Liner Hanger and Method for Installing a Wellbore Liner

Abstract

A liner hanger assembly to run-in a liner on a liner hanger, cement the liner in place and set the liner hanger in one trip. Then, a wellbore treatment process can proceed while the running string remains downhole or via a second trip. The liner hanger assembly includes a liner hanger running tool and a liner hanger.

1 .- 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A method for installing a liner in a wellbore, the method comprising: running into the wellbore with the liner secured to a liner hanger and the liner hanger carried on a running string; positioning the liner hanger and the liner in the wellbore; moving cement through the running string, the liner hanger and the liner until the cement fills at least a portion of an annulus between the liner and a wall of the wellbore; pressuring up an inner diameter of the running string and the liner hanger to set the liner hanger in the wellbore; flushing residual cement from an inner bore of the liner hanger and from an annular area above the liner hanger by introducing a flushing fluid from the running string to the inner bore and to the annular area; and allowing the cement to set. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein moving cement includes moving a wiper plug through the liner hanger and liner to force the cement from the liner into the annulus. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the method proceeds from running to flushing without tripping the running string to surface. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein flushing includes overcoming a sealing structure between the running string and an upper end of the liner hanger and circulating fluid past the sealing structure, and the method further comprises, after flushing, restoring the sealing structure. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein flushing includes moving flushing liquid out through ports along a wall of the running string while an end of the running string remains positioned in the liner hanger. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein overcoming a sealing structure includes reverse rotating the running string no more than a full turn relative to the liner hanger and pulling the running string up relative to the liner hanger. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising, after allowing the cement to set, conducting a wellbore treatment through the running string, the liner hanger and the liner to treat the wellbore. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the method proceeds from running to conducting a wellbore treatment without tripping the running string to surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein pressuring up includes setting a packer and a set of slips on the liner hanger to engage the wall. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9  wherein pressuring up includes increasing the pressure to a pressure greater than any pressures applied to the liner hanger while moving cement. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the running string includes a liner hanger running tool on which the liner hanger is carried and the liner hanger running tool includes:
 a tubular body including a base end for connection to the running string, an outboard end and an inner diameter; 
 a connector on the outboard end for releasably engaging the liner hanger, the connector including a first J-type connection structure; and 
 the liner hanger includes:
 a mandrel with an outer surface, an upper end including a running tool connector including a second J-type connection structure for releasable connection with the first J-type connection structure, a lower end including a liner connector and an inner bore passing through the mandrel, extending from the upper end to the lower end; a setting mechanism on the outer surface for setting the liner hanger in a well; and a hydraulic piston for driving the setting mechanism to set in response to a pressure applied through the inner bore and communicated to the hydraulic piston.