Patent Publication Number: US-10316599-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for through-tubular sensor deployment

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a nonprovisional application which claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 62/042,491, filed Aug. 27, 2014. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD/FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to the deployment of downhole tools in a wellbore, and specifically to deployment of surveying tools through a tool string in a wellbore. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Accurately and precisely determining the path of a wellbore is desirable, particularly when drilling deviated wells. Traditionally, a combination of sensors is used to measure downhole trajectory and subterranean conditions. Often, these sensors are included as part of the bottomhole assembly (BHA) of a drilling string. In some cases, however, a sensor package may be deployed into a wellbore through the interior of a tubular string after drilling of a wellbore is completed. In some cases, for example, the sensor package may be particularly susceptible to damage during a drilling operation. The sensor package may be deployed by gravity or by fluid pressure into the interior of the tubular string until it reaches a position at or near the BHA of the tubular string. Because of the relatively small interior diameter of the drill string, a guide or landing nose, referred to as a “bullnose”, is typically utilized to, for example, help the sensor package navigate the interior of the drill string. The sensor package may then operate to measure or log as the tool string is removed or tripped-out of the wellbore. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides for a system for deploying a sensor package into a tubular string. The system may include a landing nose. The landing nose may be adapted to couple at a first end to the sensor package. The landing nose may include a landing nose body and one or more fins. The landing nose body may be generally cylindrical in shape. The fins may extend radially outwardly from the landing nose body and beyond a second end of the landing nose body. The system may also include a landing ring. The landing ring may be positioned within and coupled to the tubular string. The landing ring may include a central aperture adapted to allow fluid to pass therethrough. The landing ring may be adapted to prevent further travel of the landing nose within the tubular string. 
     The present disclosure also provides for a landing nose for guiding a sensor package through a tubular string. The landing nose may include a landing nose body. The landing nose body may be generally cylindrical in shape and may have a first and second end. The landing nose body may include a coupler at the first end adapted to couple to the sensor package. The landing nose may further include one or more fins. The fins may extend radially outwardly from the landing nose body and beyond the second end of the landing nose body. 
     The present disclosure also provides for a method for deploying a sensor package into a tubular string positioned in a wellbore. The method may include positioning a landing ring at a predetermined location in the tubular string. The landing ring may include a central aperture adapted to allow fluid to pass therethrough. The method may also include coupling a landing nose to the sensor package. The landing nose may be adapted to couple at a first end to the sensor package. The landing nose may include a landing nose body and one or more fins. The landing nose body may be generally cylindrical in shape. The fins may extend radially outwardly from the landing nose body and beyond a second end of the landing nose body. The fins may be adapted to prevent the landing nose from passing through the landing ring. The method may further include inserting the landing nose and sensor package into an open end of the tubular string. The method may further include running the landing nose and sensor package through the tubular string. The method may further include contacting the landing ring with at least a portion of the landing nose. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a landing nose and landing ring positioned within a tubular string in cross section consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a cross section of the landing nose and landing ring of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3 a -3 c    depict various views of a landing nose consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 4 a -4 c    depict various views of a landing ring consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a schematic diagram of the sensor package coupled to the landing nose consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. 
     In some embodiments, as depicted in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3   a - 3   c , and  5 , landing nose  101  may be adapted to be passed through the interior of a tubular string (partially displayed in cross section in  FIG. 1  as tubular string  10 ). In some embodiments, tubular string  10  may, as understood in the art, be a drill string or tool string for use in a wellbore including a plurality of tubular segments joined end-to-end and extending through the wellbore. In some embodiments, landing nose  101  may be adapted to be coupled to sensor package  102  and lead sensor package  102  as sensor package  102  is inserted into and traverses the interior of tubular string  10 . In some embodiments, sensor package  102  may include one or more gyroscopic sensors  104  adapted to measure or survey the wellbore as tubular string  10  is withdrawn from the wellbore after sensor package  102  is positioned therewithin. In some embodiments, sensor package  102  may include memory  106  adapted to store data from the sensors  104  to be retrieved once sensor package  102  reaches the surface. One having ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure will understand that sensor package  102  may include any sensors  104  for use within a tubular string within a wellbore. In some embodiments, landing nose  101  may be driven through tubular string  10  by gravity. In some embodiments, landing nose  101  may be driven through tubular string  10  by fluid pressure. 
     In some embodiments, landing nose  101  may be a generally tubular member including landing nose body  103 . In some embodiments, landing nose  101  may include coupler  105  adapted to allow the sensor package  102  to be coupled thereto. In some embodiments, as depicted in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 , coupler  105  may be a threaded coupler adapted to engage a mating coupler  108  so disposed on sensor package  102 . In some such embodiments, landing nose  101  may include a feature to allow landing nose  101  to be threadedly coupled to sensor package  102 , such as, for example and without limitation, wrench points  107 . In some embodiments, wrench points  107  may also allow landing nose  101  to be oriented with respect to sensor package  102 . 
     In some embodiments, landing nose  101  may include nose ring  109 . Nose ring  109  may be positioned at the end of landing nose  101  opposite coupler  105  such that nose ring  109  leads landing nose  101  as landing nose  101  traverses through tubular string  10 . 
     In some embodiments, nose ring  109  may be coupled to landing nose body  103  by one or more fins  111 . In some embodiments, fins  111  may be generally evenly radially distributed about landing nose body  103  and nose ring  109 . In some embodiments, fins  111  may extend radially outward from landing nose body  103  and nose ring  109 . In some embodiments, the outer diameter of fins  111  may be selected to allow landing nose  101  and any sensor package to more easily traverse the interior of tubular string  10  while remaining oriented therewith and reduce opportunities for landing nose  101  to catch on any protrusions or features of tubular string  10 . In some embodiments, fins  111  may include one or more features adapted to more easily allow landing nose  101  to pass through tubular string  10 . For example and without limitation, in some embodiments, the outer diameter of fins  111  may reduce toward the end of fins  111 . In some embodiments, each fin  111  may vary in thickness to reduce the overall outer diameter of fins  111 . In some embodiments, fins  111  may include taper  113 . In some embodiments, taper  113  may be flat, chamfered, or, as shown in  FIGS. 3 a - c   , rounded. In some embodiments, taper  113  may be adapted to, for example, allow fins  111  to more easily pass any obstructions or protrusions within tubular string  10  as landing nose  101  traverses the interior thereof. In some embodiments, taper  113  may be located at or near the end of fins  111 . In some embodiments, taper  113  may extend all or a portion of the full length of fins  111 . 
     In some embodiments, nose ring  109  may be adapted to couple between fins  111  to, for example and without limitation, add structural support to fins  111 . In some embodiments, nose ring  109  may have central aperture  115  extending therethrough. In some embodiments, central aperture  115  may be adapted to allow fluid to flow between fins  111  and through nose ring  109  along flow path f as illustrated in  FIG. 3   a.    
     In some embodiments, as depicted in  FIGS. 1, 2 , landing nose  101  may be adapted to seat on landing ring  151 . Landing ring  151  may be included within tubular string  10  at a position near the BHA (not shown). In some embodiments, landing ring  151  may be coupled to tubular string  10  at a joint between adjacent tubular segments  11 ,  12 . In other embodiments, landing ring  151  may be included as a sub adapted to be coupled between adjacent tubular segments  11 ,  12 . In other embodiments, landing ring  151  may be included within a sub adapted to be coupled between a tubular segment and the BHA. 
     In some embodiments, as depicted in detail in  FIGS. 4 a - c   , landing ring  151  may include central aperture  153 . Central aperture  153  may be adapted to allow fluid to travel therethrough and continue through tubular string  10 . In some embodiments, central aperture  153  may be adapted to further permit desired equipment, such as a control ball or control dart as understood in the art, to pass through landing ring  151 . In some embodiments, central aperture  153  may include one or more features adapted to allow a control ball or control dart to more easily pass through landing ring  151 . For example, in some embodiments, landing ring  151  may include tapered edge  155  the opening of central aperture  153  as shown in  FIG. 2 . In some embodiments, tapered edge  155  may be chamfered or rounded. Tapered edge  155  may, for example and without limitation, allow a control ball or control dart to more easily align with central aperture  153 . 
     In some embodiments, landing ring  151  may include landing face  157  adapted to contact landing nose  101  as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 . In some embodiments, landing face  157  may be adapted to contact fins  111 . In some embodiments, landing face  157  may be adapted to contact nose ring  109 . In some embodiments, landing face  157  may prevent landing nose  101  from extending farther through tubular string  10 . In some embodiments, when landing nose  101  is positioned against landing ring  151 , central aperture of nose ring  109  may be generally aligned with central aperture  153  of landing ring  151 . In some such embodiments, fluid pumped through tubular string  10  may be capable of flowing through landing ring  151  through nose ring  109  and the openings between fins  111 . 
     In some embodiments, as depicted in detail in  FIG. 4 a   , landing ring  151  may include one or more peripheral flow paths  159  adapted to allow additional fluid to flow through landing ring  151 . 
     In some embodiments, as depicted in  FIGS. 2, 4   c , landing ring  151  may include landing ring tail  161 . Landing ring tail  161  may be adapted to at least partially fit against the interior of tubular segment  12  and, for example and without limitation, assist with orientation and installation of landing ring  151  in tubular segment  12 . In some embodiments, landing ring tail  161  may be adapted to include a coupler (not shown) to engage with a matching locking feature (not shown) on the interior surface of tubular segment  12 . In some embodiments, landing ring tail may include one or more windows  163  adapted to allow fluid to pass through windows  163  into the interior of landing ring tail  161 . In some embodiments, windows  163  may be adapted to, for example and without limitation, prevent damage to tubular string  10  and landing ring tail  161  caused by high-speed fluid flow therebetween. 
     To further assist with the understanding of the use of landing nose  101  in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure, an exemplary operation for positioning a sensor package into tubular string  10  will now be described. Tubular string  10  may, as previously discussed, be a drill or tool string made up of a plurality of tubular segments. As tubular string  10  is made-up, defined as coupling additional tubular segments to tubular string  10  to extend the length of tubular string  10  as it is extended into the wellbore, landing ring  151  may be positioned within tubular string  10  at a desired location. In some embodiments, the desired location may be at or near the BHA. Once tubular string  10  is at a desired depth from tripping-in and/or drilling operations, a sensor package may be deployed into tubular string  10 . 
     In some embodiments, to deploy the sensor package, landing nose  101  may be coupled to the sensor package. The sensor package and landing nose  101  may be positioned into an open end of tubular string  10  at the surface of the wellbore and allowed to travel therethrough. In some embodiments, the sensor package and landing nose  101  may travel by the force of gravity. In some embodiments, the sensor package and landing nose  101  may be driven by fluid pressure as fluid is pumped through tubular string  10 . While landing nose  101  travels through tubular string  10 , fins  111  may reduce opportunities for landing nose  101  to catch on any protrusions or features of tubular string  10  as previously discussed. In some embodiments, in which fins  111  include tapers  113 , tapers  113  may further reduce opportunities for landing nose  101  to catch on any protrusions or features of tubular string  10 . 
     Once landing nose  101  reaches landing ring  151 , at least a portion of landing nose  101  may contact landing ring  151 . Landing ring  151  may prevent landing nose  101  from travelling further through tubular string  10 . Once landed, fins  111  may provide a flow path for fluid to flow between fins  111  and through central aperture  153  of landing ring  151  as previously discussed. 
     The sensor package may then be activated to begin surveying as tubular string  10  is tripped-out of the wellbore. Landing ring  151  may retain the sensor package and landing nose  101  in position within tubular string  10  as tubular string  10  is tripped-out from the wellbore. During the tripping-out procedure, the sensor package may continue to survey the wellbore and surrounding formation as previously discussed and may store data to be retrieved at the surface. Once the sensor package reaches the surface, it may be removed from tubular string  10 , and the data may be retrieved. 
     The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that a person of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Such features may be replaced by any one of numerous equivalent alternatives, only some of which are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.