Casing and drill pipe filling and circulating method
View Patent ↗An apparatus is disclosed for adapting a combination of well tubulars in a string to accept a single filling and circulation apparatus and to eliminate the need for bails and elevators. In addition an adapter and a new filling and circulation apparatus are disclosed.
1. A downhole completion method, comprising:
using common fill up and circulating equipment to run casing or drill string which has threads of different sizes;
providing a mandrel having a passage therethrough and having a gripping member on said equipment outside of said mandrel;
selecting an insert from a plurality of inserts for engagement with said gripping member in a passage through said selected insert which selected insert is uniquely configured to engage a predetermined sized casing or drill string thread.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
filling, circulating and taking returns from casing and drill string with common equipment.
3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
lifting or advancing an entire string while filling, circulating or taking returns through it.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
using an insert in the topmost tubular of casing or drill string to allow common equipment to handle different sizes.
5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
engaging a latch on the common fill up and circulating equipment within said insert.
6. The method of claim 5 , comprising:
providing a seal adjacent said latch so that said latch when engaged removes pressure loads from said seal.
7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
engaging said seal within or below said insert.
8. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
engaging a latch on the common fill up and circulating equipment below said insert.
9. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
mounting the insert to the topmost tubular in a manner to eliminate a seal between them.
10. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
providing a seal between said insert and said topmost tubular.
11. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
using a thread protector as said insert.
12. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
providing a latch in said common equipment that engages a recess in or below said insert.
13. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
removing support for said latch to insert it into said insert.
14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
using fluid pressure to remove support for said latch for insertion into said insert.
15. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
removing fluid pressure with said latch to give it support in said recess.
16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
using bias to move said latch onto a support when fluid pressure is removed.
17. A downhole completion method, comprising:
using the same fill up and circulating equipment to sequentially run casing and drill string at different times;
filling, circulating and taking returns sequentially from casing and drill string with the same equipment at different times;
lifting or advancing an entire string while filling, circulating or taking returns through it;
doing said lifting or advancing without elevators or bails.