US1872104A - Control head for oil or gas wells - Google Patents

Description

Aug. l6, 1932. L BLAC 1,872,104

CONTROL HEAD FOR OIL OR GAS WELLS Filed Feb. 4. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 16, I L. J. BLACK 1,872,104

CONTROL HEAD FOR OIL OR GAS WELLS Filed Feb. 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z6 314mm H'o't Le a fig/0% after 1 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 PATENT OFFICE LEE J. BLACK, 01? BEAUMONT, TEXAS common HEAD ron on. on GAS wrztrs Application filed February 4, 1930. Serial No. 425,894..

This invention relates to control systems used in oil and gas wells for the purpose of setting a strainer in the oil sands, Washing the strainer free of mud or slush, washing down to the bottom of the hole because of cavings and settlings or for closing the well entirely when the water swivel is disconnected, and for directing any flow of gas or oil from the well, or for bailing or swabbing the well, and the general object of the present invention is to provide what may be termed an auxiliary bowl and packer having means whereby it may be screwed into the usual or main bowl, the auxiliary bowl carrying wedges or slips therein for gripping a length of pipe and centering it with relatlon to the well casing, these wedges acting to hold the pipe at any desired point and permitting this pipe to be raised or lowered as necessity demands.

A further object is to provide a packing carried by this auxiliary bowl which is compressed around the pipe by the weight of the pipe string acting upon the wedges and which may be also compressed by a gland or compressing member supported upon the top of the auxiliary bowl and adapted to be compressed by a series of bolts whenever necessary.

A further object is to provide anassembly of this character which may be readily put in place upon a length of pipe and then lowered into the regular bowl and rotated to secure screw-threaded engagement therewith or may be as readily removed with its string of pipe.

Further and more specific objects are to provide an assembly of this character which will properlyspa'ce the inside pipe in the hole without cutting the joint, which will automatically compress the packing by the weight of the inside'pipe, which will suspend the inside pipe on slips for the purpose of.

supporting it atany desired point, which has means whereby the slips and packing may be compressed through the action of bolts for further tightening the packing and at the same time prevent inside pressure from lifting the pipe from the hole.

A further object is to provide an assembly of this kind which provides for a'quick take-down and which may be used with or removed from a standard taper-bowl, permitting the standard taper-bowl to be used for slips in handling the pipe and eliminating the necessity of moving any special equipment to the well for this purpose.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a pipe supporting and packing assembly constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the auxiliary bowl, the pipe and the bolts being in section.

' Figure 3 is a top plan view of the gland;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a' section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1. I

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the usual combined slip supporting bowl and T commonly used in connection with rotary drilling rigs. This T has a plurality of lateral openings 11 interiorly screw-threaded for the reception of lateral discharging pipes 12 provided with the usual controlling valves. The lower end of this combined T and bowl is screw-threaded in connection with the usual casing 13 having therein the usual master gate 14. So far, I have described a combination which is commonly used in oil and gas wells, the bowl 10 adapted to receive wedges or slips: for the purpose of supporting pipe within the casing and these slips or wedges when raised permitting the pipe to be raised or lowered.

My invention consists in the provision of a supplemental bowl designated 15 having a downwardly tapered exterior face, the lower end of this bowl being formed to have a uniform exterior diameter and being screwthreaded at 16 to engage with screw-threads formed at the lower end of the bowl 10. The upper end of this auxiliary bowl is formed with the outwardly projecting ears 17 to which bolts 18 are pivoted, these bolts carrying the nuts 19. j

The inner face of the bowl is downwardly and inwardly tapered at 20 for a distance, then extends straight downward parallel to the vertical axis of the-bowl and then .inward to provide a shoulder 21. -Adapted to rest upon this shoulder is a junk ring 22 preferably formed in two sections as shown in Figure '1 and resting upon this lower junk ring are a plurality of packing rings 23. Resting upon the top of the packing rings is another junk ring 24 preferably formed in two sections.

Disposed within the downwardly tapered upper portion of the auxiliary bowl 15 are a plurality of wedges or slips 25. There may be any number of these slips, but I have illustrated six of these slips, each of these slips 1 having a downwardly inclined outer face and toothed inner face and each of these slips being provided with a handle 26. Adapted to rest upon the upper end faces of these slips .or wedges 25 is a gland. 27. This gland is annular in form and provided with a central downwardly extending hub portion 28 adaptedto'fit within the upper end of the space defined by the auxiliary bowl l and to move downward 'intosaid space. This hub portion bears against the upper ends of the wedges 25. Above this hub portion the gland 27 is provided with the radially extending slots 29 through which the bolts 18 pass. This gland is also provided'withopenings 30 through which the handles 26 may extend. Preferably the gland 27 will be formed in two sections as illustrated in Figure 4, onesection overlapping the other. section as at 31. A screw may be used to hold the overlapping portions together. The center of the gland is formed with the upwardly extending shoulder 32. p

In the use of this device, it will be seen that it is inserted withinthe usual bowl 10 the slips ordinarily placed within this bowl being removed and the gland rotated so as to engage its threadsv 16 with the threads at the lower ends of the bowl. The inner pipe 33- under these circumstances. will be embraced by the packing 23 and may be supported bythe slips 25. If the gland 27 is removed or lifted, it will be obvious that the slips 25 may be lifted ifnecessar by the upward movement of the pipe 33 ut that the weight of the pipe will normally urge the wedges. 25. downward against the. packing formed of the junk rings 22 and 24 and the well or can be lowered into the hole usin packing rings 23 so as to com ress this packing and force the packing tig tly against the pipe 33. If for any reason, it is desired to compress this packing still further so that the pressure of fluid within the well will not act to lift the pipe 33 and the wedges 25, the .gland 27 is put in place and forced downward by the bolts 18, thus forcing the wedges 25 downward against the packing, holding the wedges from upward movement and compressing the packing and thus locking the pipe 33 within the well. I

The pipe 33 may be provided with a control gate (not shown) at the top of the pipe and this assembly consisting of a short piece of pipe 33, the auxiliary bowl 15, the packing, the wedges and the gland may be suspended in the derrick ready to be swung into position if the well should, come in while the drill stem is being removed from the hole. Under these circumstances, the assembly is dropped down and the auxiliary bowl 15 screwed into the bowl 10, making an oil-tight joint and the gland 27 forced downward by the bolts 18 in order to prevent any flow around the pipe 33.

The control valves of the flow pipes connected to the combined T and bowl 10 having been put in place, the flow can be'directed out through this cross pipe by closing the valve 34.

The assembly which I havedescribed can be used for the double purpose of washing the well and for controlling the swinging of the air or gas line in the well when necessary to reduce the flow or to insert compressed air or gas to cause the well to flow and yet the assembly is such that at any time work is to be done, such as, for instance, if the inside pipe is to be removed orthe diameter of the inside pipe 33 to be changed, it can be readily. accomplished by attaching lifting lines to pipe 33 and then-when the upper'slip bowl isunscrewed from the main slip bowl, thev I complete assembly may be lifted and 'setno aside. Standard slips can thus be used in the bowl 10'to fit the size of pipe that is being handled or the outside diameter of the pipe 33 and this pipe 33 can be pulled from the I such standard slips, but if the well shoul -11), show signs of becoming wild, it is only necessary to swing into place the auxiliary slip bowl 15 with its allied parts and screw it into the slip bowl 10. When the stem is dropped back, the slips or wedges 25 will engage the pipe 33 com ressing the packing 23, shut ting off the ow. In order to prevent pressure from below from lifting this pipe and releasing the slips, allowing the pipe to drop, 12:, the gland-27 can be pulled down by the bolts 18. This completely sealsthe well. Any time it becomes necessary to change the location of the pipe; it can be done either byremoving the assembly, consisting of the auxno iliary bowl 15 and its allied parts and adding the pipe below, holding the string of pipe in the bowl 10, or the gland 27 can be loosened and additional length of pipe attached to the top of the pipe 33 and this pipe be lowered and heldin place by the wedges 25. This will enable the operator to adjust the pipe a very few feet up or down in the hole as is frequently necessary when flowing a well with compressed air or gas and at the same time have the well under control at all times and elfecting no necessity of cutting the pipe as the upper extension of the pipe 33 can stand up in the derrick, the difference of a few feet in height, making no material difference.

It will be seenthat by my construction, I properly space the pipe in the hole'without cutting the joint, that I automatically compress the packingby the weight of the inside pipe and suspend the inside pipe on slips for the purpose of supporting it at any desired point. Further, I have provided means whereby the slips and packing may be forced downward by agland and bolts to thereby further tighten the packing and prevent ini side pressure from lifting the pipe 33 from the hole in case it is necessary to shut the control gate 1 1. The assembly furthermore permits of being quickly taken down by the removal of the auxiliary bowl 15 and its allied parts from the bowl- 10, thus leaving a standard taper bowl for the use of slips in handling the pipe, eliminating the, necessity of using any special equipment for this purpose.

In finishing oil wells, it is the usual custom to set what is commonly known as the oil string of easing at the top of the oil sand, cementing it at the bottom and providing the top ofthe casing with a master gate for the purpose of controlling the well while the finishing operations (such as setting the strainer or liner and washing the slush from the well) are carried on. It was the frequent occurrence that while the drill stem was in the hole. the well would go wild and because of the fact that the drill pipe extended through the master gate, it was impossible to close the well off without unscrewing and dropping the drill stem in the hole,'which in most cases would ruin the well. My invention, as previously disclosed, overcomes this difriculty. The cross T or slip bowl 10 is so formed that it can be attached to the oil string imme diately above the master gate. The threads 16 are cut immediately below the end of the slip bowl or the end of the inclined portion thereof for the purpose of receiving and engaging with the upper slip bowl 15 and its complete assembly.

With this combination under ordinary circumstances when a well attempts to go wild, the drill stem is being handled by slips in the slip bowl 10, but the auxiliary slip bowl 15 the threads in the drill stem and a controlv gate is placed at the upper end of this section of pipe 33. WVhen the upper portion of the drill stem is disconnected, the pipe 33 and assembly are swung into place and the lower end of the pipe is screwed in to that portion of the drill stem which is supported by the slips in the bowl 10. The assembly is then lifted, the slips removed from the slip bowl 10 and the whole assembly then lowered and slip bowl 15 screwed into the threads below the tapering portion of the slip bowl 10. hat portion of the drill stem remaining. in the hole is thus swung on the slips 25 in the slip bowl 15 and the packing elements 23 and 24 will close the space between the two strings *of pipe, that is, the oil string and the drill stem. Gates being placed upon the side outlets onthe slip bowl 10 and a control gate on the upper end (if-pipe 33, the operator has the well under complete control by opening or closing the gates.

Obviously minor changes might be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A pipe support and packer for casing heads-including an outer slip bowl, an auxiliary bowl having means at its lower end whereby it may beinserted into and; engaged with a lower, outer slip bowl against independent longitudinal movement, the auxiliary bowl being formed to provide supports for packing rings, packing rings mounted within the auxiliary bowl, slip wedges disposed within the auxiliary bowl upon the .packlng rings and bearing thereagamst, means mounted uponthe auxlhary bowl for ,forcing said slip wedges against the packing and holding the slip wedges against upward movement, said means including an annular gland bearing againstthe upper ends of the wedges, the gland having portions having peripheral radial slots, bolts pivoted upon the upper end of the auxiliary bowl and nuts hearing against the upper face of said gland.

2. A pipe support and packer for easing heads, including an upper slip bowl tapering toward its lower end, the lower end of the bowlbelow the tapering portion having a uniform exterior diameter and being externally threaded for engagement with the threaded neck of a lower slip bowl, the interior face of the upper portion of the upper slip bowl extending upward and outward, the interior face of the lower portion of the upper slip bowl below the upwardly flaring portion havi ing a shoulder, packing rings disposed within the lower portion of the upper bowl and resting upon said shoulder, switches having interior teeth and disposed within the upper flaring portion of the upper bowl and bearing against said packing rings, a gland disposed above the bowl and having a portion hearing against said wedges, and means on the upper end of the upper slip bowl detachably engageable with said gland whereby the glandmay be forced downward to force the wedges toward the packing and compress the packing or whereby the gland and packing will be held against vertical movement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEE J. BLACK.

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