US 12,031,411 B1
Downhole catching apparatus and method
Joseph Clark, Lago Vista, TX (US); and Michael Thomas Sommers, Broken Arrow, OK (US)
Assigned to Target Completions LLC, Broken Arrow, OK (US)
Filed by Target Completions LLC, Broken Arrow, OK (US)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/408,715.
Int. Cl. E21B 40/00 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 40/001 (2020.05) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for catching falling equipment in a well, the apparatus comprising:
a cylindrical mandrel having a longitudinal axis;
a catching assembly through which the cylindrical mandrel extends for sliding longitudinal movement of the cylindrical mandrel through the catching assembly, the catching assembly comprising
a drag assembly comprising one or more drag elements which will contact a cased or uncased portion of a bore of the well to resist downward and upward movement of the catching assembly in the well and
a slot engaging element which is positioned longitudinally below the one or more drag elements;
a setting device, below the one or more drag elements, which is retained on and moves longitudinally with the cylindrical mandrel;
the slot engaging element being rotatable, with respect to the one or more drag elements, around the mandrel and/or the setting device being rotatable around the mandrel; and
the setting device providing a slot which interacts with the slot engaging element by longitudinally retracting and extending the cylindrical mandrel through the catching assembly without requiring rotation of the mandrel so that (i) as the cylindrical mandrel is retracted longitudinally upward through the catching assembly, the slot engaging element is automatically received in an upper opening of the slot, (ii) as the cylindrical mandrel continues to be retracted longitudinally upward, the slot engaging element is automatically stopped at a first lower catch position of the slot, (iii) if the cylindrical mandrel is then extended longitudinally downward through the catching assembly, the slot engaging element is automatically stopped at an upper catch position of the slot, (iv) if the cylindrical mandrel is then retracted longitudinally upward through the catching assembly, the slot engaging element is automatically stopped at a second lower catch position of the slot, and (v) if the cylindrical mandrel is then extended longitudinally downward through the catching assembly, the slot engaging element will automatically travel out of the upper opening of the slot so that the slot engaging element is no longer positioned in the slot and the cylindrical mandrel can be further extended downwardly through the catching assembly.