US2397472A - Oil well device - Google Patents

Description

April 2, 1946- E. v. cRowELL OIL WELL DEVICE Filed Deo. 17, 1937 f 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 zal/1.

INVENTOR. V. Crau/ell Erd TTORNEY.

April 2, 1946.

v Filed Dec. 17, 1957 E. v. cR'owELL 2,397,472

. OIL WELL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 INV ENT OR. Erd V.' Crowell ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 2, l1946r UNITED sTATEs PATENT ori-*ICE Era v. crutmfnk, can. Application December N0. 180,392

13 Claims.

This invention relates to oil well devices, and particularlyv contemplates casing packers for controlling gas pressure in flowing wells and for obtaining samples of iluid occurring below predetermined levels in the we1l, as well as for numerous other purposes where it is necessary to seal of! the bore of a well casing and tap the iluid re. sources therebelow.

The general object of my Patents No. Re. 16,577, l

issued March 29, 1927, No. 1,648,377, issued November 8, 1927, and No. 1,608,167, issued November 23, 1926, to provide a device for closing olf the bore of the hole to maintain a predetermined` pressure in the well therebelow, also comprises an object of the present invention.

Various types vof packing elements have been devised to effect control oi flowing wells which rely upon the weight of a tubing string to expand the packer at the point at which the seal is to be effected. As such devices are very often lowered in the well against the ow of oil or gas,

Y a. by-pass'must be provided for the upwardly moving fluid. It is a common practice with such devices of the prior art to permit the iiuid to flow not only upwardly around the tubing but also through the entire length of the tubing. string to the well top.

It is therefore an important object of the pres-` ent invention to provide a device adapted for facile introduction into a well shaft against a. heavy expulsion of oil'or gas upwardly therethrough comprising a, string of tubing having a bore for the passage of pressure fluid downwardly therethrough but not in the opposite direction provided with packing means for closing the annular space between the tubing and the shaft, and having independent vent means to communicate the zone above and below the packing means, not only through packing means exterior of the tubing but also through the tubing to facilitate the lowering of the device through the expelling oil or gas, and carrying means actuated by the tubing for anchoring the device at any desired level in the well shaft and incidentally close the vents and open the bore of the tubing string to the passage of oil or gas upwardly therethrough; thus to divert all the now of oil or gas from passing upwardly through the well shaft to the tubing string.

Another object is the provision of a tubing .string having an expansible packer to close the annular area between the tubing and casing in which the device is adapted to be lowered in use, in combination with a valve to normally maintain well and a by-pass around said valve adapted to be made effective after sealing the casing bore.

Another object is to provide a, discharge tubing for use in a. well shaft comprised of an upper and a lower portion thereof with a single telescopic scopic contraction of the parts.. to close the ports and open the bore of the tubing string to the pasy sage of pressure iluid therethrough.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described equipped to preserve dry tubing for utilization as a formation tester, but which may be employed in other capacities wherein circulation downwardly through the tubing is desirable.

. Anotherobject is to provide a string of tubingI with a dual valve controlled inlet whereby the bore of the lower end of the upper portion is adapted to be opened for the entrance of pressure uid from below, and subsequently automatically closed when the tubing is raised for removal from. the well thus entrapping the fluid therein.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of my invention with the parts as positioned for lowering into the well;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device as shown in Fis. 1:

iig. 3 is a broken sectional view of the upper part of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the parts as positioned during operation; 1

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of a modiiied form of my device; Y,

Fig. 5 isa broken sectional view of anothe form of the upper portion of the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a broken sectional view of the upper part of a modification of either the structure of Fig. 1 or Fig. 4, particularly adapted for use as a formation tester.

The present improvement consists generally of a ow line made up of two sections of tubing string A and B, respectively (see Fig. 2) having a telescopic connection therebetween, incorporating composite valve means for maintaining a fluid the bore of the tubing closed to pressure in the the parts of said connection to create a passage valve means. Communication between the tubing sections A and B is maintained while the device is in use and until it is desired to withdraw the tubing from the well, whereupon elevation of the tubing automatically closesv the valve means, and, in accordance with specic embodiments hereinafter in detail described, either entraps the fluid in the tubing for subsequent ex` amination, or permits drainage of the uid from the tubing through a valve provided therefor.

Referring to thedrawings in detail, the nu-A merels of which indicate similar parts throughout the several views, 1 designates a tubing string extending upwardly to the well surface within a casing (not shown). To the lower end of the tubing is threaded a pipe 8 comprising av hollow stem 9 and a diametrically enlarged lower portion I having a peripheral ilange II on its bottom end. Stem 8 and enlarged portion* I0 of the pipe 8 are provided with lateral ports I2 and I3, respectively, for purpose hereinafter described. A sleeve valve I4 slidably encircles stem 8 and normally bears against a shoulder I5 formed on the periphery of pipe 8 by the enlargement comprising the lower portion I 0 so as to close ports I2. A spring I6 encircles stem 9 between valve I4 and a peripheral flange I1 adjacent the upper end of the pipe to normally urge the valve toward the closed position just described. The bore of pipe 8 is normally closed to pressure therebelow by a poppet type valve I8 adapted to seat on the internal shoulder I9 formed by the difference in diameter Aof the bores of stem 9 land portion I8. Valve I8 is secured to the upper end of a valve stem 20, which extends slidably through the hub 2| of'a spider 22 secured in the lower end of the bore loi pipe 8. A helical spring 23 encircles valve stem 20 to urge valve I8 to closed position. v A barrel 24, forming a part of tubing section B of the iiow line which comprises tubing sections A and B, is adapted to telescopically receive the lower end of pipe 8 and has an upper end of smaller diameter than the outer periphery of lilange II, whereby the barrel will be suspended, by engagement wtih said flange II, from pipe 8 for lowering in the well; said pipe being movable telescopically into barrel 24 when said barrel is supported in the casing as hereinafter noted.-

The barrel 24 is thus adapted to telescopically receive the lower end of pipe 8 but relative rotary movement is limited by pins 25 comprising screws mounted on the opposite sides of the lower end of the pipe 8. `Pins25 extend into slots 26 cut through opposite sides of barrel 24. The bight of the respective slots isdisposed in the upper end of the barrel so as to lock the pins in the slots with thev barrel in .its lowermost position with respect to the pipe. A shell 21 tightly inL closes barrel 24 to make the wallspf the latter fluid tight. The upper rim of the barrel is beve'lled to form a valve seat 28 for a complementary surface 28 on the lower rim of sleeve valve I4 which is adapted to contact seat 28 when the stem of pipe 3 is telescoped into the bore of barrel 24; valve I4 being closed `when the pipe and barrel are locked in extended relation.

A lower tubing section 30 is connected to the bottom of barrel 24 to form an extension thereof by means of a hollow valve bushingI 3i threaded into the lower end of the barrel. )A packer body encircles tubing section 30 and is held conpurposes.

`.estrarre centric therewith by a hub 33 of a spider 34 integral with a valve seat member 35 threaded to the upper end of packerbody 32 through which the tubing 30 slidably extends. 0n the lower end of packer body 32, a collar 38 is threaded which carries' a spider 31 in its Ibore having a hub 38 through which the tubing section reciprocably extends.

A coupling 39 is threaded to the tubing section 30 below the spider 31 for support of body 32 while lowering or withdrawing the device from the well. A swinging anchor (not shown) may be threaded into coupling 39, if desired, for obvious The upper rim of member 35 is bevelled to form a seat 40 on which valve bushing 3I is adapted to bear to eiect the closure of the bore of the packer body as later described.

A slip extending element 4I comprising an inverted conical memberslidably encircles the packer body 32 below and spaced from the member 35. Between the member and expanding element a packer 42 of the hook wall type. composed of rubber or the like, is disposed, having its upper and lower edges mortised -with the member and expanding element, respectively. Conventional slip mechanism is mounted on the packer body comprising a sleeve43 having a series of slips 44 secured thereto by means of respective Shanks 45, said slips 44 being expansible outwardly upon downward movement of the expanding element 4I therebetween.v .The sleeve l43 and slips 44 are locked in a lower position with respect to the expanding element by the engagement of a pair of gudgeons 46 with suitable hooks 41 integral with the lower end of the sleeve. To enable control of the rotary movement of the body 32 for effecting disengagement of the gudgeons 4B and A hooks 41, the hub 38 of the spider 31 is keyed to the tubing 30 as at 48. The bights of the slots 26 and the hooks 41 extend in the same direction to cause upon rotation of the tubing the release of the slips and the unlatching for telescopic movement of the pipes and barrel 24 simultaneously or successively. A plurality of bowed spring members 49 are secured to sleeve i 43, their opposite ends being unattached but bearing slidably in individual guiding grooves 50 formed in the sleeve for respective spring members. The springs 49 are thus free to bow outward and frctionally engage the casing to resist rotation of the sleeve when it is desired that 'the slips be released by rotation of the tubing counterclockwise direction.

It will `be noted that 'due to the frictional contact of the spring members with the casing, the' barrel may not freely gravitate with the tubing string., but may require that the bushing 3| be lowered against its seat 48 and the barrel pushed through the casing to the desired location in the well. Tocounteract this tendency and insure minimum restriction of the bore of the casing by tion 30 between an annular flange 52 integral therewith and the hub 38 of spider 31, whereby its expansive force will resist the lowering of the tubing with respect to the barrel.

The operation of this embodiment of my in- I lvention is briefly described asfollows: 'I'his device is lowered into the casing with the parts as shown vI 2 in response to the pressure of spring I6, poppet valve I8 closing the bore of the tubing to pressure therebelow, ports I3 open, and valve bushing 3| displaced from its seat by the pressure of spring `inal Y- in Fig. 1, i. e.,'with sleeve valve I4 closing ports string is raised slightly and turned counterclockwise so as to bring the pins 25 into the vertical portions of their, respective slots 23; continued rotation being operable to move the gudgeons 48 from hooks 41. Sleeve 43 is held stationary by engagement of spring members 43 with the casing. Continued downward movement of the tubing string urges4 the slips .44 into engagement with the casing, preventing further downward movement of the expanding element 4|. The support afforded the expanding element -will also sus-- tain the weight of the packer body 32. The valve bushing 3I is accordingly moved downward with the tubing until it contacts seat 40, whereupon the barrel 24 will be held in the casing while the tubing 'I and pipe 8 continue to move downward, pipe 8 telescoping within the barrel 24. The lower rim of the sleeve valve I4 will contact seat 23,l thus closing off the passage of the Agas and oil into the casing from the flow line. Continued downward movement of the tubing string will compress the spring I6 to insure a fluid tight seal at seats 40 and 23, thus conveying the weight of the tubing string to the barrel and causing the expansion of packer 42 so as to confine all flow of the oiland gas through the tubing string. It will be observed that the order of operations comprising the ex` pansion of the packer, and the closure of valve 3 land port I3, respectively, relative to each other, depend upon the strength of springs Il and I with respect to each other, and with the force required to effect the expansion oi' packer 42, which may be varied-in specific embodiments, as desired. The telescopic movement of the pipe 3 into the barrel 24-communicates ports I2 and ports I3 around valve I 8 and restricts all the flow from elevationv of the tubing string disengages the slips 44 facilitating removal of the device from the Well. y

Poppet valve I3 may be omitted from either of the embodiments of Figs. 1-,3 or Fig. 4, and the bore of pipe 3 between ports I2 and I3 closed by a disc 54 (Fig. 5), welded or otherwise secured in the pipe. yIt will be obvious that in such embodiments the fluid in the well tubing cannot freely drain out as the device is raised from the well due to the closure of the ports I2 by sleeve valve I4 when the weight of the tubing on spring I6 is relieved.

, Where it is desired to drain the tubing to expedite the well to the tubing. It `will be noted that the proportion of the weight of the tubing string permitted to rest on spring I 6 will determine the extension of pipe 8 into the barrel 24 and accordingly, the size of the by-pass around the'valve.

Referring to the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 4, valve bushing 3| is omitted and a hollow head 53 is substituted. Head I3 forms an adapter and is threaded into the bore of barrel 24 and directly to the upper end of packer body 32, being mortised to the tubing hook wall packer 42. The lower tubing section 30 is threadedinto the bore of head 53. While lowering the device of this embodiment into the well for operation, the upward flow of oil or gas is confined to the tubing section 30 from which the oil. or gas passes through ports I3 of pipe 8 into the casing. The seating of packer 42 incident to the actuation of slips 44 as above described with reference tothe .embodiments of Figs. 1-3, permits pipe 3 to' be telescoped into barrel 24 for closingports I3 and open the bore of the tubing while sustaining the removal of the assembly from the hole, the tubing may be raised in a series of operations, each time resetting'the slips and exerting downward pressure on spring I6 to bring ports I2 and I3 into communication,

An embodiment hereof provided 1 with disc closure means 54 may be used with equal efhcacy as a formation tester, in which case fluid admitted into the upper tubing section is retained for subsequent examination at the well surface by the closure of ports I2 simultaneously with the alleviation of the pressure on the packer and spring I6.

For purposes of formationtesting, however, the device may be modified (Fig. 6) by the provision of; a ball valve 55 and a cage 56 secured or in tegrally formed in the bore of pipe 8 above ports I2. Valve 55 is adapted to open to-pressure from below so as to admit into the tubing string the fluid under pressure to be subsequently tested but to close the bore to a balance of pressure in the tubing string thereabove.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a device capable of numerous embodiments and adapted; for use primarily in securing maximum utilization of gas pressure in flowing wells which able for u se in obtaining` samples of fluid in the well hole.

When in the following claims I refer to anchoring means" or means for anchoring, I mean mechanism for securing and holding a portion of the flow line at some desired point within the well.

While I have described but a few of the embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes in size, design, proportion and number of the vari vous parts may be made, and that various other well known expedients may be utilized with and/ or substituted for the elements of the above specific disclosure-all without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims. f

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A circulating valve assembly adapted for use with pipe inan oil well or the like consisting essentially of two conduit members telescoped and secured together for limited relative movement longitudinally, said members having means for conducting fluid from end to end thereof when telescoped together, means for preventing flow of fluid from end to end thereof when extended, means for conducting fluid from the interior to the exterior thereof or vice versa when tive rotation between said members for controlling relative movement between said members longitlldinally.

2. A circulation valve assembly adapted for use with pipe in an oil wall or the like consisting essentially of two conduit members telescoped and secured together for limited relative movement longitudinally, said, members having means for conducting fluid from end to end thereof when said members for controlling relative movement between said members longitudinally.

3. In a device for use in a well shaft. a flow line having a packer associated therewith carrying anchoring means controlled by the flow line and having a passage therethrough communicating the zone of the well shaft at opposite ends of the packer, valve means to close said passage, said flow line having-a port therein opening into the well shaft, means to close the bore of said line. means to close the port in. said line and communicate the zone of the bore of said line at opposite sides of said last-named means, and resilient means to resist actuation of said last-named means. f

4. In a device of the character described, adapted for use in a well, a flow line comprising relatively telescopic upper and lower portions carrying anchoring means controlled thereby, said upper portion having a bore, means to close said bore to the passage of pressure fluid therethroughl in either direction, said upper portion having ports communicating with the well shaft below said closure means, and means to close the ports and open the bore of said flow line to the passage of pressure duid therethrough actuated by telescoping said upper and lower portions.

5. In a device of the character described, a ported iiow line comprising an upper tubing section and a lower tubing section telescopically connected and carrying means for anchoring the ow line at any desired level in the well, a valve closing the bore of said upper section to pressure therebelow, and a valve structure connected in said flow line and actuated by said sections upon telescopic movement thereof to close the port and open communication between said sections.

6. A well tester comprising a tubular string adapted to be lowered into a well to be tested containing drilling fluid, valve means movable to one position to close the lower end of the string, means for forming a seal between the string and the walls of the well bore to exclude the drilling fluid from the formation to be tested carrying anchoring means controlled by the tubular string, means for actuating the valve means into open position to permit the entrance of a sample from said formation beneath the sealing means, into the string, means for movingv the valve meansto another position to open the vlower end of the string to the well bore, above said scali/ng means, to permit the entrance of drilling fluid into the string,v and means for moving the Valve means to original position to again close the lower end -of the string to entrap thecontents thereof, there- 7. A well tester comprising `a tubular string including an upper ltubular member and la lower tubular member telescopically connected and adapted to be lowered into a well to` be tested containing drilling fluid, valve means movable to one position to close the lower end of the string,

means for forming a seal between the string and the walls of the well bore to exclude the drilling iiuid from the formation to be tested, means for actuating the valve means into open position to permit the entrance of a sample from said formation beneath the sealing means, into the string. means for moving the valve means to another position to open the lower tubular member of the string to the well bore, above said sealing means, to permit the entrance of drilling fluid into said lower member, means for moving the valve means to original position to again close the lower end of the upper tubular member to entrap the contents thereof, therein, and means operable in response to relative rotation of said members for controlling relative movement between said members longitudinally. u

8. A circulating valve assembly adapted for use with a pipe in an oil well or the like consisting essentially of two conduit members telescoped together for limited relative movement longitudinally and carrying anchoring means controlled by said pipe, said members having means for conducting iiuid from end to end thereof when telescoped together, means for preventing iow of fluid from end to endlthereof when extended, and means for controlling relative movement between said members longitudinally.

9. In a device for use in a well shaft, a flow line comprising a pair of telescopic sections'l a packer' associated with said now line carrying anchoring means, means to communicate the flow line above the packer with the zone of the well shaft above the packer, and means operable by telescopic movement of said sections to close oil.' said last-named means of communication and open the iiow line for communication of the area oi.'v the well shaft below said packer with the well surface.

10. In a device of the character described, a string of tubing comprising relatively telescopic upper and lower portions of the string, means for anchoring the lower portion at any desired level in a well bore, means for connecting said portions together for limited relative longitudinal movement, and a single valve associated with said portions to control, selectively, communication of the lowermost of said portions with the well shaft, and with the bore of-the upper portion.

11. A circulating valve assembly for use with pipe in an oil well or the vlike consisting essential- 1y of two conduit members one superposed relative to the other and telescoped together for limited relative movement, said upper and lower members forming, respectively, a valve and seat providing means for conducting iiuid from end to end when said members are telescoped togethen-andl means for preventing flow of fluid from end to end when said members are extended, and means for conducting iiuidl from the inv 12. In a device of the character described dis-v posed in a well shaft, a ow'line comprising relatively telescopic upper and lowerportions thereof, avalve closing the bore of said upper portion from communication with said lower portion, said lower portion having a packer mounted thereon carrying anchoring means controlled by the flow line,y a passagewaythrough said lower portion of the flow. line and through the packer exterior of said lower portion to communicate the area of the well shaft'above and below said packer, valve means actuated by the relative movement lof said portions of the flow lline and the movement thereof relative to the packer when cured together for limited relative movement lonanchored in the well shaft for closing said passageways and opening the. bore of the ow line to the passage of pressure fluid upwardly therethrough.

13. A circulating valve assembly adapted for 6 use with a. pipe in an oil well or the like consisting essentially of two conduit members, one superposed relative to the other, telescoped and se-

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