Method and means to protect sensitive eequipment from impact damages, and uses thereof

Abstract

A method to protect sensitive equipment against impact damages is described, such as tools and instruments and the like which shall be lowered down in well pipes in a hydrocarbon-carrying formation, and it is characterised in that a layer of a protection means is put onto the equipment which is solid or partially solid when put on and also at the temperatures in an upper part of the well pipe, while it melts and become liquid and flows off the equipment at the temperatures that exist in the lower part of the well pipe where the equipment shall be applied. A protective means is described and also applications of this.

1 . Method to protect sensitive equipment against impact damages, such as tools and instruments and the like which shall be lowered down in a well pipe in a hydrocarbon-carrying formation, characterised in that onto the equipment is added a layer of a protection means that is solid or partially solid when added and also at the temperatures in an upper part of the well pipe, while it melts and becomes liquid and flows off the equipment at the temperatures that exist in the lower part of the well pipe in which the equipment shall be applied. 
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the layer of protection means is placed so that it covers at least an upper side of the equipment that shall be protected and preferably the whole of the outside of the equipment. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to one of the claims  claim 1 - 2 , characterised in that the protection means that covers the equipment is completely or partially covered by a flexible membrane or a further solid material. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to any of the  claims 1 - 3 , characterised in that the protection means is covered by a further solid material in the form of a round disc adapted to the diameter dimensions of the production pipe. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the protection means that is put on the equipment is in the form of a viscous liquid placed so that it is covered by the flexible membrane and/or the additional solid disc-formed material. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that when used for protection of equipment and instruments in a pipe section that carries a crushable plug, its release mechanism for crushing of the plug is covered by a protection means before the pipe section is lowered down in the well pipe. 
     
     
         7 . Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the choice of protection means is made according to measurements and knowledge about the temperature profile of the formation the well pipe is led down through, as one chooses a protection means that is solid at the relevant temperature at the surface and in the top part of the well pipe and which melts into a liquid form when the equipment comes further down in the well. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that protection means being applied are different types of waxes, fats or oils or mixtures of these, or metals or metal alloys, said means which are in solid or partially solid form in the upper parts of the well, but which become liquid in the deeper parts of the well. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a protection means is applied chosen from beeswax, carnauba wax, solid palm oil, stearin, or mixtures of petroleum waxes such as paraffin waxes or mixtures of such materials. 
     
     
         10 . Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a protection means is used that is chosen from tin (Sn), or alloys of different metals having a relatively low melting point, such as different eutectic alloys of one or more of the metals bismuth, lead, tin, indium and cadmium, Lipowitz alloy, cerrolow, Rose's metal and Field's metal. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the protection means is chosen from plastic materials such as HDPE (polyethylene with a high density) with a melting point of about 130° C., LDPE (polyethylene with a low density), PP (polypropylene), PS (polystyrene) and PVC (polyvinylchloride). 
     
     
         12 . Protection means for the protection of sensitive equipment against impact damages, such as tools and instruments and the like that shall be lowered down in well pipes in a hydrocarbon-carrying formation, characterised in that the means is a material that is solid or partially solid at the temperatures in the upper part of the well pipe and liquid at the temperatures in the lower part of the oil well where the device that shall be protected shall be used. 
     
     
         13 . Protection means according to  claim 12 , characterised in that the choice of protection means is adapted to the temperature profile of the formation through which the well pipe is led, as one choses a protection means that is solid at the relevant temperatures at the surface and in the upper part of the well pipe and which melts into a liquid form when the equipment comes further down the well. 
     
     
         14 . Protection means according to any of the  claims 12 - 13 , characterised in that it is composed of different types of wax, fats or oils or mixtures of such materials, or metals or metal alloys, said means which are in a solid or partially solid form in the upper part of the well, but which become liquid in the deeper part of the well. 
     
     
         15 . Protection means according to any of the  claims 12 - 14 , characterised in that a protection means is applied chosen from beeswax, carnauba wax, solid palm oil, stearin, or mixtures of petroleum waxes such as paraffin waxes or mixtures of such materials. 
     
     
         16 . Protection means according to any of the  claims 12 - 15 , characterised in that the protection means is metals or alloys of different metals having a relatively low melting point, such as different eutectic alloys of one or more of the metals bismuth, lead, tin, indium and cadmium, Lipowitz alloy, cerrolow, Rose's metal and Field's metal. 
     
     
         17 . Protection means according to any of the preceding  claims 12 - 16 , characterised in that the protection means is of plastic materials such as HDPE (polyethylene with a high density), LDPE (polyethylene with a low density), PP (polypropylene), PS (polystyrene) and PVC (polyvinylchloride). 
     
     
         18 . Application of protection means according to the preceding claims to protect sensitive equipment that is placed in a production pipe in an oil well against damage from the impact of falling objects in the production pipe, and/or against damage from collision with the production pipe or objects in this when the equipment is lowered down in the well pipe. 
     
     
         19 . Application of protection means according to the preceding claims, where the means is put onto the equipment before it is lowered down in the well pipe, either in connection with the production of the equipment or as a post-installation. 
     
     
         20 . Application of protection means for the protection of equipment that shall be lowered through a vertical part of the well pipe and further into a horizontal part of the well pipe where the equipment shall be fitted. 
     
     
         21 . Application of protection means for the protection of sensitive equipment that is placed in a production pipe in an oil well, the equipment is a plug for pressure testing where said plug is preferably a glass or ceramic plug.