Patent Publication Number: US-10309184-B2

Title: Retrievable plugging tool for tubing

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Appl. 62/238,841, filed 8 Oct. 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A locking ball landing collar has been used as a blanking collar in liner applications to permanently block the flow path at the toe of a liner system. As shown in  FIG. 1 , for example, a system  20  is shown having a rig  22 , a pump system  24 , and a liner system  30 . The liner system  30  includes a liner top packer  32  coupled to a liner hanger  34  from which the liner  36  extends. A landing collar  50  with a ball seat is coupled to the liner  36 . Further downhole, the liner  36  includes a float collar  40  and a float shoe  42 . The liner system  30  is run and set in the wellbore  10  with a running tool (not shown) and known procedures. The collar  50  is installed in conjunction with the standard float equipment  40 ,  42  and provides a primary barrier between the inner dimension of the liner  36  and the formation so liner accessories can be hydraulically activated. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a locking ball landing collar  50  according to the prior art for use with a liner system (e.g.,  30  in  FIG. 1 ). As shown, the collar  50  includes a body  52  in which a housing  54  affixes. The body  52  has box and pin connections  53   a - b  for threading onto sections of tubing, such as a liner (not shown). A sleeve  56  is movably disposed in the housing  54  and is temporarily held by shear screws  60  in an open condition relative to windows  62  on the housing  54 . 
     A body lock ring  58  can be disposed between the sleeve  56  and the interior  55  of the housing  54  to lock the sleeve  56  in a closed condition once moved downward to shear the screws  60 . A ratchet surface defined in the housing&#39;s interior  55  can engage the body lock ring  58  to hold the sleeve  56  closed. A stud  64  disposed on the end of the housing  54  has an external seal  66  to seal against the inside  57  of the sleeve  56 . This closes off fluid communication through the housing&#39;s windows  62  so that the collar  50  can close off fluid communication. 
     During installation, the collar  50  is open and allows fluid flow through the liner ( 36 :  FIG. 1 ). When the liner and accessories need to be set, a setting ball (not shown) is circulated into a seat  59  of the collar&#39;s sleeve  56 . The application of internal pressure in the liner ( 36 ) then shears the collar&#39;s sleeve  56  closed and permanently blocks the flow path through the liner ( 36 ). This blocked flow path allows the liner system ( 30 ) and other accessories to be pressure cycled and hydraulically set. 
     When set, for example, the collar  50  isolates pressure above it, after circulation, in order to actuate other hydraulic components in the liner system. Pressure integrity is maintained if the ball rolls off the ball seat  59  in horizontal conditions. The collar  50  has been used in cemented and uncemented liner installations where hydraulically actuated accessories are installed. 
     The collar has also been used in multi-zone open hole completions. The collar is ran into the well above the float equipment and below open hole packers used for multi-zone isolation. Landing a ball into the collar then allows for pressure isolation in the liner to set the hydraulic packers. 
     The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     A retrievable locking ball landing tool of the present disclosure allows for fluid circulation while running in the well. Once a plug (e.g., ball) is pumped downhole, the tool allows pressure isolation to activate hydraulic component(s) of a liner string or the like. Being retrievable, the tool eliminates the need to drill out of aluminum components once the setting operations are complete. The retrievable tool can also be used as a bridge plug to allow for wellbore isolation for a period of time. For example, the tool used as a bridge plug can be used to set a liner assembly and can suspend the well until future stimulation can be completed. 
     The foregoing summary is not intended to summarize each potential embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a liner hanger system according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a locking ball landing collar according to the prior art for use with a liner hanger system. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a tubing string having a retrievable plugging tool according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the retrievable plugging tool. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a retrieval tool for the disclosed plugging tool. 
         FIGS. 6A-6D  illustrate the disclosed plugging tool and retrieval tool during stages of operation. 
         FIGS. 7A-7D  illustrates stages of an operation using a plurality of plugging tools according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a tubing string  12  having a locking ball landing tool  100  according to the present disclosure. The locking ball landing tool  100  of the present disclosure is retrievable and operates as a plugging tool or bridge plug in the tubing string  12 . The plugging tool  100  is run into the wellbore  10  at a desired location  14  on the tubing string  12 . Only one such plugging tool  100  is shown in  FIG. 3 , but a given installation may have multiple plugging tools  100 . 
     When operations are ready, the plugging tool  100  is set by deploying an object (e.g., ball P, dart, or other plug) in the tubing string  12 . Once the plug P reaches the retrievable plugging tool  100 , the plug P lands in a seat  114  in the plugging tool  100 . Fluid pressure down the tubing string  12  causes an increase of pressure that moves the seat  114  to lock in a closed position in the retrievable plugging tool  100 . This isolates zones above and below the plugging tool  100 . 
     As can be seen, the retrievable plugging tool  100  does not require an extra trip in the hole to set an obstruction, such as a bridge plug or other plugging element. Instead, deploying the plug P and pumping pressure downhole is all that is required to create the isolation in the tubing string  12 . Once certain operations have been performed with the plugging tool  100  isolating sections of the tubing string  12  above and below it, the obstruction of the plugging tool  100  can be removed. To remove the retrievable plugging tool  100  (which removes the isolation between the zones), the plugging tool  100  is retrieved using a retrieval tool ( 150 :  FIG. 5 ). The retrieval leaves behind a body or tubing coupling  90  that approximately matches the size/weight of the tubing string  12  (albeit, the body  90  may have a slightly smaller internal restriction due to design constraints). Alternatively, the plugging tool  100  may be drilled out instead. 
     As one particular example, the plugging tool  100  can be used with a liner system, such as discussed previously with reference to  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, when the plugging tool  100  has been set, for example, the plugging tool  100  isolates pressure above it, after circulation, in order to actuate other hydraulic components in the liner system. In another example, the plugging tool  100  can be used in a plug-and-perf operation. In this case, the plug P can be dropped from surface or from a perforating gun already inserted in the tubing  12  so the plug P can close the plugging tool  100 . Then, the perforating tool can be raised in the tubing string  12  above the tool  100  to perforate the tubing  12 , and subsequent treatment, fracture, or the like can be performed. 
     The plugging tool  100  can be used in other systems as well. For instance, because the plugging tool  100  can be used as a bridge plug, fracture plug, or the like in the tubing string  100 , the disclosed plug  100  can therefore be used in any number of operations and assemblies in which such a bridge plug, fracture plug, and the like are used. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , for example, a treatment system  70  has a tool  80  disposed on the tubing  12  uphole of the plugging tool  100 . This other tool  80  can be a hydraulically-actuated tool, such as a sliding sleeve, packer, etc. When it is desired to actuate the tool  80 , operators deploy the plug P from the rig  72  down the tubing string  12  to the plugging tool  100  and use a pumping system  74  to close the plugging tool  100 . With flow isolated by the closed tool  100 , a build-up of fluid pressure can then actuate the tool  80  and perform other actions. For instance, the tool  80  can be a hydraulically-operated sliding sleeve that is opened to perform fracture operations. Several arrangements of such sleeves  80  and plugging tools  100  can be disposed along the tubing string  10  for use in multi-zone completion and fracturing operations. 
     In another example, the other tool  80  disposed on the tubing  12  in the treatment system may be a plug or ball-actuated tool that opens/closes with the plug P and then passes the plug P further downhole. For example, the tool  80  can be a sliding sleeve that opens with pressure applied against the plug P seated in the tool  80 . Then, the tool  80  can pass the plug P out of the tool  80  for traveling further downhole to the tool  100 . In fact, a cluster of such sliding sleeve tools  80  can be used along the tubing string  12  and can be opened with the same plug P, which eventually reaches the disclosed plugging tool  100 . In this way, a cluster of sliding sleeve tools  80  can be opened along an interval on the tubing string  12  for treatment, fracture, or the like to be performed. 
     With a general understanding of the disclosed plugging tool  100  and its uses, discussion turns now to  FIG. 4 , which illustrates a cross-sectional view of the retrievable plugging tool  100  of the present disclosure. The plugging tool  100  is used with a retrieval tool  150 , which is shown in a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5 . Use of the retrieval tool  150  with the plugging tool  100  is shown in various stages of  FIGS. 6A-6D . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the plugging tool  100  includes a tool body  102  defining a bore  106  with a port  108  permitting fluid communication therethrough. The body  102  is disposed in the tubing (not shown) and has a landing  120  engaged in first and second opposite longitudinal directions in the tubing. In particular, the plugging tool  100  is disposed in the body or tubing coupling  90  that connects to sections of tubing (not shown) above and below at a particular location on the tubing string. When the tubing string is deployed, the plugging tool  100  can be pre-assembled and installed at surface in the tubing coupling  90  for later use during operations. 
     Looking at the plugging tool  100  in more detail, the landing  120  includes a collet having a plurality of fingers  122  extending in a first (downhole) longitudinal direction D 1 . The heads  124  of the fingers  120  engage with a profile  94  in the tubing coupling  90 . As specifically shown, the fingers&#39; heads  124  define first ratchet locks on an exterior thereof. These first ratchet locks can lock with second ratchet locks of the profile  94  in the first (downhole) longitudinal direction D 1 , but can release therefrom in the second (uphole) longitudinal direction D 2 . 
     The tool body  120  has an external seal  107  engageable in the tubing coupling  90 . The external seal  107  isolates fluid communication in an annulus between the tool body  102  and the tubing coupling  90 . To help with sealing, the tubing coupling  90  can have a sealing surface  92  therein for engaging the external seal  107  on the tool body  102  disposed therein. 
     Inside the tool body  102 , a seat  110  is disposed in the bore  106  and permits fluid communication therethrough. In particular, the seat  110  has the form of a sleeve disposed in the body&#39;s bore  106  and includes an internal passage  112  with a seating surface  114  at one end. The other end  118  of the seat  110  is open to the bore  106  of the tool body  102 . 
     At its end, the tool body  102  has a central stub  109  with seals. The port  108  is defined in a side of the tool body  102  adjacent the central stub  109 . The seat  110  is temporarily held by shear screws  115  in an open condition relative to the port  108 . When the seat  110  shifts to the closed condition ( FIG. 6A ), the seat&#39;s end  118  inserts on the central stub  109  and covers the port  108  to block fluid flow in both directions. 
     As noted previously, use of the plugging tool  100  and the retrieval tool  150  is illustrated in stages in  FIGS. 6A-6D . During operations, the seat  110  is initially in its upward position ( FIG. 4 ). When operators desire to isolate sections of tubing above and below the plugging tool  100 , the plug P is deployed down the tubing string to the seat  100 . Fluid pressure applied behind the plug P in the seat  110  then moves the seat  110  in the bore  106  from the opened condition ( FIG. 4 ) to a closed condition ( FIG. 6A ) relative to the body&#39;s port  108 . The seat  110  in the closed condition ( FIG. 6A ) closes off fluid communication through the tool body  102  and the port  108  regardless of the seating of the plug P in the seat  110 , which makes use of the plugging tool  100  well-suited for use in horizontal or deviated wellbores. An external lock  116 , such as a body lock ring or other mechanism, on the seat  110  engages with the bore  106  (i.e., engages a ratchet thread on the inside of the second portion  104   b ) to hold the seat  110  in the closed condition ( FIG. 6A ) in the bore  106  once shifted by the plug P. 
     Any of the desired operations can then be performed while the closed seat  110  on the stud  109  prevents uphole fluid pressure from passing through the plugging tool  100  and prevents downhole pressure from passing up through the plugging tool  100 , thereby enabling the plugging tool  100  to operate as a bridge plug in the tubing string. 
     At some point during operations, it may be desirable to remove the obstruction from the plugging tool  100  and make the tubing string  100  a substantially uniform and unobstructed passage to the various zones in the wellbore. To remove the plugging tool  100 , operators run the retrieval tool  150  ( FIG. 5 ) on a workstring WS to the plugging tool  100 . As shown in the isolated view of  FIG. 5 , the retrieval tool  150  includes a catch  156  and a stinger  152  with a fluid passage  154  therethrough. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6A , the retrieval tool  150  is inserted in the tubing with the workstring WS to the tool body  102  to disengage the landing  102  from the tubing coupling  90  in the second (uphole) longitudinal direction D 2 . In this way, the retrieval tool  150  can retrieve the tool body  102  and the seat  110  (along with the plug P if present) together from the coupling  90  and the tubing. 
     To do this as shown in  FIG. 6A , the stinger  152  on the tool  150  inserts into the end  130  of the plugging tool&#39;s body  102 , and the catch  156  engages in a profile  132  defined in the end  130 . The catch  156  can be a collet movably disposed on the stinger  152  for engaging the profile  132 . 
     For its part, the body  102  can include first and second portions  104   a - b  movable relative to one another from a set condition ( FIGS. 4 &amp; 6A ) to an unset condition ( FIGS. 6B-6D ). The first (upper) portion  104   a  has the end  130  and primarily defines the bore  106  through the body  102 . The second (lower) portion  104   b  has the first portion  104   a  partially inserted therein. The second portion  104   b  has the seat  110 , the stud  109 , and the landing  120 . The first portion  104   a  in the set condition relative to the second portion  104   b  holds the landing  120  engageable in the first and second longitudinal directions D 1 - 2  in the tubing coupling  90 . A temporary connection  126  near the landing  120  and the end  130  affixes the first and second portions  104   a - b  in the set condition. However, the first portion  104   a  in the unset condition relative to the second portion  104   b  releases the landing  120  from engagement in the second (uphole) longitudinal direction D 2 . 
     With the stinger  152  of the tool  150  inserted in the end  130  and with the lock  156  engaged in the profile  132  as shown in  FIG. 6A , upward pull of the tool  150  eventually shears the temporary connection  126  between the first and second portions  104   a - b . As a result and as shown in  FIG. 6B , the first portion  104   a  shears free of the second portion  104   b , which is still held in place in the coupling  90  by the landing  120 . 
     To overcome fluid pressure existing during pull up and to deal with potential debris, the body  102  has internal ports  105   a - b . In particular, the first portion  104   a  defines a first intermediate port  105   a  permitting fluid communication of the bore  106  outside the body  102 . The second portion  104   b  defines a second intermediate port  105   a , which is sealed from fluid communication with the bore  106  when the first portion  104   a  is in the set condition. 
     Yet, the first portion  104   a  in the unset condition ( FIG. 6B ) permits fluid communication between the ports  105   a - b  and bore  106 . The ports  105   a - b  allow any built up debris to be displaced to the bore  106  so that the debris does not interfere with the release of the inner components. The second port  105   b  can help equalize the fluid pressure across the plugging tool  100 . In this way, flow between the uphole and downhole tubing sections can then be established past the seal  107  by virtue of the ports  105   a - b  and bore  106 . 
     It should be noted that the configuration of the tool  100  prevents the first and second portions  104   a - b  from releasing prematurely (i.e. when there is still fluid pressure from below the tool  100 ). In this way, any fluid pressure from below the tool may not be able to drive the tubing string out of the hole because the first portion  104   a  is still locked into the coupling  90 . 
     Further uphole pull of the tool  150  removes the first portion  104   a  further from the second portion  104   b . Eventually as shown in  FIG. 6C , the collet heads of the landing  120  reach a reduced profile of the first portion  104   a , which releases the compressed locking of the landing  120  to the coupling&#39;s profile  94 . 
     Finally as shown in  FIG. 6D , the first and second portions  104   a - b  shoulder against one another. Further lifting of the tool  150  thereby lifts the first portion  104   a  and pulls the second portion  104   b  from the coupling  90 . The entire assembly can then be lifted to surface. The coupling  90  remains in the tubing string  12  and does not considerably reduce the internal dimension of the tubing&#39;s through-bore. 
     If additional plugging tools  100  are disposed further downhole on the tubing string  12 , the above operations can be repeated to remove the next lower plugging tool  100  disposed at its coupling  90  on the tubing string  12 . Should it be desired or should a given plugging tool  100  not be retrievable for whatever reason, operators can mill out the plugging tool  100  using standard milling procedures. 
     As noted previously, the plugging tool  100  can be used with a liner system, such as discussed previously with reference to  FIG. 1 . In such an implementation, only one plugging tool  100  would typically be run with the liner system. Also as noted previously, the plugging tool  100  can be used in other systems, such as those implementations in which several of the plugging tools  100  can be used. As an example,  FIGS. 7A-7D  illustrate stages of an operation using a plurality of plugging tools  100 A-C according to the present disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7A , tubing  12 , such as casing or other tubular, passes through several zones A-D downhole in a well. Several couplings  90 A-C disposed on the tubing  12  support plugging tools  100 A-C of the present disclosure. Each downhole zone A-D can have additional components (not shown) disposed on the tubing  12 , such as fracture sleeves, hydraulically-actuated sleeves, ball-actuated sleeves, packers, or other tools. Alternatively, the tubing  12  can have perforations, ports, or the like in the zones A-D. 
     When operations are ready, the first (upper) plugging tool  100 A is set by deploying an object (e.g., ball P 1 , dart, or other plug) in the tubing string  12 . Once the first plug P 1  reaches the first tool  100 A, the plug P 1  lands in the seat  114  in the tool  100 A. Then as shown in  FIG. 7B , fluid pressure down the tubing string  12  causes an increase of pressure that moves the seat  114  to lock in a closed position in the first tool  100 A. This isolates zones above and below the plugging tool  100 A. 
     At this point, operations can be performed in the first zone A by fracturing the zone A, actuating a tool (not shown), setting a packer, etc. For example, the first plug P 1  may have been used to open one or more first sliding sleeves (not shown) along the tubing  12  in the first zone A. When the first plug P 1  lands and closes the first tool  100 A, operations can treat the formation of zone A through those one or more open sleeves (not shown). 
     Once operations are done with the first zone A, the retrieval tool  150  as shown in  FIG. 7C  can be deployed to retrieve the first tool  100 A along with the first plug P 1  from the tubing  12 . As shown in  FIG. 7C , this then makes the next tool  100 B at the next zone B available for operations. A second plug P 2  can then be deployed down the tubing  12  to this second tool  100 B to close it and perform additional operations. 
     As will be appreciated, the second plug P 2  can be used to close any open sliding sleeves or deactivate any tools along the tubing  12  in the first zone A and may comparably open any additional sliding sleeves or activate other tools along the tubing  12  in the second zone B. As will also be appreciated, it is possible that deployment of the retrievable tool  150  may be used to close any open sliding sleeves or deactivate any tools along the tubing  12  in the first zone A by using shifting tools (not shown) or the like. 
     When the second tool  100 B is closed and operations have been performed, the entire process of retrieving the tool  100 B and completing the steps noted above can be repeated for the next zone C and tool  100 C along the tubing  12 . 
     The foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicants. It will be appreciated with the benefit of the present disclosure that features described above in accordance with any embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter can be utilized, either alone or in combination, with any other described feature, in any other embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter. 
     In exchange for disclosing the inventive concepts contained herein, the Applicants desire all patent rights afforded by the appended claims. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims include all modifications and alterations to the full extent that they come within the scope of the following claims or the equivalents thereof.