US1954608A - Dump bailer for cementing wells - Google Patents

Description

April 10, 1934. H. E. WINTER DUMP BAILER FOR CEMENTING WELLS Filed April 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR. fiemy E. mmfer 5 ATTORNEY Patented fiipr. "ifi lhgd titratetripe MTENW llfldfiiih DUMB? EARLIER FUR (CEli/WNTWG WELLS Henry Earle Winter,

Whittier, Calliih, assignor to Union (Oil (Company of lilalifornia, lilos Angeles, Calif., a corporation of lDalifernia Application April 4i, 1933, Serial No. 664i,3lil 2d iDlairns. (@l. Mid-l9) This invention relates to dump bailers for the introduction of cement into deep wells such as oil wells. Such bailers are lowered upon the ends of cables and are adapted to discharge their cement loads into well casings for the purpose of cementing the casings in order, for example, that a seal may be made between the lower end of a off within the casing at the desired point in order that cement when discharged may not rise above a desired point. Another object is to provide such a bailer which will pack ofi at spaced points in a well casing for the purpose of cementing any intermediate ruptured or perforated portion of .a well casing, whereby the cement may be forced into the space between the packed points and through the perforations in the casing to cement off the outside of the casing opposite said perforations and prevent influx of foreign liquids or the like.

Briefly one form of the invention includes an elongated cement receiving barrel whose upper portion is provided with a downwardly opening check-valve. The lower end of the barrel carries means which cooperates with the barrel to retain and subsequently to open a dump valve for discharge of the cement. Above this sleeve an expansible packer is mounted, whose upper end is secured to the barrel and whose lower end is adapted to be releasably retained in collapsed position. The lower end of the packer is preferably released by operation of the bailer in order that the packer may expand within a well casing when the bailer is lowered thereinto, for the purpose of preventing discharged cement from rising above the packer position. When the device is lowered to the bottom of a well, the bailer is actuated as by contacting the bottom of the hole, to release the dump valve and the packer. The entire structure may then be elevated to permit cement to run downward or to be forced past the check-valve and past the dump valve and into the hole. By then causing the device to be forced downward the check-valve will close and the packer will cause the structure to act as a force pump to expel the cement around the lower end of the casing or through perforations. To cement at intermediate points in the well casing two packers may be used one disposed on opposite sides of the discharge port from the dump valve, the lower charge of a quantity of cement as packer being connected for example with the dumping mechanism and with a reciprocating elongated member of suiiicient length to extend to the bottom of the hole for the purpose of positioning the device and actuating the dump valve and packers. In either case the bailer may be lowered either on a cable or on tubing.

Broadly stated the invention therefore may be said to reside in a dumping bailer comprising an elongated cement receiving barrel provided within an expansible packer and a dump valve, and means to release the packer and dump valve when the device reaches the desired position. The invention includes such a structure where a checkvalve is employed in the cement barrel in order to prevent re-entry of cement or exit of displacing mud or other fluid, so that the device may be used to force discharged cement into position outside the well casing. The invention further includes the use of spaced collapsible packers with a cement barrel, a dump Valve between the packers and means for actuating the packers into expand- .ed position. The invention extends to this type of structure both where lowered into awell on a cable and where lowered on tubing through which the cement may be pumped if desired.

Certain embodiments of the invention are presented by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein .Fig. 1 is chiefly a side elevation (with portions in section) of a cement bailer as it is being lowered into a well casing and before actuation of the dump valve and packer;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation partly in section showing the relation of parts after the dump valve and packer have been released and the device has been actuated to expel cement into position around the lower end of the casing;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevational sectional details illustrating the mechanism for actuating the dump valve and packeri Fig. 5, together with Fig. 5a, is chiefly a vertical elevation (portions being shown in section) of a modification wherein two spaced packers are provided at the opposite sides of the cement discharge for the discharge of cement at localized points; and

Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive are cross sections taken respectively on the lines 6-6 to l1-11 inclusive of the various figures.

The form of Figs. 1 to 4 is illustrated in Fig. 1 as being lowered into a well casing 12 which has been placed in a well hole 13 for the purpose of cementing the lower end of the casing by disindicated at 110 C, Fig. 2. The bailer of this invention comprises an elongated cement receiving barrel 14 having sections joined by couplings 15. Upon the lower section of the barrel 14 an expanding packer 16 is mounted. This packer may-be in the form of a somewhat elongated inverted rubber cup whose set is such that it normally tends to extend outward into engagement with the inner walls of the well casing 12. The form is preferably double-conical as shown, the lower part being perforated or slotted as at 17 in order that a downward forcing action will cause fluid to enter the packer and insure a tight contact with the on the outer wall of the barrel.

well casing 12. The upper end of the packer 16 is firmly secured to the barrel 14 in any suitable manner such as through an anchoring ring 18 which may drop into a small annular groove in the outer wall of the barrel (Fig. 2). Since this packer must be collapsed against the wall ,of the barrel when the device is being lowered into the well casing, retaining means are provided for the lower nd of the packer. These may comprise latches 19 secured to the lower end of the packer and adapted to engage an annular shoulder 20 The lower ends of the latches 19 are beveled for engagement by a releasing shoulder21 (Fig. 4) on the upper end of a sleeve 22 reciprocably mounted uponthe lower end of barrel 14. When the latches 19 release the packer 16 the packer expands from the position of Fig. 1 into the position of Fig. 2, and in order that there may be no tendency under any circumstances 'of,causing the packer 16 to telescope upwardly a second annular shoulder 23 is provided on the barrel 14 for engagement by the latches 19 to limit upward movement.

The upper end of the barrel 14 is provided with a ballcheck-valve 24 adapted to engage an upper seat 25 to prevent upward travel or escape of fluid, but permit passage downward, this seat being provided in a suitable cage 26 which is preferably provided with a bail 27 for reception of a lowering and hoisting cable 28. A spider 29 limits the downward movement of the ball valve 24. Cement to fill the bailer may be poured in around the bail '27 and allowed to flow down past the check-valve 24, or a rotatably slidable door 30 maybe provided in a short section 14a (Figs. 1 and 7), the door being returned to the position of Fig. 7 to close the cement barrel after filling. In the form here illustrated, cement is retained in the barrel 14 by means of a dump valve 32 which, when in closed position, seats against an upper shoulder 33 in the lower end of barrel 14 which is disposed within reciprocable'sleeve 22 (Figs. 3 and 4). For proper centering purposes the valve 32 is provided with a weighted depending stem 34, and for purposes of retention in its seat 33 it is provided with laterally extending ears 35. When the valve 32 is in the elevated or closed position of Figs. 1 and 3 these ears 35 project through the inner ends of bayonet slots 36 in the lower end of barrel l4 and into and through the upper ends of cam slots 37 in opposite sides of the sleeve 22. Reciprocation of sleeve 22 upward along barrel 14 from the position of Figs. 1 and 3 to position of Figs. 2 and 4 causes the cam slots 37 to force the ears 35 out of the inner ends of the bayonet slots 36 and allow them to drop below the lower end of barrel 14 and into enlarged ends 38 of' the cam slots 37, the lower edges or walls of these enlargements serving to support the valve in discharging position within sleeve 22 and below barrel 14. Set screws 39 or the like secured in barrel 14 and sliding in vertical slots 39a in sleeve 22 serve to guide the motion of the sleeve 22 and also to limit its downward travel.

In operation of this form of device, the dump valve 32 will be positioned in its seat 33 in the lower end of the barrel 14, its ears 35 being turned into position in the inner ends of the bayonet slots 36 of barrel l4, sleeve 22 being moved into lowermost position (Figs. 1 and 3), so that said ears 35 are disposed in the upper ends of the cam slots 37 of said sleeve 22. Cement is then poured into the bailer past check-valve 24 or through the door 30to fill the barrel 14, the door 30 if used being then closed as in Fig. 7. The free lower end of the packer 16 is then forced downward by collapsing the packer, and the hook-like latches 19 are caused to engage under the lower annular shoulder 20. With the parts in this position the device is lowered into the well until the shoe 22a on the lower end of sleeve 22 engages the bottom of the hole. Barrel 14 is then lowered farther which causes the sleeve 22 relatively to ride up on barrel 14 so that the cam slots 37, force the ears 35 of valve 32 off of the shoulders of the inner ends of bayonet slots 36 so that said ears drop out of said bayonet slots 36 and down upon the lower edges of the enlargements 38 of cam slots 37. Here the valve 32 is in the open position of Figs. 2 and 4. Upon the last portion of the up ward movement of sleeve 22 its upper annular shoulder 21 engages behind the tips of the latches 19 and forces them from under the annular shoulder 20 of barrel 14. Thereupon the natural resilience in the packer 16 causes it to expand into engagement with the inner walls of casing 10 as in Fig. 2. Excessive expansive movement is prevented by engagement of latch 19 under the upper annular shoulder 23 of barrel 14 thereby insuring against subsequent telescoping of packer 16. The parts are now in operative position. By lifting the-,device somewhat the cement will run out of the barrel past the valve 32, and if the hole is full of mud as is usually the case this outflow will be aided by the head of fluid above the packer. The device is then again lowered by reason of its own weight whereby the packer 16 by reason of its engagement with the walls of the casing causes the structure to act as a plunger or force pump, upward movement of liquid being prevented by the check-valve 24. By this action the cement is forced out around the casing being cemented and may there be retained in position for any desired length of time.

For the purpose of cementing off a casing at an intermediate point where the casing has been ruptured or otherwise perforated, the form of Fig. 5 is employed, which includes two spaced packers disposed at opposite sides of a discharge port from the sleeve 22. Here the cement barrel 14, the packer 16, the sleeve 22 and the dump valve 32 and its operating parts are the same as in the other form. However the lower end of the sleeve 22is closed by means of an extension 40 which, is closed as by means of a plug or diaphragm 42 or the like so that the slots 37 in the walls of the sleeve 22 will act as cement discharge ports. The extension 40 has externally and slidably mounted thereupon a second sleeve or tubular member 44 from the lower end of which there depends an elongated positioning element 45 which may be a length of tubing. The second or lower packer 46 has its upper end secured to the extension 40 and its lower end secured to the sliding member or sleeve 44, this mounting being arranged in any desired manner esacos as by means of ring and groove arrangements like that employed at 18 for anchoring the upper end of packer'16. The movement of the sliding member or sleeve 44 is limited by means of pins or set screws 18 or the like secured in the walls form, the valve 32 being held in elevaied or closed.

position also as in the other form, and the packer- 46 is held in collapsed position by reason of the weight of the elongated positioning element 45 attached to the sliding member 44:. This position is assured by reason of the anchoring of the opposite ends of the packer 46, and undue strain is avoided by limitation of movement through engagement of the set screws or pins 48 in the upper-end of the slots 48a.

The procedure for discharging a load of cement with the form of Fig. 5 consists in lowering the bailer filled with cement into the well until the lower end of the positioning member 45 strikes the bottom of the hole. The length of the member 15 will have been predetermined so as to stop the device directly opposite the perforations in the pipe which are to be cemented off. When the lower end of member 45 strikes the bottom of the hole the sliding sleeve 44 begins to ride up on the extension 40 so that the packer 46 expands'into engagement with the inner walls of casing 12. Continued lowering of the barrel 14 then causes the sleeve 22 to ride up on barrel 14, as in the case of the other form, so that the latches 19 are released and the packer 16 expands against the inner walls of casing 12. Movement of sleeve 22 of course causes opening of the dump valve 32, with the result that cement will be discharged through the slots 37 into the space within the casing 12 between the packers l6 and 46. Thereupon the barrel 141 and packer 16 may be reciprocated as in the case of the other form to force the cement through the perforations in the casing, the ball check-valve 24 serving to insurethe pumping effects as with the other form. It is possible to reciprocate the barrel 14 and packer 16 within sleeve 22 for pumping purposes without movement of sleeve 22 and the parts 40, 45, 46 attached to the inner end thereof, these remaining in their lowermost position. .In this manner, as indicated in Fig. 5, cement may be readily forced through perforations or ruptures 50 in pipe 12 to seal off any desired stratum such as that indicated.

As shown in Fig. 5a the bailer of Fig. 5 will be provided at its upper end with the check-valve 24 as in the form of Fig. 1. If desired this bailer may be carried on the lower end of tubing T, as indicated in Fig. 5a, instead of on cable 28 as in Fig. 1. It is to be understood that the form of Fig. 1 also may be carried by tubing instead of by cable 28. When tubing T is used with either form, the additional weight may be relied upon to accomplish more readily the pumping action for forcing the cement into position outside the well casing. Also, tubing'T may be used as a means for supplying cement to the bailer from the surface, and such tubing T may be further employed for the forcing of cement from the bailer into desired position through the application of pressure-to the cement from the surface of the tubing. This manner of pumping cement from the surface may be employed with particular advantage when using the form of Fig. 5, in which case the movement of sleeve 22 need be only sufficient for actuation of the dump valve 32 without regard to a stroke of the sleeve 22. great enough to permit the pumping action as previously described.

It is to be understood that the various disclosures here presented are merely illustrative of the generic invention and are not to be taken as limiting since obviously many variations may be made within the scope of the claims by those skilled in the arts to which they relate.

I claim:

1. A dump bailer comprising a barrel adapted to receive a fluid body, a releasable valve structure carried by the bailer, an expansible packer exteriorly carried by the bailer, means for releasing the valve to dump the bailer and means for releasing the packer for movement thereof into expanded position.

2. A dump bailer comprising a barrel adapted to receive a fluid body, a releasable valve structure at the lower end of the barrel, an expansible packer carried by the upper portion of the barrel, means actuable-by movement of the bailer to release the valve for dumping the bailer, and means actuable by bailer movement for releasing the packer.

3. A dump bailer comprising a barrel adapted to receive fluid cement, a releasable dump valve carried by the barrel, an expansible packer carried by an upper portion of the bailer, means for retaining the dump valve in closed position, means for retaining the packer in collapsed position, means actuable by movement of the bailer for releasing the dump valve retaining means, and means operable by movement of the bailer for releasing the packer retaining means to effect expansion thereof.

4. A structure according to claim 1 and a downwardly opening check valve carried adjacent the upper portion of the barrel.

5. A bailer according to claim 3, and a downwardly opening valve carried by the upper end of the barrel, and means to raise and lower the barrel. I

6. A dump bailer comprising an elongated barrel'adapted to receive fluid cement and the like, a dump valve carried by the lower portion of the barrel, an expansible packer exteriorly carried by the upper portion of the barrel, means for retaining the dump valve in closed position, means for retaining the expansible packer in collapsed position, and means connected with the dump valve and the packer retaining means adapted to engage the bottom of a well hole to release said retaining means for opening of the packer in collapsed position and releasable by said bottom-engaging means.

9. A bailer according to claim 3, and a second collapsible packer carried by the bailer below the dump valve, means to retain said second packer in collapsed position, and means actuable by movement of the bailer to release the last-named retaining means.

10. A structure according to claim 1 and tubing. connected with the upper end of the bailer for supplying fluid to the bailer.

- 11. A bailer according to claim 6, a second expansible packer disposed below the dump valve, means to retain the, second packer in collapsed condition, means to release the last retaining means, and tubing connected with the upper end of the barrel for supplying fluid to the barrel and for raising and lowering the bailer.

12. In combination a well casing, a bailer disposed within said casing comprising a fluid-receiving barrel, a dump valve on a lower portion of said barrel, an expansible and collapsible packer carried by the barrel, means to retain the dump valve in collapsed position, means to retain the packer in collapsed position, means to release the dump valve, means to release the packer for expansion of the packer into engagement with the casing, and tubing connected with the upper end of the barrel and extending to the surface for supplying fluid to the barrel.

13. A combination according to claim 12, and means adapted to engage the bottom of a well hole to actuate the dump valve and packer releasing means.

14. A cementing bailer comprising a barrel adapted to receive cement, a releasable valve structure carried by the lower end of the barrel, an expansible packer exteriorly carried by an upper portion of the barrel and having a portion thereof secured to the barrel and another portion releasablyconnected with the barrel, and means for releasing the last mentioned portion.

15. A structure according to claim 14 wherein the retaining means for the releasable portion of the packer comprises detents carried by the barrel and latches on the packer engaging said detents to hold the packer collapsed in in0pera-' tive position.

16. A device according to claim 14 and a downwardly opening check valve carried by the barrel.

17. A dump bailer comprising an elongated barrel adapted to receive material to be dumped,

a collapsible and expansible packer exteriorly mounted upon the barrel and having its upper end fixed to the barrel and its lower end mov able upon the barrel, means for releasably retaining the movable end of the packer in collapsed position on the barrel, a sleeve movable upon the lower end of the barrel, and a dump valve in the lower end of the barrel adapted to be released by movement of the sleeve, the sleeve cooperating with the retaining means on the movable portion of the packer for releasing the packer.

18. A dump bailer comprising an elongated cement receiving barrel, an expansible packer exteriorly carried by the barrel, the upper end of the packer being secured to the barrel and the lower end of the packer being movable on the barrel, a sleeve reciprocable upon the lower portion of the barrel, a valve mechanism carried by the barrel and the sleeve and releasable by the reciprocable movement of the sleeve, a latch mechanism carried by the movable end of the packer, a detent carried by the barrel adapted to receive the latch mechanism to retain the packer in flattened position, the sleeve having means adapted to engage and release the latch mechanism upon reciprocation of the sleeve.

19. A cement bailer adapted to discharge cement at an intermediate point in a casing comprising a barrel adapted to receive cement, an exteriorly exposed packer having its upper end secured to the barrel and its lower end movable upon the barrel, means for reciprocably retaining the movable end of the packer in a collapsed position, a sleeve movably carried by the lower end of the barrel, a dump valve within the sleeve, an expansible packer carried by the lower end of the sleeve having one end secured to the sleeve and its other end movable to and from expanded position, and means for efiecting movement of both of the packers into expanded position.

20. A cementing device according to claim 19 comprising an elongated member depending below the sleeve and reciprocable with respect thereto, the other end of the lower packer being connected with said member and actuable thereby.

HENRY EARLE WINTER.

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