EXPANDABLE SECTION MILL AND METHOD
An expandable section mill includes a body, a piston movably disposed within an inner cavity of the body, the piston including a wedge surface, a jaw member pivotally connected to a lower end of the body, and a blade assembly affixed to a tapered surface of the jaw member. The jaw member includes an internal channel system for fluid flow through the jaw member to one or more outlets on the jaw member. The jaw member includes a pivot surface. The wedge surface of the piston engages the pivot surface of the jaw member to pivot the jaw member between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position, the blade assembly is positioned radially inward relative to an outer surface of the body. In the extended position, the blade assembly extends radially outward relative to the outer surface of the body.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/536,846, filed on Nov. 10, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSReferring now to
Piston 30 and jaw members 16 and 18 may include internal channels or fluid paths that allow fluid flowing through internal channel 34 and inner cavity 32 of body 14 to flow through piston 30 and jaw members 16 and 18 to assist in the cutting or sectioning process. Referring to
Expandable section mill 10 may further include one or more seals for preventing leaks of the fluid flowing through top sub 12 and body 14. As shown in
Referring now to
With reference now to
With reference again to
Over time, the outer surfaces of wear inserts 78 of first and second jaw members 16 and 18 may engage inner surface 102 of casing 100 below the cut or sectioned portion as shown in
Casing 100 may be disposed in a wellbore with one or more other casings concentrically arranged and separated by cement in each annular space. For example,
Expandable section mill 10 may be used with jaw members of varying lengths to accomplish cutting or sectioning of casing or other tubular members having varying internal diameters. Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
With reference again to
First wing extension 154 of piston 144 may engage and slide along side surface 173 of jaw member 136 (shown in
With reference again to
Also in the extended position, second piston channel 162 may be in fluid communication with a distal channel system of jaw member 136 that extends from inlet 182 on pivot surface 170 to outlet 184 at lower end 186 of jaw member 136 (shown in
Referring again to
Except as otherwise noted, expandable section mill 130 includes the same features and functions in the same way as expandable section mill 10. Expandable section mill 130 may be used to cut or section a window or other opening in a casing or other tubular member as described above in connection with expandable section mill 10. Specifically, rotation of expandable section mill 130 with jaw member 136 and a second jaw member in the extended position may cause blade assembly 140 and a blade assembly of the second jaw member to cut into an inner wall of a tubular member in which expandable section mill 130 is disposed (e.g., a casing in a wellbore) in the same way described above in connection with expandable section mill 10. Also, a scraper blade assembly (instead of blade assembly 140) may be positioned in blade assembly recess 166 of jaw member 136.
While preferred embodiments have been described, it is to be understood that the embodiments are illustrative only and that the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalents, many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those skilled in the art from a review hereof.
Claims
1. An expandable section mill comprising:
- a body having an outer surface and an inner cavity;
- a piston disposed within the inner cavity of the body, a lower section of the piston including a wedge surface;
- a jaw member pivotally connected to a lower end of the body, the jaw member including a tapered surface, an internal channel system for fluid flow through the jaw member, and a pivot surface at an upper end of the jaw member, wherein the pivot surface is configured to engage the wedge surface of the piston;
- a blade assembly affixed to the tapered surface of the jaw member, wherein the tapered surface includes a wear surface below the blade assembly.
2. The expandable section mill of claim 1, wherein the piston is moveable within the inner cavity for pivoting the jaw member between a retracted position, in which the blade assembly is positioned radially inward relative to the outer surface of the body, and an extended position, in which the blade assembly extends radially outward relative to the outer surface of the body, when the wedge surface of the piston engages the pivot surface of the jaw member.
3. The expandable section mill of claim 2, wherein the piston further includes a wing extension adjacent to the wedge surface, and wherein the wing extension is configured to engage a side surface of the jaw member for aligning the piston with the jaw member.
4. The expandable section mill of claim 2, wherein the wear surface is formed by a wear insert affixed within a recess on the tapered surface of the jaw member, wherein an outer surface of the wear insert has a curvature that matches a curvature of the tapered surface.
5. The expandable section mill of claim 2, wherein the blade assembly comprises a cutting member affixed to a blade support, and wherein the blade support is affixed to a recess on the tapered surface of the jaw member.
6. The expandable section mill of claim 5, wherein the internal channel system includes an outlet on the tapered surface adjacent to the cutting member of the blade assembly for fluid flow through the jaw member to the cutting member of the blade assembly.
7. The expandable section mill of claim 6, wherein the internal channel system includes an outlet on a lower end of the jaw member and an outlet on a rear surface of the jaw member for fluid flow through the jaw member to the lower end and the rear surface thereof.
8. The expandable section mill of claim 2, wherein the piston includes a first internal channel in fluid communication with the internal channel system of the jaw member for fluid flow through the piston and the jaw member when the jaw member is in the extended position.
9. The expandable section mill of claim 8, wherein the piston further includes a second internal channel, and the jaw member further includes a proximal internal channel extending to an outlet on a rear surface of the jaw member; and wherein the second internal channel of the piston is in fluid communication with the proximal internal channel of the jaw member for fluid flow through the piston and the jaw member to the rear surface thereof when the jaw member is in the extended position.
10. The expandable section mill of claim 9, wherein the jaw member is pivotally connected to the body with a hinge pin, wherein the hinge pin includes an internal channel interconnecting segments of the proximal internal channel of the jaw member.
11. The expandable section mill of claim 1, further comprising a top sub having an internal channel in fluid communication with the inner cavity of the body.
12. An expandable section mill comprising:
- a body having an outer surface and an inner cavity;
- a piston disposed within the inner cavity of the body, a lower section of the piston including a first wedge surface and a second wedge surface;
- a first jaw member pivotally connected to a lower end of the body, the first jaw member including a tapered surface, an internal channel system having an outlet on the tapered surface of the first jaw member, and a pivot surface at an upper end of the first jaw member, wherein the pivot surface is configured to engage the first wedge surface of the piston;
- a first blade assembly affixed to the tapered surface of the first jaw member, wherein the tapered surface of the first jaw member includes a first wear surface below the first blade assembly;
- a second jaw member pivotally connected to the lower end of the body, the second jaw member including a tapered surface, an internal channel system having an outlet on the tapered surface of the second jaw member, and a pivot surface at an upper end of the second jaw member, wherein the pivot surface is configured to engage the second wedge surface of the piston; and
- a second blade assembly affixed to the tapered surface of the second jaw member, wherein the tapered surface of the second jaw member includes a second wear surface below the second blade assembly.
13. The expandable section mill of claim 12, wherein the piston is moveable within the inner cavity for pivoting the first and second jaw members between a retracted position, in which the first and second blade assemblies are positioned radially inward relative to the outer surface of the body, and an extended position, in which the first and second blade assemblies extend radially outward relative to the outer surface of the body, when the first wedge surface of the piston engages the pivot surface of the first jaw member and the second wedge surface of the piston engages the pivot surface of the second jaw member.
14. The expandable section mill of claim 13, wherein the piston further includes a first wing extension adjacent to the first wedge surface and a second wing extension adjacent to the second wedge surface, wherein the first wing extension is configured to engage a side surface of the first jaw member for aligning the piston with the first jaw member, and wherein the second wing extension is configured to engage a side surface of the second jaw member for aligning the piston with the second jaw member.
15. The expandable section mill of claim 13, wherein the outlets of the internal channel systems of the first and second jaw members are disposed adjacent to the first and second blade assemblies on the tapered surfaces for fluid flow through the first and second jaw members to the first and second blade assemblies.
16. The expandable section mill of claim 15, wherein in the extended position, a first internal channel of the piston is in fluid communication with the internal channel system of the first jaw member and a second internal channel of the piston is in fluid communication with the internal channel system of the second jaw member.
17. The expandable section mill of claim 16, wherein the piston includes a third internal channel, the first jaw member includes a proximal internal channel extending to an outlet on a rear surface of the first jaw member, and the second jaw member includes a proximal internal channel extending to an outlet on a rear surface of the second jaw member; and wherein in the extended position, the third internal channel of the piston is in fluid communication with the proximal internal channels of the first and second jaw members for fluid flow through the piston and first and second jaw members to the rear surfaces thereof.
18. A method of cutting a section of a tubular member in a wellbore, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an expandable section mill comprising a body having an outer surface and an inner cavity; a piston disposed within the inner cavity of the body, a lower section of the piston including a first wedge surface and a second wedge surface; a first jaw member and a second jaw member each pivotally connected to a lower end of the body, each of the first and second jaw members including a tapered surface, an internal channel system for fluid flow through the first and second jaw members, and a pivot surface at an upper end of the first and second jaw members; a first blade assembly affixed to the tapered surface of the first jaw member; and a second blade assembly affixed to the tapered surface of the second jaw member; wherein the tapered surfaces of the first and second jaw members each includes a wear surface below the first and second blade assemblies;
- b) lowering the expandable section mill in a retracted position through the tubular member, wherein in the retracted position, the first and second blade assemblies are positioned radially inward relative to the outer surface of the body;
- c) pivoting the first and second jaw members into an extended position within the tubular member, wherein in the extended position, the first and second blade assemblies extend radially outward relative to the outer surface of the body such that a cutting member of the first blade assembly and a cutting member of the second blade assembly contact an inner surface of the tubular member; and
- d) rotating the expandable section mill in the extended position in order to cut a section of the tubular member with the cutting members of the first and second blade assemblies.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the expandable section mill further includes a top sub having an internal channel in fluid communication with the inner cavity of the body; and wherein step (c) further comprises:
- i) increasing a pressure of a fluid flowing through the internal channel of the top sub and into the inner cavity of the body to transfer the piston downward; and
- ii) pivoting the first and second jaw members into the extended position by operatively engaging the pivot surface of the first jaw member with the first wedge surface of the piston and operatively engaging the pivot surface of the second jaw member with the second wedge surface of the piston.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:
- e) cutting into the tubular member until the wear surfaces of the first and second jaw members contact the inner surface of the tubular member below the cut section; and
- f) lowering the expandable section mill while rotating in the extended position to extend the cut section of the tubular member.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein the tubular member is disposed within a second tubular member in the wellbore, and wherein a cement layer is disposed between an outer surface of the tubular member and an inner surface of the second tubular member, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
- e) pivoting the first and second jaw members into the retracted position and lifting the expandable section mill out of the tubular member;
- f) removing the first and second blade assemblies from the first and second jaw members;
- g) affixing a first scraper blade assembly to the tapered surface of the first jaw member and affixing a second scraper blade assembly to the tapered surface of the second jaw member;
- h) lowering the expandable section mill in the retracted position through the tubular member until the first and second jaw members are aligned with the cut section of the tubular member;
- i) pivoting the first and second jaw members into the extended position such that the first and second scraper blade assemblies contact the cement layer;
- j) rotating the expandable section mill in the extended position in order to remove a section of the cement layer with the first and second scraper blade assemblies.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 20, 2015
Publication Date: May 12, 2016
Applicant:
Inventor: Gerald Cronley (Gretna, LA)
Application Number: 14/803,517