Wellhead System, Assembly and Method for Monitoring Landing of a Wellhead Component

Abstract

Wellhead system, assembly and method monitors landing or retrieving of wellhead component at pre-determined landed position in main bore of wellhead member of wellhead. System includes running tool, instrument spool and sensor assembly. Running tool couples to wellhead component, lands or retrieves wellhead component within main bore of wellhead member, decouples from wellhead component, and has passive triggering device disposed in or on running tool. Instrument spool is pressure-containing, connects within wellhead at location above landed position of wellhead component, forms bore to align with main bore of wellhead, provides clearance for the wellhead component and running tool to be run therethrough, and has vertical height dimension such that, in pre-determined landed position, passive triggering device is located in bore of instrument spool. Sensor assembly disposed in or on instrument spool monitors landing/retrieving of wellhead component in wellhead member located below instrument spool based on landing information detected within bore of the instrument spool, generates an output signal conveying the landing information, and transmits the output signal to a remote location.

1 . A wellhead system for monitoring landing or retrieving of a wellhead component at a pre-determined landed position in a main bore of a wellhead member of a wellhead, comprising:
 a running tool configured to couple to the wellhead component, to land or retrieve the wellhead component within the main bore of the wellhead member, and to decouple from the wellhead component;   a passive triggering device disposed in or on the running tool;   a pressure-containing instrument spool configured to connect within the wellhead at a location above the landed position of the wellhead component, the instrument spool forming a bore to align with the main bore of the wellhead and to provide clearance for the wellhead component and the running tool to be run therethrough, the instrument spool having a generally vertical height dimension such that, in the pre-determined landed position, the passive triggering device is located in the bore of the instrument spool; and   a sensor assembly disposed in or on the instrument spool to monitor landing or retrieving of the wellhead component in the wellhead member located below the instrument spool based on landing information detected within the bore of the instrument spool, to generate an output signal conveying the landing information, and to transmit the output signal to a remote location.   
     
     
         2 . The wellhead system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sensor assembly comprises one or more active sensors to detect the landing information;   the running tool includes one or more of the passive triggering devices; and   the landing information is detected by one or more of:   (i) conductive contact between at least one of the one or more passive triggering devices and at least one of the one or more active sensors when the wellhead component is in the pre-determined landed position;   (ii) a proximate position of at least one of the one or more passive triggering devices relative to at least one of the one or more active sensors when the wellhead component is in the pre-determined landed position;   (iii) relative movement of at least one of the one or more passive triggering devices relative to at least one of the one or more active sensors when the wellhead component is rotated in the pre-determined landed position; and   (iv) a change in a magnetic flux signature detected by at least one of the one or more active sensors when the running tool is coupled to the wellhead component compared to when the running tool is decoupled from the wellhead component.   
     
     
         3 . The wellhead system of  claim 1  wherein the landing information is detected by:
 one or more of (i), (ii), and (iii), with or without (iv); 
 (ii) and (iii), with or without (iv); or 
 (i), (ii) and (iii), with or without (iv). 
 
     
     
         4 . The wellhead system of  claim 2  or  3 , wherein at least one of the one or more active sensors is a proximity sensor disposed in the instrument spool, and at least one of the one or more passive triggering devices is a positional indicator disposed in or on the running tool such that the proximity sensor and the positional indicator are generally horizontally aligned, one with another, when the wellhead component is in the pre-determined landed position. 
     
     
         5 . The wellhead system of  claim 4 , wherein the proximity sensor is sealed in a radial bore extending from the bore of the instrument spool such that the proximity sensor is positioned at the bore. 
     
     
         6 . The wellhead system of  claim 5 , comprising a plurality of the proximity sensors circumferentially spaced in the instrument spool to detect relative rotational movement of the positional indicator relative to the plurality of proximity sensors. 
     
     
         7 . The wellhead system of  claim 5 , comprising a plurality of the passive positional indicators circumferentially spaced in or on the running tool such that the proximity sensor detects relative rotational movement of the plurality of positional indicators relative to the proximity sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The wellhead system of  claim 5 , comprising a plurality of the proximity sensors circumferentially spaced in the instrument spool and a plurality of the passive positional indicators circumferentially spaced in or on the running tool such that the plurality of proximity sensors detects relative rotational movement of the plurality of positional indicators relative to the plurality of proximity sensors. 
     
     
         9 . The wellhead system of any one of  claims 4 - 8 , wherein the passive positional indicator is selected from a permanent magnet disposed on an exterior surface of the running tool, a ferrous or non-ferrous metal material provided on or formed on an exterior surface of the running tool, and a ferrous or non-ferrous geometric metal feature provided on or formed on an exterior surface of the running tool. 
     
     
         10 . The wellhead system of any one of  claims 4 - 9 , wherein the proximity sensor is a magnetic field sensor such as a Hall-Effect sensor, and the passive positional indicator is a permanent magnet. 
     
     
         11 . The wellhead system of any one of  claims 2 - 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more active sensors is a resistance sensor disposed in or at the bore of the instrument spool, and the one or more passive triggering devices is a conductive element disposed on an exterior surface of the running tool such that the conductive element makes conductive contact with the resistance sensor when the wellhead component is in the pre-determined landed position. 
     
     
         12 . The wellhead system of  claim 11 , wherein the running tool, the instrument spool, the wellhead component and the wellhead member are electrically conductive such that the conductive contact between the conductive element and the resistance sensor closes an electrical circuit between the running tool, the instrument spool, the wellhead component and the wellhead member when the wellhead component is in the pre-determined landed position aligned within a landing profile of the wellhead member. 
     
     
         13 . The wellhead system of  claim 12 , wherein the pre-determined landed position includes the wellhead component landed against a landing shoulder in the wellhead member. 
     
     
         14 . The wellhead system of  claim 13 , wherein the conductive element is a conductive O-ring or other element made of a conductive material disposed on the running tool. 
     
     
         15 . The wellhead system of any one of  claims 2 - 14 , wherein at least one of the one or more active sensors is a geo-magnetic sensor disposed in or on the instrument spool to detect a change in the magnetic flux signature of the running tool coupled to the wellhead component compared to the magnetic flux signature of the running tool decoupled from the wellhead component in order to confirm successful landing and decoupling of the wellhead component when the running tool is removed from the wellhead. 
     
     
         16 . The wellhead system of  claim 15 , wherein the geo-magnetic sensor is mounted on an exterior surface of the instrument spool. 
     
     
         17 . The wellhead system of  claim 15  or  16 , wherein the geo-magnetic sensor is an anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR) sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The wellhead system any one of  claims 1 - 17 , wherein the wellhead component is selected from a casing hanger, a tubing hanger, a plug, a packer, a sealing assembly, a packoff bushing, and a wear bushing. 
     
     
         19 . The wellhead system of any one of  claims 1 - 17 , wherein the wellhead component is a tubing hanger. 
     
     
         20 . The wellhead system of any one of  claims 1 - 19 , wherein the sensor assembly includes a data acquisition and data processing unit to process sensor output and a transmitter to transmit the processed output signal to a telemetry unit for transmission to the remote location. 
     
     
         21 . The wellhead system of any one of  claims 1 - 20 , configured as a wellhead assembly and further comprising the wellhead component and the wellhead member. 
     
     
         22 . A method of monitoring landing or retrieving of a wellhead component at a pre-determined landed position in a main bore of a wellhead member of a wellhead, the method comprising:
 providing a running tool adapted to couple to the wellhead component for landing at the pre-determined landed position, the running tool including a passive triggering device disposed in or on the running tool;   connecting a pressure-containing instrument spool into the wellhead at a location above the pre-determined landed position of the wellhead component, the instrument spool forming a bore aligned with the main bore of the wellhead and providing clearance for the wellhead component and the running tool to be run therethrough, the instrument spool having a generally vertical height dimension such that, in the predetermined landed position, the passive triggering device is located in the bore of the instrument spool, and the instrument spool including a sensor assembly disposed in or on the instrument spool;   for landing, coupling the running tool to the wellhead component, and running the coupled running tool and wellhead component through the bore of the instrument spool to the pre-determined landed position within the wellhead member located therebelow;   for retrieving, running the running tool through the bore of the instrument spool to the pre-determined landed position within the wellhead member located therebelow, and coupling the running tool to the wellhead component;   monitoring landing or retrieving of the wellhead component in the wellhead member located below the instrument spool by detecting landing information within the bore of the instrument spool with the sensor assembly;   generating an output signal conveying the landing information;   transmitting the output signal to a remote location;   for landing, decoupling the running tool from the wellhead component and removing the running tool from the wellhead; and   for retrieving, removing the coupled running tool and wellhead component from the wellhead.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the wellhead is a surface wellhead, and wherein the method further comprised, after landing or retrieving, removing one or more components of the sensor assembly from the instrument spool and/or removing the instrument spool from the wellhead. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  or  23 , wherein;
 the sensor assembly comprises one or more active sensors to detect the landing information; 
 the running tool includes one or more of the passive triggering devices, and 
 the landing information is detected by one or more of: 
 (i) detecting conductive contact between at least one of the one or more passive triggering devices and at least one of the one or more active sensors when the wellhead component is in the pre-determined landed position; 
 (ii) detecting a proximate position of at least one of the one or more passive triggering devices relative to at least one of the one or more active sensors when the wellhead component is in the pre-determined landed position; 
 (iii) detecting relative movement of at least one of the one or more passive triggering devices relative to at least one of the one or more active sensors when the wellhead component is rotated in the pre-determined landed position; and 
 (iv) detecting a change in a magnetic flux signature with at least one of the one or more active sensors when the running tool is coupled to the wellhead component compared to when the running tool is decoupled from the wellhead component.