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[0001] This application claims the benefit of an earlier filing date from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/464,818 filed Apr. 23, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] In the hydrocarbon exploration and recovery arts, control lines have long been an important component of successful operations downhole. These may be hydraulic, electrical, fiber, etc. Control lines are needed to communicate with devices positioned downhole and therefore remote from a surface location at which personnel may be stationed.
[0003] Because of the harsh downhole conditions, including chemical and mechanical stress, among others, protection of control lines is desirable.
[0004] To this end, the industry has produced tubing encapsulated conductors (TEC) which configures an electrical or other conductor, inside a tube of usually {fraction (1/4)} inch diameter. TEC line is very effective but unfortunately still suffers from stresses in the downhole environment.
[0005] In order to improve longevity, the industry has created what is commercially known as a “flat pack”. A flat pack is matrix of material, usually a polymer, into which is embedded a control line and cables for crush resistance. The control line is completely encapsulated which is beneficial but the concept suffers in application due to the need at certain downhole tools to strip off the flat pack in order to pass the control line through the device. A packer is one such device. The result of a pass through is an exposed control line for a length which may be quite extended. The exposed length of control line is subject to all stress factors. This has been avoided by using many splices in the line (i.e., no real feed-throughs, just breaks and splices at devices). There has been, however, no practical solution to the problem.
[0006] Disclosed herein is a control line protector including a matrix having at least one bumper and at least one receptacle.
[0007] Further disclosed herein is a method for protecting a bare control line by positioning a protector having a matrix at least one bumper and at least one receptacle configured to accept the control line.
[0008] Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several figures:
[0009]
[0010]
[0011]
[0012]
[0013]
[0014]
[0015]
[0016] Referring to
[0017] Still referring to
[0018] In a second embodiment, referring to
[0019] A third embodiment is illustrated in
[0020] Referring to
[0021] Finally, referring to
[0022] In each of the embodiments illustrated herein a control line, which by prior art means would have to be left exposed in the wellbore, or could be protected by an excess number of splices can be effectively protected without the drawbacks inherent in the prior art.
[0023] While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.