US1895636A - Adjustable choke nipple - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1933.

J. F. M KAIG ADJUSTABLE CHOKE NIPPLE Filed Dec. 26. 1931 INVENTOR Patented Jan. 31, 1933 JESSE F. MCKAIG, OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA Amus'rABLn CHOKE NIPPLE Application filed December 26, 1931. Serial No. 583,267.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable choke nipple especially adapted for use with high pressure oil and gas wells. The principal objects of my invention are to provide a device of this character which is positive in action, simple and inexpensive in construction; new, novel and easily operated; which is strong, durable, reliable and of evident utility; which cannot easily get out of order and is efiicient for the vpurposes for which it is intended; to provide a choke nipple adapted to be inserted in the plug gauge hole in the master gate valve of an oil well and constitute a flow nipple for the daily allowable potential of a well under proration; to provide a device which will completely close or allow complete opening for the allowable flow of the well without changing any of the connections; to provide 0 a device which will conserve the gas by keep- 7 ing the well flowing steadily without any extra volume of gas forming against the master gate valve; to provide a device which will permit the taking of the wells potential by 5 opening the master gate valve only, without any change or the use of any other connections or extra labor to provide a device which will give added safety against sand cutting Y in high pressure wells when flowing the allowable daily potential by virtue of the fact that the oil flow is taken indirectly from the side and below the gate of one of the master gates, thus confining thev high pressure below the top of the master gate while having two of said gates closed when four master gates are used; to provide a flow nipple for taking the daily allowable potential through the plug gauge hole in the master gate as stated, and regulating the said flow by 2Ld111$tm611t of 4 means inside the choke nipple by controlling means from the outside without any change of connection, thus flowing the daily allowable potential in a small, steadystream for twenty-four hours per day instead of taking the said allowable potential by opening the master gate and flowing the well unrestrained in three or four hours; to provide an adjustable choke nipple in which the pressure from the flow of the well will strike the control from the side instead of from the end and.

after more fully described, illustrated in the .tional view of the T connection and plug.

opening of limited size. This device is now thus take the pressure indirectly out of the line of fiow;lto provide a device which will act as a safety blow- 01f for high pressure oil and gas wells and restrict the flow to a small steady stream, thereby producing a higher gravity oil. 1

1 With these and other objects in view myinvention consists of the construction, novel features and combination of parts herein- 0 accompanying one-sheet drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended. Various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weightvand minor details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be v resortedto without departingfrom the spirit or broad principle of my inventionor yielding any of itsbenefits.

In the accompanyingdrawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, Fig. 2'is an '7 elevational view showing the deviceinstalled in a master gate'valve, Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sec-' In the following description like reference numbers designate like parts in all the figures, and it is to be understood that the drawing v is to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive. i

The oil and gas producing States are seeking to conserve the oil and gas and prevent waste. One of the recommendments now proposed is to require all producing wells to produce through achoke having an area of usually in the form ofa flow bean havinga valve adjustment the maximum opening'being about threeinches in diameter. In installing this device it is placed on the casing above the master gates in the main line connection to the separator and thisusually requires disconnecting and removing the sand trap which involves considerable time'a-nd la bor, The'flow through this device is taken directly from the casing under f-ull pressure from the well-and is choked down by'means of the valve. The sand cutting soonchanges the orifice size and no positive control ispossible. When it is necessary to take a new open flow potential, of the well to figure the prorated allowable flow, the flow bean must be removed, the sand trap replaced before the master gates can safely be opened and this requires time, trouble and labor.

With my improved adjustable choke nipple, all that is necessary to install the same is to remove the drain plug or gauge hole plug in the side of the master gate and replace the same with my choke nipple- This requires only a few minutes of time and very little laher. The device is connected to a small separate pipe running to the separator, and this; pipe and nipple connection are left undis turbed when the master'gates are opened for taking the potential and the production flows through othesand trap and into the separator.

One embodiment of my invention, is shown as follows :Nipple lhaving longitudinal bore 2'is provided with threads 3 for screwing into drain plug hole 3-0; in master gate valve 1 as seen in Fig. 2. Threads 6 on nipple 1 connectwith pipe T23. Control stem 7is seated in packing body housing 8 and is provided with hand operating wheel 9. Nipple 1 is enlarged at '10 to allow for an ample threadj ed socket 11 for seating the threadedend 12 of housing 8. Fine interior threads 13 in member8co-actwith the fine exterior threads 'l l'near the lower end ofstem 7 to hold said stem in any desired position. Packing gland nut 15 is threaded at 16 to the upper end of packing body housing 8. Packing gland '17 under pressure of nut 15 holds the packing 18 securely around the stem 7. A shoulder 19 within gland 17 is formed by an enlargement of the stem 7. The stem 7 terminates in a rounded lower end 20 which seats, when in closed position, in the seat 21 formedbelow the bore 2 of nipple 1. The smooth cylindrical end 22 of stem 7 is of larger diameter than bore 2 of nipple 1 and seat 21 is of sufficient depth so that the said bore 2 is completely closed when stem 7 is fully seated. The position of shoulder 19 on stem 7 is such thatthe 'said shoulder forms a stop against gland nut 15 when the end 22 of said stem 7 is unscrewed out of seat 21 and bore '2. Threads 6serve for connecting nipple 1 to pipe -T 23. Sand impinging plug 24 is screwed into T 23, as best seen in Fig; 4, so as to receive any sand cutting action from the flow of oil and gas passing through bore 20f nipple -1. Flow pipe 25 leading to the separator is screwed into the side opening of T 23. Pressure gauge '26 is connected by pipe 27 to the master gas valve 5. Nipple'l is connected to the valve 4 under 7 gas 28 and gauge 26 in like manner is connected un'der gate29 of valve 5.

- Deep wells producing from 6500 feet de-' velop rock pressure up to 2200 pounds per square inch. 7

usually installed to guard against any pos- Four master, gate valves are sibility of the well getting'out of control. o The up er two ofthese valves, 4'and 5 are shown in ig. 2. My nipple 1 may be seated in valve Patent is:

5, replacing gauge in which event both valves 4 and 5 may be closed while the allowable-potential of the well may flow through my choke nipple. In the interests of conservation, engineers, and geologists recommend, where proration is practiced, that all large wells shall, except when taking potentials, produce through a choke of limited size. The proration laws limit the flow of even large producersto a few. hundred barrels of oil per choke nipple on a well for some time. NVith a bore 20f only three-eighths of an inch and control stem 7 open only five turns of the fine threads 14: to about one-third of the bore openings, the nipple has flowed about 500 barrels in 24 hours at 1500 pounds pressure. Such a small stream of oil flowing from the drain plug openingin theside of the master gate valve carries very little sand. The little cutting action that is caused by the sand is directed againstthe. sand impinging plug 2 1. After flowing several'thousand"barrels of oil plug 24 showed some wear and was re I have beenusing my simple, inexpensive placed with a newone at very little expense. N0 appreciable wear could be detected in nipple 1 after flowing 90,000 barrels. This produces a higher gravity'oil.

From this descriptionit will be seenthat I "small stream of oil flowing steadily conserves the gas, prevents any extra volume of gas forming against the master gate valve and have produced an eliicient, inexpensivefadjustable choke which can be installed quickly and easily without making any structural changes in the valves or piping, adevice which reopuires no change in connections for itsoperation and whichbecome's a permanent part of the wells equipment without interfering with the normal operation of the other necessary equipment. While I have used forillustration a' definite size of bore it is to be understood that other sizes may be made for specific installations.

Having thus described my I claim as new and desire to invention what secure by Letters 1. In an adjustable choke nipple, a nipple,

having a central bore, an enlarged section on;

the said nipple having a threaded socket;' 'a packing body'housin'g having a central bore for threaded connection in'said socket and having fine internal threads in the bottom of,

said bore; a control stem in the said housing,"

having an enlarged lower portion with fine external threads spaced from its lower extremity for co-acting with the internal threads of the said housing; a smooth cylindrical terminus on the said stem below the said external threads, the said terminus having a larger diameter than that of the central bore of said nipple, the said enlarged section of the nipple having a seat for the said terminus below the bore of the said nipple and in the axis of the said stem; a reduced section on the said stem provided with a hand wheel; a stufiing box on the said housing for the control stem, the shoulder formed between the small and large portions of the stem providing, stop means to limit the upward movement thereof.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a choke nipple for seating in the drain plug hole of a master gate valve and having a central bore; a control stem of larger diameter than the said bore with its axis in the same plane as that of the bore but at right angles thereto for adjusting the flow of liquid through the said bore; an enlarged section on the said nipple having a seat for the end of the said stem below the said bore; a housing and stuifiing box for the said stem in threaded connection with the said enlarged section above the said bore; means on the said stem for adjustably positioning the lower end thereof within or across the said bore; a pipe T fitting in threaded connection with the said nipple; a sand impinging plug seated in said T on the axis of the said bore and a flow pipe connected to the side opening of the said T.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JESSE F. MOKAIG.

Images