Inventors: David A. Arce; John L. Baugh and Sidney K. Smith Jr.

Title: Cementing Head

PRIORITY INFORMATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/591,058, filed on July 26, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The field of this invention related to surface cementing heads for dropping balls and wiper plugs into a wellbore.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In cementing casing or liners the procedure typically involves dropping one or more balls for engagement with a downhole seat sized for that ball to allow pressure buildup to set downhole devices such as external casing packers. After the ball is dropped and the downhole equipment is set, the delivery of the cement occurs in conjunction of delivery of one or more wiper plugs or darts down the casing. These plugs separate mud from cement or clean the inside of the casing.

[0004] Typically the ball-dropping device is located below the dart-releasing device so that the darts must travel past the ball-releasing device after it has dropped the balls. One problem with this layout is that the ball dropping device, after release of the ball, presents either a large opening or edges that can engage the trailing cups on the dart as it is pumped by. What has happened is that tears can develop in these cups allowing fluid bypass around the dart. This can stop the forward motion of the dart or impede its ability to separate fluids or to clean the inside wall of the casing or tubular as it is forced downhole. Accordingly, as described below with regard to the preferred embodiment, as solution to this problem has been devised to try to minimize the tendency to tear the darts as they pass the ball release device. [0005] In another aspect, a provision is made to prevent the darts from coming back uphole, in the event of a pressure surge. Such darts are retained from traveling above their release mechanism. The release mechanism for the darts features, in the preferred embodiment, individual release barrels for each dart allowing for the darts to be dropped in any order. It further allows observation of what dart is in which barrel without affecting the operation of the other barrels holding other darts. Each barrel is movable between a fully misaligned and fully aligned position with the casing or tubular and can be locked in at least two positions. A handle assembly stays with the dart dropping unit and manipulation of the integrated operating handle acts to defeat the lock and rotate a barrel into an aligned position with the casing for launch of the dart.

[0006] U.S. Patent 6,182,752 shows a tool that drops darts by continuing rotation in a fixed direction requiring a predetermined order of dropping once the darts are loaded and no provision for checking which dart is in which barrel after loading.

[0007] The above described advantages and other features of the invention will be 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

[0008] A tool for dropping one or more balls and then one or more darts features a closable ball drop opening that works automatically after the ball release to minimize damage to the subsequently released dart. A retainer keeps the darts from coming back up above the dart launcher in the event of a pressure surge in the well. The dart launcher features a dedicated movable barrel for each dart that can be locked in a fully misaligned and fully aligned position with the casing or tubular. A handle is retained to the dart housing and can be manipulated to defeat the lock and rotate a given barrel. The darts may be inspected in their respective barrels before launch and the launch order is variable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] Figure 1 is an elevation view of the assembly showing the dart dropping housing above the ball dropping housing;

[0010] Figure 2 is a section view of a ball trapped in the dropper before release;

[0011] Figure 3 is the view of Figure 2 showing the door opened and the ball having been released;

[0012] Figure 4 shows the door to the casing closed before the darts are dropped;

[0013] Figure 5 is the view along line 5-5 of Figure 1 ;

[0014] Figure 6 is the view along line 6-6 of Figure 1 ; and

[0015] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the dart dropper showing the lock and handle feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] Referring to Figure 1, the plug or dart dropping housing 10 is mounted above the ball dropping housing 12.While one of each is illustrated those skilled in the art will appreciate that more than one of each can be used. The housing 12 is shown in greater detail in Figures 2-4.Figure 4 will be used to describe the components of the housing 12. A handle 14 is mounted for 360 degree rotation of a cam lό.The handle 14 is secured by a pin 18 to cam 16. The casing or tubular 20 has an interior wall 22. A door 24 has a curved surface 26 designed to approximate the curvature of the interior wall 22 of the casing 20 when in the position shown in Figure 4. The cam 16 has a guide rod 28 that extends into the door 24. A spring 30 surrounds rod 28 to bias the door 24 into a position where curved surface 26 is positioned as close as possible to the interior wall 22. Door 24 has an upper tapered surface 32 to ease its travel path up the outside wall 34 of the casing 20 when the handle 14 is rotated 180 degrees from the position shown in Figure 4. The door 24 moves in tandem with the cam 16 because pin 28 secures the door 24 to the cam 16.

[0017] The operation is best understood by going back to Figure 2. There a ball 36 is loaded and retained by an extension 38 of the cam 16. Note that rod 28 extends from extension 38 into door 24 for tandem movement. A curved ramp 41 can be seen in the out of contact position from the ball 36 when the handle 14 is pointing left in Figure 2. As the handle 14 is rotated, the extension 38 takes rod 28 with it forcing the ramp 32 and subsequently the door 24 up the outside wall 34 of the casing 20 and up against the bias of spring 30 that surrounds rod 28.

[0018] The movement of handle 14 180 degrees to the Figure 3 position takes door 24 away from opening 42 in the casing 20 allowing the curved ramp 41 to push the ball 36 through opening 42 and allow it to fall or be pumped downhole through casing 20.

[0019] After release of ball 36, the handle 14 is rotated another 180 degrees to allow door 24 to be again aligned with opening 42 and to allow the spring 30 to bias door 24 so that its curved surface 26 stays as closely aligned as possible with the inner wall 22. What will happen next is that a plug or dart will be dropped from housing 10. Because the door 24 with its curved surface 26 now sits in actual or near alignment with interior wall 22, there is a reduced chance of damage to the plug or dart 44 as it clears housing 12. The dart typically has one or more cups for sealing against the wall 22 of the casing 20 to allow it to be easily pumped down. These cups have caught on openings, sharp edges or ledges presented by the ball droppers of the prior designs and the result has been damage or destruction of the cups on the dart 44. The assembly described above with door 24 addresses this issue by closing the opening 42 after the ball is released and in a manner that minimizes pinch points that can damage the dart 44 that is subsequently dropped past opening 42.

[0020] Figure 5 illustrates that housing 12 can have mirror image ball dropping assemblies each having a door 24 that works in the above described manner and closes with surface 26 as nearly flush as possible with the interior surface 22 of the casing 20 so as to minimize subsequent damage to the dart 44. While reference has been made to a ball 36 those skilled in the art will appreciate that other shapes can be used and that fluid pressure rather than curved ramp 41 can be used to get the ball 36 out.

[0021] Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, the details of the dart dropping housing 10 will be explained. Housing 12 has a central bore 45. For illustrative purposes, there are three barrels 46, 48 and 50 that are each independently rotatable into or out of alignment with bore 45 and two of which 46 and 48 are shown in Figure 7. Each barrel can be locked in either position and features an integral handle assembly that can defeat the lock to facilitate rotation. An open barrier 52 is within the inner wall 22 that continues below as part of the casing 20, as shown in Figure 4. This barrier keeps the darts 44 from going further up beyond housing 10 in the event of a pressure surge in the well. At the same time, because barrier 52 is open, flow can pass through it to allow pumping the dart 44 down the casing 20. Figure 6 shows the operating shaft assemblies 54, 56 and 58 that respectively operate barrels 46, 48 and 50. One shaft assembly will be described in detail, as in the preferred embodiment they are all identical. A lower shaft 60 is linked for relative rotation to a barrel such as 46. An upper shaft 62 is keyed to lower shaft 60 at connection 64. A handle 66 is screwed to bolt 68 in the stowed position. A ball 70 at the lower end of handle 66 keeps the handle within cap 72 after the handle is unthreaded from bolt 68 and lifted away from bolt 68. A dog 74 extends into a groove 76 in cap 72. When the handle 66 is pulled away from bolt 68 until ball 70 stops further outward travel of the handle 66, the handle 66 is rotated to engage the dog 74 to cam it away from groove 76 along mating tapers 78. Thereafter the handle 66 can be turned in a manner to rotate shafts 62 and 60 to place barrel 46 into alignment with bore 45. At this point dog 74 snaps into another groove 76 to lock the barrel 46 in the position of alignment with bore 45. An indicator 80 of a type known in the art signals the passage of dart 44 out of barrel 46. The other darts 44 in the other barrels 48 and 50 can then be released in the same way, after barrel 46 is retracted out of alignment with bore 45.

[0022] This arrangement offers advantages over prior dart dropping designs. One is that each barrel can be inspected to be sure there is a dart 44 in it before the cementing procedure starts. The darts 44 can then be dropped in any desired order. The handle 66 that operates an individual barrel cannot be lost as it is made to be retained by the cap 72. Any of the barrels can be selectively locked in the drop position where there is alignment with bore 45. The locking is automatic upon rotation into position and dog 74 falling into slot 76 when barrel 46 aligns with bore 45, for example. By manipulating the handle, after dropping the dart 44 the dog is retracted allowing the reverse movement to occur to fully misalign barrel 46 from bore 45 and lock that position as dog 74 falls into another slot (not shown) on cap 72. Again the other barrels preferably work in the same manner. [0023] While three barrels in one housing 10 are shown, varying numbers of barrels can be used in each housing. Shafts 60 and 62 can be in one piece and can also be power driven as opposed to manual handle 66.

[0024] Using the combination of equipment described above, one or more objects of the same or different dimensions can be dropped from housing 12 followed by closure of the opening or openings 42 with a door 24 to present a flush or nearly flush surface 26 adjacent the inner wall 22 of the casing 20. The darts 44 can then be dropped in any order from a given housing 10 with little concern about damage as they pass openings 42 that are covered with a door 24 that is flush or nearly so. If there is a pressure surge as the darts are being dropped, the barrier 52 prevents them from being blown past the housing 10. The built in handle 66 can't be lost. The barrels 46, 48 and 50 can be selectively locked in a fully aligned position with bore 45 or in a fully misaligned position or any other desired position. The dog 74 engages a groove such as 76 automatically and can be defeated by permitted movements of the handle 66 within cap 72.

[0025] While the preferred embodiment has been set forth above, those skilled in art will appreciate that the scope of the invention is significantly broader and as outlined in the claims which appear below.