Abstract:
A running tool that delivers an object selectively to one of a plurality of landing nipples and then releases from the object is disclosed. The tool is actuated by raising it after it has passed the desired landing nipple to release a locating dog. The locating dog places locking dogs on the object even with a groove on the landing nipple. Movement of the tool downhole secures the locking relationship and releases the running tool from the object. A sheer pin allows testing at the surface that the object is locked in place, prior to removal of the running tool. The object comprises a fishing neck to allow it to be subsequently retrieved.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The field of this invention related to running tools that can deliver an object to a selected location downhole and more particularly to running tools that can be used with standardized landing nipples and release from the object after securing it in the selected nipple.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Landing nipples have special profiles that allow tools or plugs to be located at desired locations in a well. The landing nipples are part of a tubing string and their placement is determined when the tubing is run into the borehole. In the past, seal bore size has decreased as the well depth increased. Accordingly, the landing nipples had to have different sizes, depending on their location. More recently, with the increased use of expansion technology, wells are being completed as a monobore, where the tubing size is the same for the depth of the well. In monobore applications the landing nipples at various depths had to be unique as did the lock assembly that became supported at a selected landing nipple. An example of such a design is U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,392. The problem with such a system is that an array of landing nipples had to be available to be run in at specific depths and the matching configuration for the lock had to be used to get the lock to land at the proper depth. In systems with decreasing tubing size upon greater depth, selectivity was obtained by keeping on hand an assortment of lock sizes and running in the lock that would catch at the desired depth.  
           [0003]    In the past a tool from Baker Hughes known as the Sur-Set® model AM-40 was available to attach to a lock for delivery to a predetermined depth. Thus in a monobore application, this system could be positioned adjacent a desired landing nipple among many that were identical to each other and then locked in place. The problem with this assembly was that the selective feature was integrated with the lock and had to stay in the hole as long as the lock remained in place. Leaving the selective feature in the hole was a large item of expense for the well operators that essentially had to purchase the selective feature as an item left in the hole.  
           [0004]    Accordingly, the present invention is designed to allow separation of the selective feature after setting the lock, leaving only the essential components of the lock in the hole and removing the running tool and the selective feature. Since the running tool and the selective feature are removed from the hole, the cost to the well owner is decreased in that purchase of the running tool is avoided and instead the operator pays for a service using the running tool, which is a considerably lower charge. This advantage of the present invention, and others, will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the claims, which appear below.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    A running tool that delivers an object selectively to one of a plurality of landing nipples and then releases from the object is disclosed. The tool is actuated by raising it after it has passed the desired landing nipple to release a locating dog. The locating dog places locking dogs on the object even with a groove on the landing nipple. Movement of the tool downhole secures the locking relationship and releases the running tool from the object. A shear pin allows testing at the surface that the object is locked in place, prior to removal of the running tool. The object comprises a fishing neck to allow it to be subsequently retrieved. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIGS. 1 a - 1   d  are a section view of the running tool and the lock at the start of the sequence to actuate the lock at a pre-selected landing nipple;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIGS. 2 a - 2   d  are the view of FIGS. 1 a - 1   d  shown with the lock engaged and the running tool released from the lock except for a shear pin connection to allow testing of the locked connection from the surface;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the select dog used to allow escape of the jarring dog for locating the running tool in the selected nipple profile for actuating the locking sequence; and  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the jarring dogs engaged in the landing nipple groove for actuation of the locking and release sequence. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0010]    Referring to FIGS. 1 a - 1   d , a mandrel  32  is made of multiple components. From the uphole end is a fishing neck  1  that is connected to inter-linkage sleeve  23  at thread  34 . Sleeve  23  has a longitudinal groove  36  through which inter-linkage dog  22  extends. Lower dog prong  29  is connected to inter-linkage sleeve  23  at thread  38 . For run in, lower dog prong  29  supports lower dog  30  in a locking relation to groove  40 , see FIG. 1 d . A groove  42  on lower dog prong  29  is initially offset from lower dog  30 . Fishing neck dog retainer  25  is connected to sleeve  23  at thread  44 . Fishing neck dog  27  extends through an opening  119  in fishing neck dog retainer  25 . Dog  27  extends into groove  48  at the upper end of lock assembly  50 . Inter linkage probe  28  extends between inter-linkage sleeve  23  and lower dog prong  29 . It has a groove  52  that is initially offset from dog  27 . At its lower end, inter-linkage probe  28  has an opening  54  in which resides dog  30 . Dog  30  supports lock assembly  50  in a locked relation to probe  28  for run in. The lock assembly  50  has an outer sleeve  56  with an opening  58  in which anchoring dog  60  resides in a recessed relationship for run in. The lock assembly has an inner sleeve  62  that has groove  48  near its upper end. A recessed surface  64  on inner sleeve  62  is juxtaposed against dog  60  for run in to allow dog  60  to locate within opening  58 . Inner sleeve  62  has a ramp  64  that will ultimately push dog  60  into anchoring groove  66  in nipple profile  68 . A snap ring  70  is mounted to sleeve  62  and will ultimately snap into groove  72  on outer sleeve  56 . A seal assembly  74  is mounted to a housing  76  that is secured to outer sleeve  56  at thread  78 . Seal assembly  74  will ultimately seal inside the nipple profile  68 . A lower sub  80  is connected to housing  76  at thread  82  to seal off the passage inside the nipple profile  68  when the lock assembly is secured. Finally a shear pin  84  extends through outer sleeve  56  and into probe  28  to allow surface personnel to confirm that the lock assembly  50  is secured to groove  66 . Breaking this shear pin  84  will allow the lock assembly  50  to remain in place while everything else is removed from the wellbore.  
         [0011]    Referring again to FIG. 1 a , a retaining sleeve sub  5  is secured with shear screw  6  to fishing neck  1 . A retaining ring cap  2  holds a retrieving ring  4 . Ultimately, ring  4  will snap into groove  86  on fishing neck  1 . Sub  5  is connected to locator sub  16  at thread  88 . Jarring dog retainer  19  is connected to locator sub  16  at thread  90 . Retainer  19  defines a recess  92  in which is disposed jarring dog  17  and leaf spring  18  to bias it out. Initially dog  17  is misaligned with opening  94  in lower cover sleeve  12 . Cover sleeve  12  is biased uphole by power spring  14  acting on stop ring  13  and supported off of locator sub  16 . Upper cover sleeve  8  is attached to cover sleeve  12  at thread  96 . Upper cover sleeve  8  has a longitudinal opening  98  through which select dog  11  extends. Spring  9  biases sleeve  8  against snap ring  7  in an uphole direction and pushes down on retainer ring  10  and select dog  11  in a downhole direction. Retaining sleeve sub  5  has upper groove  100  and lower groove  102 . Groove  102  has a reverse shoulder  104  that eventually traps mating shoulder  106 , as shown in FIG. 2 a . When running in the hole select dog  11  is pushed against the bias of spring  9  into groove  100  to allow the tool to advance unhindered. Once the select dog  11  enters groove  102 , the bias of spring  14  and the interaction of shoulders  104  and  106  retains the select dog  11  in groove  102 . Finally, cross-link dog retainer  20  is secured to jarring dog retainer  19  at thread  108 . Dog retainer  20  has a recess  110  in which sits inter-linkage dog  22 . Dog  22  supports inter-linkage probe  28  from dog retainer  20 . While dog retainer  20  abuts fishing neck dog retainer  25 , they are not connected and they come apart from each other, as shown in FIG. 2 b.    
         [0012]    The significant components of the apparatus now having been described, the operation will be reviewed in more detail. FIGS. 1 a - 1   d  illustrate the run in position. Dogs  18  are offset from window  94  and are held inwardly retracted. Shear screw  6  holds retaining sleeve sub  5  to fishing neck  1 . Dog  60  in lock assembly  50  is in a retracted position. The inner sleeve  62  is supported from dog  27 . The outer sleeve  56  is supported from dog  30  and shear pin  84 . When the tool is lowered through a given nipple profile  68  the select dog  11  encounters obstructions and is pushed back against the bias of spring  9  into groove  100  where it is sufficiently retracted to allow the assembly to continue to travel lower. Once a selected nipple profile  68  is reached and passed, the assembly is raised to the position shown in FIGS. 1 a - 1   d . Select dog  11  hangs on surface  112  in nipple profile  68 . When the tool is moved up more, the select dog  11  is forced into groove  102  and is trapped there. Select dog  11  pushed on the bottom of opening  98  to force down lower cover sleeve  12 . This allows spring  18  to push out jarring dog  17  into the now aligned opening  94 . Indexing dog  17  is raised above indexing grooves  114  and  116  and then the entire assembly is lowered until dog  17  can be pushed into grooves  114  and  116  as shown in FIGS. 2b and 4. With dog  17  in grooves  114  and  116 , dog  60  is aligned with groove  66 . Pushing down on fishing neck  1  breaks shear screw  6 . The connected pieces from cross-link dog retainer  20  at the lower end and up to retaining ring cap  2  remain stationary as the fishing neck  1  advances. Dog  22  and inter-linkage probe  28  do not move as they are supported by retainer  20  which now can&#39;t move. Since dog  22  is in opening  36  lower dog prong  29  and inter-linkage sleeve  23  can move down with respect to dog  22  that is held stationary. Dog  22  winds up at the uphole end of opening  36  as a result of such movement of prong  29  and sleeve  23 . Dog  27  engages inner sleeve  62  in groove  48  and pushed it down so that ramp  64  pushes out dog  60  into groove  66  and locks it in there with surface  118 . Snap ring  70  jumps into groove  72  to hold the locked position of dog  60 . As this happens, dog  27  falls into groove  52  to release the lock assembly  50  from fishing neck dog retainer  25 . At the same time, downward movement of lower dog prong  29  puts groove  42  opposite dog  30  to release housing  56  from inter-linkage probe  28  leaving just the shear pin  84  holding them together. Also at the same time retrieving ring  4  registers in groove  86 . At this time, the dog  60  is locked in groove  66  of the landing nipple  68  with snap ring  70  holding the locked position by expansion into groove  72 . There is no longer any connection by the lock assembly  50  to any other part of the tool except for shear pin  84 . Surface personnel can now apply a pulling force to break shear pin  84  as their signal that the lock assembly is properly secured to groove  66 . When a subsequent upward force is applied, dog  17  simply is cammed out of grooves  114  and  116  and the fishing neck  1  and all parts supported by it can come out of the hole leaving only the lock assembly  50 . At a later time groove  48  can be engaged by a fishing tool and inner sleeve  62  can be picked up, taking snap ring  70  out of groove  72  and moving surface  118  out from behind anchoring dog  60  so that the lock assembly  50  and whatever tool is attached to it can be removed from the well.  
         [0013]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although the lock assembly is illustrated to be a plug in the preferred embodiment, other types of tools may be selectively positioned in one of a plurality of landing nipples. Where items are referred to in the singular, multiple quantities are also contemplated, such as, for instance, the various dogs in the apparatus. While a specific preferred structure to release a running tool that has capability to be actuated at a selected location from any tool that it carries has been disclosed, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention contemplates any type of system of release of the downhole tool from the running tool when the running tool is configured for selective actuation at a predetermined location. While the present invention is particularly useful in a monobore application, other applications can also be within the scope of the invention. The present invention allows the running tool to be removed after it is used to place the downhole tool selectively at one of a plurality of anchoring points. In a monobore application identical landing nipples  68  can be used with one selective running tool that can come out of the hole after the downhole tool is anchored. The shear pin  84  allows a surface signal to be sensed that the anchoring dog  60  is secured to its anchoring groove  66 .  
         [0014]    The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.