Apparatus and methods of setting and retrieving casing with drilling latch and bottom hole assembly

1. A top drive system for handling a casing, comprising:

a top drive;

a top drive adapter having radially movable gripping elements for gripping the casing, the top drive adapter operatively connected to the top drive; and

an access tool disposed between the top drive adapter and the top drive and adapted for a conveying member to access a fluid passage of the top drive system, wherein the conveying member is at least partially inserted into the fluid passage.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conveying member comprises a wireline.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access tool comprises a sealing member adapted to prevent leakage of fluid from the access tool.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access tool comprises a sealing member for maintaining a pressure in the access tool.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sheave assembly to facilitate movement of a conveying member.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access tool is disposed on an upper portion of the top drive.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access tool comprises a central bore and a side entry bore in fluid communication with the central bore.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access tool comprises a manifold that separates a fluid flow in the access tool into at least two flow paths.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the top drive adapter comprises a torque head or a spear.

10. The top drive system of claim 1 , wherein the access tool includes two entry bores in fluid communication with the fluid passage.

11. The top drive system of claim 10 , wherein a first bore intersects a second bore.

12. The top drive system of claim 1 , wherein the access tool includes a first bore in axial alignment with the fluid passage and a second bore intersecting the fluid passage.

13. A method for retrieving a downhole tool through a tubular using a top drive adapter of a top drive system, comprising:

coupling an access tool to the top drive system, wherein the access tool is adapted to provide access to a fluid path in the top drive system and the top drive adapter includes radially movable gripping elements;

moving the top drive system including the access tool and the top drive adapter into engagement with the tubular;

inserting a conveying member into the fluid path through the access tool;

coupling the conveying member to the downhole tool; and

retrieving the downhole tool.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising reciprocating the tubular.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein reciprocating the tubular comprises axially moving the tubular.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising circulating fluid to the tubular.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tubular comprises a casing.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein engagement with the tubular comprises gripping the tubular using the top drive adapter.

19. A top drive system for drilling with casing, comprising:

a top drive;

a top drive adapter for gripping the casing, the top drive adapter operatively connected to the top drive; and

an access tool operatively connected to the top drive and adapted for accessing a fluid passage of the top drive system and includes a manifold that separates a fluid flow in the access tool into at least two flow paths.

20. The top drive system of claim 19 , wherein the access tool includes an opening in axial alignment with the top drive adapter.

21. The top drive system of claim 20 , further comprising a sheave wheel.

22. A method for retrieving a downhole tool through a tubular using a top drive system, comprising:

providing the top drive system with a gripping tool coupled to an access tool, wherein the access tool is adapted to provide access to a fluid path in the top drive system and wherein the gripping tool includes radially movable gripping elements;

moving the gripping tool and the access tool toward the tubular;

engaging the tubular using the access tool;

inserting a conveying member into the fluid path through the access tool;

coupling the conveying member to the downhole tool; and

retrieving the downhole tool.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the access tool is connected to a lower portion of the gripping tool.

24. A method for retrieving a downhole tool through a tubular using a top drive system having a gripping tool, comprising:

gripping an access tool using the gripping tool, the access tool adapted to provide access to a fluid path in the top drive system;

moving the gripping tool and the access tool toward the tubular;

engaging the tubular using the access tool;

inserting a conveying member into the fluid path through the access tool;

coupling the conveying member to the down hole tool; and

retrieving the downhole tool.

25. The method claim 24 , further comprising gripping and releasing the tubular prior to gripping the access tool.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the gripping tool includes radially movable gripping elements.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the access tool is connected to an upper portion of the gripping tool.

28. A method for retrieving a downhole tool through a tubular using a top drive system, comprising:

providing the top drive system with a gripping tool coupled to an access tool, wherein the access tool is adapted to provide access to a fluid path in the top drive system and wherein the gripping tool includes radially movable gripping elements;

moving the gripping tool and the access tool toward the tubular;

gripping the tubular using the gripping tool;

inserting a conveying member into the fluid path through the access tool;

coupling the conveying member to the downhole tool; and

retrieving the downhole tool.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the access tool is connected to an upper portion of the gripping tool.

30. A top drive system for handling a casing, comprising:

a top drive:

a top drive adapter having radially movable gripping elements for gripping the casing, the top drive adapter operatively connected to the top drive; and

an access tool disposed between the top drive adapter and the top drive and adapted for accessing a fluid passage of the top drive system wherein the access tool includes a first bore in fluid communication with the fluid passage of the top drive system and a second bore intersecting the first bore.

31. The top drive system of claim 30 , wherein a conveying member is inserted into the fluid passage through the second bore.

32. The top drive system of claim 31 , wherein the conveying member comprises a wireline.

33. The top drive system of claim 30 , wherein the access tool comprises a sealing member adapted to prevent leakage of fluid from the access tool.

34. The top drive system of claim 30 , wherein the access tool comprises a sealing member for maintaining a pressure in the access tool.

35. The top drive system of claim 30 , further comprising a sheave assembly to facilitate movement of a conveying member.

36. The top drive system of claim 30 , wherein the access tool includes a tubular retaining device for engaging the casing.

37. The top drive system of claim 30 , wherein the second bore is formed through an axial wall of the access tool.

38. A method of conveying a downhole tool in a tubular, comprising:

providing a gripping tool coupled to an access tool, wherein the access tool is adapted to provide access to a fluid path in the tubular and wherein the gripping tool includes radially movable gripping elements;

moving the gripping tool and the access tool toward the tubular;

engaging the tubular using the access tool;

inserting a conveying member into the fluid path through the access tool;

coupling the conveying member to the downhole tool; and

conveying the downhole tool.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein the access tool includes an axial bore and a side entry port in fluid communication with the axial bore.

40. The method of claim 38 , wherein the access tool is connected to a lower portion of the gripping tool.

41. The method of claim 38 , further comprising coupling the access tool or the gripping tool to a top drive motor.

42. The method of claim 38 , wherein the access tool includes a tubular retaining device for engaging the tubular.

43. The method of claim 42 , wherein the tubular retaining device is one of spear, torque head, or casing collar clamp.

44. A top drive system for handling a casing, comprising:

a top drive;

a top drive adapter having radially movable gripping elements for gripping the casing, the top drive adapter operatively connected to the top drive; and

an access tool disposed between the top drive adapter and the top drive and adapted for accessing a fluid passage of the top drive system, wherein the access tool comprises a central bore and a side entry bore in fluid communication with the central bore.

45. A top drive system for handling a casing, comprising:

a top drive;

a top drive adapter having radially movable gripping elements for gripping the casing, the top drive adapter operatively connected to the top drive; and

an access tool disposed between the top drive adapter and the top drive and adapted for accessing a fluid passage of the top drive system, wherein the access tool comprises a manifold that separates a fluid flow in the access tool into at least two flow paths.

46. A top drive system for handling a casing, comprising:

a top drive;

a top drive adapter having radially movable gripping elements for gripping the casing, the top drive adapter operatively connected to the top drive; and

an access tool disposed between the top drive adapter and the top drive and adapted for accessing a fluid passage of the top drive system, wherein the access tool comprises a launching tool adapted to release a ball or a plug.

47. A method for conveying a downhole tool through a tubular using a top drive adapter of a top drive system, comprising:

coupling an access tool to the top drive system, wherein the access tool is adapted to provide access to a fluid path in the tubular and the top drive adapter includes radially movable gripping elements;

moving the top drive system including the access tool and the top drive adapter into engagement with the tubular;

inserting a conveying member into the fluid path through the access tool;

coupling the conveying member to the downhole tool; and

conveying the downhole tool.

48. The method of claim 47 , wherein the access tool includes an axial bore and a side entry port in fluid communication with the axial bore.

49. The method of claim 47 , wherein coupling the access tool comprises gripping the access tool using the top drive adapter.

50. The method of claim 47 , further comprising reciprocating the tubular.

51. The method of claim 47 , wherein conveying the downhole tool comprises retrieving the downhole tool.

52. The method of claim 47 , wherein conveying the downhole tool comprises running wireline operations.

53. A method for conveying a downhole tool through a tubular using a top drive system having a gripping tool, comprising:

gripping an access tool using the gripping tool, the access tool adapted to provide access to a fluid path in fluid communication with the top drive system;

moving the gripping tool and the access tool toward the tubular;

engaging the tubular using the access tool;

inserting a conveying member into the fluid path through the access tool;

coupling the conveying member to the downhole tool; and

conveying the downhole tool.

54. The method of claim 53 , wherein the access tool includes an axial bore and a side entry port in fluid communication with the axial bore.