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WO2008154555A2 - Procédé et appareil pour l'allongement d'un train de tiges et l'installation d'un train de tiges dans un forage - Google Patents

Procédé et appareil pour l'allongement d'un train de tiges et l'installation d'un train de tiges dans un forage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008154555A2
WO2008154555A2 PCT/US2008/066467 US2008066467W WO2008154555A2 WO 2008154555 A2 WO2008154555 A2 WO 2008154555A2 US 2008066467 W US2008066467 W US 2008066467W WO 2008154555 A2 WO2008154555 A2 WO 2008154555A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pipe
pipe string
string
segment
friction stir
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2008/066467
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2008154555A3 (fr
Inventor
Pradeep Kumar Mallenahalli
Brennan Scott Domec
Charles Michael Webre
Mark Alan Veverica
John Fletcher Wheeler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Franks International LLC
Original Assignee
Franks International LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Franks International LLC filed Critical Franks International LLC
Publication of WO2008154555A2 publication Critical patent/WO2008154555A2/fr
Publication of WO2008154555A3 publication Critical patent/WO2008154555A3/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
    • E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K20/00—Non-electric welding by applying impact or other pressure, with or without the application of heat, e.g. cladding or plating
    • B23K20/12—Non-electric welding by applying impact or other pressure, with or without the application of heat, e.g. cladding or plating the heat being generated by friction; Friction welding
    • B23K20/122—Non-electric welding by applying impact or other pressure, with or without the application of heat, e.g. cladding or plating the heat being generated by friction; Friction welding using a non-consumable tool, e.g. friction stir welding
    • B23K20/1225—Particular aspects of welding with a non-consumable tool
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K20/00—Non-electric welding by applying impact or other pressure, with or without the application of heat, e.g. cladding or plating
    • B23K20/14—Preventing or minimising gas access, or using protective gases or vacuum during welding
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
    • E21B43/10—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
    • E21B43/10—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
    • E21B43/103—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K2101/00—Articles made by soldering, welding or cutting
    • B23K2101/04—Tubular or hollow articles
    • B23K2101/06—Tubes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K2103/00—Materials to be soldered, welded or cut
    • B23K2103/02—Iron or ferrous alloys
    • B23K2103/04—Steel or steel alloys

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for lengthening a pipe string using friction stir welding and for installing a friction stir welded pipe string in a borehole. Specifically, the present invention relates to using friction stir welding to join a pipe segment to a pipe string that is suspended from a rig by a suspending device such as a spider, a landing table, a collar load support device, or other devices known in the art for suspending a pipe string from a rig.
  • a suspending device such as a spider, a landing table, a collar load support device, or other devices known in the art for suspending a pipe string from a rig.
  • Conventional pipe strings that are installed in a borehole generally comprise pipe segments, typically 30 to 60 feet in length, threadedly connected to form a pipe string that can extend up to 10,000 feet or more.
  • the pipe segments of conventional pipe strings are connected using threaded connections including an internally threaded sleeve that threadedly receives a first externally threaded pipe end into its first end and a second externally threaded pipe end into its second end to connect the two pipe ends together to form a pipe string.
  • the pipe string is lowered through a rig floor into a borehole and suspended at the rig floor using a suspending device, such as a spider.
  • the proximal end of the pipe string is positioned above the suspending device to facilitate the connection of additional (“add-on”) pipe segments to the pipe string, after which the lengthened pipe string is lowered further through the rig floor. This process is repeated until the pipe string reaches the desired length for being installed in a borehole and cemented into place, or otherwise applied for its purpose.
  • a welded connection is not subject to the risk of unbucking ("backing off by inadvertent rotation), the welded connection is generally as strong as or stronger than the pipe between the connections, a welded connection is better suited to contain internal pressure without leaking, and because the exterior of a welded pipe string does not have shoulders that can hang up on borehole irregularities, such as borehole protrusions and restrictions, and slow pipe string installation.
  • Threaded connections that offer good sealing performance in their original state do not reliably maintain the seal after being forcibly expanded or after being installed in a high-temperature service environment.
  • welded connections generally have mechanical properties that are very close that those of the pipe material, and welded connections generally expand uniformly with the adjacent pipe wall, either from forcible expansion or from increased temperatures.
  • pipe strings having welded connections are easier to install in a borehole through the bore of an existing pipe string, and then more reliably expanded to nearly the same diameter as the existing pipe string to form a "monobore” or a "nearly monobore” pipe string.
  • Wells drilled using a monobore well casing construction approach offer a substantial cost savings over the conventional pipe string multiple diameter technique because they require substantially less pipe material and require substantially smaller diameter boreholes compared to the conventional multiple diameter casing string that requires a "telescoping" structure formed by installing and connecting numerous progressively smaller casing strings as the depth of the borehole increases.
  • Monobore casing strings may provide a substantial savings in drilling and completion costs if welded pipe strings could be economically welded and installed.
  • the expanded pipe string may serve as a casing string or as production tubing through which hydrocarbons are transported to the surface.
  • the expandable pipe string may be expanded against the inner surface of an existing casing string to form a protective cladding for protecting the existing casing string against corrosive well fluids and from damage by tools that are lowered into the borehole for maintenance and work-over operations.
  • pipe strings made with threaded connections may be assembled on the rig to take any form or length desired simply by joining pipe segments or other devices on an as- needed basis.
  • threaded connections may not provide a fluid-tight seal, especially after being expanded, and leaks at the joints may lead to undesirable consequences.
  • Another drawback to using threaded connections to form and install expandable pipe strings involves the use of expansion tools to expand the pipe string within the borehole. The amount of force required to expand the threaded connection may be far more than the adjacent pipe wall is capable of handling without rupturing the pipe string.
  • the method should be generally quick and safe to use on the rig floor, inexpensive to use, reliable, and avoid the limitations of conventional welding processes.
  • the present invention satisfies one or all of the above-stated needs, and others. Aspects of the present invention provide an apparatus and a method of connecting pipe segments to form a pipe string using friction stir welding. Friction stir welding is described in U.S. Patent 5,460,317, which is incorporated herein by reference. [0013] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for lengthening a pipe string by using friction stir welding to join add-on pipe segments to the pipe string while it is supported within a borehole using a suspending device.
  • the suspending device used to suspend the pipe string within the borehole may be a spider, a collar load support device, landing tables, a dual elevator system with landing tables, or any combination of these or other devices known in the art for suspending a pipe string from a rig.
  • the apparatus for joining add-on pipe segments to a pipe string comprises a friction stir welding machine having a rotatable probe for being forcibly inserted into an abutment between the lower end of the add-on pipe segment and the proximal end of the pipe string, or into a gap between the nearly abutting and adjacent ends of a pipe segment and a pipe string where the gap is substantially smaller than the rotatable friction stir welding probe.
  • the friction stir welding machine further comprises an assembly for movably securing the friction stir welding machine into position for applying the force necessary to cause the rotating probe to be inserted into the abutment or the gap and to stir the material of the pipe segment and the pipe string immediately adjacent to the abutment or the gap.
  • the assembly may include an internal clamp or an external clamp, or both, for gripping and restraining the abutment or the gap between the add-on pipe segment and the pipe string in a manner to oppose movement of the pipe segment and the pipe string away from the rotating probe during probe insertion.
  • the pipe segment and the pipe string are both aligned and secured in the abutting or nearly abutting position using an internal clamp that is inserted into, and later withdrawn from, the top end of the pipe segment and positioned at the abutment or gap between the two workpieces.
  • the friction stir welding machine may comprise a clamp assembly that grips the exterior of the lower end of the add-on pipe segment using a superior (upper) clamp, and that grips the exterior of the pipe string under the proximal end of the pipe string using an inferior (lower) clamp that is generally aligned with the superior clamp.
  • a clamp assembly applies a restraining force to the pipe segment and the pipe string to maintain the abutment or the gap between the pipe string and the add-on pipe segment.
  • the clamp assembly may operate, alone or in conjunction with other devices, to resist separation of the pipe segment from the pipe string at the abutment or gap upon forcible insertion of the rotating stir probe into the abutment or gap.
  • the clamp positions the pipe segment to maintain a gap between the lower end of the pipe segment and the upper end of the pipe string that is substantially smaller than the rotatable pin, or probe, that engages and stirs the material of the pipe segment and the pipe string to create the joint. While there may be no specific advantage to creating a gap between the two workpieces, it should be recognized that friction stir welding, like some other methods of welding, does not necessarily require abutment of the workpieces in order to join the workpieces. In one embodiment, a spacer or insert may be used to establish or maintain the desired gap.
  • an internal clamp may be used either in place of or with external clamps to align the pipe segment with the pipe string, either to form an abutment or to form a gap substantially smaller than the diameter of the rotating friction stir welding probe.
  • the internal clamp may be inserted into the bore of the pipe segment and positioned to straddle the abutment or the gap between the lower end of the pipe string and the proximal end of the pipe segment.
  • the internal clamp is expandable to grip the pipe string and the pipe segment to maintain the abutment or the gap and may also be designed to resist separation of the pipe segment from the pipe string during friction stir welding.
  • An internal clamp may also be coupled to a source of inert gas for displacing air from the vicinity of the friction stir welded joint to prevent unwanted oxidation of the material that is heated by the friction stir welding process.
  • an internal alignment device may be used to provide reinforcement to the wall of the pipe segment and the pipe string to resist deformation under the large forces applied by the friction stir welding probe as it is forcibly inserted into the abutment or the gap, and as it is forced into the abutment or the gap to join the pipe segment to the pipe string.
  • the internal alignment device may also be coupled to a source of inert gas for displacing air from the vicinity of the friction stir welded joint to prevent oxidation of heated material.
  • the internal alignment device may be especially useful in joining pipe segments and pipe strings having a thin pipe wall that might otherwise deform under the load applied by the friction stir welding machine.
  • the lower end of the pipe segment and the proximal end of the pipe string may be formed for mating engagement to resist radial movement of one relative to the other during friction stir welding.
  • the weld bevels on the lower end of the pipe segment may be tapered to form the radially exterior surface of a truncated conical frustum
  • the weld bevels on the proximal end of the pipe string may be reverse tapered to form the radially interior surface of a truncated conical frustum so that the lower end of the pipe segment may be received into the proximal end of the pipe string to form an interface that is not purely horizontal relative to the axis of the workpieces.
  • This type of mating interface is generally self-aligning; that is, the interface tends to secure the pipe segment and the pipe string in the aligned condition.
  • the friction stir welding apparatus of the present invention may further comprise an orbital movement assembly that imparts controlled orbital movement of the rotatable probe about the abutment or the gap to provide a fully circumferential friction stir weld.
  • the orbital movement assembly may be hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically-powered, or any combination thereof, to forcibly move the friction stir welding machine, including the rotatable stir probe, about the abutment or the gap.
  • the clamp assembly described above may be hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically-powered, or any combination thereof, to grip the lower end of the add-on pipe segment with the superior clamp and the proximal end of the pipe string with the inferior clamp.
  • the friction stir welding machine may be hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically-powered, or any combination thereof, to rotate the stir probe within the abutment or the gap while the orbital movement assembly imparts orbital movement to move the rotating stir probe through the seam to friction stir weld the add-on pipe segment to the pipe string.
  • the orbital movement assembly cooperates with an external clamp assembly, and the superior clamp and the inferior clamp assist in supporting the friction stir welding machine and in securing the orbital movement assembly in position to forcibly impart the orbital movement to the friction stir welding machine.
  • the pipe string lengthened using the method of the present invention is expanded after being installed in the borehole.
  • the present invention provides an expansion mandrel for forcibly expanding the pipe string as the mandrel is axially forced to move through the bore of the lengthened pipe string. This method is described in U.S. 5,348,095, which is incorporated by reference herein.
  • the pipe string is expanded within the borehole using a rotary expansion device such as that described in U.S. 6,935,430.
  • An expandable pipe string formed using the method and apparatus of the present invention may be expanded within the borehole while maintaining a fluid-tight seal at the expanded friction stir welded joints formed between adjacent pipe segments.
  • the joining of adjacent pipe segments utilizes a stir probe formed of a material that may be substantially harder than the material of the pipe segment and pipe string being joined, and by rotating and forcibly inserting the probe into an abutment between the pipe segment and the pipe string, or into a gap between the adjacent ends of the pipe segment and the pipe string, to plasticize and stir at least a portion of the material at the adjacent ends of each of the pipe segment and the pipe string to join the pipe segment and the pipe string into a lengthened pipe string.
  • the stir probe used to make the friction stir weld between the pipe segment and the pipe string may be a tungsten-rhenium alloy, a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, or some other material that is suitable for forcibly engaging and stirring steel, steel alloys and other metals that can be used to form pipes.
  • the friction stir welding machine cooperates with a clamp assembly to operatively secure the friction stir welding machine into position to be moved in an orbital path about the abutment or the gap between the lower end of the pipe segment and the proximal end of the pipe string.
  • the friction stir welding machine and the clamp assembly may together be disposed within a frame that can be controllably supported and moved on the rig floor, such as within a groove or on a track, toward well center to engage the pipe segment and the pipe string for joining them together, and later controllably moved away from well center to remove the friction stir welding machine and the clamp assembly, and to clear the rig floor for other activity.
  • the frame may be adapted for automated repetitive movement to and from well center, and it may be remotely controlled.
  • the friction stir welding machine may be disposed within the bore of the pipe segment and positioned at the abutment or the gap between the pipe segment and the pipe string to join the lower end of the pipe segment to the proximal end of the pipe string from the inside.
  • This embodiment is more applicable to larger diameter pipe, and can be used with either internal clamps, external clamps, or a combination thereof, for gripping the pipe segment and the pipe string, and for maintaining the abutment or the gap between the pipe segment and the pipe string during the friction stir welding process.
  • the method of the present invention uses the friction stir welding process to provide a pipe string comprising a plurality of joined pipe segments, the pipe string having a generally uniform wall thickness at the welded connections that is substantially the same thickness as the adjacent pipe wall, and highly reliable for expansion, along with the non- welded portions of the pipe string, to form an expanded pipe string having a larger diameter.
  • the method for forming and installing a pipe string in a borehole using friction stir welding includes the step of joining a pipe segment to a pipe string by simultaneously using two or more friction stir welding probes distributed about the abutting seam or the gap formed between the lower end of the pipe segment and the proximal end of the pipe string.
  • This method includes the step of distributing the rotatable friction stir welding probes about the abutting seam or the gap, and simultaneously engaging and welding the abutment or the gap using two or more rotating friction stir welding probes.
  • the distributed friction stir welding probes are distributed so as to generally balance the insertion forces imparted to the abutting or nearly abutting pipe segment and pipe string by the forcible insertion of the rotating probes to mechanically stir the material of the pipe segment and the pipe string adjacent to the abutting seam or the gap.
  • the corresponding apparatus of the present invention comprises two or more rotatable stir probes, each coupled to a press for forcibly disposing the probe into the abutting seam or gap between the pipe segment and the pipe string, and for controlled orbital rotation about the abutment or gap to join the pipe segment to the pipe string.
  • the probes may be disposed and moved about the abutting seam or gap while generally opposed one to the other to offset the forces or, alternately, the probes may be staggered so that a first probe preconditions the workpieces at or near the abutment or gap to facilitate improved joining of the workpieces using the second, or trailing, probe.
  • the number of friction stir welding probes that can be simultaneously engaged with the workpieces may depend on the size of the pipe and size of the friction stir welding machines, the diameter of the weld being made and the desired proximity of the rotating friction stir welding probes one to the others. It should be noted, however, that two or more friction stir welding probes may require a substantially increased amount of force to controllably move the rotating probes through the abutting seam or gap to join the workpieces.
  • the methods and apparatus of the present invention are compatible with the use of fill-up and circulation tools for intermittently introducing fluid into the bore of the lengthened pipe string to generally maintain a hydrostatic balance between the bore of the lengthened pipe string and the annulus between the pipe string and the wall of the borehole over the length of the pipe string.
  • the present invention may be used and implemented on a conventional rig having a drawworks for supporting a block, and a string elevator supported from the block, a top drive, or any other rig having a vertically reciprocatable support for positioning a pipe segment or for suspending and lowering a pipe string into a borehole.
  • Friction stir welding eliminates many safety hazards associated with conventional welding such as open ignition sources, toxic fumes, weld spatter, transportation of and connections to bottled or tanked industrial gasses, and visual sensitivity of humans to the arcs produced during conventional welding. Also, unlike with conventional welding, the entire length of the pipe string does not become a part of an electrical circuit with friction stir welding.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a rig floor supporting a spider that suspends a pipe string within a borehole and generally aligned with and beneath a pipe segment suspended over the rig floor.
  • a power bundle having a first portion and a second portion is shown generally circumscribing the pipe string.
  • FIG. 2 is the elevation view of FIG. 1 after the string elevator is used to position the pipe segment to abut the proximal end of the pipe string suspended in the borehole by the spider.
  • FIG. 3 is the elevation view of FIG. 1 with an orbital friction stir welding machine positioned to join the pipe segment to the pipe string at the abutment to lengthen the pipe string.
  • FIG. 4 is the elevation view of FIG. 3 showing the orbital friction stir welding machine as it begins to join the pipe segment to the pipe string at the abutment to lengthen the pipe string.
  • FIG. 5A is an elevation view of the orbital friction stir welding machine as it begins to orbit the abutment between the pipe string and the pipe segment and progressively welds the abutment.
  • FIG. 5B is an elevation view of the orbital friction stir welding machine as it continues to orbit the abutment and to join the pipe segment to the pipe string as the slack is pulled from the power bundle to clear the rig floor.
  • FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the lengthened pipe string after the friction stir welding machine has completed the weld of the abutment and has been removed from well center.
  • the lengthened pipe string is shown as it is lifted vertically to unload the spider.
  • FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the lengthened pipe string of FIG. 6 illustrating the location of the top of the pipe string and the location of the friction stir weld after the lengthened pipe string has been lowered into the borehole to position the top end of the lengthened pipe string for joining an additional add-on pipe segment.
  • FIG. 8 is an elevation view of one embodiment of an expansion mandrel for expanding a friction stir welded pipe string formed using the method or apparatus of the present invention.
  • FIG. 9 is a perspective exploded view of one embodiment of a rotary expansion tool that may be used to expand an expandable pipe string formed using the method or apparatus of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section view of a rig floor 14 supporting a spider 16 having slips 18 that engage and suspend a pipe string 20 within a borehole 6 beneath a generally linear pipe segment 22 that is suspended over the rig floor by an externally-gripping elevator 23.
  • Power bundle 57 having a first portion 56 (that crosses in front of the spider 16 that is shown in cross-section) and a second portion 54, is shown generally circumscribing the pipe string 20.
  • the string elevator 23 is suspended from a block (not shown in FIG. 1) using bails 17, and the string elevator 23 may be controllably raised and lowered using a drawworks (not shown in FIG. 1) that supports the block.
  • the pipe segment 22 has an upper end 22a positioned above the string elevator 23 and a lower end 22b disposed toward the rig floor 14.
  • the pipe segment 22 is generally positionable using the drawworks and the string elevator 23 for being abutted or nearly abutted against the proximal end 20a of the pipe string 20 that extends above the spider 16. It should be understood that the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20 may each comprise a single pipe segment or a plurality of pipe segments coupled together to form a longer pipe segment.
  • pipe segments may first be joined, for example, using either friction stir welding, conventional welding, or any combination thereof, to form pipe stands that are then positioned above the rig floor 14 to abut or nearly abut the pipe string 20 and joined to the pipe string using friction stir welding to lengthen the pipe string.
  • the pipe segment may be positionable using a top drive instead of the string elevator supported from a block.
  • FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section view of the pipe string 20 and the pipe segment 22 of FIG. 1 after the string elevator 23 is used to position the lower end 22b of the pipe segment 22 to abut or nearly abut the proximal end 20a of the pipe string 20 suspended in the borehole 6 by the spider 16.
  • the resulting abutment 24 or gap is positioned at a desired distance above the rig floor 14 for being engaged and welded by a friction stir welding machine as described in more detail below.
  • the power bundle 57 remains generally circumscribed about the pipe string 20 and unaffected by the alignment and abutment 24 or near abutment of the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20.
  • the string elevator 23 may be accompanied by a body 25 also attached to the rig hook or top drive for being urged against the top end 22a of the pipe segment 22 for resisting separation of the pipe segment 22 away from the pipe string 20.
  • the resisting force applied by the body 25 to the pipe segment 22 may supplement the resistance applied by at least a portion of the weight of the pipe segment 22.
  • the resistance to separation may be provided using internal clamps or external clamps, or a combination of both.
  • FIG 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of an orbital friction stir welding machine 40 brought to well center generally along the path 49 to engage the abutting or nearly abutting pipe segment 22 and pipe string 20 and to join the pipe segment to the pipe string at the abutment 24 or gap to lengthen the pipe string 20.
  • the superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b of the clamp assembly are shown in cross-section to reveal the relationship to the abutment 24 or gap.
  • the friction stir welding machine 40 comprises a motor 47 for rotating a stir probe 48, and a superior clamp 42a and an inferior clamp 42b for securing the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20 in a generally aligned and abutting or nearly abutting position, and also for movably securing the friction stir welding machine 40 to the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20, respectively, while maintaining the pipe segment and the pipe string in the generally aligned and abutting or nearly abutting position.
  • the superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b comprise superior external gear 43a and inferior external gear 43b for engaging a superior orbital drive gear 46a and an inferior orbital drive gear 46b, respectively, for controllably moving the friction stir welding machine 40 about the abutment 24 or gap.
  • the power bundle 57 terminates at the power supply terminus 52 to provide power to the friction stir welding machine 40.
  • the resistance to separation at the abutment or gap may be provided using an internal alignment clamp, such as the one described in U.S. Patent 6,392,193, that not only aligns the lower end of the pipe segment with the proximal end of the pipe string, but can also grip and restrain these ends in position.
  • FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the orbital friction stir welding machine 40 secured to the pipe segment 22 and to the pipe string 20 to begin joining the pipe segment to the pipe string at the abutment 24 or gap to lengthen the pipe string.
  • the superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b are shown in their closed and clamping positions above and below the abutment 24 or gap, respectively.
  • the superior clamp and the inferior clamp close on and grip the pipe segment and the pipe string, respectively, to restrain the pipe segment and the pipe string in their abutting or nearly abutting relationship and to oppose the forces imparted to these two abutting or nearly abutting pipe members by the forcible insertion of the rotating probe 48 into the abutment 24 or gap.
  • the superior clamp and the inferior clamp also provide substantial torque resistance to the superior external gear 43a and inferior external gear 43b to enable the orbital movement of the friction stir welding machine 40 about the abutment 24 or gap and, more specifically, of the stir probe 48 through the generally circular seam that is the abutment 24 or gap by powered simultaneous rotation of the superior drive gear 46a and the inferior drive gear 46b that engage and rotate against the superior external gear 43a and the inferior external gear 43b on the exterior of the superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b, respectively.
  • 3 and 4 is preferably a hydraulically-powered motor that powers the rotation of the probe 48 as it stirs and plasticizes the material adjacent to the abutment 24 or gap to friction stir weld the pipe segment to the pipe string.
  • the motor is driven to rotate using a supply of high pressure hydraulic fluid delivered to the motor by a hose within the power bundle 57.
  • the fluid discharged form the motor 47 is returned to the fluid reservoir (not shown) using a second hose within the power bundle 57.
  • the power needed to extend the probe 48 radially inwardly and to force insertion of the probe 48 into the abutting seam 24 or gap may be provided using a gear and rack assembly that extends, upon powered rotation of the gear,, to force the probe 48 radially inwardly to engage and be inserted into the abutting seam 24 or gap.
  • the extending gear and rack assembly for providing probe insertion into the abutment 24 or gap may be powered using the same source of high pressure hydraulic fluid used to drive the motor 47 that rotates the probe 48.
  • the superior clamp 42a and inferior clamp 42b prevent separation of the friction stir welding machine 40 from the abutment 24 or gap as the probe 48 is powered by the extending gear and rack assembly to penetrate the abutment 24 or gap and powered by the motor 47 to rotate and stir the material of the pipe segment and the pipe string.
  • the powered rotation of the superior drive gear 46a and the inferior drive gear 46b against the superior external gear 43a and the inferior external gear 43b disposed on the external surfaces of the superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b, respectively, may be provided by one or more auxiliary motors that may be driven using the same high pressure hydraulic fluid supply provided to operate the motor to drive the probe.
  • the powered rotation of the superior drive gear 46a and the inferior drive gear 46b against the superior external gear 43a and inferior external gear 43b, respectively, disposed on the external surfaces of the superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b may be provided by a gear train driven by the motor 47.
  • the power needed to forcibly close the superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b and to thereby forcibly grip the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20, respectively, may be provided from the same high pressure hydraulic fluid supply provided to drive the motor 47 to rotate the probe 48.
  • the closure of superior clamp and the inferior clamp to grip the pipe segment and pipe string, the rotation of the probe, and the rotation of the drive gears may be mechanically enabled using a variety of power sources, including hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure, electricity, mechanical linkages, etc. It is preferred that these devices be hydraulically-powered in order to eliminate spark-ignition sources from the near-borehole area and also due to the need to deliver generally high-density power to the friction stir welding machine. While pneumatically-powered devices generally avoid or minimize the potential for unwanted ignition sources, the motor and the cylinders would need to be substantially larger to use compressed air as the power fluid to generate the same clamping force, gear torque, motor torque and speed, etc. However, it should be recognized that modern intrinsically-safe or explosion-proof electrical devices may be adapted for powering the various devices of the apparatus of the present invention without introducing an ignition risk.
  • FIG. 5A is an elevation view of the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20 of FIGs. 1- 4 illustrating the movement of the friction stir welding machine 40 as it progresses from its beginning position shown in FIG. 4 on its orbital movement about the circumference of the abutment 24 or gap.
  • the movement is generally clockwise as viewed from the string elevator 23.
  • the probe 48 forcibly inserts into the abutment 24 or gap, and is rotated by the motor 47 to friction stir weld the pipe segment 22 to the pipe string 20.
  • the closed superior clamp 42a and the inferior clamp 42b are closed to grip the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20, respectively, to prevent separation of the probe 48 from the abutment 24 or gap.
  • FIG. 5B is an elevation view of the pipe segment 22 and the pipe string 20 of FIGs. 1- 5A illustrating the continued movement of the friction stir welding machine 40 as it progresses from its position shown in FIG. 5A on its orbital movement about the circumference of the abutment 24 or gap.
  • FIG. 5B illustrates the modified appearance of the portion of the abutment 24 or gap that has been friction stir welded by rotation of the stir probe 48 as the friction stir welding machine 40 continues on its orbit about the abutment 24 or gap in the direction of the arrow 50'.
  • the slack in the power bundle 57 is shown to have been removed as the friction stir welding machine 40 orbits the abutment 24 or gap.
  • FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the pipe string 20 (now including the pipe segment 22) after the friction stir weld has been completed and the pipe string and the pipe segment have been joined at the abutment 24 or gap to make a longer pipe string 20.
  • the string elevator 23 grips the upper end 22a of the pipe segment, now the new proximal end of the pipe string 20, and lifts the lengthened pipe string 20 in the direction of arrow 27 to unload the slips 18 of the spider 16 so that the slips 18 can move upwardly and outwardly to disengage and release the lengthened pipe string 20.
  • FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the pipe string 20 (now including the pipe segment 22) after it has been lowered further into the borehole 6 in the direction of the arrow 28.
  • the now- welded abutment 24' is shown below the level of the rig floor 14 and the spider 16 and within the borehole 6.
  • the upper end of the pipe segment 22, now the proximal end of the now- lengthened pipe string 20, is positioned at a predetermined distance from the rig floor 14 and above the spider 16 for being abutted or nearly abutted to a new add-on pipe segment (not shown in FIG. 7) and then welded using the friction stir welding machine (not shown in FIG. 7) to further lengthen the pipe string.
  • the friction stir welding machine 40 may include a supply tube or hose within the power bundle 57 that supplies a stream of an inert gas to supplant or dilute the air in the immediate region of the FSW weld probe to decrease the possibility of oxide forming on the weld as a result of the high temperatures from friction between the probe and the workpieces. Impurities, such as oxide formed during the FSW process, are undesirable because they weaken the bond between the joined pipe members.
  • the inert gas stream may be delivered to the near-weld region through one or more ports formed in the friction stir welding machine 40 adjacent to the stir probe 48.
  • the pipe string may be lowered into the borehole and then radially expanded using an expander tool.
  • expander tools include cone-shaped mandrels such as that shown in FIG. 8 and rotary expander tools such as the one shown in FIG. 9.

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  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Butt Welding And Welding Of Specific Article (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé et un appareil permettant de relier un segment de tige (22) afin d'allonger un train de tiges (20) en utilisant un soudage thixotropique. Le train de tiges est suspendu dans un forage (6) et une extrémité inférieure (22b) du segment de tige (22) est amenée en relation de butée ou de quasi-butée contre une extrémité (20a) du train de tiges au-dessus du dispositif suspendu (16) et au-dessus d'un fond d'appareil de forage (14). Une machine de soudage thixotropique (40) soude la butée ou l'espace entre le segment de tige et le train de tiges afin d'allonger le train de tiges. Dans un aspect, le procédé comprend le soudage thixotropique d'un segment de tige extensible afin d'allonger un train de tiges extensible. Le train de tiges allongé est abaissé dans le trou de forage et la nouvelle extrémité proximale du train de tiges allongé est positionnée pour venir en butée ou en quasi-butée contre un nouveau segment de tige et subir un soudage thixotropique.
PCT/US2008/066467 2007-06-11 2008-06-11 Procédé et appareil pour l'allongement d'un train de tiges et l'installation d'un train de tiges dans un forage Ceased WO2008154555A2 (fr)

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US11/761,185 US20080302539A1 (en) 2007-06-11 2007-06-11 Method and apparatus for lengthening a pipe string and installing a pipe string in a borehole
US11/761,185 2007-06-11

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WO2008154555A3 WO2008154555A3 (fr) 2009-03-19

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