US1626057A

US1626057A - Well-production apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1626057A
Application number: US5464A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred B Vaughn; Thomas Idris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-01-29
Filing date: 1925-01-29
Publication date: 1927-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 1944-04-26

Description

1 April 26 927 F. B. VAUGHN ET AL WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April v26, 1927.

F. B. VAUGHN i1:1'A A1.

WELL PRODUCTI ON APPARATUS Filed Jan.29. 1925 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BSK/Kimm.

` A TTORN E Y.

.Patented Apr. 26, 1927. i 'STATES TENT OFFICE.

FRED B. VAUGHN, F MAYWOOD, AND IDBIS THOMAS, yOF WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA.

WELL-PRODUCTION APPARATUS.

Application filed January 29, 1925. Serial No. 5,464.l This invention relates to the production so as to rest upon the head and thus support of oil and the like from a well, by dischargthe string. of tubing in the well casing. @ing a jet of gaseous fluid under pressure up- Anti-frictional means shown as ball bearings wardly into the column of liquid standing in 9, are provided between collar 8 and head 60 .5 the well, in order to elevate the column of 4 to permit ready rotation of the collar so as liquid for discharge thereof at the ground .to turn the string of tubing in the well cas-v level. lng for a purpose to be hereinafter described.' lt is the object of the invention to regu- The column of oil elevated through the late the'jet in vaccordance with variations in string of tubing is discharged through collar G5 i0 the pressure of the flow in the .well in order 8 into a pipe line 9a leading to suitable storto obtain maximum production; and to proage means. A

vide a control for the regulating means lo- Oil enters the string of tubing in the well cated at the ground level, so that the jet in usual manner (not shown), and stands submerged in the ycolumn of liquidin the therein at the level of the oil in the bore of l5 well, may be readily adjusted without pullthe well; and a jet foi elevating the oil in ing rthe well tubing. the. tubing is mounted therein at any ydesired lt is a still further object of the invention point below the normal oil level. to provide ya jet of maximum ei'iciency by As an instance of this arrangement, a arranging the same for spiral discharge into length of the well tubing shown at 2a is pro- 75 the column of liquid in the well. vided with an interior shoulder 10 forming a lt is a still further object of the invention restricted central orifice 11 for the passage to regulate the submerged jet by rotating the of oil upwardly therethrough. A plug 12 portion of the string of well tubing which is fixed to the lower end of tubing 2a by a extends upwardly therefrom to the ground threaded connection 3, so as to space the plug level, said upper portion of the string of a short distance below orifice 11 and thus mechanism.

tubing resting upon the well casing with form an oil reservoir 14 between the latter aiiti-frictional means preferably provided and the plug. The plug is provided with between the parts so that the string of tublongitudinal bores 13 for the passage of oil, ing may be 'readily turned. and the parts are positioned in the well so 85 30 The invention will be readily understood that thenormal level of the oil is above orifrom the following description of the aclice 11, thereby filling the reservoir 14 and companying drawings, in which: submerging the plug 12.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through. the. The plug 12 forms a jet at its upper end bore of a well, showing the improved jet discharging into reservoir 14, so as to elevate 90 the column of oil in the tubing 2 for dis- 'Fig 2 is a vertical section through the jet. charge thereof through pipe line 9a. The jet Figsi, 4, and 5 are transverse sections on is illustrated as comprising a central bore the lines 3-3, P4, and 5--5 of Fig. 2. 15 in plug 12, tapering at its upper end to a Fig. 6 is aV view similar to Fig. 2 showing restricted orifice through which a gaseous yo5 *i0 a modified form of the invention. fluid under pressure is discharged into reser- Figs. 7 and 8 are transverse sections on voir 14. the lines 7-7 and 8-8 of Fig. 6L The gaseous fluid is preferably dry gas Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the recovered from thel fiow from the Well in nozzle shown in Fig. 6. usual manner, and forced downwardly im;

4;5 The invention is illustrated in connection through the annular' space I by a. compressor with a usual oil well construction including (not shown) connected to pipe 6. The anwell casing 1 and a string of tubing 2 exnular space is closed below the jet mechatending ydownwardly therethrough with the nisin by a usual packer 17 between the tub- -lengths of tubing connected by usual ing and casing of the weil, and the compresm ies 5G threaded means 3. A. head 4 is mounted on sor maintains the gaseous fluid in the annu the well/casing at the derrick ioor 5. anda lar space at the necessary pressure to elevate pipe 6 communicates with thefhead for disthe column of oil in the we ll tubing. charge into the annular space '7 between the In the form of the invention illustrated in casing and tubing. Figs. 1 to 5, the gaseous fluid is discharged ini rthe tubing 2 projects upwardly through through the restricted orifice of bore 15 which head 4, and a collar 8 is fixed on the tubing forms a nozzle 1G. The gaseous tiuid is sup lll plied to the bore through radial bores 18 1n plug 12, the bores 18 communicating at their outer ends with annular space 7. and inclining upwardl toward their inner ends which open into t e tapering upper end of bore 15 adjacent discharge nozzle 16.

'llhe discharge ot" the gaseous duid through the restricted orifice ot the jet is adjusted from the derrick door without the necessity of pulling the tubing from the well. For this purpose a needle valve 19 is mounted in bore 15 with its tapering end extending through the tapering end of the bore, so that vertical adjustment oit plug 12 relative to the needle valve will vary the discharge through nozzle 16.

The plug 12 may be vertically adjusted by means of a threaded connection 2O between the exterior of the lower portion ot said plug andthe interior ot the upper portion ot a barrel 21 forming the next lower length ot the string ot' tubing 2. Barrel 21 is fixed to the lower portion ot the string of tubing in the well by a threaded connection 3, and packing 17 is adapted to hold said barrel and the lower portion of the string of tubing against rotation in the well casing, while the upper portion of the string of tubing and the plug 12 connected thereto are adapted to be turned in the well casing, so as to vertically adjust the plug through threaded connection 20.

'lihe needle valve 19 is mounted on the stationary barrel 21, so that vertical adjustment ot plug 12 relative to said barrel will vary the discharge through orifice 16 of the jet, and the plug and upper portion of the string of tubing connected thereto, are rotated for vertically adjusting the pluO', b turning collar 8 at the derrick door. @ra nations 22 cooperate with collar 8 to indicate the vertical adjustment of plug 12, and the connection is of relatively coarse threads so that the plug may be appreciably vertically adjusted by relatively slight turning of the collar.

The mounting for needle valve 19 on the stationary barrel, may comprise a transverse partition 23 in said barrel in spaced relation below plug 12, with the lower end of the needle valve stem threaded through said partition, and a Shoulder 24 on the valve.

stem clamped against the partition by a nut 25 threaded on the lower end of the valve stem.

Longitudinal bores 26 4for the free passage of oil, extend through partition 23, the spacing of said partition below plug 12 providing an unobstructed passageway irrespective of the alinement of

bores

13 and 26.

In order to limit the vertical adjustment of plug 12 relative to barrel 21, a shoulder 27 on the plug is adapted to abut against the upper end of the barrel so as to prevent wedging of the needle valve in bore 15 when renacer the plug is lowered; and a collar 28 threaded on the lower end of plug 12 is received in an annular groove 29 in barrel 21, so as to abut against a shoulder 30 at the top of said groove and thus prevent disengagement ot threaded connection 20 when the plug Y is elevated.

The parts are assembled with collar 2S removed from plug 12, and in order to permit insertion of said collar in the groove 29, opposite sides of the collar may be cut away as shown at 31, so that by tilting the collar to vertical position with its cut away sides parallel to the bore of barrel 21, the'collar may be inserted in the barrel and then turned back to horizontal position in groove 29.

Plug 12 is then threaded into barrel 21 so that tinal rotation of said plug will thread the same into collar 28; and the parts are preferably iixed in assembled relation by a screw 32 threaded through the collar and into the plug, the screw being placed in position through an aperture in barrel 21 which may be subsequently closed by welding or the like as shown at 33.

' lin order to obtain maximum ecienc of the jet discharging into the column ot:y oil in the well tubing, the tapering end ot" needle valve 19 maybe spirally grooved as shown at 34, so as to form a. whirling jet.

A leak-proof joint is preferably provided between the stem of needle valve 19 and the lower end ot the bore 15, by means of a studing box comprising annular packing and a follower 36. j

lin Figs. 6 to 9 wel have shown a, modified means for adjusting the discharge of gaseous tluid through the nozzle formed in plug 12. 1n this construction the tapering end of the central bore 15 terminates in a nozzle 16 forming a shoulder 40 at the upper end ot the bore. A-stem 19a having a bore d1 extending therethrou h is slidable in the nontapering portion o bore 15, and is threaded into a central recess 42 formed in partition 23,with a shoulder 24a of the stem abutting against the partition so as to space'the end of the stem from the base of recess 42.

Radial bores 18, in' lieu of the bores 18 previously described, extend through partition 23 between the longitudinal bores 26, and open at their outer ends to the annular space 7 above packer 17. The inner ends of bores 18B' incline upwardly and open into recess/12 below stem 19, so that the aseous fluid under pressure in space 7 is disc arged upwardly through the bore 41 of the stem. A spring strip coiled to form a hollow spring cone, is mounted in the tapering end v of bore 15, with its upper end. abutting against shoulder 40 and its lower end extending around and secured to a neck at the end of stem 19* as shown at 45.- The cone thus forms 'a nozzle tapering to a restricted orice at its upper end, and adapted for llo discharge of the gaseous fluid from bore 41 through the nozzle 16, and into the reservoir 14 for elevating the column of oil in the tubingu as previously described.

The discharge orifice of cone 43 is adj usted by vertical movement of plug 12, which is raised and lowered by rotation of collar 8 as previously described. When the plug 12 is at its upper limit of movement the discharge orifice of the cone is expanded to its'full size as determined by the bore 15, and when the plug is lowered the spring cone is longitudinally contracted so as to restrictthe discharge orifice of the same. The discharge of gaseous fluid through the jet and into the `column of oil in the well tubing is thus adjusted from the derrick floor Without the necessity of pulling the Well tubing.

lVe claim:

l. A well construction including tubing in the bore. of the well, a jet submerged 1nl the liquid in the lower portion of said tubing and adapted for'elevation of said liquid by discharge of fluidy under pressure through a restricted orifice and into said liquid, and.

means for adjusting said orifice of the submerged jet by turning said tubing at the top of the well.

2. A well construction including casing in the bore of the well, tubin in said casing rotatably supported 'there y, a jet submerged in the liquid in the lower portion of said tubing, means for forcing fiuid downwardly between said casing and tubing and thence upwardly through a restricted orifice of said )et and into said li uid, and means for adjusting said orifice o the submerged jet by turmng the tubing relative to the casing.

3. A well construction including tubing in the bore of the well, a plug fixed to said tubing and forming a nozzle submerged in the liquid in the tubino, means for forcing fluid through said nozza and into the liquid for elevating said liquid in the tubing, a

valve cooperating with said nozzle and fixed to the portion of the tubing below said plug, and means for rotating the plug and the portion of the tubing above the saine relative to said valve and the portion of the tubing below the plug, said relative rotation' moving the nozzle and valve relative to one another so as to adjust the discharge orifice of said nozzle. Y

4. A well construction including well casing, tubing in said casing radially spaced therefrom, a section of said tubing having an interior annular shoulder forming a restricted central opening, a lower section of said tubing forming a plug extending across the tubing, said plug being spaced slightly below said shoulder and having a central bore and a longitudinal opening extending therethrough, the upper end of said central bore tapering to a restricted discharge orifice, and said central bore having a transverse bore communicating therewith and opening to the annular space between the well casing and tubing.A 5. A well construction including well tubing, a plug forming a section of said tubingV and extending across the same, said plug being connected to the portion of the string of tubing which extends upwardly therefrom and having threaded engagement with the string of tubing depending therefrom so that turning of the upper portion of the string of tubing will raise and lower the plug relative to the lower portion of the string of tubing, said plug having a central bore and a longitudinal opening extending therethrough, the upper endof said ,cen-- tral bore tapering to a restricted discharge orifice, said central bore having a transverse bore communicating therewith and opening through the well tubing, a stem fixed to the lower portion of the string of tubing and ex tending into the central bore so as to close the lower end thereof, and valvular means associated with said stem and mounted in the tapering end of the central bore so that raising and lowering of said plug will regulate the discharge orifice of the central bore. 6. A well construction including tubing adapted to extend into the liquid in a well, a jet having means for spirally discharging a fluid into the tubing below the liquid level,

and a restriction in the bore of the tubing below the liquid level and spaced slightly above the jet.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures to this specification.

FRED B. VAUGHN. IDRIS THOMAS.