Downhole camera enhanced manipulation tool

Abstract

A manipulation element for a downhole tool, the downhole tool comprising a camera assembly including a lens. The manipulation element comprises a root portion connectable to said downhole tool, the root portion including an aperture for receiving a part of the camera assembly therethrough such that, in use, said lens is disposed forward of the root portion; a stem portion extending from the root portion and including a hollow or gap aligned with the aperture for receiving, in use, said lens, the stem portion terminating at a tip; and a manipulation surface extending continuously between the tip and the root portion, at least a part of the manipulation surface extending at a non-zero angle to a longitudinal axis of the manipulation element such that the manipulation surface crosses a plane containing the longitudinal axis.

1 . A manipulation element for a downhole tool, the downhole tool comprising a camera assembly including a lens, and the manipulation element comprising:
 a root portion connectable to said downhole tool, the root portion including an aperture for receiving a part of the camera assembly therethrough such that, in use, said lens is disposed forward of the root portion;   a stem portion extending from the root portion and including a hollow or gap aligned with the aperture for receiving, in use, said lens, the stem portion terminating at a tip; and   a manipulation surface extending continuously between the tip and the root portion, at least a part of the manipulation surface extending at a non-zero angle to a longitudinal axis of the manipulation element such that the manipulation surface crosses a plane containing the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         2 . The manipulation element of  claim 1 , wherein the manipulation element is of unitary or one-piece construction, and/or the manipulation element is made of a metal material, and/or the manipulation element is made of a composite material. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The manipulation element of  claim 1 , wherein the root portion includes an attachment portion configured to attach the manipulation element to the downhole tool, and the attachment portion includes a threaded portion. 
     
     
         5 . The manipulation element of  claim 1 , wherein the tip is offset from longitudinal axis in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         6 . The manipulation element of  claim 1 , wherein no part of the stem portion lies on the longitudinal axis such that the longitudinal axis is unobstructed. 
     
     
         7 . The manipulation element of  claim 1 , wherein the stem portion is in the form of a hollow cylindrical wedge and the manipulation surface is provided by an edge surface of the hollow cylindrical wedge. 
     
     
         8 . The manipulation element of  claim 7 , wherein the hollow is at least partially bounded by a curved inner surface of the stem portion. 
     
     
         9 . The manipulation element of  claim 1 , wherein the tip is part of a tip portion of the manipulation element and the stem portion comprises a pair of arms extending between the root portion and the tip portion. 
     
     
         10 . The manipulation element of  claim 8 , wherein the arms are elongate and extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, or wherein the arms are tapered, a first surface of each of the arms extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a second surface of each of the arms extending at a non-zero angle to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The manipulation element of  claim 9 , wherein the tip portion comprises curved inner and outer surfaces, and a center of a radius of curvature of each of the inner and outer surfaces lies on or proximate the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         13 . The manipulation element of  claim 9 , wherein the tip portion has the shape of a hollow cylindrical wedge and includes a U-shaped forward-facing surface, facing generally in a direction away from the root portion. 
     
     
         14 . The manipulation element of  claim 9 , wherein the tip portion includes a forward-facing surface facing generally in a direction away from the root portion, and the manipulation surface includes the forward-facing surface of the tip portion and the second surfaces of each of the arms. 
     
     
         15 . The manipulation element of  claim 1 , wherein the manipulation surface is planar. 
     
     
         16 . A downhole tool comprising:
 a camera assembly including a camera and a lens; and   a manipulation element comprising:
 a root portion including an aperture for receiving a part of the camera assembly therethrough such that, in use, the lens is disposed forward of the root portion; 
 a stem portion extending from the root portion and including a hollow or gap aligned with the aperture, the lens being disposed in the hollow or gap, and the stem portion terminating at a tip; and 
 a manipulation surface extending continuously between the tip and the root portion, at least a part of the manipulation surface extending at a non-zero angle to a longitudinal axis of the manipulation element such that the manipulation surface crosses a plane containing the longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         17 . The downhole tool of  claim 16 , wherein a centreline of a field of view of the camera is parallel to and coincident with the longitudinal axis of the manipulation element. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The downhole tool of  claim 16 , wherein the manipulation surface extends from a first end forward of the lens to a second end rearward of the lens. 
     
     
         20 . The downhole tool of  claim 16 , wherein the downhole tool is deployed on a wireline and the downhole tool includes a transmitter for transmitting images captured by the camera in real time. 
     
     
         21 . The downhole tool of  claim 16 , the downhole tool including an electric motor and mechanism for rotating the manipulation element through 360° about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         22 . A method of locating and manipulating an obstructing object in a downhole environment using a downhole tool, the downhole tool comprising:
 a camera assembly including a camera and a lens; and   a manipulation element comprising:
 a root portion including an aperture for receiving a part of the camera assembly therethrough such that, in use, the lens is disposed forward of the root portion; 
 a stem portion extending from the root portion and including a hollow or gap aligned with the aperture, the lens being disposed in the hollow or gap, and the stem portion terminating at a tip; and 
 a manipulation surface extending continuously between the tip and the root portion, at least a part of the manipulation surface extending at a non-zero angle to a longitudinal axis of the manipulation element such that the manipulation surface crosses a plane containing the longitudinal axis, 
   
       and the method comprising:
 viewing, in real time, a region forward of the manipulation element while moving the downhole tool through the downhole environment to locate said obstructing object; 
 contacting the tip of the manipulation tool on said obstructing object; 
 moving the downhole tool so as to cause the obstructing object to slide along the manipulation surface in a direction towards the root portion. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising rotating the manipulation element about the longitudinal axis, and/or moving the downhole tool so as to bring the lens alongside the obstructing object, and/or moving the downhole tool so that a surface of the root portion contacts the obstructing object. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled)