US1763030A - Pneumatic flow means for deep wells - Google Patents

Description

Je 10, -1930 J. woLF'E PNEUMATIC FLOW MES FOR DEEP WELLS Filed'march 4, 1927 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 .lillllllllllllfilllll :l

`.lume l0, 1930'.

J. A. wQLFE PNEUMATIC' FLOW MEANS FOR DEEP WELLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 File' March 4, 1927 155544451415514if.: l il I Patente June 19,1930

Tj QFFICE JOHN A. WOLFE, or TULSA, OKLAHOMA, AssIeNoR F ONE-THIRD To vHonAE c. FITZ- PATRICK, OF INDE1E11ll\l'1')1"}1\1'CE,t KANSAS, AND ONE-THIlRD T0 GUY A. MOST, 0F TULSA,

OKLAHOMA I Application filed March 4,

This invention relates to pneumatic meansy for lifting vor extracting liquids from deep wells, such as-o'il from oil wells, and its ob` jects are to provide means ofthe aforesaid nature by-whichthe liquid or oil may bev raised economically, ethciently and safely l from low producing wells and which will act to increase the flow in wells of this character.

The employment of pneumatic means for the purpose set' forth in lieu of the usual pumping outfits effects a great saving of time, labor and expense, and does away withl the ,use of an individual 'power unit, working barrel, sucker rods, hangers, etc. in connection with each well, and besides it is much more convenient and safer of handling.

In connection with the pneumatic means, large compressor unitsmay 'be used for supplying iuidunder high pressure to several wells of a group, or a portable compressor may be employedfor a single well; and air,

lor residuegas, or a mixture of both may be appearing, are attained are illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereinFig.v 1 is avertical section through a well equipped with one' for-m of my invention, the well casing" being shown in central section; Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section through the lower end of the well casing and includes the packer, main check-valve, and injector unit Fig. 3-is a sectionl on the line 3 3 of Figs. 2 and 4f; Fig. 4'is a horizontal section on the corresponding line of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 'is a central .vertical section through one of the trap valves; Fig. 6 is a central vertical section through a modified form of the invention; Fig. 7 is a section on the' line 7,-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a central vertical section PNEUMATIC. FLOW MEANS :FOR DEP WELLS i927. serial No. 172,614.

through a further modiication; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on the'correspondingly numbered line of Fig. 8.

The well casing is designated 1 and at its lower end is equipped with the usual casing shoe 2 which rests upon the oil sand. A vsectional ilow tube 3 is extended downwardly throu h the casing 1, and the joint between vthe tu e andthe upper end-,of the casing is closed, as shown at .4. Compressedairl or other pressure fluid from a suitable source is introduced into the top of thev casing through aipe..

nserted at suitable intervals in theptlow tube 3 are trap valves 6, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 5. This trap valve consists of a hollow body having a transverse bridge wall 7 intermediate its ends, andthe oppou site ends of the body are internally threaded for the reception of the adjacent ends of adb'ridge wall 7 is a central hollow boss 8 on the -threaded upper end of which is screwed a cage 9 for a ball check valve 10 that is arranged to Vcooperate with a seat 11 that is clamped by the cage 49 to the upper end of the boss 8.

Attached to thelower end of the tube 3, through the interventionof a coupling 12 and a sleeve 13, is an injector unit 14 consisting of a hollow cylindrical body provided. intermediate its ends with a transverse bridge wall -15- through which passageways 16 extend;

The body is internally threaded at its upper end for the -reception of 'the lower ythreaded end of the sleeve 13, and at its lower end for -application to a tubular check valve body 17.

Onto the upper reduced end of the'body 17 is screwed a cage 18 enclosing a-'ball valvel 19 that cooperateswith a seat 2O that is clamped between the cage and the adjacent end of the body 17. The threaded neck 21l of a packer 22 is screwed into the lower end.

ofthe checkvalve body 17 and the packer engages the `well casing and eects a sealed joint between it and the assembly comprised of the foregoing parts. In other words, it shuts ofi' communication between the bottom 'of the well andthe space between the flow tube 3-and the'fwell casing 1. port 25 in joining tubesections. Rising from the the bridge wall 15 of the injector unit 'opens laterally through the side of said unitinto the space just mentioned, and the in ner end of said port extends upwardly and 1s inter- .nally threaded for the reception 0f -the threaded lower end of an injector nozzle 2.6 which, for convenience of manufacture, 1s comprised of three parts, a lower, interme-` diate, and terminal part. The intermediate part, designated 27, has a. transverse pin 28 vand servesv as a cage for a check' ball valve 29 that cooperates with. a seat 30 that 1s set within the upper end of the lower part.' '.lhef .terminal part, connected to the intermediate part by areducer coupling 31 constitutes av jet pipe designated 32.-

With theparts constructed and arranged as above set forth and subjected to what natural rock pressure as may exist within the o il sand, the oil will rise through-the bore .of the? packer and that of the cheek valve body 17 past the check valve 19the check val-ve being lifted from its seat by the pressure' of the rising li uid-upwardly about the injector nozzle 26 into the. tubing 3, and then upon the introduction of pressure fluid (such as compressed air of about two hundred-to six hundred pounds or even higher pressure, depending upon the depth of the well and the quantity of liquid tobe lifted) into the well casing through the pipe 5, thev saine will find its way to the interior of the tubing3throughthe port Y25 and in-V jector nozzle 26, lifting Athe valveV 29from its seat andV issuing from the jet pipe 32 at a high velocity. This will cause the liquid to 'be lifted by thekinetic energyof the pressure fluid.. Also, this introduction of the pressure fluid into the column of.l oil within the tubin 3 will aerate the oil and reduce the speci c gravity of the mixture and this will, of course, enhance the upward flow of oil that is immediately available to satisfy lifted through the preceding pumping opera- 5 the oil. By the action of the air as it issues from the injectorl nozzle, a suction is created within the lower portion of the well which -has the effect of increasing the flow of oil from the oil sand orin other words, creating an artificial flow o'f oil from the sand. -This condition can prevailfwith advantage for -a limitedtimefonly however, as obviously the such suction would gradually be depleted, and when thissta'ge 1s reached the pressure fluid is cut off. Upon the shuttin olf ofthe pressure Huid, the main checkva ve 19 will dropto itss'eat, as will also the valve 29 of the injector nozzle 26, thus retaining withinv the lower portion ofthe tubing Ysuch oil as may be present therein and'prevent its finding access in the space between the tubing' ,and the well casing. Also, the oil -presentv within the tubing above the trap valves 6 will be retained at the .elevations to which it was tion untilthe apparatus is again set in action scribed.

I claim 1s:

by a further injection of pressure iluidinto the well casing." If it'were not for thetrap rvalves acting as stated, the liquid would settle down during the periods of inaction into the lower portion of the casin and this entire body of liquid would again ave to be elevated to its former height before vthe main check valve would open and admit additional oil from the well. Furthermore, in the ab-` sence of the trap valves, upon thel recovery ofthe natural rock pressure and the result-' A ant inflow of oil through the check valve 19, the Aweight ofthe entire contents ofthe flow tube would be imposed `upon the incoming oil and this .would introducesuch a resistance to'the natural flow'as to greatly retard it.

In themodicationillustrated in F ign, the cage 18a of the check'valve 19 is reduced and'threaded at its upper end lfor the ap- `plicationbf the internally threaded lower end of an air nozzle 26, and a plurality of threaded nipples are screwed in through registering tapped holes in the cylindrical body Maand the nozzle 26a. The principle and mode o f.operation is `the same in this form of the invention as in that abovede- In Fig. 8 fafurther modification is shown in which the neck 21 of the packer 22 is screwed directly into the lower end of abody which is connected, through acoupling 36,

to the-lowerend of the sleeve 13. The body 35 has a bore 37 that opens at its upper end through'an externally threaded boss 38 to which is applied the internally threaded lower end of a tube 39.V A valve seat 40 is applied to the upper en'd of the boss 38, and cooperating with`this is a main ball check valve 41 that is restrained from undue u ward movementby a pin 42that extends vlfl() across the tube 39. Ports 43 in the body 3 5 leadinwardly from the space between the tub1ng and the casing and thence upwardly vto the space between thesleeve 13 and the Means of the character set forth'com- ``prising, in combination with a well casing, a How tube extending downwardly intothe casing, the joint between the top of the casing and flow tube bein-g closed, .means for inl troducing lfluid under pressure into the casing, and an assembly"connected to the lower thus described myinvention, what end of the iow tune and incorporating an injector involving a jet nozzle disposed axially of the tubing and a port leading from said nozzle to the space between the tubing and the casing, a check valve involvingv a tubular body applied to the lower end of the injector, and a tubular packer 'connected to thev check valve body and engaging the well casing thereby to seal the. joint between the lower end' of said assembly and the well casing.

2. Means of the character set forth com-A prising, in combination'with a welll casing, a iiow tube extending downwardly into the casing, the joint between the top of the casing and flow tube being closed, means for introducing fluid under pressure into the casing, and an assembly connected to the lower end ofthe flow tube and'incorporating an injector, a check valve governing communiprising, in combination, a well casi-ng, a flow tube extending downwardly into the well casing,`the joint between the top of the casing and the flow tube being closed, meansfor introducing the fluid under pressure between the casing and ow tube, and an assembly connected to the lower end of tliefflow tube and including an injector nozzle arranged axially of the flow tube and having its discharge end directed outwardly, a check valve within said injector disposed a substantial distance lbelow the delivery end thereof, a ported member providing a communication between the lower end of the well casing and the lo ver end of the flow tube, said means yincluding a downwardly seating check valve.

In testimony whereof, I'hereunto aiiiX my signature.

. f JOHN A.

cation between the tubing and the bottom of the well, and a packer for closing,the joint between the assembly and the well casing.

3. Means vof the character setforth com# prising,in combination with a well casing, a flow tube extending downwardly into the casing, the joint between the top of the casing and flow tube being closed, means for introducing fluid under pressure into the casing, and an assembly connected to thelower end of the tube and involving a cylindrical body, an injector nozzle disposed centrally within said body, a check valve below said injector nozzleand governing communication between the interior of the'body sur' rounding said Atube and the bottom of the well, and a ported memberfcpnnecting the inj ector nozzle tothe tubular body and through which communication is established between the nozzle and the space betweenl said body and the well casing, anda packer below said check valve for sealing the Space between the body and the Well casing.

4. Means of the character set forth comprismg, in combination with a well casing, a

flow tube extending downwardly into the casing, the joint between the -top7 of the casing and iiow tube being closed, means for introducing Vfluid under pressure into the casing, and an assembly connected to the lower end of the tube and involving a cylindrical body having a central bore, a tube surmounting said body and communicating with said bore, a check valve confined within the second mentioned tube for governing the flow i of liquid through the bore, a sleeve concentric with said tube and through which the body 'is joined to the lower end of the iow tube, the body having ports that open at their outer ends into the space between the bodyiand the well casing and at their inner ends into the space between the second mentioned tube and sleeve, and a packer'connected to the lower end of said body for sealing the space between the body anithe Well casing.

5. Means of the character described com-

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