Patent Publication Number: US-9885219-B2

Title: Non-releasing anchor tool when jarring up on a stuck subterranean tool component

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is grip tools to engage a stuck component in a subterranean tool and more particularly grip tools that do not release when jarred up to allow repetitive jarring up followed by jarring down to effect release to pull out of the hole. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Subterranean tools tend to remain in a single position for an extended period of time. During that interval debris in the borehole or debris that comes from the formation into the borehole can get between moving parts and in effect seize them together to the point that the actuation components designed to normally relatively move such components are incapable of budging the stuck component. 
     One example of this is a subsurface safety valve that has a flapper operated by a flow tube that is in turn moved down with a piston moved by pressure in a control line running to the surface. Movement of the flow tube in the downhole direction rotates the flapper 90 degrees so that the flow tube can be moved down and cover over the flapper. In this position the safety valve is open. It can stay in this position for months or years. Some operators exercise such valves periodically to try to prevent seizing by exercising the flow tube before too much debris accumulates. Such tools do not involve jars but the objective is to move a flow tube in opposed directions before there is significant debris buildup. Such tools are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,347,268 and 7,347,269. 
     Other tools used to lock subsurface safety valves open generally combine weights and spang jars to jar down to move either a flow tube or adjacent sleeve into a position where the flapper cannot close. These designs are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,040. 
     Tools that grip a stuck component for jarring up generally have a feature for automatic tool release with the first jarring action to enable removal of the anchor tool and jars. This is illustrated with shear pin 7 in the context of a tool that deforms the flow tube in the down position and locks that position as described in column 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,889. Other tools lock open a subsurface safety valve by jarring up a sleeve under the flow tube in a single motion as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,185. 
     What is needed and provided by the present invention is a grip tool that can be jarred up repeatedly without release and subsequently released to pull out of the hole while held in a position to prevent getting another grip. These and other aspects of the present invention can be more fully understood with the aid of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A grip no goes in a subterranean tool to properly position grip members held radially outward with a cone on delivery of an uphole force. In the case of a subsurface safety valve that has a flow tube the slips are wedged into the flow tube when the grip tool lands on the no go in the subsurface safety valve and is jarred up. Jarring up using spang jars and weight bars can be repeatedly accomplished without releasing the grip tool from the flow tube. Jarring down unsupports the slips to allow them to retract while one or more springs can be used to prevent a re-grip of the flow tube. The grip tool can now be pulled out of the hole with the flow tube broken loose from accumulated debris for subsequent normal operation of the flow tube with the control system for the subsurface safety valve. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a section view of the grip tool being run into a flow tube type subsurface safety valve; 
         FIG. 2  is the view of  FIG. 1  showing the locking dogs extended toward the flow tube that is not shown in this view; 
         FIG. 3  is the view of  FIG. 2  after jarring down so that the cone is spaced from the locking dogs. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Presented below is a table of the part names associated with the number bubbles in  FIG. 1 : 
     
       
         
           
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Number 
                 Description 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 1 
                 Top Sub 
               
               
                 2 
                 Cylinder Sub 
               
               
                 3 
                 Spring Housing 
               
               
                 4 
                 Piston 
               
               
                 5 
                 Flow Tube 
               
               
                 9 
                 Flapper 
               
               
                 10 
                 Bottom Sub 
               
               
                 13 
                 Upper Mandrel 
               
               
                 14 
                 Lower Mandrel 
               
               
                 15 
                 Slip Ramp 
               
               
                 16 
                 Carrier Sleeve 
               
               
                 17 
                 Slip Retainer 
               
               
                 18 
                 Locking Dogs 
               
               
                 19 
                 Setting Spring 
               
               
                 20 
                 Releasing Sleeve 
               
               
                 21 
                 Shear Sleeve 
               
               
                 22 
                 Releasing Spring 
               
               
                 23 
                 Spacing Sleeve 
               
               
                 24 
                 No Go Ring 
               
               
                 25 
                 Spacing Key 
               
               
                 26 
                 Spacing Cap 
               
               
                 27 
                 Shear Stock 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     In  FIG. 1  the upper mandrel  13  is supported by a slickline with spang jars and weight bars and is schematically represented as  30 . All the equipment represented by item  30  is well known in the art and allows jarring in an uphole direction to try to free the flow tube  5  as well as jarring down to break the shear stock  27  so that slip ramp  15  can be moved relative to the locking dogs or slips  18  as seen in the  FIG. 3  position so that another grip of the flow tube  5  cannot be obtained.  FIG. 3  shows the shear stock  27  sheared from a jar down force from item  30  that in turn allows spring  22  to extend and slip ramp  15  to be pushed axially away from slips  18  causing them to lose support. 
     For running in, the spacer sleeve is used to position the slips  18  in the flow tube  5  by locating the assembly of no go ring  24 , the spacing key  25  and the spacing cap  26  to land and find support in the groove  32  in the top sub  1  as shown in  FIG. 1 . While running in to the no go position of  FIG. 1  the ramp  15  is positioned away from the slips  18  to facilitate insertion into top sub  1 . Any upward jarring will cause a wedging action of the slips  18  by the ramp  15 . This holds true for however many uphole jarring blows are administered by item  30 . The flow tube  5  will continue to be gripped by the slips  18 . If the flow tube  5  breaks loose then it should be able to move uphole to the point that the flapper  9  that was covered by the flow tube  5  will be able to rotate in the clockwise direction to close passage  34 . 
     For coming out of the safety valve including the top sub  1 , cylinder sub  2 , spring housing  3  and bottom sub  10 , the release spring  22  keeps the tool extended after shear stock  27  shears. In so doing the force of spring  22  pushes up release sleeve  20  that takes with it carrier sleeve  16  and slip retainer  17  with slips  18 . In that manner another grip of the flow tube  5  for coming out of the hole is avoided. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the grip tool can enter the safety valve and get accurately positioned with the use of the groove  32 . From that latched position jarring up on the upper mandrel  13  will support slips  18  against the flow tube  5  for repeated jars up without release of the grip tool. However, a first jarring down will shear the shear stock  27  and allow tool extension under the force of spring  22  such that another grip of the flow tube  5  is disabled. The tool is removed with the slickline. The tool allows multiple uphole jarring blows to try to get a flow tube from a pushed down position back up so that the safety valve can close followed by an orderly release by jarring down and then pulling out of the hole. 
     Other types of devices can be jarred loose with slickline without tool release. One example may be a sliding sleeve. 
     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: