IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,435,581
Granted Patent B2
US 12,435,581 · App. 18/717,857 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Standoff for wireline

Inventors: Albert Eugene Butterfield (Novato, CA); Mayank Malik (Houston, TX); Mark Allen Gracy (Napa, CA); Brian Christopher Weber (Martinez, CA)
Assignee: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
E21B17/1085
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,435,581
App. No.
18/717,857
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wireline standoff can include a base comprising a base body having a base channel that traverses a thickness of the base body along its length, where the base channel has a width and a depth that are large enough to receive the wireline. The wireline standoff can also include an end piece having an end piece body having an end piece channel that traverses a thickness of the end piece body along the end piece length, where the end piece channel has a width and a depth that are large enough to receive the wireline. The base and the end piece are in a default position when the base channel and the end piece channel are aligned and in a secured position when the end piece is moved relative to the base so that the base channel and the end piece channel are misaligned with each other.

Claims (37)

1. A wireline standoff comprising:

a base comprising a base body having a base length between a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first coupling feature, wherein the base body includes a base channel formed therein that extends along the base length of the base body, and wherein the base channel has a width and a depth that are configured to be large enough to receive a first lengthwise portion of the wireline; and

an end piece movably coupled to the first end of the base, wherein the end piece comprises an end piece body and a second coupling feature that is configured to couple to the first coupling feature of the base, wherein the end piece body has formed therein an end piece channel that extends along an end piece length of the end piece body, wherein an end piece channel has a width and a depth that are configured to be large enough to receive a second lengthwise portion of the wireline,

wherein the base and the end piece are configured to be in a default position when the base channel and the end piece channel are aligned with each other so that the base channel is configured to receive the first lengthwise portion of the wireline simultaneously with when the end piece channel is configured to receive the second lengthwise portion of the wireline, and wherein the base and the end piece are configured to be in a secured position when the end piece is moved relative to the base using the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature so that the base channel and the end piece channel are misaligned with each other while the first lengthwise portion of the wireline is positioned in the base channel and while the second lengthwise portion of the wireline is positioned in the end piece channel.

2. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second end piece movably coupled to the second end of the base, wherein the second end piece comprises a second end piece body and a third coupling feature that is configured to couple to a second coupling feature at the second end of the base, wherein the second end piece body has formed therein a second end piece channel that extends along a second end piece length of the second end piece body, and wherein the second end piece channel has a width and a depth that are configured to be large enough to receive a third lengthwise portion of the wireline.

3. The wireline standoff of claim 2 , wherein the end piece and the second end piece have a substantially similar configuration.

4. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the end piece is rotatably coupled to the base around an axis along the base length of the base.

5. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the first coupling feature at the first end of the base body comprises a stop to limit a range of movement of the end piece relative to the base.

6. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the second coupling feature of the end piece comprises an extension that is configured to be movably positioned within the first coupling feature of the base, where in the first coupling feature comprises a recess.

7. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the base channel has a first curvature, wherein the end piece channel has a second curvature, and wherein a side body of the end piece channel is raised relative to a bottom surface of the base channel when the base and the end piece are in the secured position.

8. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the end piece has a substantially conical shape, and wherein the base has a substantially cylindrical shape.

9. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , further comprising:

a retention device that is configured to be disposed within a receiving feature on the base body of the base, wherein the retention device, when engaged with the receiving feature, fixes a position of the end piece relative to the base.

10. The wireline standoff of claim 9 , wherein the retention device comprises a pin, and wherein the receiving feature comprises an aperture that traverses the base body proximate to the first end.

11. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the base body has an outer surface that is wear resistant.

12. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the end piece body has disposed on its outer surface an alignment marker that is configured to align with the base channel when the base and the end piece are in the secured position.

13. The wireline standoff of claim 1 , wherein the base and the end piece transition from the secured position to the default position when the end piece is moved, using the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature, until the base channel and the end piece channel are aligned with each other.

14. A wireline standoff assembly comprising:

a wireline having a wireline thickness;

a wireline standoff encasing a portion of the wireline, the wireline standoff comprising:

a base comprising a base body having a base length between a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first coupling feature, wherein the base body includes a base channel formed therein that extends along the base length of the base body, and wherein the base channel has a width and a depth that are configured to be large enough to receive a first part of the portion of the wireline; and

an end piece movably coupled to the first end of the base, wherein the end piece comprises an end piece body and a second coupling feature that is coupled to the first coupling feature of the base, wherein the end piece body has formed therein an end piece channel that extends along an end piece length of the end piece body, wherein the end piece channel has a width and a depth that are configured to be large enough to receive a second part of the portion of the wireline,

wherein the base and the end piece are configured to be in a default position when the base channel and the end piece channel are aligned with each other so that the base channel is configured to receive the first part of the portion of the wireline simultaneously with when the end piece channel is configured to receive the second part of the portion of the wireline, and wherein the base and the end piece are configured to be in a secured position when the end piece is moved relative to the base using the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature so that the base channel and the end piece channel are misaligned with each other while the first lengthwise portion of the wireline is positioned in the base channel and while the second lengthwise portion of the wireline is positioned in the end piece channel.

15. The wireline standoff assembly of claim 14 , wherein the base and the end piece of the wireline standoff are configured to absorb impacts of a wellbore to protect the portion of the wireline from wear.

16. The wireline standoff assembly of claim 14 , wherein the wireline standoff remains affixed to the portion of the wireline when the base and the end piece are in the secured position relative to each other.

17. A wellbore system comprising:

a wellbore disposed in a subterranean formation;

field equipment located at a surface adjacent to the wellbore;

a wireline having a wireline thickness, wherein the field equipment is configured to lower the wireline into and extract the wireline from the wellbore; and

a wireline standoff encasing a portion of the wireline, the wireline standoff comprising:

a base comprising a base body having a base length between a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first coupling feature, wherein the base body includes a base channel formed therein that extends along the base length of the base body, and wherein the base channel has a width and a depth that are configured to be large enough to receive a first part of the portion of the wireline; and

an end piece movably coupled to the first end of the base, wherein the end piece comprises an end piece body and a second coupling feature that is coupled to the first coupling feature of the base, wherein the end piece body has formed therein an end piece channel that extends along an end piece length of the end piece body, wherein the end piece channel has a width and a depth that are configured to be large enough to receive a second part of the portion of the wireline,

wherein the base and the end piece are configured to be in a default position when the base channel and the end piece channel are aligned with each other so that the base channel is configured to receive the first part of the portion of the wireline at the surface simultaneously with when the end piece channel is configured to receive the second part of the portion of the wireline, and wherein the base and the end piece are configured to be in a secured position when the end piece is moved relative to the base at the surface using the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature so that the base channel and the end piece channel are misaligned with each other while the first lengthwise portion of the wireline is positioned in the base channel and while the second lengthwise portion of the wireline is positioned in the end piece channel.

18. The wellbore system of claim 17 , wherein the portion of the wireline is removed from the base channel and the end piece channel of the wireline standoff at the surface as the wireline is extracted from the wellbore by the field equipment.

19. The wellbore system of claim 18 , wherein the end piece is moved at the surface to the default position relative to the base using the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature before the portion of the wireline is removed from the base channel and the end piece channel of the wireline standoff.

20. The wellbore system of claim 17 , wherein the wireline standoff protects the portion of the wireline from a feature in the wellbore, and wherein the feature comprises at least one of a group consisting of a casing and a subterranean formation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2024
From: WEBER, BRIAN CHRISTOPHER; GRACY, MARK ALLEN, JR.; BUTTERFIELD, ALBERT EUGENE; MALIK, MAYANK
To: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
Reel/Frame 067659/0922 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250257617A1 · Aug 14, 2025
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