Method of Direct Hot Tapping into a Multiple Production String Without Removing Outer Layers of Casing
A method of tapping into the production tubing of a multiple-string well — through the outer casing and into the inner casing — without pulling the outer layers of casing first, so access is obtained on a live well rather than by dismantling it.
- Patent /
- US 7,938,137 B2
- Granted /
- May 10, 2011
- Inventor /
- John William Angers, Jr.
- Status /
- Patent family
- Family /
- 2 grants
Get to the production string without taking the well apart.
US 7,938,137 B2 · Machine Tech Services · Broussard, LA
The Problem
Reaching the production string in a multiple-string well conventionally means removing the outer layers of casing to get at it. On a live well that is a major intervention, and the outer casing was doing a job before it came off.
How It Works
- 01
A clamp assembly is mounted around the wall of the outer casing, and a small opening is hot tapped through it to capture any pressurised fluid before anything else is cut.
- 02
First and second large openings are then cut through the outer casing wall, approximately 180 degrees apart, to reach the inner casing.
- 03
A small hole through the first opening captures pressure in the inner casing; an anvil is inserted through the second to contact and stabilise the inner casing wall so it cannot move while it is being drilled.
Why It Matters
- Access to the production string without removing outer casing
- Pressure is captured before each cut rather than after
- The anvil is the detail that makes it work — an unsupported inner casing moves under the bit
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