Selectable hole trimmer and methods thereof

Abstract

A selectable hole trimmer includes a body, sliding sleeve, orifice sleeve, and a latch mechanism. The body has upstream and downstream ends, a drilling fluid volume, and a body groove. The sliding sleeve is slidably disposed within the body to provide pressure to a pressurized volume. The orifice sleeve is slidably disposed within the sliding sleeve to engage and disengage the latch mechanism from the body groove. An actuator may provide the pressure to a selectable hole cutter to move the cutter between a retracted and extended state. The orifice sleeve receives a first fluid flow first rate above an activation threshold that moves the orifice sleeve to a downstream position to disengage the latch mechanism from the body groove. The orifice sleeve receives a second fluid flow rate below the activation threshold that moves the orifice sleeve to an upstream position to engage the latch mechanism and body groove.

1 . A downhole device configured as a selectable hole trimmer comprising:
 a sliding sleeve moveably disposed inside a tool body having an upstream end and a downstream end, the tool body including a drilling fluid volume and wherein the sliding sleeve is disposed within and slidable inside the tool body to provide a pressure to a pressurized volume;   an orifice sleeve moveably disposed inside the sliding sleeve, wherein the orifice sleeve is slidable inside the sliding sleeve to selectively engage and disengage a latch mechanism from a body groove of the tool body;   an actuator connected to the pressurized volume and configured to provide the pressure to a selectable hole cutter of the tool body to actuate the selectable hole cutter between a retracted state and an extended state; wherein:   the orifice sleeve is configured to receive a flow of drilling fluids at a first flow rate above an activation threshold that moves the orifice sleeve from an upstream position to a downstream position to disengage the latch mechanism from the body groove, and   the orifice sleeve is configured to receive the flow of drilling fluids at a second flow rate below the activation threshold that moves the orifice sleeve from the downstream position to the upstream position to engage the latch mechanism with the body groove,   a sleeve groove including a well defining a deepest portion of the sleeve groove;   an inclined portion;   an edge connecting the well and the inclined portion; and wherein:   the well is configured to receive at least a portion of the latch mechanism to disengage the latch mechanism from the body groove   
     
     
         2 . The downhole device of  claim 1 , wherein the activation threshold is a drilling fluid volumetric flow rate of 600 gallons per minute or greater. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The downhole device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve groove extends around a circumference of an outer wall of the orifice sleeve, the well is located at an upstream end of the sleeve groove, and the inclined portion is located at a downstream end of the sleeve groove. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sliding sleeve spring configured to bias the sliding sleeve toward the upstream end of the tool body;   an orifice sleeve spring configured to bias the orifice sleeve toward the upstream end of the tool body; and wherein at least one of:   a spring constant of the orifice sleeve spring is greater than a spring constant of the sliding sleeve spring; or   the spring constant of the orifice sleeve spring is less than the spring constant of the sliding sleeve spring.   
     
     
         6 . The downhole device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the latch mechanism prevents a downstream movement of the sliding sleeve while engaged with the body groove;   the latch mechanism includes a rectangular locking dog having a slanted engagement surface; and   a volume is defined between the sliding sleeve and the tool body such that the downstream movement of the sliding sleeve compresses the volume to engage the actuator.   
     
     
         7 . The downhole device of  claim 1 , wherein the latch mechanism comprises:
 a recess formed in an outer wall of the sliding sleeve;   a through-hole defined through the outer wall of the sliding sleeve;   a latch key disposed within the recess and moveable between a first position and a second position;   a latch spring disposed in the recess configured to urge the latch key towards the first position;   a cap configured to retain at least a portion of the latch key or the latch spring inside the recess; wherein:   the latch key is configured to engage with the body groove in the first position, and   the latch key is configured to disengage from the body groove in the second position.   
     
     
         8 . A downhole device configured as a selectable hole trimmer comprising:
 a sliding sleeve moveably disposed inside a tool body having an upstream end and a downstream end, the tool body including a drilling fluid volume and wherein the sliding sleeve is disposed within and slidable inside the tool body to provide a pressure to a pressurized volume;   an actuator connected to the pressurized volume and configured to provide the pressure to a selectable hole cutter of the tool body to actuate the selectable hole cutter between a retracted state and an extended state;   a sleeve groove formed within the tool body, the sleeve groove having a first position at a downstream end of the sleeve groove, a trigger position at an upstream end of the sleeve groove, and a second position disposed between the first position and the trigger position;   a guide pin extending into the sleeve groove and configured to selectively engage at least the first position, the trigger position, or the second position; wherein:   a first flow, above an activation threshold, flowing through the selectable hole trimmer is configured to disengage the guide pin from the first position and engage the guide pin with the trigger position, thereby moving the selectable hole cutter to the extended state,   a second flow, below the activation threshold and below a locking threshold that is smaller than the activation threshold, flowing through the selectable hole trimmer is configured to disengage the guide pin from the trigger position and engage the guide pin with the second position, while maintaining the selectable hole cutter in the extended state,   a third flow, above the activation threshold, flowing through the selectable hole trimmer is configured to disengage the guide pin from the second position and engage the guide pin with an additional trigger position, and   a fourth flow, below the activation threshold and below the locking threshold, flowing through the selectable hole trimmer is configured to disengage the guide pin from the additional trigger position and engage the guide pin with an additional first position, thereby moving the selectable hole cutter to the retracted state.   
     
     
         9 . The downhole device of  claim 8 , wherein the actuator comprises at least one of a piston portion of the sliding sleeve or an annular ring disposed between the sliding sleeve and the tool body. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole device of  claim 8 , wherein the sleeve groove further comprises:
 a first slanted surface configured to direct the guide pin between the first position and the trigger position;   a second slanted surface configured to direct the guide pin between the trigger position and the second position;   a third slanted surface configured to direct the guide pin between the second position and the additional trigger position; and   a fourth slanted surface configured to direct the guide pin between the additional trigger position and the additional first position.   
     
     
         11 . The downhole device of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the activation threshold is 660 gallons per minute or greater; and   the locking threshold is 600 gallons per minute or greater.   
     
     
         12 . The downhole device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an intermediate sleeve disposed inside the tool body, the intermediate sleeve located between the tool body and the sliding sleeve; and wherein:   the pressurized volume is defined between the intermediate sleeve and the tool body.   
     
     
         13 . The downhole device of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the sleeve groove is formed on an outer wall of the sliding sleeve and the guide pin is coupled to an inner wall of the intermediate sleeve; or   the sleeve groove is formed on the inner wall of the intermediate sleeve and the guide pin is coupled to the outer wall of the sliding sleeve.   
     
     
         14 . The downhole device of  claim 12 , wherein a sliding sleeve spring is disposed within the intermediate sleeve and downstream of the sliding sleeve, the sliding sleeve spring configured to bias the sliding sleeve toward the upstream end of the tool body. 
     
     
         15 . A method of using a downhole device configured as a selectable hole trimmer comprising:
 providing a drill bit a flow of drilling fluids;   lowering the selectable hole trimmer in a borehole;   receiving, by the selectable hole trimmer, the flow of drilling fluids at a flow rate above an activation threshold;   in response to receiving the flow above the activation threshold, disengaging a latch mechanism from a body groove of a tool body of the selectable hole trimmer via a movement of an orifice sleeve, wherein disengaging the latch mechanism, causing a first movement of a sliding sleeve within the selectable hole trimmer to compress a volume, wherein the compressed volume forces hydraulic fluid to move a selectable hole cutter from a retracted state to an extended state;   receiving, by the selectable hole trimmer, the flow of drilling fluids below a deactivation threshold;   in response to receiving the flow below the deactivation threshold, engaging the body groove with the latch mechanism via a second movement of the sliding sleeve; and   in response to the second movement of the sliding sleeve, moving the selectable hole cutter from the extended state to the retracted state.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the activation threshold is 600 gallons per minute or greater. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the deactivation threshold is 300 gallons per minute or less. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first movement of the sliding sleeve within the selectable hole trimmer to compress the volume includes displacing the sliding sleeve such that a guide pin disengages from a first position of a sleeve groove within the selectable hole trimmer and engages a trigger position of the sleeve groove, and further comprising:
 decreasing the flow rate below the activation threshold and below a locking threshold to displace the sliding sleeve such that the guide pin disengages from the trigger position and engages a second position of the sleeve groove, wherein the activation threshold is greater than the locking threshold;   maintaining the selectable hole cutter in the extended state while the guide pin engages the second position;   increasing the flow rate above the activation threshold such that the guide pin disengages from the second position and engages an additional trigger position;   decreasing the flow rate below the activation threshold and the locking threshold to displace the sliding sleeve such that the guide pin disengages from the additional trigger position and engages an additional first position of the sleeve groove; and   moving the selectable hole cutter from the extended state to the retracted state as the guide pin engages the additional first position.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the activation threshold is 660 gallons per minute or greater; and   the locking threshold is 600 gallons per minute or greater.