CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/45622 PCTlUS97/09066
WELLBORE RESONANCE TOOLS
Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to drilling and completing wellbores and
more particularly to the use of vibratory and resonance devices downhole for
performing selected drilling and completion operations for the production of
lo hydrocarbons from subsurface formations.
Background of the Art
To obtain hydrocarbons such as oil and gas, boreholes or wellbores are
drilled from surtace locations into hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean
geological strata or formations. A large amount of current drilling activity
1s involves the drilling of highly deviated or substantially horizontal
wellbores.
Often, during the drilling of a wellbore, the drill bit and/or the drill pipe
or tubing
utilized for drilling the wellbore get stuck downhole, frequently at great
distances from the wellbore mouth at the surface location. Additionally,
during
the completion, production and workover of the wellbores, various devices get
2o stuck that must be retrieved from the wellbore. In many cases the stuck
object
must be freed and retrieved to continue to drill the wellbore or to continue
to
perform other operations. In many cases it is more desirable and less
expensive to free (dislodge) the stuck object and either continue drilling of
the
wellbore or retrieve the object to the surtace for repair or for substituting
such
2s object with a more suitable device than to leave the stuck object downhole.
The object to be dislodged andlor retrieved is referred to in the industry as
the
"fish" and the process of dislodging and/or retrieving is referred to as
'dishing."
1
CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/45622 PCTIUS97/09066
s A variety of fishing tools are utilized to free and retrieve stuck objects
in
wellbores in the oil and gas industry. A majority of these fishing tools are
mechanical devices and do not include any local or downhole intelligence.
Fishing tools utilizing resonance have been used for freeing stuck drill pipes
and other objects in the wellbores. United States Patent No,. 4,815,328,
io issued to Albert Bodine and assigned to the assignee of the present
invention
and which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a roller-type
orbiting
mass oscillator for generating resonance downhole. To loosen a drill pipe
stuck in a wellbore, the device is attached at a suitable place to a drill
pipe and
is vibrated laterally by passing a pressurized fluid therethrough. The
vibration
is rate is controlled by controlling the fluid flow at the surface. Such a
device
does not provide any positive method to determine when the stuck pipe has
achieved resonance, nor any method for sweeping the operating frequency
range to determine the optimum operating frequency, nor method to
automatically adjust operating parameters such as the fluid flow rate to at
2o continually or least periodically operate the tool at the optimum
frequency.
More recently, surface-operated and surface-controlled resonance tools
have been utilized to free stuck tubufars downhole. One such surtace tool is
available from Baker Hughes Incorporated referred to as the Resonance Tool,
Product No. 140-52. It is known that al! tubulars exhibit resonant frequencies
2s that are a function of the free length of the tubular. This resonant tool
is
placed at the surtace (near the wellhead). ft applies acoustic energy to the
stuck point through a work string in order to free the tubular. This tool
contains
an oscillator, a hydraulic power pack and a control panel. The control panel
2
CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 9'7/4s622 PCT/US97109066
s allows for remote control operations of the resonator. Such a tool requires
a
great amount of power, is large in size and heavy (several thousand pounds),
is relatively inefficient because of its great distance from the stuck point
and is
expensive to manufacture.
To make a wellbore ready for production of hydrocarbons (i.e., to
to complete the wellbore), a liner (which is essentially a tubular string) is
inserted
into the wellbore with its upper end attached to the casing (previously
installed
in the uphole section of the wellbore) with a device known as a liner hanger.
Cement is pumped downhole to fill the space (annulus) between the liner and
the wellbore. Frequently the liner is moved up and down and/or rotated during
is cementing operations to fill any voids or channels in the annulus and to
generally improve the integrity of the cement bond between the liner and the
wellbore. Even using this method, the cement in the annulus in many
wellbores includes voids and channels and is not packed as desired. It is
therefore, desirable to have additional and/or alternative methods to improve
2o the integrity of the cement in the annulus.
The present invention addresses the above-noted and other
deficiencies of the prior art resonance devices and provides fishing tools
with a
downhole resonator, wherein the response of the stuck object to the resonator-
induced pulses of mechanical energy is detected by a sensor associated with
2s the fishing tool. A resonance tool also is provided to aid in the
installation of
liners and other cementing operations downhole. A control unit placed at the
surface or in the resonance tool determines the optimum operating frequency
within a range of frequencies and operates the resonator at such determined
3
CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/45622 PCT/US97/09066
s frequency. The invention further provides different configurations of the
fishing
tool for different applications. Additionally, this invention provides certain
devices for securing the fishing tool to drill pipes at suitable locations
above
the stuck point. The fishing tools of the present invention may induce both
the
lateral and axial vibrations into the stuck object. The present invention also
io provides novel devices for latching the resonance tools to tubular members.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a vibratory and/or
resonance device integral to the drift string, which includes a drill bit at
its
bottom end and a bottom hole assembly uphoie from the drill bit for performing
is downhole measurements during the drilling operations. The vibratory device
may be operated at any frequency within a predetermined range of
frequencies. The resonator is periodically activated at a selected frequency
within a range of frequencies to prevent the drill string from getting stuck.
In another embodiment, a vibratory source is placed in a string utilized
2o for cementing a liner in a wellbore. The liner string includes a liner with
a liner
hanger attached to its uphole end. A finer hanger running tool is removably
attached to the liner hanger for positioning the liner hanger in the casing. A
vibratory device is attached above the liner hanger running tool, which is
then
connected to a drill pipe or a tubing to the surface. The liner hanger is
2s positioned in place but is not anchored in the casing. During cementing of
the
welibore, the vibratory source may be continuously operated or periodically
operated to vibrate the liner to improve cementing of the annulus. The liner '
hanger is anchored after cementing and the liner hanger running tool is
4
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(a) determining the stuck point by a wireline tool conveyed in the drill
pipe, said wireline tool determining the location of the stuck point
from the response of the drill pipe to acoustic signals transmitted by
the wireline tool within the drill pipe;
(b) conveying a string in the drill pipe, said string having a vibratory
device for generating pulses of mechanical energy at a
predetermined frequency within a range of frequencies, a sensor
for detecting response of the drill pipe to the pulses of mechanical
energy and for generating signals representative of the response of
the drill pipe, and a control circuit for continually determining the
resonance frequency for the drill pipe from the sensor signals and
generating corresponding control signals;
(c) securing the string to the drill pipe at a predetermined distance
above the stuck point;
(d) operating the vibratory device at a plurality of frequencies within the
range of frequencies;
(e) selecting an operating frequency from the response of the drill pipe
to the plurality of frequencies; and
(f) operating the vibratory device at the operating frequency to free the
drill pipe.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method of retrieving an object from a wellbore, comprising the
steps
of:
(a) determining the location of the object within the wellbore;
(b) securing a string to the object, said string having, a vibratory device
for generating pulses of mechanical energy at a predetermined
frequency within a range of frequencies, a sensor for detecting
response of the object to the pulses of mechanical energy and for
generating signals representative of the response of the object, and
a control circuit for continually determining the resonance
frequency for the object from the sensor and generating
corresponding control signals;
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CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/4s622 PCTYUS97l09066
s Examples of the more important features of the invention have been
summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that
follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the
art
may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention
that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the
claims
to appended hereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For detailed understanding of the present invention, references should
be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements
~s have been given like numerals, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a fishing system for freeing and
retrieving a drill pipe stuck in a wellbore according to one embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 1A shows an arrangement of certain functional sections of a
2o downhole resonance tool according to the present invention for use in the
system of FIG.1.
FIG. 1 B is an alternative arrangement of certain functioraal sections of a
resonance tool according to the present invention for use in the system of
FIG.1.
2s FIG. 2 is a closed-loop block circuit diagram for controlling the
operations of the fishing system of FIG. 1.
7
CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/45622 PCT/~JS97/09066
s FIG. 3 is an alternative closed-loop block circuit diagram for controlling
the operations of the fishing system of FlG. 1.
FIG. 4 shows a hypothetical relationship between the amplitude
response of the stuck object and the frequency of pulses of mechanical energy
generated by a resonance tool.
to FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a device for anchoring the resonance
tools in a tubular member.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an alternative device for anchoring the
resonance tool in a tubular member.
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a drill string with a vibratory source
1s according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows a liner string with a vibratory source during the cementing
of a liner in a wellbore with the liner hanger in the open position according
to
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
2o The present invention provides apparatus and methods utilizing
vibratory and/or a resonance sources for use in performing a suitable
operation in wellbores. Such operations include retrieving an object (fish)
stuck in the wellbore, avoiding getting the drill string from getting stuck
during
the drilling operations, freeing a stuck pipe, aiding in the installation of
liners
2s (casings) in the wellbore, and aiding in certain cementing operations
downhole. In general, the system of the present invention contains a
downhole resonance tool that is latched at a suitable place downhole. The
resonance tool includes a pulse generator which generates radial andlor axial
8
CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/45622 PCT/US97/09066
s pulses of mechanical energy at different frequencies within a range of
frequencies in order to vibrate an object. A control circuit, either placed on
the
surFace or within the resonance tool, monitors the response of the object to
the
induced mechanical pulses and determines therefrom the natural vibration
frequency for the object that provides the highest transfer efficiency between
io the resonance tool and the object (also referred herein as the optimum
operating frequency). The resonance tool may operate at discrete frequencies
within a range of frequencies or may operate to sweep the frequency range.
The system then continues to operate the resonance tool at the operating
frequency. During operations, the system continuously monitors and
is determines the optimum operating frequency, which may change as the object
is being freed or dislodged from its position.
The use of resonance toots according to the present invention is
described by way of examples. Accordingly, FIG. 1 shows a system for freeing
a stuck drill pipe according to the present invention. FIGS. 1A-1 B show
2o examples of embodiments of resonance fishing tool configurations for use in
the fishing system of FIG. 1. FIGS. 2-3 show control circuits for in situ
determination of the response of the stuck object to a resonator and for
controlling the operation of the resonator as a function of the response of
the
object. FIG. 4 shows a hypothetical relationship between amplitude response
2s of the stuck object and the frequency of pulses of mechanical energy
generated by a resonance tool. FIGS. 5-6 show embodiments of latching
mechanisms for anchoring the resonance tools to the object to be fished or
retrieved. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the drill string incorporating a
9
CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/46622 PCT/US97J09066
s resonance device which can be utilized during the drilling of a wettbore to
avoid getting the drill stuck in the wellbore. FIG. 8 shows a manner in which
the resonance tool of the present invention may be utilized for cementing a
liner (casing) in a wellbore.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a fishing system 10 for freeing and
1o retrieving a stuck object from within a wellbore 30. As an example and not
as
a limitation, the system 10 is shown to free a tubular member, such as a drill
pipe 20, stuck along a zone 22 in an open hole (wellbore) 30. The fishing
system 10 includes a rig (typically a workover rig) 15 that includes a rig
mast
12 placed on a drilling platform 14. A fluid control unit 16 pumps a desired
is fluid 24 into the wellbore 30 via a desired conduit, which depending upon
the
application may be a coiled tubing 40 or the drill pipe 20.
A surface control unit 50, preferably placed on the platform 14, controls
the operation of various surtace devices including the fluid control unit 16.
The
surface control unit 50 communicates with a downhole resonance tool 60 (as
2o described later with reference to FIGS. 2-3) and controls the operation of
a
variety of surface and downhole devices according to programmed instruction
associated with the surface control unit 50. The surFace control unit 50
includes one or more computers with associated memory, programmed
instructions, power supply and a peripheral interface unit. A monitor or
display
2s 52, preferably a touch-type monitor, associated with the control unit 50
displays desired information, such as the values of certain operating
parameters. A suitable data entry device, such as a key board (not shown),
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CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
WO 97/45622 PCT/US97109066
s fluid source and the resonator 74. Any suitable flow control device may be
placed in the fluid control section 76 to control the flow of the fluid
through the
resonator 74. Such flow control devices are selectively opened and closed to
direct the desired amount of fluid through the resonator 74. The resonance
tool 60 preferably contains a plurality of sensors 68, with at least one such
to sensor (a resonator sensor) 68a for determining the response of the object
or
the drill pipe 20 to the pulses of mechanical energy generated by the
resonator
74. An accelerator (not shown) suitably placed in the tool 60 may be utilized
as a sensor 68a for detecting the response of the drill pipe 20 to the
resonator
pulses. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors 68 suitably placed in the tool
60
is may be utilized for determining the response of the drill pipe 20 to the
resonator 74 pulses.
Still referring to FIG. 1A, the resonance tool 60 further includes a
downhole control circuit 78 for continuously monitoring the response of the
drill
pipe ZO to the resonator 74 pulses and for controlling the operation of the
2o resonance tool 60 as a function of such response according to programmed
instruction provided to the downhole control circuit 78. Other sensors 68 such
as a pressure sensor, temperature sensor and a fluid flow rate sensor may
also be placed in the tool for determining various downhole operating
parameters. A two-way telemetry 80 is included in the resonance tool 60 for
2s communicating data and command signals between the downhole control
circuit 78 and the surface control unit 50.
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s FIG. 1 B shows a schematic diagram of an alternative arrangement of
the resonance tool 60 configured in a string 90. The string 90 contains the
resonance tool 60 at the upper end of a drill pipe 94 and an engaging device s
92 at the bottom end of the drill pipe 94. The engaging device 92 is designed
to latch onto a stuck object (not shown) in the wellbore. The engaging device
io 92 may be any known engaging device in the art. The engaging device 92
may engage or grab the stuck object at an outer surface or at an inner surface
of the stuck object. The engaging device 92 may include a plurality of
gripping
members (not shown) which may be independently controlled to move
outwardly and inwardly about the tool body. Various types of engaging
~s devices 92 are known in the art and, therefore, are not described in detail
herein.
The resonance tools 60 of the present invention may include a device
(not shown) for determining the location of the stuck object, particularly a
device for determining the free point of a stuck pipe in a wellbore. Resonance
2o tools 60 having such devices for determining the free point are useful in
that
the resonance tool 60 may be conveyed first to determine the free point and
then anchored at a desired distance above the free point. The resonance tool
60 so used determines the free point and frees the stuck object in a single
trip
compared to two trips that will be required if such devices are not integrated
2s into the resonance tool 60.
As noted earlier in FIG. 1, the operation of the fishing system 10,
including the operation of the resonance tool 60 may be controlled by the
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s surface control unit 50 or by the downhole control circuit 76 associated
with the
resonance tool 60 or a combination of the two. For simplicity, numeral 60 is
used hereinafter to mean any resonance tool utilized for the purpose of this
invention. The operation of the resonance tool 60 controlled by the surtace
control unit 50 will be described first while referring to FIGS. 1, 1A, 1B, 2
and
l0 4. The operation of the resonance tool 60 controlled by the downhole
control
circuit 78 will be described thereafter white referring to FIGS. 1, 1A, 1B, 3
and
4.
Now referring to FIGS. 1, 1A, 1 B, 2 and 4, to free an object (not shown)
stuck in the wellbore 30, the resonance tool 60 is conveyed into the wellbore
is 30 by any suitable method or device, such as by a wireline, a coiled tubing
40
having a conductor therein or by pumping the resonance tool 60 down into the
wellbore 30 with a fluid 24. In the case of a stuck pipe, the resonance tool
60
is preferably conveyed into the drill pipe 20 via the coiled tubing 40 and
anchored at a predetermined location 64 above the stuck point 22a. In the
2o case of a stuck object engaging member 82 is securely engaged attached to
the stuck object.
Referring to FIG. 2, once the resonance tool 60 has been properly
engaged with the object to be retrieved, the surface control unit 50 operates
the fluid control unit 16, i.e., pumps the fluid 24 downhole at an initial
flow rate
2s F~,. This fluid causes the resonator 74 to generate pulses of mechanical
energy at an initial rate or frequency f,, which causes the stuck object to
vibrate. The resonator sensor 68a detect the response of the object to the
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s induced pulses of mechanical energy and generate signals that correspond to
the amplitude of the response of the object. The sensor signals are amplified
by an amplifier 108, converted into digital signals by an analog-to-digital
converter (AID) 110 and fed to a micro-controller 112. The micro-controller
112 may be a general purpose processor, such as a microprocessor, digital
io signal processor (DSP) or any other device that can process the required
signals and data from the tool 60. The micro-controller 112 processes the
received sensor signals to determine the amplitude of the response of the
object to the induced pulses or vibrations and further processes such data
according to stored instructions (programs) in an associated read only memory
is ("ROM") 114. The micro-controller 112 stores the computed information in a
downhole memory 116, which may be a random-access-memory ("RAM°') and
transmits such data (information) to the surface control unit 50 via the two-
way
telemetry 80 over a data bus 118. The surface control unit 50 then changes
the fluid flow rate (and thus the corresponding fluid pressure) by a
2o predetermined value to F~, which in turn causes the resonator 74 to vibrate
at
a corresponding frequency f'2. The surface control unit 50 determines the
response of the object at this frequency. This procedure is repeated to sweep
the desired frequency range to determine the optimum or effective operating
frequency.
2s A hypothetical amplitude versus frequency response of the object is
shown in FIG. 4. The local amplitude maxima are shown to occur at points
152, 154, 156 and 158, with the maximum amplitude response occurring at
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s point 154 and a frequency fo. The surface control unit 50, alone or in
cooperation with the micro-controller 112, adjusts the fluid flow rate to
continue
to operate the resonator 74 at the operating frequency fo until the object is
freed. If the effective operating frequency shifts during the operation, the
surface control unit 50 can be programmed to continually or periodically
adjust
to the fluid flow rate so as to operate the resonator 74 at the desired
frequency.
The above-described operations may be pertormed by an operator controlling
the frequency changes or automatically by the downhole micro-controller 112
andlor the surtace control unit 50.
In the case of a stuck drill pipe 20, once the drill pipe 20 is free, the
is resonance tool 60 is detached and retrieved back to the surtace. The
drilling
operation is then be continued or the drill pipe ZO is retrieved to either
change
the drill pipe 20 andlor to pertorm some remedial work in the wellbore 30 to
prevent the stuck conditions from rerun-ing. In the case of objects to be
retrieved to the surtace, the resonance tool 60 is retrieved along with the
freed
2o object.
As noted earlier, the resonator 74 may be a non-fluid operated
resonator 74, such as solenoid operated or electro-mechanically operated. !n
such a case, the surtace control unit 50 controls the electrical operation of
such devices to operate the resonators 74 at the selected frequencies.
2s Alternatively, the resonator 74 may utilize a magnetostrictive device,
wherein
electrical energy is alternately applied and released in a metal member (not
shown) to create acoustic pulses. The frequency of operation is controlled by
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s varying the rate at which the application of the electrical energy is
switched.
The resonator 74 may also utilize a piezoelectric device (not shown) or any
other device that can generate sufficient energy to vibrate the stuck device.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a control system which may be
utilized to control the operation of the resonance toot 60 downhofe, i.e., by
the
io micro-controller 112. In this system, the micro-controller 112 controls the
fluid
flow through the resonator 74 (for a fluid-type resonator) or the electrical
energy to the resonator (for an electrically operated resonator), as the case
may be, via a resonator control circuit 120. In one embodiment, the resonator
circuit 120 is employed to control a relief valve 121 associated with the
is resonance tool 60 in a fluid-operated resonator 74 or the electrical energy
supplied to an actuator in an electrically-operated resonator 74, such as
solenoid or motor. The micro-controller 112 also transmits information to the
surface control unit 50. The surface control unit 50 may be programmed to
override operations of the downhofe micro-controller 112. Alternatively, an
20 operator may input instructions to the surface control unit 50 and control
the
operation of the system 10 including the downhole resonance tool 60.
As noted above in reference to FIG. 1A, in each of the above-described
systems, other desired sensors 68 are also deployed in the resonance tools
60. The signals from such sensors 68 are amplified and converted by
2s corresponding amplifiers 108 and A/D converters 112 before being processed
by the micro-controller 112 according to programmed instructions.
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s FIG. 5 shows a latching device 200 and method for engaging such a
latching device 200 to a tubular member, such as drill pipe 20. During the
drilling operations, one or more Landing collars 202, such as lower and upper
collars 202a and 202b, respectively, are installed in the drill pipe 60, where
they are spaced at a selected distance. Two to three such collars 202 are
io deemed sufficient for many drilling operations. The spacing between the
adjacent collars 202 is preferably between five hundred feet to two thousand
feet. The internal diameter of the successive collars 202 starting from the
lower collar 202a is successively made smaller. As shown in FiG. 5, the
internal diameter of the lower collar 202a is less than the internal diameter
of
is the upper collar 202b. In this manner, a latching device 200 of suitable
external dimensions can be placed at any desired collar 202.
in FIG. 5, the latching device or anchor 200 is shown engaged with the
tower collar 202a. The lower collar 202a has a landing 204 at its upper end
and an internally-threaded section 206 along its internal diameter. The
20 latching device 200 contains a body 208 having outside dimensions that
enable the latching device 200 to pass through each of the collars 200 that
precede (are uphole from) the lower collar 202a. The latching device 200
contains a flange 210 that is designed to rest or seat on the landing 204. The
latching device 200 also has threads 212 along its outer surface. These
2s threads 212 are designed to engage the internally-threaded section 206 of
the
collar 202a. The latching device 200 also includes a spring 214 above the
threads of the internally-threaded section 206 and a plurality of seals 216
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s between the spring 214 and the flange 210.
To engage the latching device 200 with the collar 202a and, therefore,
the drill pipe 20, the latching device 200 is conveyed into the drill pipe 60
by a
suitable conveying member 40, such as coiled tubing, wireline or by pumping it
downhole by a fluid. Because the outer dimensions of the latching device 200
io are smaller than the inside dimensions of any of the collars 202 located
above
the lower collar 202a, the latching device 200 will pass all such collars 202
when conveyed downhole. When the latching device 200 reaches the lower
collar 202a, the latching device 200 is securely engaged with the lower collar
202a by engaging the threads 212 with the threads of the internally-threaded
is section 206. The spring 214 provides resiliency to the connections and the
seals 216 prevent leakage of fluids around the latching device 200. The
resonance tool 60 may be attached at the bottom end of the latching device
200, as shown in FIG. 5 or above (not shown) the latching device 200. The
resonance tool 60 is retrieved from the wellbore 30 by disengaging the
latching
2o device 200 from the lower collar 202a.
FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a latching mechanism for
anchoring the resonance tool 60 in a tubular member 20 such as the drill pipe.
A carrier 122 is anchored at a suitable location in the drill pipe 20. The
carrier
122 has an inner landing support 124. To anchor the resonance tool 60 to the
2s tubular member 20, the resonance tool 60 is conveyed into the tubular
member
20. The resonance tool 60 has a seat 126 that is designed to rest on the inner
landing support 124. The resonance tool 60 also has an outside threaded
CA 02227601 1998-O1-23
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s portion 128 that is screwed into the carrier 122. The resonator 74 shown is
a
Moyno-type resonator, which includes a rotor 130 whose longitudinal axis x~-x~
is parallel but offset to the longitudinal axis x-x of the resonance tool 60.
The
rotor 130, when rotated about the axis x,-x~, generates radial (orthogonal to
the longitudinal axis x-x) pulses of mechanical energy in the tubular member
l0 20. The rotor 130 may be rotated by passing a fluid under pressure along
the
longitudinal axis, or by an elector-mechanical device, such as a motor (not
shown). The operation of the resonator 74 is controlled in the manner
described above with reference to the resonator 74 of FIG. 1.
Alternatively, any commercially available anchor may be utilized for the
is purpose of this invention. Some such devices are referred to in the oil and
gas
industry as the finer hangers. A wide variety of liner hangers are sold by a
number of manufacturers, including the assignee of this application.
Additionally, any commercially available engagement device may be utilized
for applications where the resonance tool is used to engage with any other
20 object stuck in the wellbore. A variety of engagement devices are currently
available for engaging fishing tools with the objects to be retrieved.
FIG. ? is a schematic illustration of a drill string 300 with a vibratory
source (resonance tool) 60 attached to a suitable conveying member, such as
drill pipe 20, at an upper end and to the upper collar 202b at a Power end.
The
2s upper collar 202b is then connected to a bottom hole assembly (BHA) 302,
which preferably includes a plurality of stabilizers 304 connected via the
lower
collar 202a to a drill bit 306, to complete the drill string 300.
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s
In a typical drilling operation, the drill bit 306 sometimes becomes stuck
due to such factors as the weight-on-bit (weight of uphole equipment and drill
pipe 20 on the drill bit 306), the rotary speed of the drill bit 306 and/or
the fluid
flow rate. With the preferred ernbodiment of the present invention, a signal
to can be communicated to the resonance tool 60 to start an operation to free
the
drill bit 306. As described above, the resonator 74 (FIG. 1) contained within
the resonance toot fi0 is activated and a sweep of frequencies is performed to
determine an optimum or effective frequency.
During drilling operations, the vibratory device (resonator) 74 is
is operated at a predetermined frequency or at several frequencies to
determine
the effective frequency. During normal drilling, the vibratory source 74 may
be
periodically operated for a predetermined time period. Typically, the
resonator
74 is operated during the times when a drill pipe section is added to the
drill
string, which usually occurs after the drilling of every 30 or 40 feet. The
2o vibratory source 74 may be fluid operated, such as by the drilling fluid
24, or
may be an electrically operated device, such as a magnetostrictive device.
The vibratory source 74 may be operated independently of any other device in
the drill string. For fluid operated vibratory source, valves associated with
the
source control the fluid flow through the source, thereby controlling the
2s operating frequency of the source. The source may be operated to sweep the
frequency range to determine the most effective frequency and then operated
at such frequency.
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s Resonator sensors 68a (FIG. 3) transmit signals to either the surface
control unit 50 or the downhole micro-controller 212 and the frequency is then
selected. The resonator 74 is operated at the determined frequency, as
described above, until the drill bit 306 is freed and drilling operations can
be
continued. By having the resonance tool 60 downhole as an integral part of
to the drib string 300, lost time due to a stuck drill bit 306 can be
minimized.
The use of the resonance devices for cementing operations will now be
described while referring to FIG. 8, which shows, by way of an example, a
liner
string 320 disposed in the wellbore 30 during a cementing of a liner 322. The
liner string 320 is shown to include the liner 322, a liner hanger 324, a
liner
is hanger running tool 326 and the vibratory source (resonance tool) 60. The
liner string 320 is detachably connected to a conveying member, such as drill
pipe 20. The liner string 320 is run downhole until the liner hanger 324 is
positioned at a desired location in the wellbore 30.
In prior art operations (not shown), the liner hanger 324 is typically first
2o anchored in the casing 18. The cement 330 is then circulated through the
annulus between the liner 322 and the wellbore 30. The liner 322 is
sometimes jarred or rotated to obtain more effective cementing in the annulus.
in this preferred embodiment of the present invention, however, the
liner hanger 324 is not anchored prior to cementing. Cement 330 is pumped
2s downhole through tubing 328 and flows from the bottom of the liner 322 and
up
the annulus located between the liner 322 and the waN of the wellbore 30. fn
one preferred embodiment, the resonance toot 60 is activated during the
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s cementing process. In another embodiment, the resonance tool 60 is activated
after circulating a predetermined volume of the cement 330 in the annulus. If
a
fluid-operated source is utilized, the slurry of cement 330 used for cementing
the annulus may be used to operate the vibrating source (resonator) 74.
Alternatively, after circulating a predetermined volume of the cement 330 in
the
io annulus, the resonator 74 may be sealed from the liner hanger 324 by
closing
a valve (not shown) between the liner hanger 324 and the resonator 74. The
resonator 74 is then operated at an effective frequency within a predetermined
range of frequencies to vibrate the liner 322, which shakes the cement 330 in
the annulus and causes voids and channels in the annulus to be filled with the
1s cement 330.
The resonator 74 generates pulses of mechanics! energy which cause
the liner 322 and the cement 330 to vibrate. These vibrations cause the
cement 330 in the annulus to shift and causes voids and channels in the
annulus to be filled with the cement 330. Once the cementing operation is
2o completed, the liner hanger 324 is anchored via anchors 338, the liner
hanger
running tool 326 is detached from the liner hanger 324 and is retrieved with
the
resonance tool 60 back to the surtace.
fn a similar method involving cementing operations in the wellbore 30, a
vibrating source 74 is integrated into a running tool string and is activated
at a
2s determined frequency, after sweeping the frequencies as described above,
during the cementing operation. One such operation is the seating of a
juncture (not shown) with cement 330. The vibrations cause the cement 330
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s around the juncture to shift such that voids and channels wilt fill with
cement
330 as described above.
Thus, the present invention provides apparatus and method for use of
resonance or vibratory devices for pertorming an operation downhole. The
resonance device may be any suitable device and may include a lateral force
io generator, an axial force generator, a mechanical force generator, a
solenoid-
operated force generator, an electro-mechanical device, an inductive device a
fluid-operated device and a magnetostrictive device. The resonator is suitably
placed in the wellbore and operated at an effective frequency selected from a
range of frequencies. A sensor associated with the resonator is utilized to
is detect the response of an object in the wellbore, which is utilized to
adjust or
alter the operating frequency of the resonator. The object in the wellbore may
be a fish, a stuck tubing, a drill string, a liner, and a member associated
with
pertorming a cementing operation in the wellbore or any other suitable element
while the selected operation may include fishing, freeing a stuck drill
string,
2o freeing a stuck tubular, installing a liner, cementing a juncture, a
general
cementing operation, and drilling of a wellbore.
While the foregoing disclosure is directed to the preferred embodiments
of the invention, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in
the
art. It is intended that all variations within the scope and spirit of the
appended
2s claims be embraced by the foregoing disclosure.
