US188806A - Improvement in methods of tubing and casing oil-wells - Google Patents

Description

p. L. LEWIS & W. soYNwoNq METHODOF TUBING AND CASING OILWELLS. N 188,8o6 Patented March 27,1877.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL L. LEWIS, OF LOVELLS STATION, AND WILLIAM BOYNTON, OF PETERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN METHODS OF TUBlNG AND CASlNG.Oll.-WEI..LS.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,806, dated March 27, 1877; application filed February 22, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, DANIEL L. LEWIS, of Lovells Station, Erie county, Pennsylvania, and WILLIAM BOYNTON, of Petersburg, in the county of Clarion and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Method of Tubing and Casing Oil-Wells; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to the construction, arrangement, and operation of oil or other deep well casings and tubing; and consists in providing various improved devices connected with said casing and tubing, and in the arrangement of the said tubing and easiugs, and in the operation of the whole when in its place. The objects we attain are perfection of operation, durability of parts, and increase of production of the well.

Our device is shown in the accompanying drawing, as follows:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an oil-well, and all its casings and tubing. Figs. 2 and 3 are views of detached devices.

In order that others skilled in the art to which this relates may be ableto construct our invention, we give the following general description of it:

A represents the fresh-water casing, and rests on the ledge a. B represents a secondary casing, which extends to the bottom of the well. This casing is provided, at the proper point, with a device for packing the well below the salt-water vein, and near the bottom of the well it is perforated, for the escape of gas through it to the top of the well. 0 is the tubing in which the pump and its rod works, and through which the oil passes to the top. A is the casing-head, and D is the casing-cap. E is an elastic packing within the cap I). F is a disk fitting in the top of the casing-head, and is provided with an opening for easing B, which opening has conical facesff, for preventing the joints of the casing B, as it enters the well or is removed from the well, catching. This cap or disk F, or one of proper size made like it, we place at the mouth of all the pipes, tubes, or casings, into which any other pipe, tube, casing, or sucker-rod enters, for the same purpose. B is the head of easing B. This is provided with an external thread, on which operates a nut, B". This nut rests on the top of cap D, and is used to partially sustain casing B, and to raise it slightly, if desired. The object of this will hereafter more fully appear. 0' is a stuffing-box, for making a close joint between the tubing 0 and the head B of easing B, to prevent the escape of gas (or steam, when a well is being steamed) at that point. G is a flange on the casing B. J is a flange on a short piece of easing, I, which is attached to casing B for the purpose of forming a slipjoint, K. Between these flanges is a packing ring, H. The object of the slip-joint is to al' low the flanges to press together and expand the packing-ring to the rock. This device is placed at a proper point for shutting ofl the salt-water. The flange G is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 2 a top view is given, and in Fig. 3 a side elevation is given. It will then be seen that this flange is provided with burr'grooves, the object and purpose of which is that it can be worked up through an accumulation of sand or S6illll18lli3-Wll6ll it is desirable to draw casing B, or when it is desirable to loosen the packing H and allow the water above to go down. This latternamed object is also one of the objects of the slipjoint, and also of the external thread and nut B. By turning the nut B" the casing can be slightly raisedthat is, raised a few inches. This loosens the packing. If an accumulation of sand or sediment is around the burr-flange G too thick to give way easily, the upper portion of the casing B can be turned, and the burr will grind the sand out. Suppose it becomes necessary to draw the casing B, the packing H would be loosened, and the water above would pass down to the bottom of the well and be pumped up before the tubing (J is drawn; then the tubing 0 would be drawn, and then the casing B. Where this operation cannot be done, as is the casein all wells as now cased and tubed, the salt-water .joint.

more strictly speaking, on the character of goes to the bottom of the well when the tubing is drawn, and remains there, which is injurious to the productiveness of the well.

By our device, also, the lower part of the well can be flooded at any time desired by loosening the packing H. By flooding we mean that the water can be let into the bottomof the well and be pumped out with the oil for a time, for the purpose of washing out parafline or gummy accumulations.

There is still another purpose served by the nut B. Not only casing B, but the tubing, should rest on the bottom ot the well. But when this is done its great length causes it to bend or how toward one side of the well. By this nut and thread B, or one similar or similarly placed on the end of any pipe serving as a tubing or a casing, it can be drawn taut, and still be left resting on the bottom of the well.- This is of especial benefit in the case of tubing, for in it the force of pumping is exerted, and when this is held in suspension, as is now thecase in all wells, the downward stroke of the pump often causes some part of the tubing to give way.

The flexible packing E serves to assist in adjusting the tubing by the nut B, for when the operator tightens the nut B" so he feels.

the whole weight of the tubing, (or casing, as the case may b e,) he turns back until he finds the Weight partially removed. He then knows the tubing is on the bottom, and the weighthe feels is the tension of packing E, and at that point he leaves.the nut. Of course, when a casing like B, with a slip-joint, is used, the above remarks concerning the packing E do not apply. But our nut B and external thread and cap D, andpacking E, are internied for use on all tubings or casings, for some Wells do not useor need a casing with a slip- That depends on the depth of well, or,

the water-veins encountered as regards amount of water; but this adjusting device, when used on the casing B, is intended simply of adjusting the pipe and the packing above the slipjoint, and exact nicety is not so essential as in the case of tubing. Here it is important that the tubing shall rest upon the bottom just enough to sustain theweight of the pipe and the force of the pumping operation, but no more, for it would then bend or how, which would cause friction of the sucker rod, and it would also be impossible to pack it perfectly at the top. In other words, the pipe must rest on the bottom and yet be perfectly taut.

The device consisting of the nut B and an elastic packing, E, somewhere below it permits us to perfectly adjust the tubing, so the above requisites are complied with exactly.

What we' claim is as follows:

1. The arrangement within an oil-well of a casing, B, extending to the bottom, with a slip-joint, K, and packing H, and with perforations near the bottom for the escape of gas, substantially as and for the purposes mentioned.

2. The arrangement within an oil-well of the casings A and B and tubing 0, when the said casing B extends to and rests upon the bottom of the well, and is provided with a slipjoint, K, and packing H, and perforations i near the bottom for the escape of gas within said casing, substantially as shown, and for the purposes mentioned.

3. In combination with the slip-joint K on 5. The head B of a casing or tubing, when provided with an external thread and nut, B, substantially as shown,'and for the purpose of adjusting said tubing or casing within the well and upon the bottom, as set forth.

6. The head B of a casing or tubing, hav-- ing an external thread and nut, B", in combination with an elastic packing, E, substantially as shown, and for the purposes men-' tioned.

.7. An oil-well casing or tubing, in combi= nation with a device at its upper end for holding it taut, whereby the said tubing or casing is enabled torest upon the bottom'of the well, for the purpose of sustaining the weight of the same, and also the force of pumping which may be exerted within the same, sub-' stantially as set forth. V

8. In combination with the casing B and packing H, the flange G, when provided with burr-grooves, as shown, and for the purposes set forth.

9. A tubing or casing head, when provided with a disk, F, with conical or flaring faces f f, substantially as shown, and for the purposes mcntioned.

In testimony whereof we, the said DANIEL L. Lnwrs and WILLIAM BOYNTON, have hereunto set our hands.

DANIEL L. LEWIS. WILLIAM BOYNTON.

Witnesses:

' JNo. K. HALLOGK,

Geo. A. STURGEON.

Images