Patent Publication Number: US-2007095525-A1

Title: Coiled tubing work floor downhole tool handling system

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      This invention relates to a work station and more specifically relates to a work station with a work floor, which may be an adjustable work floor, and a tool handling system for connecting tools to coiled tubing.  
      Reeled, or coiled tubing is run into wells with coiled tubing injectors for performing certain downhole operations. Such downhole operations may include, for example, washing out sand bridges, circulating treating fluids, setting downhole tools, cleaning the walls of well pipes, conducting production fluids or lift gas, and a number of other similar remedial or production operations. Thus, opportunities exist to utilize coiled tubing technology in the drilling, completion and workover of new wells and in re-entries. Coiled tubing is generally supplied on a drum or reel, and is spooled off the reel into a coiled tubing injector assembly. The coiled tubing injector assembly generally will comprise a curvilinear gooseneck or tubing guide and a coiled tubing injector apparatus positioned therebelow. The coiled tubing and tools attached thereto are inserted into the well and retracted therefrom with the coiled tubing injector apparatus. Coiled tubing is generally inserted into the well through a lubricator assembly or stuffing box which seals the well for pressure retention in the well.  
      A variety of tools may be attached or connected to the coiled tubing depending on the operation to be performed with the coiled tubing. To attach tools to the end of the coiled tubing, the coiled tubing assembly, including the gooseneck and the tubing injector apparatus are generally suspended above the ground with a crane, and coiled tubing is inserted through the tubing injector so that it hangs below the tubing injector apparatus. A worker positioned below the suspended coiled tubing injector assembly will typically be required to connect tools to the coiled tubing while standing beneath the suspended coiled tubing injector assembly. The worker is required to lift the tool to engage the end of the coiled tubing or to engage the end of a tool already attached to the coiled tubing and to rotate the tool to thread the tool onto a connector utilized to attach the tool to the coiled tubing. The connecting operation can often be a difficult and arduous task and has some dangers associated therewith such as for example falling objects and/or the danger that the crane could slip and/or give way and cause the entire assembly to drop unexpectedly. In addition, the ground upon which the worker is standing may oftentimes be uneven, wet or unstable which can likewise create a danger of injury for a worker attempting to connect a tool to the coiled tubing. The work station of the current invention addresses these and other issues.  
     SUMMARY  
      The coiled tubing invention of the present invention comprises an elevated work platform, which is preferably an adjustable work platform, and a protective shield both mounted to a support structure. The tool holder is also mounted to the support structure. The work station may be mounted to a trailer and may be pivotally connected thereto so that it is movable from a transport position to a working position.  
      In the working position of the work station, the protective shield is rotated from a transport or closed position to an extended position. Likewise, in the working position, the elevated work platform is rotated from a closed or retracted position to an extended position. In the working position of the work station, a worker may be supported by the work platform and protected from above by the protective shield. Coiled tubing may extend through the protective shield from a coiled tubing injector assembly suspended thereabove. A tool may be positioned in the tool holder so that a worker positioned on the work platform may manipulate the tool to connect the tool to the coiled tubing. The tool holder may comprise a housing with a biasing means such as a spring disposed therein.  
      The spring will urge a tool positioned in the tool holder towards the coiled tubing to aid in lifting the tool towards the coiled tubing thus decreasing the amount of weight a worker is required to support when attempting to connect a tool to the coiled tubing. The tool holder may be adjustable so that its position relative to the coiled tubing may be adjusted. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows a work station mounted to a trailer in a transport position.  
       FIG. 2  shows the work station of the current invention in a working position with a coiled tubing injector assembly suspended thereabove.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the connection of the work station to a trailer.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the work station without the work platform.  
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the work station in its working position.  
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the work station without the work platform.  
       FIG. 7  is a partial side view of the work station with the protective shield in the transport position.  
       FIG. 8  is a view from line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 5 .  
       FIG. 9  is a top view of the work station in a working position.  
       FIG. 10  is a cross-section view of the tool holder of the current invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , a work station  10  is shown mounted to a trailer  15 . In the embodiment shown, work station  10  is a trailer-mounted work station  10  and is movable with trailer  15 .  FIG. 1  shows the work station in a transport position with a coiled tubing injector assembly  20  mounted thereto. While the embodiment shown shows a trailer-mounted work station  10 , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to trailer-mounted work stations but includes freestanding work stations supported upon a ground surface. Coiled tubing injector assembly  20  includes a coiled tubing injector apparatus  25  and a gooseneck or tubing guide  30  attached thereto.  FIG. 2  shows work station  10  in a rotated, or working position. The work station  10  is movable between its transport position shown in  FIG. 1  and the working position shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  schematically shows the tubing injector assembly  25  suspended above the ground so that tools may be connected to coiled tubing  32 . Tubing injector assembly  25  may be suspended with a crane (not shown). Coiled tubing  32  will be spooled off a reel (not shown) and will be inserted into and withdrawn from a well utilizing tubing injector assembly  20 .  FIG. 2  schematically shows coiled tubing  32  extending from the lower end of the coiled tubing injector  25  positioned for connection to a tool such as a tool  34 .  
      Work station  10  comprises a protective shield  40  and a work platform  42  both of which may be attached to a support structure  44 . A tool holder  45  is also attached to support structure  44 , and will support a tool, such as tool  34 , for connection to coiled tubing  32 . Support structure  44  is a rigid support structure and may comprise vertical supports or vertical frame members  46 . As will be discussed in more detail hereinbelow, support structure  44  may be pivotally connected to trailer  15  at vertical support members  46 . Support structure  44  may further include a plurality of cross beams connected to and extending between the vertical support members  46  such as a lower cross beam  48 , an intermediate cross beam  50  and an upper cross beam  52 . Upper cross beam  52  comprises a portion of a cage  54  positioned at an upper end  56  of support members  46 . Support members  46  have a lower end  58 .  
      Cage  54  comprises upper cross beam  52  and side members  60  connected to and extending rearwardly from support members  46 . Side members  60  have a forward end  62  and rear end  64 . A connecting beam  66  extends between and is connected to side members  60  at rear end  64 . Protective shield  40  is shown in the working position of the work station  10  in  FIG. 4 , which may also be referred to as the open or expanded position of the protective shield  40 . In the transport position, protective shield  40  is in a closed or retracted position as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 7 .  
      Protective shield  40  is movable relative to support structure  44  from its retracted position to its expanded position, and is pivotally connected to support structure  44 . Protective shield  40  is connected with a pair of forward connecting rods  70  which may comprise left and right forward connecting rods  72  and  74  and rear connecting rods  76  which may comprise left rear and right rear connecting rods  78  and  80 , respectively. Forward connecting rods  70  and rear connecting rods  76  may be pivotally connected with pivot pins or by any other means known in the art for making pivotal connections. Forward connecting rods  70  may be pivotably connected to protective shield  40  with pins  71 , and to support members  46  with pins  73 . Rear connecting rods  76  may be pivotably connected to protective shield  40  with pins  77  and to side members  60  with pins  79 . Upper cross beam  52  acts as a stop so that protective shield  40  in its expanded position will be positioned above the worker utilizing the work station. Connecting beam  66  acts as a stop as well so that protective shield  40  may be rotated, or pivoted from its extended position and will stop in its retracted position as shown in  FIG. 7 .  
      Protective shield  40  comprises a generally rectangular body  81  with an outer periphery  82  comprising first, or left and second, or right sides  84  and  86  along with rear and forward sides  88  and  90 , respectively. Protective shield  40  has upper surface  92  and lower surface  94 . Upper surface  92  defines a generally frusto-conically shaped depression. An opening  96  extends through protective shield  40  and extends from a center or central portion  98  thereof to the periphery  82  thereof, and preferably to forward side  90  and thus in the view shown in  FIG. 6  generally defines a slot  100 . Coiled tubing  32  and/or tools attached to coiled tubing  32  may pass through slot  100  axially and radially.  
      Work station  10  may include a pair of brackets, or injector supports  102  connected to intermediate cross beam  50 . Each bracket  102  comprises an arm  104  connected to and extending from intermediate cross beam  50 . A channel, or generally J-shaped bracket  106  is connected to each arm  104 . Brackets  102  may be used to support coiled tubing injector assembly  20  when work station  10  is in its transport position and coiled tubing injector assembly  20  is mounted thereto.  
      Work platform  42  is pivotally connected to support structure  44  and is movable from the folded position shown in  FIG. 1  to an extended, or rotated position shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . The rotated position of work platform  42  corresponds to the working position of work station  10 . In the working position of the work station  10 , in which work platform  42  is rotated and protective shield  40  is extended, a work space  110  is defined between protective shield  40  and work platform  42 . Work platform  42  may be vertically adjustable so that the height of work space  110  is variable to accommodate for tools of varying heights. A worker positioned on platform  42  may manipulate a tool  34  to connect the tool  34  to the coiled tubing  32 . Work platform  42  will provide a stable support for the worker and protective shield  40  will provide protection above the worker. Work platform  42  is pivotally connected to vertical support members  46  and may be pivotally connected by any means known in the art. Platform  42  may comprise an upper portion  112  and a lower portion or framework  114  to provide strength to the upper portion  112 . Platform  42  may be pivotally connected with connecting arms  115  and pins  117  or by any means known in the art.  
      Platform  42  has a forward edge  116 , a rear edge  118  and left and right side edges  120  and  122 , respectively. Forward edge  116  has cutouts  124  which provide clearance for brackets  102  when work platform  42  is in the folded position. Work platform  42  may have a cutout  126 , which in the embodiment shown is a generally V-shaped cutout  126  in rear edge  118 . The V-shaped cutout  126  provides clearance for tool holder  45  and/or tool  34  positioned in tool holder  45 .  
      Tool holder  45  is connected to support structure  44  and may be connected with a connecting plate  128  that is bolted or otherwise structurally attached to lower cross beam  48  and welded or otherwise connected to tool holder  45 . The second connecting plate  130  is generally perpendicular to an axis  131  of tool holder  45  and may likewise be utilized to mount tool holder  45  to support structure  44 . Connecting plate  130  may be attached with bolts or other means known in the art to brackets or straps that are welded or otherwise connected to support structure  44 . A bumper  132  may be attached with support braces  134  and  136  to support structure  44  and may include a plurality of lights  138 . The bumper may be electrically connected to the trailer  15  by connection means known in the art so that the lights are workable lights.  
      Tool holder  45 , shown in cross-section in  FIG. 10 , generally comprises a housing which may be a tubular housing  140  with longitudinal central axis  131 . A biasing means  142 , which may be a spring  142 , is disposed in housing  140 . Spring  142  has lower end  144  and upper end  146 . A sleeve  148  which acts as a cap for spring  142  engages upper end  146  of spring  142  and is slidably disposed in housing  140 . A tool receptacle  150  with a tool-receiving cavity  152  for receiving a lower end of a tool  34  to be connected to coiled tubing  32  is likewise slidably disposed in housing  140 . Tool receptacle  150  is free to rotate on housing  140 . Tool  34  positioned in tool holder  45  will be substantially aligned with coiled tubing  32  extending from coiled tubing injector apparatus  25  so that a worker positioned on platform  42  may easily connect the tool  34  to coiled tubing  32  or to another tool connected to coiled tubing  32 . Coiled tubing  32  will be suspended from coiled tubing injector apparatus  25  and spring  142  will bias, or urge the tool positioned in tool holder  45  upwardly, toward coiled tubing  32 . Tool holder  45  thus aids in lifting tool  34  by providing a lifting force thereto, which reduces the weight that must be supported by a worker connecting tool  34  to coiled tubing  32 . Tubular housing  140  has slots  154  therein. A guide pin  156  may be connected to sleeve  148 , and may travel in slots  154 , and thereby prevent rotation of sleeve  148 . Guide pin  156  ensures that movement of sleeve  148  is generally vertical.  
      Threadably connecting the tool  34 , or otherwise connecting the tool  34  to coiled tubing  32  is a less arduous task than if a worker is required to support the entire weight of tool  34 , lift the tool  34  to the coiled tubing and then connect the tool  34  to the coiled tubing  32 . Because tool holder  45  will support the tool and urge the tool toward coiled tubing  32 , the tool  34  is more easily connected, and less difficult to connect than a tool not supported by the tool holder  45 , which requires a worker to support the full weight of the tool when it is desired to connect the tool to coiled tubing  32 . A worker positioned on platform  42 , beneath protective shield  40  will be protected from falling objects from the coiled tubing injector apparatus  25  suspended thereabove and will likewise be protected if for some reason there is slippage of the apparatus of the coiled tubing injector apparatus itself.  
      As set forth herein the particular embodiment described is a trailer-mounted embodiment but other embodiments, such as an embodiment placed upon a ground surface and supported thereby may be constructed. In the embodiment shown, work station  10  is pivotally connected to trailer  15 . Work station  10  may be pivotally connected to a frame  160  of trailer  15  with pins  162  or other means known in the art. Pins  162  may connect both of support members  46  to frame  160  with connecting rods  166  which may be utilized to pivotably attach work station  10  to trailer frame  160  and to control the movement thereof. A rod  168  which may be attached to a hydraulic cylinder  170  mounted to trailer frame  160  may be utilized to move work station  10  from its transport position shown in  FIG. 1  to its working position shown in  FIG. 2 . Rod  168  may be connected to lower cross beam  48 , so that movement of rod  166  will pivot work station  10  between its transport and working positions.  
      Coiled tubing injector apparatus  20  may be mounted to work station  10  in the transport position and rigidly fixed to trailer  15  with support straps  172  or other means known in the art. The injector apparatus  20  may be supported by brackets  102  in the transport position of work station  10 . In the working position of work station  10 , platform  42  is positioned above the ground, and so may be referred to as an elevated work platform  42 . In the working position, work platform  42  provides a stable, secure surface for a worker positioned thereon, who is protected from above by protective shield  40 .  
      Tool holder  45  positions tools, such as tool  34 , for easy connection to coiled tubing  32 , and provides an upwardly biased force with spring  142  to aid in lifting tool  34 .  
      Thus, it is seen that the apparatus and methods of the present invention readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described for purposes of the present disclosure, numerous changes in the arrangement and construction of parts and steps may be made by those skilled in the art, which changes are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.