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You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text: 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates in general to an improved wear bushing system, and in particular to an improved bit-run wear bushing and tool and method of operation. 
         [0003]    2. Brief Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A wear bushing or seat protector is used in drilling applications to protect the inner profiles of the various components in the wellhead. In the prior art, wear bushings typically have been run or lowered down to the wellhead on a separate trip. One type of bit run wear bushing is held to a tool via shear pins. This bit run wear bushing has an internal ledge with a reduced inner diameter for retrieval. However, the bit run wear bushing is not suitable to protect all of the seats inside a wellbore. Thus an improved bit run wear bushing would be desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Various embodiments of this invention provide a way to protect one or more surfaces inside a wellbore. In an exemplary embodiment, a running tool is attached to a drill string. One or more seat protectors are attached to the running tool. When the drill string is lowered into the wellbore to perform drilling operations, the seat protectors detach from the running tool as the tool passes through the surface to be protected. The seat protectors remain in place during the drilling operation, and are then retrieved when the drill string is withdrawn from the wellbore. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    So that the manner in which the features, advantages and objects of the invention, as well as others which will become apparent, are attained and can be understood in more detail, more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to the embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the appended drawings, which drawings form a part of this specification. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only a preferred embodiment of the invention and is therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope as the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing the inside of a wellbore prior to installing a wear bushing. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view showing the wellbore of  FIG. 1  with a lower casing string installed, prior to installing a wear bushing. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing the wellbore of  FIG. 1  with a lower and middle casing string installed, prior to installing a wear bushing. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a quarter sectional view of a set of seat protectors in the wellhead housing of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a quarter sectional detail view showing a set of seat protectors in the wellhead housing of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are quarter sectional views showing the smart latch device of the seat protectors of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a quarter sectional view of two of the seat protectors of  FIG. 4  at the intermediate landing sub of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a quarter sectional view of one of the seat protectors of  FIG. 4  at the lower landing sub of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the running tool of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the seat protectors of  FIG. 4  installed in the wellbore of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is a quarter sectional view of an alternative configuration of the seat protectors of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and the prime notation, if used, indicates similar elements in alternative embodiments. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a wellhead  10  is presented, and represented generally by reference numeral  10 . The illustrated wellhead  10  has a tubular outer wellhead housing  12  with an inner bore. A string of outer casing or conductor pipe  13  is attached to outer wellhead housing  10 . The inner bore concentrically accepts an inner wellhead housing  14  that is supported by an inner wellhead housing support  16  on the outer wellhead housing  12 . The inner wellhead housing support  16  is a shoulder on the outer wellhead housing  12  that slopes downward and inward, and mates with the inner wellhead housing  14 . 
         [0020]    A section of casing  18  is suspended from the inner wellhead housing  14  of the wellhead  10 . In an exemplary embodiment, the upper casing  18  is a nominal 22″ casing that may extend, for example, several thousand feet down to a first landing sub  20 . Below the middle landing sub  20 , a middle casing  22  extends downward to a second landing sub  24 . A lower casing  26  extends downward from the second landing sub  24 . 
         [0021]    A nominal seat protector (“NSP”) is a type of wear bushing that may be inserted into a wellhead component to protect the bore of the wellhead component from damage as drill bits, drill pipe, etc., are passed back and forth though the bore of the wellhead component. In the illustrated embodiment, an NSP may be deployed within the inner wellhead housing  14  and landing subs  20 ,  24  to protect bore surfaces of the inner wellhead housing and/or landing subs. A first NSP  30  is illustrated with dashed lines within the inner wellhead housing  14 . In addition, a second NSP  32  is provided to protect bore surfaces of the first landing sub  20 . Finally, a third NSP  34  is presented in the illustrated embodiment to protect bore surfaces of the second landing sub  24 . 
         [0022]    The minimum inner diameter of the landing shoulder in wellhead housing  14  is greater than the minimum inner diameter of middle landing sub  20 . In addition, the minimum inner diameter of middle landing sub  20  is greater than the minimum inner diameter of lower landing sub  24 . Similarly, the outer diameter of first NSP  30  is greater than the outer diameter of second NSP  32 , which is greater than the outer diameter of third NSP  34 . 
         [0023]    In the illustrated embodiment, the NSPs are bit-run NSPs that are deployed by a running tool deployed as part of a drill string having a drill bit at the bottom (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). The running tool is used to install all three NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  on a single trip of the drill string into the well. In the Illustrated embodiment, the NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  are attached to the running tool and sequentially released as the drill string is lowered down the wellbore. 
         [0024]    As the drill string is lowered down through the inner wellhead housing  14 , the second NSP  32  and the third NSP  34  pass through the wellhead  12 . However, when the first NSP  30  reaches the inner wellhead housing  14 , the first NSP  30  engages the inner wellhead housing  14  and detaches from the second NSP  32  and the running tool, thereby remaining in the inner wellhead housing  14 . The portions of the drill string above the inner wellhead housing  14  continue to descend through the center of the first NSP  30 . 
         [0025]    When the running tool reaches the first landing sub  20 , the third NSP  34  passes through the first landing sub  20 . However, the second NSP  32  engages the first landing sub  20  and detaches from the third NSP  34  and the running tool, remaining in place inside the first landing sub  20 . As above, the drill string continues to descend through the second NSP  32 . Finally, when the running tool reaches the second landing sub  24 , the third NSP  34  engages the second landing sub  24  and detaches from the running tool, remaining in place to protect the second landing sub as the drill string continues to descend through the third NSP  34 . The design and operation of the running tool and NSP bushings will be discussed in greater detail in  FIGS. 4-11 . 
         [0026]    As noted above, in the illustrated embodiment, three NSPs are deployed. In this embodiment, the first NSP  30  is a 22″ NSP, the second NSP  32  is a 16″ NSP, and the third NSP  34  is an 18″ NSP. The dimensions 22″, 16″, and 18″ correspond to the nominal size in inches of the pipe which will eventually hang on the inner wellhead housing  14  and the landing subs, respectively. However, NSPs having other diameters may be used. Any number of NSPs may be deployed on a single trip, including, for example, two, three, four, or more. The NSPs may be sized to fit on any size seat within the wellhead and may be used with any size pipe. 
         [0027]    Referring generally to  FIG. 2 , in the exemplary embodiment, after drilling through the assembly of  FIG. 1 , all three NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  are retrieved. Then a string of casing  42  is installed with a casing hanger  40  landing on lower landing sub  24 . After cementing casing  42 , the operator re-runs the drill string and running tool and re-deploys an upper NSP  30  and a second NSP  32  in the wellhead  10 . In an exemplary embodiment, the lower landing sub  24  is a nominal 18″ landing sub, which supports a nominal 18″ lower casing hanger  40 . A medium diameter casing  42  is suspended from the lower casing hanger  40 . The medium diameter casing  42  may extend several thousand feet below the lower landing sub  24 . The first NSP  30  may be used to protect the inner wellhead housing  14  and the second NSP  32  may be used to protect the first landing sub  20  after the casing hanger  40  is installed in the second landing sub  24 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in an exemplary embodiment, the operator has drilled deeper through casing  42  and retrieved the running tool and NSPs  32  and  34 . The operator then installs a string of casing  46  attached to a middle casing hanger  44 . After cementing, the operator runs the drill string down and re-deploys a first NSP  30  in the inner wellhead housing  14 . In  FIG. 3 , the middle landing sub  20  supports a middle casing hanger  44 . In an exemplary embodiment, the middle landing sub  20  is a nominal 16″ landing sub, which supports a nominal 16″ middle casing hanger  44 . A small diameter casing  46  is suspended from the from the middle casing hanger  44 . In an exemplary embodiment, the small diameter casing  46  is a nominal 16″ casing. The small diameter casing  46  may extend several thousand feet below the middle landing sub  20 , and extends through the lower landing sub  24 . The first NSP  30  may be used to protect the inner wellhead housing  14  after the middle casing hanger  44  is installed in the middle landing sub  20  and the well is being drilled deeper. Subsequently, the operator retrieves the drill string and the first NSP  30 , then runs a final string of casing which is supported on wellhead housing  14 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in the illustrated embodiment, the bit run NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  are bushings that have a cylindrical shape rotated about an axis  50  with a bore through their centers. The outer diameter (“OD”) of the first NSP  30  is smaller than the inner diameter (“ID”) of the wellhead housing  14 , with the exception of the wellhead housing  14  landing surface  76  which will be described in  FIG. 5 . As noted above, the OD of the second NSP  32  is smaller than the wellhead housing  14  ID and the casing  18 , and thus it is also less than the OD of the top NSP  30 . The OD of the third NSP  34  is smaller than the ID of the wellhead housing  14  and the intermediate landing sub  20 , and is also less than the OD of the intermediate NSP  32 . 
         [0030]    The bit run NSP running tool  52  supports the NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  during installation and removal. The running tool  52  has a support rib  54  that engages the bottom-most NSP  34 . A shoulder  56  on the engagement rib  54  contacts a shoulder  58  on the third NSP  34 . Each of the NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  has a shoulder to engage the engagement rib  54 . Thus any of the NSPs may be placed in the bottom-most position on the running tool  52 . 
         [0031]    The running tool  52  also has a centralizer  60 . The centralizer could be ribs  60 , which are a set of raised surfaces around the outside of the running tool  52 . The outermost portion of the centralizer rib  60  contacts the ID of the intermediate  32  and upper  30  NSP rings. The centralizer ribs  60  keep the intermediate  32  and upper  30  NSP rings centered on the running tool  52  during insertion and removal. 
         [0032]    The ID of the first NSP  30  and second NSP  32  each has a running tool reference surface  62 . This surface  62  may have the smallest diameter of any feature on the NSP  30 ,  32 . The centralizer rib  60  contacts the reference surface  62  to align the NSPs  30 ,  32  on the running tool  52 . In some embodiments, the NSP may have a surface with a smaller ID than the reference surface such as, for example, a spline that extends inward beyond the diameter of the reference surface. 
         [0033]    The top and bottom of the NSP may have chamfers forming a shoulder on the ID  66 ,  68 , the OD  70 ,  72 , or both. The chamfers may help align the NSP into mating surfaces. The inner chamfer surface  68  at the bottom of the first NSP  30  may help align the NSP with a lower NSP  32  or with the running tool  52 . Similarly, the lower support chamfer  74  on the NSP  30  may help align the running tool  52  in the first NSP  30 . The support chamfer  74  could also support the first NSP  30  on a lower NSP, such as the second NSP  32  and third NSP  34 . 
         [0034]    The outer chamfer surface  72  at the bottom of the first NSP  30  may help align the first NSP  30  with the support rib  76  on the high pressure housing  14  during insertion and also facilitate smooth movement through the wellbore. The outer chamfer surface  70  of the first NSP  30  may help guide the first NSP  30  through the wellbore during removal. 
         [0035]    The upper support chamfer  78  on the second  32  and third  34  NSPs may be used to support another NSP. The upper support chamfer  78  may contact the lower support chamfer  74  on an adjacent NSP. The upper support chamfer  78  may also guide and align the third  34  or second NSP  32  when it is not mated with an NSP above it as it moves through the wellbore. 
         [0036]    In this view, the running tool  52  supports the third NSP  34  on the bottom of the running tool. The third NSP  34  supports the second NSP  32 , which in turn supports the first NSP  30 . The three NSP rings may be attached to each other and loaded onto the running tool  52  on the drilling rig platform (not shown) and then lowered together on a single trip down into the wellbore. In an alternative embodiment, each of the NSP rings  30 ,  32 ,  34  may be independently attached to the running tool rather than nesting with each other. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , in an exemplary embodiment, first NSP  30  has a retainer to prevent one NSP from disengaging the adjacent NSP, such as, for example, to prevent first NSP  30  from prematurely disengaging second NSP  32 . The retainer could be, for example, a latch mechanism such as a lock ring  80 . The lock ring  80  fits in a groove  89  on the first NSP  30  and in a corresponding groove  90  on second NSP  32 . The lock ring  80  keeps the grooves aligned. The lock ring  80  could be, for example, a split or snap ring. One or more release pins  82  located behind the lock ring  80  prevent the lock ring  80  from disengaging the second NSP  32 . In its natural state, the lock ring  80  expands to release the adjacent NSP  32 . The release pins  82  prevent the lock ring from expanding. 
         [0038]    The NSP has a sliding sleeve  84  that contacts a shoulder  86  on the well head housing  14  or landing sub. The sliding sleeve  84  blocks the release pins  82  from moving. Alternatively, the well head housing  14  could be a landing sub. When the sliding sleeve  84  contacts the shoulder  86 , the sliding sleeve  84  is held stationary while the NSP  30  continues to move down in the wellbore. The sliding sleeve  84  has a return spring  87  that normally holds the sliding sleeve  84  in the down position. The return spring  87  is illustrated in the expanded position and sliding sleeve  84  in the down position on the second NSP  32  in  FIG. 5 . This is the position of the sliding sleeves  84  on the NSPs  30 ,  32  when the running tool  52  is moving the NSPs  30 ,  32  through the wellbore. The first NSP  30  in  FIG. 5  depicts the return spring  87  in its collapsed state and the sliding sleeve  84  in the up position. 
         [0039]    The sliding sleeve  84  has a hole or notch  88 . When the notch  88  aligns with the release pin  82 , the release pin goes into the notch, allowing the lock ring  80  to disengage from the groove  90  in the adjacent NSP  34 . When the sliding sleeve  84  is in the down position, the notch  88  is not aligned with the release pin  82  and thus the release pin does not allow the lock ring  80  to expand to its natural state. The first  30  and second  32  NSPs have lock ring mechanisms. The second NSP  32  and third NSP  34  have grooves  90  to receive a lock ring. 
         [0040]    The OD of the first NSP  30  is greater than the ID of the shoulder  86  on the wellhead housing support rib  76 . Thus the shoulder  86  supports the NSP  30 . The OD of the second and third NSPs  32 ,  34  is less than the ID of shoulder  86 , thus the second and third NSPs  32 ,  34  may pass through the shoulder  86 . 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , in an exemplary embodiment, a lockdown device may be used to provide resistance to removal of an NSP installed on a landing sub. The lockdown device could be, for example, an o-ring  91 , a collet, or an elastomer ring on the exterior of the NSP. The NSP may have a groove  92  or some other shape to hold the lockdown device in place. The interior of the wellhead housing  14  and landing subs  20 ,  24  may have a mating surface  93  that corresponds to the location of the lockdown device of an installed NSP  30 ,  32 ,  34 . The mating surface  93  could be a groove, a smooth surface, or could be any other shape. The mating surface  93  could be on the wellhead housing or landing sub, but could also be on any other surface within the wellbore upon which the NSP could be installed. 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , a smart latch device  94  may be used to prevent the sliding sleeve  84  from moving to the up position prematurely. A smart latch  94  could be any device that locks the sliding sleeve  84  in place during movement, and unlocks only when the NSP  30 ,  32  is at a proper location for release, such as at the well head housing  14 . In an exemplary embodiment, the smart latch  94  is a series of pins  96  around the circumference of the sliding sleeve  84  carried in a groove  99  ( FIG. 5 ). The rib  76  on the wellhead housing  14  depresses the pins  96  by, for example, pressing against the pins  96 , which in turn compress an expandable ring  98  that is in contact with the pins. When the pins are pressed in, the expandable ring  98  moves deeper into the groove  99 , and thus clear the sliding sleeve  84 , allowing the NSP  30  to move downward relative to the sliding sleeve  84 . The expandable ring  98  could be, for example, a split ring. In an exemplary embodiment, the shoulder  76  ( FIG. 5 ) on the well head housing  14  is the only device inside the wellbore that is sized to release the smart latch  94 . The smart latch  94  may be used on any NSP that has a sliding sleeve and may be located anywhere on the sliding sleeve. 
         [0043]    The well head housing  14  ( FIG. 6B ) pushes the first NSP  30  smart latch  98  in to unlock the sliding sleeve  84 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , The shoulder of the landing sub  76  in wellhead housing  14  pushes against the sliding sleeve  84 , which allows the release pins  82  to move out, which disengages the locking ring  80 . The first NSP  30  sits on the wellhead housing  14  and remains in place while the running tool  52  and the second and third NSPs  32 ,  34  continue down the wellbore. Similarly, the second NSP  32  may have a smart latch mechanism on its sliding sleeve. 
         [0044]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , after the first NSP  30  (not shown) is detached from the second NSP  32 , the running tool  52  continues to descend the wellbore until it reaches the next landing sub  20 . Upon contacting the support rib  102 , the sliding sleeve  84 , including the locking ring  80  and smart latch  94 , all operate in the same manner as the similar components on the top NSP  30 . The second NSP  32  detaches from the third NSP  34  and remains in place to protect the first landing sub  20 . 
         [0045]    The OD of the intermediate NSP  32  is greater than the ID of the support rib  102 . Thus the support rib  102  engages the intermediate NSP  32  and holds it in place. The OD of the bottom NSP  34  is less than the OD of support rib  102 , and thus the bottom NSP  34  passes through the landing sub  20 . 
         [0046]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , after the second NSP  32  (not shown) is detached from the bottom NSP  34 , the running tool  52  and the bottom NSP  34  continue to descend the wellbore until the third NSP  34  reaches the second landing sub  24 . The support rib  104  engages the support surface  106  on the third NSP  34  and engages the third NSP  34  as the running tool  52  continues to descend below the landing sub  24 . The third NSP  34  remains in place to protect the second landing sub  24 . 
         [0047]    The OD of the third NSP  34  is greater than the ID of the shoulder  104 , thus the shoulder  104  engages the third NSP  34  as the running tool  52  passes through the second landing sub  24 . 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , the running tool  52  has threaded ends  110  that allow it to be installed as a section of the drill string (not shown). The running tool  52 , with multiple NSP rings  30 ,  32 ,  34  ( FIG. 4 ) attached, may be lowered into the wellbore when the drill bit is lowered into the wellbore for the purpose of drilling the well. In an exemplary embodiment, the centralizer ribs  60  that engage the NSP rings (not shown) comprise blades that are spaced circumferentially about the body of running tool  52 . The ribs  60  act as a centralizer to center the NSPs on the running tool  52 . In an exemplary embodiment, the bottom set of ribs  54  is sized to support the third NSP  34  ( FIG. 4 ). The OD of the support ribs  54  is greater than the minimum ID of the NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  ( FIG. 4 ) and thus supports the NSPs vertically above it. The ribs  60 ,  54  may be in any location and shape suitable for engaging one or more NSPs. The engagement surfaces on the NSPs may vary, and thus the configuration of the running tool  52  may vary accordingly. 
         [0049]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , the maximum outer diameter (“OD”) of the first NSP  30  is larger than the diameters of the second and third NSPs  32 ,  34 . When the running tool  52  is lowered into the wellbore, the first NSP  30  is the first of the NSPs to be engaged, and it is engaged by shoulder  76  on well head housing  14 . The well head housing shoulder  76  engages and supports the first NSP  30 . The second and third NSPs  32 ,  34 , with their smaller diameters, pass through the top well head housing  14  without engaging it. 
         [0050]    The second NSP  32  has the next largest OD, and engages the next landing sub  20  in the same manner the first NSP  30  engaged the first landing shoulder  76 . The second NSP  32  has a maximum OD that is larger than the maximum OD of the third NSP  34 . The second NSP  32  engages the shoulder  102  on the first landing sub  14  and detaches from the third NSP  34 . The running tool  52  and third NSP  34  continue to descend the wellbore. 
         [0051]    The third NSP  34  engages the second landing sub  24 . The second landing sub  24  lifts the third NSP  34  off of the running tool  52  as the running tool  52  and the drill string continue down the wellbore. The second landing sub  24  has a shoulder  104  that engages and supports the shoulder  106  of the third NSP  34 . 
         [0052]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the drill string is removed from the wellbore, the NSP rings  30 ,  32 ,  34  are removed from the landing subs  24 ,  20 ,  14 . When the running tool  52  reaches the third NSP  34 , the bottom NSP rests on the engagement rib  54  and the engagement rib supports the third NSP  34  as it lifts the NSP ring off of the second landing sub  24 . When the third NSP  34  reaches the second NSP  32 , the top shoulder  78  on the third NSP  34  contacts the shoulder  74  on the second NSP  32 . 
         [0053]    As the third NSP  34  lifts the second NSP ring  32  off of the first landing sub  20 , the sliding sleeve  84  is lifted off of the landing sub  20 . The sliding sleeve return spring  86  is now able to push the sliding sleeve  84  down. This forces the release pins  96  and the lock ring  80  on the second NSP  32  to engage the lock ring receptacle groove  90  on the third NSP  34 . 
         [0054]    When the second NSP  32  reaches the first NSP  30 , the top shoulder  78  on the second NSP  32  contacts the shoulder  74  on the first NSP  30 . As the second NSP  32  lifts the first NSP  30  off of shoulder  76  in well head housing  14 , the sliding sleeve  84  is lifted off of the shoulder  76 . The sliding sleeve return spring  86  is now able to push the sliding sleeve  84  down. This forces the release pins  96  and the lock ring  80  on the first NSP  30  to engage the lock ring receptacle  90  on the second NSP  32 . 
         [0055]    In an exemplary embodiment, each size NSP ring may nest together with any of the other size NSP rings. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the third NSP  34 , for example, can nest with the second NSP  32 . Referring to  FIG. 11 , if the third NSP ring  34  is not required in an application, the first NSP ring  30  can nest with the second NSP  32  and the second NSP  32  can directly engage the running tool  52  when the third NSP  34  is not present. Furthermore, the third NSP ring  34  is sized to nest directly with the first NSP  30  without the use of second NSP  32 . In an exemplary embodiment, any of the NSP rings may engage the running tool  52  directly and thus be used without any of the other NSPs. 
         [0056]    In an exemplary embodiment, the weight of the NSP ring is sufficient to hold an installed NSP ring in place on the shoulder  76  of inner wellhead  14  housing and landing subs  20 ,  24 , and thus anti-rotation devices are not necessary. In some embodiments, the bit run NSPs  30 ,  32 ,  34  are not required to rotate in place on the landing sub to lock or unlock the NSP in place. Some embodiments may employ anti-rotation devices, such as, for example, a latching mechanism that could require, for example, rotation of the running tool to unlatch the NSP. 
         [0057]    In an exemplary embodiment, the inner diameter of one or more of the NSPs is too small for the drill bit to pass through the NSP. In this case, the NSP is retrieved when the running tool passes up through it so that the drill bit can pass through the landing sub. All of the NSPs may be inserted when the drill string goes down into the wellbore, and all of the NSPs are retrieved when the drill string is withdrawn from the wellbore. The running tool to insert and retrieve the NSP rings is part of the drill string, and thus the NSP ring insertion and removal operations are performed during the ordinary insertion and removal of the drill string and do not require additional time or additional trips down the wellbore. 
         [0058]    While the invention has been shown or described in only some of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the invention.

Summary:
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.