlling the at least one securement apparatus (50,93) to unlock the internal apparatus from the housing. 13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the internal apparatus (34) is rotatable within the housing (12) to a position at which it is securable therein against rotation and the at least one securement apparatus includes at least one locking cylinder (50) mounted on the housing and having a cylinder rod end (54) movable within the housing to block rotation of the internal apparatus therein, the method further comprising blocking rotation of the internal apparatus (34) with the cylinder rod end (54) of the at least one locking cylinder (50). 14. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the internal apparatus (34) is rotatable within the housing (12) to a position at which it is securable therein against rotation and the at least one securement apparatus (50,93) includes at least one torque cylinder (60) mounted at one end to mounting apparatus (60) interconnected with the housing for rotating the internal apparatus to a position at which it is liftable from the housing, the method further comprising rotating the internal apparatus with the at least one torque cylinder. 15. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the internal apparatus (34) is rotatable within the housing (12) to a position at which it is securable therein against rotation and the at least one securement apparatus (50,93) includes first apparatus (50) for selectively preventing rotation of the internal apparatus within the housing and second apparatus (60) for selectively rotating the internal apparatus to free the internal apparatus for removal from the housing, and the remote control system (70) includes sequencing apparatus for selective actuation of the first apparatus and the second apparatus, the method further comprising selectively operating the first apparatus and the second apparatus in sequence. 16. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising removing the internal apparatus (34) from the housing (12). 17. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising following removal of the internal apparatus (34) from the housing (12), installing the internal apparatus within the housing and remotely actuating the at least one securement apparatus to releasably hold the at least one securement apparatus within the housing. 18. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one locking cylinder (50) is a plurality of spaced apart locking cylinders and wherein the at least one torque cylinder is a plurality of spaced-apart torque cylinders. 19. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the internal apparatus (34) includes a mount plate (12) with downwardly projecting pins (36) and each torque cylinder end has a hole (42) corresponding to one of the pins, and the method further comprising selectively moving the pins into and out of the holes. 20. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the housing (12) has a track (28) for a lower projection of each torque cylinder end, the method further comprising movably positioning each torque cylinder end lower projection in a track.

Inventors: BAILEY THOMAS FLOYD, KUCK MARC DAVID, BAILEY, THOMAS, FLOYD, KUCK, MARC, DAVID
Applicants: HARDING RICHARD PATRICK, WEATHERFORD LAMB, HARDING, RICHARD, PATRICK, WEATHERFORD/LAMB, INC.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E21B
IPC codes: E21B33