Casing Shoe Reamer and Method
A casing shoe reamer for bypassing an obstruction in a hole or well drilled in the ground is provided. The casing shoe reamer includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and an interior volume. The upper portion can be removably secured to a casing float collar. The casing shoe reamer further includes bearings disposed therein, which enable the lower portion to rotate relative to the upper portion about its longitudinal axis. The lower portion includes at least three fins extending therefrom, each fin having an aperture disposed on a first side thereof, wherein the aperture is in fluid communication with the interior volume. An impeller is fixed within the interior volume. As a fluid is pumped into the interior volume, the fluid applies a force on the impeller and is expelled through the apertures, which cause the lower portion to rotate in a direction opposite the exiting fluid. The exited fluid and the rotational force of the lower portion enables passage of the casing shoe reamer beyond the obstruction.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/535,425 filed on Jul. 21, 2017. The above identified patent application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONOil and borehole mining operations frequently require drilling, which produces an open hole or a well in a ground which is accessed as part of the operation. Many such operations utilize a casing shoe reamer to pass through the open hole or the well in the ground. However, the casing shoe reamer is often impeded by obstructions, such as tight spaces, that form in the open hole or the well before or during access by the casing shoe reamer. This requires the casing shoe reamer to be retracted and disassembled without causing damage, and the hole or the well to be reconditioned with drilling. These steps are time consuming and expensive; they are characteristic of disadvantages of known approaches for bypassing an obstruction in an open hole or a well.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved casing shoe reamer that can attach to a casing float collar and bypass obstructions in holes and wells, without the need to retract the casing shoe or recondition the hole or the well with drilling. The present invention addresses this unmet need.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a casing shoe reamer.
Devices have been disclosed in the art that relate to casing shoe reamers. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices have at least several shortcomings, including but not limited to, lacking an innovative and useful mechanism for both delivering a fluid to an obstruction and rotating the casing shoe reamer to bypass the obstruction. In view of the devices disclosed in the art, it is submitted that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing casing shoe reamers. In view of the present disclosure, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in structural and functional elements from devices in the art, and substantially fulfills an unmet need in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn view of the disadvantages inherent in the known types of casing shoe reamers in the art, the present invention provides a new and improved casing shoe reamer, wherein the same can be utilized for navigating an open hole or a well in a ground, and for bypassing one or more obstructions in the open hole or the well in the ground.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a casing shoe reamer for accessing an open hole or a well in the ground, and for bypassing one or more obstructions in the open hole or the well in the ground.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for accessing an open hole or a well in the ground, and for bypassing one or more obstructions in the open hole or the well in the ground, which utilizes the casing shoe reamer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a casing shoe reamer that may be readily manufactured from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manners in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
In one aspect, the invention provides a casing shoe reamer, comprising an upper portion and a lower portion rotatably connected to the upper portion; wherein an upper end of the upper portion is configured to be removably secured to a casing float collar; wherein the lower portion comprises a head comprising a plurality of fins extending outward from the head; wherein at least one of the plurality of fins comprises at least one aperture on a first surface of the at least one fin, wherein the aperture is fluidly connected to an interior volume of the casing shoe reamer; wherein the interior volume comprises an impeller affixed therein; wherein the impeller comprises a plurality of tapered edges configured to channel a fluid from the interior volume to the at least one aperture; whereupon delivery of a fluid from the casing float collar to the interior volume of the casing shoe reamer, the fluid applies a force on the impeller, the fluid is expelled through the at least one aperture, and the lower portion rotates relative to the upper portion about a longitudinal axis thereof.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of bypassing at least one obstruction in a hole, comprising: inserting a casing shoe reamer into the hole; delivering a fluid to an interior volume of the casing shoe reamer; wherein the casing shoe reamer comprises an upper portion and a lower portion rotatably connected to the upper portion, wherein an upper end of the upper portion is removably secured to a casing float collar, wherein the lower portion comprises a head comprising a plurality of fins extending outward from the head, wherein at least one of the plurality of fins comprises at least one aperture on a first surface of the at least one fin, wherein the aperture is fluidly connected to an interior volume of the casing shoe reamer; wherein the interior volume comprises an impeller affixed therein; wherein the impeller comprises a plurality of tapered edges configured to channel a fluid from the interior volume to the at least one aperture, whereupon delivering the fluid from the casing float collar to the interior volume of the casing shoe reamer, the fluid applies a force on the impeller, the fluid is expelled through the at least one aperture, and the lower portion rotates relative to the upper portion about a longitudinal axis thereof.
In various embodiments, an interface between the upper portion and the lower portion comprises at least one bearing race comprising at least one bearing therein; the casing shoe reamer comprises an outer section constructed of a hard material and an inner section constructed of a drillable material; the hard material comprises a metal; the drillable material comprises a cement; the head comprises between three and six fins; the head comprises three fins; and/or the upper end comprises a plurality of threads configured to engage a set of complementary threads disposed on the casing float collar.
Reference is now made to the drawings, which depict one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention.
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The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and its embodiments with modifications as suited to the use contemplated.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in the most practical and exemplary embodiments. It should be recognized that departures may be made which fall within the scope of the invention. With respect to the description provided herein, it is submitted that the optimal features of the invention include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly, and use. All structures, functions, and relationships equivalent or essentially equivalent to those disclosed are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Claims
1) A casing shoe reamer, comprising:
- an upper portion and a lower portion rotatably connected to the upper portion;
- wherein an upper end of the upper portion is configured to be removably secured to a casing float collar;
- wherein the lower portion comprises a head comprising a plurality of fins extending outward from the head;
- wherein at least one of the plurality of fins comprises at least one aperture on a first surface of the at least one fin, wherein the aperture is fluidly connected to an interior volume of the casing shoe reamer;
- wherein the interior volume comprises an impeller affixed therein;
- wherein the impeller comprises a plurality of tapered edges configured to channel a fluid from the interior volume to the at least one aperture;
- whereupon delivery of a fluid from the casing float collar to the interior volume of the casing shoe reamer, the fluid applies a force on the impeller, the fluid is expelled through the at least one aperture, and the lower portion rotates relative to the upper portion about a longitudinal axis thereof.
2) The casing shoe reamer of claim 1, wherein an interface between the upper portion and the lower portion comprises at least one bearing race comprising at least one bearing therein.
3) The casing shoe reamer of claim 1, wherein the casing shoe reamer comprises an outer section constructed of a hard material and an inner section constructed of a drillable material.
4) The casing shoe reamer of claim 3, wherein the hard material comprises a metal.
5) The casing shoe reamer of claim 3, wherein the drillable material comprises a cement.
6) The casing shoe reamer of claim 1, wherein the head comprises between three and six fins.
7) The casing shoe reamer of claim 6, wherein the head comprises three fins.
8) The casing shoe reamer of claim 1, wherein the upper end comprises a plurality of threads configured to engage a set of complementary threads disposed on the casing float collar.
9) A method of bypassing at least one obstruction in a hole, comprising:
- inserting a casing shoe reamer into the hole;
- delivering a fluid to an interior volume of the casing shoe reamer;
- wherein the casing shoe reamer comprises an upper portion and a lower portion rotatably connected to the upper portion,
- wherein an upper end of the upper portion is removably secured to a casing float collar,
- wherein the lower portion comprises a head comprising a plurality of fins extending outward from the head,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of fins comprises at least one aperture on a first surface of the at least one fin, wherein the aperture is fluidly connected to an interior volume of the casing shoe reamer;
- wherein the interior volume comprises an impeller affixed therein;
- wherein the impeller comprises a plurality of tapered edges configured to channel a fluid from the interior volume to the at least one aperture,
- whereupon delivering the fluid from the casing float collar to the interior volume of the casing shoe reamer, the fluid applies a force on the impeller, the fluid is expelled through the at least one aperture, and the lower portion rotates relative to the upper portion about a longitudinal axis thereof.
10) The method of claim 9, wherein an interface between the upper portion and the lower portion comprises at least one bearing race comprising at least one bearing therein.
11) The method of claim 9, wherein the casing shoe reamer comprises an outer section constructed of a hard material and an inner section constructed of a drillable material.
12) The method of claim 11, wherein the hard material comprises a metal.
13) The method of claim 11, wherein the drillable material comprises a cement.
14) The method of claim 9, wherein the head comprises between three and six fins.
15) The method of claim 14, wherein the head comprises three fins.
16) The method of claim 9, wherein the upper end comprises a plurality of threads configured to engage a set of complementary threads disposed on the casing float collar.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 18, 2018
Publication Date: Jan 24, 2019
Inventor: Steven Welch (Durant, OK)
Application Number: 16/038,720