1.D El VED

TECHNICAL- PROGRESS REPORT

DATE: .Jsnuary 8 , 1997

REPORTING PERIOD: FINAL PEPOPT

PROJECT TITLE: Radial Cutting Torch

Instrument type: G r a n t

Instrument No. : DE-FG01-94CE15609

El VED Employer 1 .D : 3 5 6 - 38 - 7 8 28

DOE Officer: Glenn K - Ellis, EE-521

Report B y : Michae l (3 .. Robertson JAN 1 6 1997

O S T I

A

Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document.

DISCLAIMER

This repon was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or use- fulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any spe- cific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise dots not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recom- mendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

..

TABLE O F CONTENTS

I.

11.

111”

I V .

V.

VI..

S t a t e m e n t of

PAGE

w o r k - ............................... 1

Tam k 1 :

A . R . c I? . E.

T a s k 2 :

A . B. c . 0. E.

Redesiqn o f Nozzle sea ls

P i - ! r m T e - e - ............................. 4 n k l . j ~ - t i v p ................................. -4 ~ r ~ ~ e . r ? l !r:a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

................................... 7 .............................. 8

t o r c h for o p e r a t i o n a t 2 0 k s i

PIIrpos ...................................... 10 0 !2 jpct.ive ............................... -10 P r ~ c e ~ u r e ............... .................lo Resu l ts .................................. 11 C o n c l u . s i o n ............................... “12

T a s k 3: Upgrade t h e d e s i g n of M e c h a n i c a l A n c h o r

A . Purpose .................................. 13 B. (3h.ject i v e ............................... -13 C. Purpose .................................. 1 4 D. Rssults .................................. 18 E . C o n c l v s j n n ............................... 18

h p p e n d i x

Ex h i. bi.+- ”:

:.- I

DE-FG01-94CE15609 Attachment A.

STATEHEKT OF WORK

The project's aim is t o complete development of the Radial Cutting Torch, a I pyrotechnic cutter, f o r use in a l l downhole tubular cutting operations i n the

petroleum industry. Project objectives are t o redesign and pressure test nozzle seals t o increase product quality, reliability, and manufacturability; improve the mechanical anchor t o increase its temperature tolerance and its abil i ty t o function i n a wider variety of wellbore fluids; and redesign and pressure t e s t the RCT nozzle for operation a t pressures from 10 t o 20 ksi.2 The proposal work statement is..included i n the statement of work for .the grant via this reference.

._.

,.

Task 1: Redesign nozzle seals.

Research a1 ternative seal materials, designs, and manufacturers.

Make selection based on research findings.

A.

6.

C. ' ,

D.

E.

Make drawing changes per the .- proper Engineering Change Notice a . , . (ECN) . Machine new parts per the new ECN and Q.C. parts-

Assemble RCrwi th new parts, leaving o u t fuel load.

F. Pressure test the .RCT per Pressure Test Procedure-

G. Load the tested' RCT w i t h fuel mixture..

H. Retest loaded RCT and cut; .

I. Repeat steps A'through , H three more times- to'test for repeat- *

abil'i ty.

. J. Proceed t o Task2 if all tests .are successful, otherwise, I . ' repeat testing.

. . Task 2: Redesign t o k h for operation a t 2 0 ksi. . * .

. . . . * . A. Optimize sleeveldesign 'to hold. pressure a t . 20 ksi' without . i.

...e . - . deformation .

B. Make new .drawings for the sleeve design. . . . . .

. - C. Build parts per new-specifications. . ' . ..

0: Design and buhd a test f i i u r e k o test the.Sleeve'Eo .. then to.failure t o determine its upper limits;. .- .

20 bi.. . ... .

E. Optimize sleeve-design t o shift at.2O.ksi; . . I

.: -*- . I : Attachment. A

* F. Make drawings and build parts.

G. Test design u n t i l tool: dynamics are operational a t 20 ksi. (Note: this is a proprietary procedure, which cannot be d is - cussed i n detail.)

-. Task 3 : Upgrade mechanical anchor. . . . . - -. . A. Investigate spring manufacturers for coil springs for high.

temperature, corrosive environments, and greater force con- stant.

E. Correct the drawings w i t h an ECN.

C . Purchase/manufacture springs according t o specification . 0. Investigate the bow springs for optimum thickness vs. force

'. E. Correct drawings with an ECN.

F. Purchase boy, springs per new specifications..'

G. Redesign slip section .to optimize the number, size, and angle of teeth as well' as the angle of diverter a t - contact point.

'H. Correct drawings w i t h an ECN.

I. Build new s l i p sections and diverters' per new specifications.

*

requirement and use of carbide coated . . vs. non-carbide coated. . - -

.

..

J. Investigate the J-latch travel mechanism design:

1 . Select new materials for the pin. t o ' include higher strength, abil i ty t o be surface. hardened, . . and high Izod characteristics;

. - 2. Use of high-strength b.al1 and'locking s tudvs . pin; and

,3. Correct drawings/make new drawings to. reflect !he .. new spec?-' . . .

. - .. - . 1 .

. fications. _. K. Bui 7 d 'new J-1 atch mechani sm per new speci & cati ons. . . . L. Test completed anchor assembly. in ' Z-3/8" and.p7/8" tubing for:

* . I e .

.. -I.. Force t o lower anchor i n t o the'tub@gjforce - .' .. t o ... shif t sTeeve

2. Ease of shifting .from -no-set t o s.et; .with the sl ips; ..

.,'

,

DE-FGdx-94CE15609 Attachment A

.. 8

.. (Page 3) STATEMEHT OF WORK

3. Ease of release from the set position; and . .

4. Force required t o set and hold during torch operation. ..

Task 4: Reporting. .* A. Prepare quarterly and final reports outlining the tasks

performed and their respective results -- with selective, proprietary details omitted. Submit pictures o f test results.

I

. . .

,

i * . . . * c

.. . .

.- . . J * e. .

e .

. r . : .- . e.. .. . . ' .

.. 1 . . . . . . .- .

..

,. . . . . ... ..

. . . . .. ..

.. . . -

f * . . .

11. TASK 1: REDESIGN NOZZLE SEALS

A . Purpose : To rsdesiqn t h e s e a l s a n d n o z z l e s e c t i o n . t o o b t a i n a mnre e f f e c t i v e s e a l i n g area for t h e i m p r o v e m e n t o f w e r a t i o n o f t h e RCT.

8 . Objective: Task I w a s u n d e r t a k e n u p o n i s s u a n c e of t h e D.O.E. G r a n t o n September 2 , 1994. C o m p l e t i o n o f t h i s t a s k w i l l allow for t h e p r e s e n t t o r c h d e s i g n t o r e l i a b l y f i . l n c t i o n as a s t a n d a r d m a n u f a c t u r e d p r o d u c t for a l l down h o l e c o n d i t i o n s a t p r e s s u r e s t o 10,000 p s i .

C. Procedure:

a ) . Research of Alternative elastomeric compounds

The first part of this task was to investigate the market for an appropriate material which could reliably withstand the following criteria :

1. Withstand temperatures to 500 degrees F 2 . et3 of :=lifficient durometer so as not to extrude at

3 . Must be compatible with aqueous salt solutions at

4 . Must be compatible with a wide variety o f hydrocarbons

pressurt?s o f 10 ,000 psi

temperatures of 500 degrees F

at temperatures of 500 degrees F Should a suitable compound not be found, then I would have to resort to qualifying each torch based upon the application o f the torch. This would be a very undesirable situation which would require detailed tracking measures fo r special type applications. This problem could be further compounded if a torch was shipped to a wireline company for a special application, then not used for that application due to a change in plans for that well. This torch would then be subject to a possible misapplication due to poor record keeping o r tracking methods of the wireline company. The above example is a very real world problem facing the RCT in the present market place.

My original selection of a Viton fluorocarbon compound showed a great deal of promise. It has the broadest range o f chemical resistance than any other compound. Viton is also rated to 450 degrees F for continuous duty service making it my first choice. I quickly learned. however, that Viton performs poorly in aqueous environments. Since, the large majority o f oil wells have aqueous salt solutions in the well, the Vitron compound quickly looses appeal. A 1-3/8" RCT was damaged beyond repair due to o'ring failure caused a by hot aqueous environment at 15.300 ft. well depth.

Further investigation of an appropriate compound was made by inquiry of a. wireline company in Louisiana which faces these type of field problems on a daily basis. Mr. Bill Boelte who for many years managed the New Orleans district for N.L. McCullough, Inc., the premier provider of chemical cutters to the petroleum industry was

PAGE 5

T h i s

q u e r i e d f o r i n f o r m a t i o n . H e was c h a r g e d w i t h t h e task of i n v e s t i g a t i n g elastomeric c o m p o u n d s f o r u s e on t h e i r C h e m i c a l C u t t e r s . H i s r e s e a r c h l e d t o a Nitr i le compound known a s C-67. compound h a s b e e n used i n g e n e r a l a p p l i c a t i o n f o r many years by m a n u f a c t u r e r s of c h e m i c a l c u t t e r s . However, f o r my purpose t h i s compound l a c k s d u e t o t e m p e r a t u r e l i m i t a t i o n s of t h e compound w h i c h are f u r t h e r aggrava%ed by h i g h p r e s s u r e s w h i c h w i l l be e x p e r i e n c e d down h o l e . S i n c e t h e c h e m i c a l c u t t e r i t se l f is a l s o l i m i t e d by t h e s e same f a c t o r s , f u r % h e r r e s e a r c h of acceptable elastomeric c o m p o u n d s was u n n e c e s s a r y .

Not b e i n g s a t i s f i e d c r i t h t h e " i n d u s t r y s t a n d a r d " c o m p o u n d , f u r t h e r i n v e s t i g a t i o n of a n acceptable elastomeric compound was c o n t i n u e d . M v r e s e a r c h l e d t o a f a i r l y new compound called Aflas . This is a n e w f l u o r o c a r b o n compound w i t h a greater r a n g e o f c h e m i c a l c o m p a t i b i l i t y a n d a h i g h e r t e m p e r a t u r e r a n g e t h a n o t h e r f l u o r o c a r b o n compounds, I t s p u b l i s h e d r e s i s t a n c e to steam a n d h o t water m a k e it v e r y a t t r a c t i v e for LISP down h o 1 9 . T h e compound also h a s a t e m p e r a t u r e r a t i n g of 509 degrees F w o r k i n g a n d 600 degrees i n t e r m i t t e n t . T h i s compourld e x h i b i t s a l l t h e n e c e s s a r y a n d des i r ab le q u a l i t i e s fo r a u n i v e r s a l down h o l e o ' r i n g f o r u s e as t h e s t anda rd on a l l R C T ' s (see R e s u l t s s e c t i o n ) .

PAGE 6

T h e s e l e c t i o n (-7f a s u i t a b l e o ' r i n g compound paved t h e way t o s o l v i n g t h e s e a l i n g prolilem a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e RCT nozzle. Torch bod ies w h i c h were b u i l t du r ing t h e S I E Geosource contract were s e l e c t e d f o r testing o f t h i s new compound. C o n c e n t r i c i t y c h e c k s were made on t h e RCT. T h e n ' r i n g groove , t h e body O.D., and t h e i n t e r n a l surface of t h e no7zLe area were checked f o r c o n c e n t r i c i t y . From t h i s d a t a , it was l ea rned t h a t t h e machining p rocess t h a t was fol lowed t o manufacture t hese t o r c h bod ies would produce a t o r c h t h a t would not be c o n c e n t r i c enough t o al low t h e s l i d i n g s l e e v e t o seal . T h i s lack of c o n c e n t r i c i t y would also cause t h e s l e e v e t o d r a g on t h e s i d e of t h e o ' r i n g s u r f a c e s of % h e body and t h e cap. T h i s d r a g force a l s o increases the f o r c e s necessary t o move t h e s l e e v e d u r i n g o p e r a t i o n of t h e t o r c h .

T h e drawings f o r a l l RCT d e s i g n s were changed t o reflect c o n c e n t r i c i t y r e q u i r e m e n t s necessary t o m a i n t a i n a c c e p t a b l e c l e a r a n c e s f o r f i n a l a s sembl i e s . T h e drawings were a l s o changed t o add a second o ' r i n g on %he body and a second on t h e cap; t h i s ref lects t h e d e s i r e o f q i l company P n g i n e e r s for adequate,down h o l e p r o t e c t i o n .

P a r t s were manlJfactured per t h e above c h a n g e s , assembled and checked f o r f i t . c l e a r a n c e s , e a s e of assembly; and for drag f o r c e s . O n c e t h e c h e c k s were made, t h e t o r c h e s were loaded and t e s t e d ( s e e R e s u l t s s e c t i o n 1 -

PAGE 7

D . R e s u l t s :

S e c t i o n a ) - :

T h e f i n a l d e c i s i o n f o r an a c c e p t a b l e e l a s t o m e r i c compound is t o u s e t h e 80 duromn%c>r A f l a s f luo roca rbon compound manufactured by U t e x Corp. of Houston, Tec?yac..

S e c t i o n b 1. :

T h e assembly of t h e sleeve on a l l RCT d e s i g n s was g r e a t l y improved. T h e a d d i t i o n of the second o ’ r i n g seemed t o f u r t h e r s t a b i l i z e t h e sleeve and a i d du r ing assembly. Not once were t h e o ’ r i n g s found t o be c u t or damages du r ing t h e assembly p r o c e s s no ma t t e r how many times t h e sleeves were a c t u a t e d . I t appears t h a t t h e l a c k of c d n c e n t r i c i t y between t h e body and t h e cap p layed a v e r y impor tan t p a r t i n obtaining a proper f i t and a proper seal . Not one t o r c h has leaked under p r e%.., - -=I .ir e .

Once t h e mechanical t o r c h a s sembl i e s were loaded , t e s t i n g was begun. Trouble was exper ienced w i t h t h e t o r c h e s under p r e s s u r e s above 2000 p s i . When f i r e d % h e sleeve would e i t h e r n o t s l i d e clear or would s l i d e on ly s l i g h t l y enough t o clear o n l y one o ’ r i n g . T h i s would cause a hack flow i n t h e t o r c h w h i c h r e s u l t e d i n t h e bod ie s b u r n i n g through or the nozz le s would wash o u t due t o a n improper flow p a t h . Many f a c t o r s Were wiclhed i n t h i s r e s u l t i n g phenomena b e f o r e t h e answer was f i n a l l y p i n p o i n t e d . I n o r d e r t o add t h e second o ’ r i n g s t o t h e body and t h e P B P , both o ’ r i n g s e c t i o n s had t o be i n c r e a s e d i n l e n g t h . Two prchlems were c r e a t e d w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n of t h e second o ’ r i n g s ;

1. T h e i n c r e a s e i n l e n g t h of t h e o ’ r i n g s e c t i o n m e a n t t h a t t h e . sleeve had t o s l i d e an a d d i t i o n a l 318” f a r the r when f i r e d ; a 100% increase i n t r a v e l d i s t a n c e .

2 . T h e a d d i t i o n of two o ’ r i n g s meant t h a t t h e drag f o r c e s e x e r t e d on t h e s l e e v e by t h e o ’ r i n g s were a l s o doubled.

To overcome the adve r se e f f e c t s c r e a t e d by t h e a d d i t i o n of double o ’ r i n g s on t h e s leeve , I had t o r e s o r t t o a r e d e s i g n of ei ther t h e chemical m i x or t h e i g n i t i o n s y s t e m . I determined t h a t t h e t o r c h was not b u i l d i n g i n t e r n a l p r e s s u r e f a s t enough t o overcome t h e e x t e r n a l f o r c e s c r e a t e d by t h e w e l l bore p r e s s u r e , t h u s c a u s i n g t h e sleeve t o mal func t ion per t h e above d e s c r i b e d a c t i o n s . I chose t o

PAGE 8

addres s t h e problem i n t h e s i m p l e s t f a s h i o n by i n c r e a s i n g t h e o u t p u t capac i ty of the t h e r m a l g e n e r a t o r . T h i s i n c r e a s e i n t h e t h e r m a l generator w o u l d y i e l d a much h i g h e r i n i t i a l p r e s s u r e p u l s e a n d p r o d u c e a much f a s t e r i n i t i a t i o n r a t e . Several t o r c h e s were b u i l t and tes ted w i t h t h e n m d e s i g n . A l l t o r c h e s f u n c t i o n e d proper ly and c u t t h e t u b i n g a s designed. Not one f a i l u r e of t h e t o r c h e s due t o improper i n i t i a 4 i n n or sleeve rnq Lf1.inct i o n h a s b e e n reported.

E. C o n c l u s i o n :

From t h e t e s t i n g performed. t h e f i e l d data g a t h e r e d , a n d t h e ease of assembly, it a p p e a r s t h a t 8 v e r y f u n c t i o n a l a n d practical t o r c h d e s i g n h a s beer) a c h i e v e d . T h i s d e s i g n is a l s o cos t effective t o m a n u f a c t u r e . Al though some work is still r e q u i r e d t o r e f i n e t h e ope ra t iona l d e s i q n c o n f i g u r a t i o n , i t appears t h a t t h e s tage h a s b e e n s e t t o a c h i e v e acceptable r e s u l t s o n a t o r c h t o operate a t p r e s s u r e s to 20 k s i . Much of t h i s work m u s t be a c h i e v e d t h r o u g h e x t e n s i v e f i e l d u s e a n d o b t a i n e d a t a c t u a l down h o l e c o n d i t i o n s .

PAGE 9

111. Task 2: Redesign Torch fo r Operation at 20 ksi

A . Purpose

In order for the Fiadial Cutting Torch to cut at pressures above the present, rating o f 19ksi. the torch design must be evaluated and verified for mechanical integrity and operation at the higher pressures. The thrust o f this evaluation is to develop designs on six of the nine sizes of RCT's. The three sizes excluded from this evaluation ( l " , 4" & 5 " ) were excluded because of the unlikely use of these sizes at the elewated pressures.

B . Objective

The ob . j ec t iv r jc to rhtain the necessary data by analytical means to develop d e s i g w for use i n elevated pressures to 20ksi. Once %he data is o h t a i v d . mechanical drawings will be made for the

' RCT"s evaluated.

C. Procedure

Phase 1: The numerical data generated in this task is highly confidential

therefore none of the calculations or designs will be disclosed. The calculations for all six RCT's will be performed using the following points as a standavd fo r mechanical integrity:

1. Collapse rat-ing of the machined body 2. Collapse rating of the sliding sleeve 3 . Column load r3n the nozzle.

A safety factor- of 1.2 is to be maintained for all load bearing elements.

Phase. 2: Once the analytical d a t a , which will provide a mathematically'

wor kable torch "shell " . is obtained, the nozzle analysis for proper flow at el-wated Prezmtr-Cs will be performed. With this information a workable d e s i q n wi. !I he d e w l o p e d and appropriate machine drawings will be macle.

Phase 3: Once the mec:hanic?l drawings are made, material sources will be

done to acquire the desired materials. Sample torches o f each size

PMiE 10

x

w i l l be made a n d p r e s s u r e tested t o 2 0 k s i a n d h e l d fo r 30 m i n u t e s . P r e s s u r e w i l l t h e n be i n c % - P a s e d at 500 p s i i n c r e m e n t s and h e l d fo r 5 m i n u t e s u n t i l t h e maximum p r e s s u r e of 2 4 k s i is a c h i e v e d . I f t h e t o r c h f a i l s t h e test t h e n d e s i g n c h a n g e s w i l l be made t o a l l ev ia t e t h e p r o b l e m . I f t h e t o r c h passes t h e test t h e n , P h a s e 4 t e s t i n g w i l l be performed -

P h a s e 4: T o r c h e s from a l l s i u t o r c h s izes w i l l be loaded a n d tested t o

c u t t h e app ropr i a t e t u b i n g a t p r e s s u r e s b e t w e e n l o k s i a n d 2 0 k s i . T o r c h l o a d s w i l l be d e t e r m i n e d based u p o n t e s t r e s u l t s . T e s t s w i l l b e performed u n t i l a c u t t i n g c u r v e of L o a d v s P r e s s u r e is g e n e r a t e d for e a c h s i z e Q f t o r c h over t h e specified p r e s s u r e r a n g e .

R e s u l t s :

P h a s h 1: C a l c u l a t i o n s of t h e six t o r c h s izes e v a l u a t e d a l l e x h i b i t e d t h e

same resu l tz . T h c fQrch bf-l ies were i n s u f f i c i e n t t o resist o v e r b u r d e n p r e s s u r m o f 2 W s i w i t h a 1 .2 f ac to r of safety. T h e s l i d i n g sleeves ~ l s o proved u n s a t i s f a c t o r y f o r t h e p rescr ibed pressures . T h e c o l u m n load c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s were adequate provided t h e t h r e a d e d s e c t i o n of t h e bodies c o u l d be i n c r e a s e d i n s t r e n g t h .

P h a s e 2 : W i t h t h e data from p h a s e 1 , t h e d e s i g n f o r e a c h was a c h i e v e d a n d

m a c h i n e d r a w i n g s were g e n e r a t e d .

P h a s e 3 : Body material for- s w e r a l o f t h e t o r c h s izes was n o t a v a i l a b l e

i n t h e a p p r o p r i a t e grade. In order t o a c q u i r e t h i s material a m i l l r u n would h a v e t o be p u r c h a s e d f o r e a c h s i ze . H i g h pressure r e q u i r e m e n t s from t h e f i e l d n e c e s s i t a t e d t h e m a n u f a c t u r e o f a coup le of s i ze s w h i c h r o u l d h e m a n u f a c t u r e d w i t h a v a i l a b l e materials. F o u r t o r c h e s o f , b o t h s i z e s r e q u i r e d by t h e f i e l d were b u i l t a n d s e n t t o t h e f i e ld . I am awaiting results from t h e s e j o b s .

P h a s e 4 : NO Work ha5: b e e n d o n e i n t h i s p h a s e , o t h e r t h a n t h e w o r k

mentioned i n P h a s e 3 above , d u e t o t h e lack of f u n d s . A l l f u n d s h a v e been e x h a u s t e d

PAGE 12

' Conclusion :

The work pPrf(3rrnecl i%i this task has proved invaluable in determining tlw rw:,xeai-;' f a c t o r s which have provided for the design and partial de\wlcqm~nt of hi9h pressure (2OKsi ) torches. The two torch sizes b u i l t f c l r fi.?!c! applications will provide very valuable information whi.Ph can be extrapolated correspondingly to the other sizes of torches.

The D . 0 . E . funds r.rnvi-cled for this project have proved vital to the success of the Radia l Cutting Torch. The accomplishments achieved in T a s k 1 , txtve increased the success rate of the RCT as follows:

Louisiana - Apev Wireli!-re 1995 success rate 55% 1996 success rate 80% this includes all

j o b s to date Oklahoma - Star .Jet( new customer) 92% success rate Texas - Weatherford Enterra 95% success rate

The above success ra tes have caused my quarterly sales figures to more than doctb1.e for each of the last two quarters o f 1996. During the first two weeks of January 1997, I have received orders totaling 50% of my l a s t w a r t e r s sales total. I am looking forward to doubling last y e a r s sales figures. I have'included in an attached exhibit. some nf %.he f i p l d repor t s received this year.

P4GE 12

IV. Task 3: Upgrade Mechanical Anchor

The source f o r h i g h temperature c o i l springs f o r operation in corrosive envir<>nrncnt? hc?~' b e e n f o u n d . The same s o u r c e can a l s o supply the appropriate how s p r i n g s .

The e l i..- r:wt i ? p ha? k~-n redesigned and t h e parts m a n u f a c t u r e d and tested. %me i-efinrniOi>t t t ~ t h e design is needed to obtain better results.

PAGE 13

Procedure:

To upgrade the mechanical anchor to achieve a universal field worthiness is a truly a long and experience oriented process. Many factors affect use of this type of tool for the full range field needs; some of which are:

1. The ability of the tool to set in coated tubing including plastic lined, cement lined, fiberglass lined, corroded, etc.

2. The ability of the tool to pass through the same pipe restrictions such as nipples, valves, collapses, etc. and still set and hold the cutter in place.

'3. The ability of the tool to remain in down hole conditions for extended periods of time and still function-

The initial design has undergone many improvements and has successfully functioned in some limited down hole jobs. The tool has also failed to function in other applications. It is these failures which point to the most notable areas of the tool which require design improvement and change. The areas of the anchor which require the most immediate attention are the following:

A .

E .

C.

The compression spring,

The shifting pin,

The slip section-

A . .The compression spring:

springs. The present spring is a standard spring steel material with a maximum load output of 100 lbs. This spring is insufficient in. load output and most definitely loses much of this output as down hole temperatures rise. A decrease in this springs output will adversely affect the ability of the anchor to shift. the shifting forces available will prevent the tool from setting and anchoring. The anchor must have available a sufficient.force to set and release the tool. This coil spring is the source of this force.

This spring applies an adjustable compression force on the drag

A decrease in

P A a 14

I

The source for high temperature coil springs for operation in corrosive environments has been found. The same source can also supply the appropriate bow springs.

The original coil springs were an off the shelf item from a local supplier. The supplier did not have a spring of appropriate diametrical dimensions, so I used the closest size spring available which was a 1-1/2" diameter with a .162" diameter wire and 4 " in length. The spring had a spring rate of 52 lb/in and a load of 73 lb. at the max. compression length of 2.6". The internal diameter of the spring was 1.176". The spring was housed on a shaft of 1" diameter which allowed for nearly 3/16" of play and distortion during compression of the spring. This particular spring was initially chosen because it was:

1. of acceptable dimensional size,

2. of tolerable force output,

3. A shelf item and readily available,

4 . Very inexpensive compared to a custom manufactured spring.

A number of suppliers were investigated to find a standard size spring with the following specifications:

1. Outside diameter

2. Inside diameter

3. Length

4 . Effective Length, L1

5. Load

6 ; Temperature rating

1.688 max . 1.06 governing dimension

4.5" ground ends

2.6" to 2.9"

175 - 250 lbs.

80% o f load Q 350 deg F

A standard spring could not be located, neither could a close substitute be found. The majority of spring sizes were confined to wire diameters of approximately 3/16" or less and with Load P capacities of only 100 lbs. Heavy duty springs are available only in standard incremental sizes with controlled O.D./I.D. dimensions none of which are suitable for this application and Load P.outputs far in excess of that desired.

PAGE 15 -

A local manufacturer o f compression springs was consulted. The above criteria was presented for evaluation and a spring with the following characteristics w a s recommended:

1. 2. 3 . 4. 5. 6. 7. 8 . 9 . 10.

O.D. I .D. Length Wire dia. Effective length, L1 Temp. rating Load Rate Material Load cost

1-11/16" 1.250 'I

5 -218 'I 2.83" 500 deg. F 80.96 #/in 302 Stainless Steel 175 # $i 7.29 ea. min. of 35 units

A smaller I . D . was requested, but the load would diminish to 120# with a travel length of less than 1.9 inches. An I . D . o f 1.25 inches would .allow the spring to oscillate on the 1" shaft; a very undesirable characteristic. Yet to obtain an appropriate yield from the spring, the I . D . of the spring would have to remain at 1.25 inches. This would require the top nut P/N MAS-1687-014 and the adjusting screw P/N MAS-1687-021 to be modified with a shoulder and inner sleeve to house the 1.25 I .D. spring. This could be accomplished by redesigning both parts or by designing a single spacer which would accommodate both ends of the spring. design and build a single spacer to fix this problem. the cheapest and easiest solution to the problem.

I opted to This would be

B . The shifting pin:

The original shifting pin was crudely made from a standard 1/4"-20 x 1/2" long socket set screw modified by machining the end opposite the socket. Performing this type o f machining process on a set sc.rew will work satisfactorily, but is expensive and requires specialized tooling and fixtures to maintain tolerances.

An investigation of a stock manufactured part to fill this requirement, uncovered a set screw known as a dog-nose socket set screw. These screws can be purchased with both coarse and fine threads and in standard lengths appropriate f o r my needs. The 5/16" size had a dog-nose diameter of .225 inches. This would work satisfactorily in the 1/4" wide J-latch, and would allow for the outer sleeve to rotate slightly on the main shaft.

PAC33 16

A closer tolerance fit could not be achieved, so the 5/16" dog nose set screw was selected for use. The outer shifting sleeve PIN MAS-1678-020 (ref. dwg. #1 Appendix A) was revised to accommodate the 5/16" set screw.

C. The slip section:

The original slip section (ref. dwg #2 Appendix A ) used a Slip Holder to attach the Slip Arms to the outer sliding sleeve components. The Slip Holder held the Slip Arms in position with an internal grooved cavity which functioned as a "socket" for the Slip Arms and which allowed a minimum of travel of the slip arms. The slips were made of tubing which was lathe machined to specification, then slit into six equal pieces. This design worked well for small tubulars such as 2-1/16" and 2-3/8" where radial travel was held to a minimum. Although the anchor design did function in 2-7/8" tubing, the anchor did possess the characteristic of sticking when run in the lighter weight sizes. Another problem with this design of Slip Arm, occurred in heavy mud and scaled wells. The debris from the well would coagulate beneath the extended arms, thus preventing them from retracting back into position for easy removal from the well. Another problem associated with the original Slip Arm design was the small tooth configuration and the fixed profile of the tooth design which rendered the slip unable to fully'engage the inside diameter of the various tubing sizes when extended. The resu l t was anchoring ended up depending on the lower one or two slip teeth of each arm.

The first and foremost problem was to design a slip mechanism that could fully engage various tubing diameters when actuated. To accomplish this a lever arm with two pin joints was used (ref. dug #3 Appendix A ) . The Slip Holder MAS-1688-015 Rev. A (ref. dwg #4 Appendix A) was redesigned to accommodate three pin joints for lever arms I

to also accept a pin joint. To accomplish this design the number of slips were changed from six sections to three. T h i s did not change the potential overall diametrical gripping area. Another important change in the slip design was made in the size o f the slip teeth. The original design used a -062 deep x 60 des. profile which yielded a .125 gap between slip teeth. The new design uses a ,100 deep x 60 des. profile which yields a .200 gap between the slip teeth. This larger

The Slips MAS-1688-017 (ref. dwg. #5 Appendix A) were redesigned

PAGE 17

slip tooth design is far more effective in gripping the pipe and is much less likely to “plug up” with well debris. The larger tooth also provides a deeper cavity for the o’rings which are used as a stabilizing and return mechanism for the slips.

Results:

When all changes were completed and the parts were built and assembled on the anchor body , the new anchor design proved to be a marked improvement over the original design. Drag Spring adjustment was much improved with much higher drag forces available f o r setting and releasing the slips. The larger toothed slips with the lever arm attachments offered a great deal more holding force without compromising releasing ability.

Conclusion:

At this point, the anchor improvements seem to have provided a much improved anchoring t o o l which should aid in a greater success ration of cutting due to improved holding and operating forces.

P A a 18

DRAWING #l

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DRILL THRU 3 HOLES .125" DIU. SPOT FREE ENTRY 8 5 NEEDED

.ZLO MILL S L D T l 3 PLS,elzoo

SRW CUT 3 PLS.

MRX. WIDTH DF CUT -125

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I S E C l I D N R-R (z? tzuo 13s SHOWN

MCR ENTERPRISES * P.O. Box 1465, Alvarado,Texat 76009 DIAWN W

twsm OA'k 1-3-4

W A W u 4 NVYPt

RLLOY STEEL Rc 4 5 + MRS- IG13S-017

cp 0

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MCR OIL TOOLS CORP. P.O. Box 1465 Ahtarado, Texas 76009 817 447-8878 F a r 817 447-8877

rrmtomer and Job Data L i s t For %he year 1994

Tcrbinq Size Depth

9500

9500

9500

9500

1016

12155

15200

Company

Sonoco MP 29%

Date

-3-5

q-9

C u t t e r Size

1-3/8"

1 - 3 / 8 'I

1-3/5"

1-3/S"

1 - 1 1 / 16 1-11/16'1

1-3/8"

F l u i d

water

water

water

water

water

8.6 S.W

water

2-3./8" * 4.9#

Conoco MP A 4 _3-? / r?" , 4 . 9

- 3-3/8", 4.9 3-3./8" i 4.9

2--7/F?" TK7

Sonoco MP A 9 3-r?

Conoco MP A8D 3-5

Chevron Rornerp P 3-24

SWEPI Willbar236 d j - 4

Toklan, O K . 13-3

2-?;./8 Monel

2-3/5" , 4 . 7

MCR OIL TOOLS CORP. P.O. Box 1465 Ahrarado, Texas 76009 817 447-8878 Fax: 817 447-8877

Customer and Job Data L i s t For t he year 1995

Tubing s i z e C u t t e r s i z e

2-7/8"-8 - 7 1-11/16" L .>-7/8"-4 - 5 1-11/16"

Company Date F l u i d Depth

S . W . D i e s e l

9716 11292

2-2 3-15 3-20 3-20 3-21 3-23 3-28

2-7/8"-6.5 1-11/16" 2-3/8"-5.5 1-3/8" 2-318 'I -5.5 1 -3/8 "

2-3/8"-5.5 1-3/8"

2-7/8"-6 -5.. 1-11/16"

I, I ,

2-7/8"-6.5 1-11/16''

S - W . -8 -6 9025 OB Mud 12957 OB Mudl0.5 12200

10685 O B Mud10.5 9202 S.W.+ O i l 7805 S.W.

,I

---- Unoca 1 Apache Apache

T x . Mer.,, A m . Exp .

3-1/2"-13.3 2 2-7/8"-6.5 1-11/16"

5-31 5-17

17.5 Mud 8.4 S.W.

8337 6151

Sante Fe r x . Mer.

6-4 6-9

2 - 7/8 " - 7 .9Cr 1 - 1 1 / 16 'I 3-1/2"-13.3 2 "

10# Mud 17# M u d

17476 11592

Badger Badger Sonat

9-1 9-3 9-12

2-3/8 "-4.7 2-3/8"-4 - 7 2-3/8 " -5.9

1-11/16" 1-1 1/16 'I

1-3/8"

S.W. S.W. s . w .

10312 10549 10908

Mobi l 1-16 2-7/8"-11.7 1-11/16" S.W. 9500

FIELD REPORT FOR THE RADIAL CUTTING TORCH

WIRELINE CO. LOCATION U M A I /A-. FIELD ENGINEER'S NAME P O N

O I L COMPANY I - C N C

ENGINEER 'S NAME C k p i . c (9- rq'u C S b a r - 79< - B Z Y Y LOCATION Q o P ~ R R U f 1 ( , f ( 4 r , M I S .

TOOL PUSHER'S NAME

WELL DATA:

WELL NAME C rocr3A/ 2 e //e /bqrC\ & I LOCATION' #/SS FIELD f iqck 2 4 - ( I TYPE O F WELL:

OIL - GAS INJECTION

10 1 b I L L csic;,- /&de TYPE O F FLUID I N THE WELL

WELL TEMPERATURE 3 2 5 O R '

PRESSURE AT THE CUT WELL HEAD PRESSURE

FLUID LEVEL I=- cc FLUID DENSITY /Q f / 9 e L.

- 2 7/84

TUBING SIZE TUBING WEIGHT 9.7 f b / & . TUBING GRADE / 3 0/6' c r . d P h 6 ( 0 -A/@ Ct h4vJ CONDITION OF TUBING r/a " 0 4 s c d ~ i rv .c / * d e DEPTH O F TUBING PLUGS STUCK POINT OF TUBING (FREE POINT) DEPTH OF CUT TO BE MADE SIZE OF RCT USED 4 ( I / / &

SIZE OF CASING SET DEPTH OF PACKER

/ 5 . . 0 2 5 ' ' -400 R #.

t

USE THE BACK OF THIS PAGE TO SKETCH WELL CONFIGURATION

FIELD REPORT FOR THE RADIAL CUTTING TORCH .-

DATE : 4-rS-Cb

._ WIRELINE 5PPUC.P

i?,X PFV I , t i 4 c I VM tic'. LOCATION FIELD ENGINEER'S NAME =s,l?,p '5 I I - 5

4 U

o x COMPANY Kenme* w . Cmr c A LOCATION knr 1 Sit x ENGINEER 'S NAME nPd I ,e TOOL PUSHER'S NAME

W E L L DATA: i

.-.

Rr-ir S A A . C h . P d . WELL NAME H O ~ D h 4 e ~ a.a;ii -q 5 R*nea.+ 1 3 6 .

- I . .

N S - C P r J h I

TYPE OF 'WELL: O I L

INJECTION GAS-

TYPE OF FLUID I N THE WELL CPRS @& k w t s FLUID LEVEL I i . ) O o

U ' FLUID DENSITY ID**Z

WELL TEHPUIATURE 42R8 . . wti9

PRESSURE AT THE CUT Z b S L WELL HEAD PRESSURE 2 2 s

TUBING SIZE 2 7B . T i l l R?! TUBING WEIGHT L.5 TUBING GRADE R3* At9 CONDITION .OF TUBING DEPTH OF TUBING PLUGS I J STUCK POTNT OF TUBING ( F"$" POINT) DEPTH OF CUT TO BE MADE,/. SIZE OF RCT USED Q(3T * I t \R@ 330 7.a t %7 O D - SIZE O F CASING ' ' 75118

USE THE BACK OF THIS PAGE TO SKETCH WELL CONFIGURATION

PIELD VI ed'o

TYPE OF WELL: t

TYPE OF FLUID IN THE WELL nr;n e FLUID LEVEL Fu//

OIL GAS V INJECTION

FLUID DENSITY /e + WELL TEMPERATURE 3 9 4 * PRE5SURE AT T X CUT 72 0 8 k J P d r . . sf-47 I-%

WELL ilE:tC PRE5SUC;E Q

JUL-Q9-1996 1E1:27 512 259 1551 94% P. 01

Weatherford .-.- .

.

I -- -____._,_.. __-__--I__ --. -.. ----

1360 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 1000 Houston, Texas 7705G (713) 439.9400 FAX (713) 621.0994


DATE : I Z - I 5 - $7

ENGINEER 'S NAME TOOL PUSHER'S NAME

WELL DATA:

WELL NAME

FIELD TYPE OF WELL:

zq f CdQ&.& . .

LOCATIO~

OIL GAS INJECTION

A 0 TYPE OF FLUID I N THE WELL FLUID LEVEL FLUID DENSITY WELL TEMPERATURE 4 3 0 ° F hdd l +a c / * 5 w PRESSURE AT THE CUT //.ot90 Rlc' WELL HEAD PRESSURE

TUBING SIZE 3 YL'' 2.473 m. TUBING WEIGHT TUBING GRADE CONDITION O F TUBING DEPTH OF TUBING PLUGS STUCK POINT OF TUBING (FREE POINT) DEPTH OF CUT TO BE MADE

- SIZE OF RCT USED z vILir , -300 Rc7-

I

SIZE OF CASING SET DEPTH O F PACKER WELL CONDITIONS 10 hrs

~- ~

USE THE BACK OF T H I S PAGE TO SKETCH WELL CONFIGURATION

OKLAHOMA TEST

1-3/ 8 diameter

u e p L l l

- 15,200

MCR OIL P.0. BOX 1465 Alvarado, Texas 76009 817 447-8878 Fp(: 817 447-8877

f rom t h e d e s k o f Steve Hash

RC'I

ft.


WIRELINE CO. &!L " . . LOCATION h'4JflA. CCL

FIELD ENGINEER 'S NAME 'Uif U& e y

WELL DATA: . . - WELL NAME icl, I ( LQ r 236

LOCATION Wlr ' ,S4 Cas-tt-CQ . LL . FIELD TYPE O F WELL:

OIL I /

GAS INJECTION

TYPE OF FLUID IN THE WELL FLUID LEVEL r t. . FLUID DENSITY BrCp &/?&/.. WELL TEMPERATURE PRESSURE AT THE CUT WELL HEAD PRESSURE

TUBING SIZE

TUBING GRADE 400 fn0dQi4 CONDITION OF TUBING DEPTH OF TUBING PLUGS

DEPTH OF CUT TO BE MADE

sag w fer

5500 p f i

x t@?r z 3 - 3/ "

TUBING WEIGHT 4 . 7 Ib/&.

STUCK P6JNT OF TUBING (FREE POINT) 2 r55' / z , 90 O F u /$-n- i - / SIZE OF RCT USED / I///,$ ' I , - 300 g c

t* V

.- I

,. 1 .

#J F

E E.

...

. .

i- 512 289 1551 ' JUL-09-1996 18:27 94%

I I I

. ' I

P. 01

i

. . *


DATE : 4-lS-Cb LICENSEE 5TW T& 5& p,

.-

SeP1AcP FIELD ENGINEER "s NAME C w , p S j j - 5 'a I?& kJ* I i I r i k c l VM CIC).

nfi 1y

OIL COMPANY Kenirue-tn W . COOp LOCATION knr 1 S-t x ENGINEER 'S NAME (3PA I ,e TOOL PUSHER'S NAME

WELL DATA: 8 - WELL NAME HoMn z::-?T5q '

R L l i ?&Ph . t c t . Q&. . .

LOCATION f;. rPd FIELDfl6-knew-4 TYPE O F 'WELL:

O I L GAS'- INJECTION

' TYPE OF FLUID IN THE WELL 6 6 s @& ~ P . I W W FLUID LEVEL If. 100

WELL TEMPERATURE e%€? PRESSURE AT THE CUT ZD5L WELL HEAD PRESSURE 22s

u FLUID DENSITY I D # Z

W t N

TUBING SIZE TUBING WEIGHT L.5 TUBING GRADE n3. At9 CONDITXON OF TUBING OEPTH O F TUBING PLUGS /4Y STUCK POJNT OF TUBING (FR E POINT) DEPTH OF CUT TO BE MADE%I $q 78

SIZE OF CASING 7 SIZE OF RCT USED @?l- * IL\l?@-Jflr) t '%@ C D

USE THE BACK O F THIS PAGE TO SKETCH WELL CONFIGURATION

1.D El VED

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