US2141419A - Multiple packer - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1938. F. J. SPANG MULTIPLE PACKER Filed July 3, 193e s vsheets-sheet 1 PfTE R1 Pg Je Dec. 27, 1938.

F. J, SPANG MULTIPLE PACKER Filed July 3, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 27, 193s. F. J. SPAN@ 2,141,419

MULTIPLE PACI/(ER Filed July 3, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Hill msmw Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UN1TED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ferdinand J. Spang, Butler, Pa..

, Application July 3, 1936, Serial No. 88,793

r12 Claims.

This invention relates to the recovery of oil from oil bearing strata' by a re-pressuring process, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for conditioning the pressure Wells to secure a more uniform ow of the re-pressuring uid through the various strata and thereby secure a greater recovery of oil from such strata than has heretofore been possible with previous methods and apparatus.

In the production of oil, a well is drilled through the various strata making up the oil bearing formations. On the tapping of the strata the gas, which is usually found in the strata, either intermingled with or behind the oil,.in a highly compressed state, expands and forces the oil into the well and thence to the surface. As this gas expands, the pressure declines to such an extent that it is insufficient to cause oil to ow from the well and it becomes necessary to raise the oil by either pumping the Well or by other mechanical means. Eventually the pressure of the gas drops below the point necessary to force the oil out of the various strata and into the well and consequently the well has to be abandoned even though a large percentage ofoil remains within the pores of the formation.

It has become a common practice in recent years to re-drill territory that has previously been abandoned because of primaryexhaustion and the oil contained in the pores recovered by re-pressuring the strata. In the re-pressuring process, at least two wells are drilled, one of which is termed the producing well and the other is utilized as a pressure well, into which air, gas, or water is forced under pressure and thence into the oi1 bearing strata to move the oil in that strata into the producing Well.

During the drilling of the pressure wells, a core is removed from which the formation, through which the well is drilled, can be readily determined as well as the oil content of the various sand horizons, the separation of such sands from porosity of the various strata and consequently the -re-pressuring uid passes through the open or low grained sand horizons much quicker than it does through the close grain sand horizons having a lesser permeability. Therefore, the repressuring, as heretofore practiced, did not and (Cl. 16B-10) of the oil contained in the oil bearing strata it is 10` necessary to make some separation of the strata at the points where natural pronounced permeability ehanges occur in the sands in orderthat the rate of input of the re-pressuring uid may be regulated at the surface and the oil movement l5 within the strata controlled.

It is an object of the present invention to'provide for the selective regional regulation of pressuring fluid into the various sands to obtain the maximum recovery of oil from each sand and, hence, materially increase the recovery from al1 the oil bearing strata.

My invention may also be used to great advantage in effecting the proper control of oil recovery from newly drilled oil elds whereby it is possible to avoid the depleting of the more highly permeable strata before the lesser permeable strata are exhausted, since the depletion of the oil in the more permeable sands frequently resuus in a flooding of the well due to the passage 30 of water through the depleted permeable strata, and the consequent loss of the well. This ooding of the wells can be prevented to some extent by the use of my method and apparatus, since the less permeable strata can be segregated from the more permeable strata and subjected to pressure, whereby the recovery from such sands can be made to more nearly approach the recovery from the permeable sands and all of the sands are exhausted at substantially the same rate. 40

Another object of my invention is to provide means for separating the various oil bearing,

strata aridi to provide means for controlling both the pressure and volume of the ow of pressuring uid to each sand'. To my knowlecge,

' a series of separate packer units have been used heretofore to separate the various Voil bearing strata in which each packer was run on an independent and separate` string of tubing or caslng, one string being nested Within the other.

Such system was not only exceedingly expensive,

but the results obtained by a series of independent packers were generally unsatisfactory since there was no way of testing the perfection lpacker have been set;

of the packing of the different packers or to termine whether each packer was fully set.

A further object of my invention is to provide a multiple packer by which all of the various oil bearing strata in a pressure Well may be separated whereby the input of the \repressuring fluid into the well and thence into the various strata is independently controlled.

A still further object is to provide a packer in which each of the packing units may be actuated and/or set and tested in consecutive order and in which each unit is provided with a separate means for introducing a re-pressuring uid into the strata separated by the elements carried by my improved multiple packer.

A still further object is to provide means for separating the various oil bearing strata in which each unit of the packing elements may be separately actuated or set by the entire force of the load applied from above and in which means are provided for locking each of the packing units in its set or packed position.

These and other objects which will be hereinafter made apparent to those skilled in this particular art are accomplished by means of this invention, one embodiment of which is described in the following specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an oil well showing the various oil bearing strata separated by means ofa multiple packer made in accordance with the present invention, to permit selective repressuring of the several productive strata and also the means for introducing the re-pressuring fluid into each oil bearing stratum;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the intermediate packers employed;

Fig. 2a is an enlarged vertical section of the lowermost packer employed with the actuating means for successively setting the packer in the position it occupies when the packer is being lowered into a well;

Fig.13 is an enlarged sectional view of one unit of my multiple packer with the packer element in'its set o r packed position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating the means for setting the packer; K A

Fig. 45 is a view in perspective of a clutch fo holding the units of the packer together in thel string and for holding thepacker elements in their expanded position after the units of the Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the improved type of coupling used to join the body of the packer units to the tubing or casing and showing the means for maintaining therepressuring tubes in xed position;

Fig. 'I isV an enlarged sectional view on line VII-VII of Fig. 1; j

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view in perspective of the top of my improved packer showing the re-pressuring tubes and the meansfor setting the packer; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view in perspective of the casing head illustrated in Fig. l.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, F represents a formation typical of the character usual- 1y found in oil bearing localities, and W apressure well which is one of a series that have been drilled through the formation F, and arranged in a suitable pattern for repressuringsuch as a 5, 7, or 9 spot pattern. When water is used as the re-pressuring fluid, the wells forming the periph ery of the pattern are utilized as the pressure wells and the oil is removed from the central well or wells of the pattern, but when a gas is used to re-pressure the oil bearing strata this arrangement is generally reversed and the re-pressuring gas is introduced into the well or wells in the center of the pattern and the oil is recovered from the peripherally arranged wells.

The formation F comprises an overlying structure L, an oil producing strata composed of a series of individual stratum SI, S2, S3, S4, S5, naturally separated from each other by a series of non-porous structures RI, R2, R3, R4, and a cap rock M, which separates the overlying structure L from the oil producing strata.

During the drilling of the well W and the other wells making up the re-pressuring pattern of which W is a part, cores of the formation below the cap rock M were taken and from these cores the porosity, permeability, and oil content of the various oil sands SI, S2, S3, S4, S5 are determined, and for convenience in describing my invention it will be assumed that these cores show that each of the sand horizons SI, S3, S4 and S5 are productive, but that each differs both in permeability and porosity and that the sand S2 is a barren or exhausted sand. Consequently in order to secure uniform flow of the re-pressuring fluid through each of the stratum SI, S3, S4, and S5 to move the oil therein atA a substantially uniform rate toward the output well and to prevent the admission of the re-pressuring fluid or gas to the barren sand S2 it is apparent that each stratum must be separated from the other, and that the ow of re-pressuring .uid into the sands SI, S3, S4 and S5 must be controlled in accordance with the variables in the permeability and porosity of each sand by varying the pressure and volume of the iluid introduced into each such productive sand.

In order to separate and segregate the sands SI, S2, S3, S4 and S5 at their points of lnatural separation RI, R2, R3 and R4 and from the overlying structure L and to control the amount of gas or uid admitted under pressure to each such sand so that the o of re-pressuring uid or gas will be uniform oughout the various strata, I introduce into the well W a string of tubing or casing T having a series of telescoping units or sections PI, P2, P3, P4 and .P5 therein which are spaced vertically in accordance with the measurements determined from an analysis of the core removed from the well W. Each of the units PI, P2, P3, P4 and P5 carries an expansible element E and these units are so spaced vertically that on telescopic movement of the units, the elements E will be expanded and pressed against the well wall at the points M,

RI, R2, R3 and R4 and thus separate the various sands SI, S2, S3, S4 and S5 from each other.

Each of the telescoping units or sections PI, P2, P3, P4 and P5 comprises a top coupling member I0 threaded to the lower end of a section of casing or tubing T and a body member II which is, in turn, threaded to the coupling I0 and carries the expansible packing element E. The upper end of 'the element E abuts against lthe coupling I0 and the lower end is supported on an annular` coupling I2 which surrounds and is slidable on the body II.

- In order to prevent the coupling I2 from sliding or pulling off the 'lower end of the body II` While permitting movement thereof toward the upper coupling In to expand the packing element E, an

annular clutch element I3 (Figs. 2, 3 and 5) is disposed in a recess I2a in the coupling I2 and -i's provided with teeth or jaws I3a that are forced into biting engagement with the body I I by means of the coacting inclined surfaces I2b-I3b on the coupling and clutch respectively, which act as a wedge on the application of a pulling force to the coupling I2, and prevent relative movement between the coupling and the body I I in a downward direction, but permits suc-h movement in a direction toward the coupling I to collapse the tubing and expand the packing element E. Secured to the clutch embracing coupling I2 is a tube or shell I4 which telescopes over the lower end of the body Il and is threaded at its lower end to a lower coupling I5. `Coupling I5 is connected to the upper end of another section of casing or tubing T by means of an annular connecting gland I8 which is threaded into the coupling I5 and abuts against an outwardly projecting shoulder I9 on the casing T. The coupling I5 is of annular or ring shape and has a central aperture 20 for the passage of fluid or tools therethrough as will be more fully explained.

As shown, the packer elements E are held in their extended or unset position while the casing or tubing T is being lowered into the well W, by a series of slips or springs I6, carried by each of the couplings I5, each of which is provided at its upper end with a shoulder I6a, which engages and supports the lower end of the body I I. Each of the slips or body supporting members I6 also has tripping toggle Il mounted in a slot I6b and supported on a pin I'Ia which extends through openings or holes in the forked end of the slip I6. Each of the tripping toggles I1 is provided with a` cam surface I'Ib which engages the inner surface of the body II wherebyv on the turning of the toggles about the pins I'Ia, the slips I6 will be moved inwardly and withdraw the shoulders I6a from beneath the bottom of the body I I. In order to set the packing elements E of the Ipacking units PI, P2, P3, P4 and P5, a rod 25 is positioned lin the tubing T with its upper end extending above the telescoping section PI and its lower end, which terminates in a conical shaped tripping head 26 for turning the toggle I1, seated on the coupling I5 of the lowermost telescoping unit P5. On the upward movement of the rod 25 the conical head 26 successively engages and trips each set of toggles I1 and thereby causes the shoulders I6a to be pulled from beneath the lower ends of the body sections I I and permit the sections to collapse and expand each of the elements E. To raise or pull the tube 25 upwardly through the tubing T a suitable grappling means, in combination with a socket and a set of jars is run on a suitable line or tube inside the casing T until the grapple engages wickers 2 on the upper end of the rod 25. The rod 25 is then raised vertically until the conical head 26 comes in contact with the tripping toggles II on the telescoping unit P5, which are turned, thereby springing the body supporting members I6 inwardly, and interrupting the engagement of the shoulders I6a with the bottom of the body member II, thus allowing it to be moved downwardly inside the shell I4 either by the weight of the tubingnabove the section or by the addition of Weight applied to such tubing. The downward movement of the body section II, relative to the shell I4, expands the element E due tothe pressure between the upper coupling I0 and the clutch embracing coupling I2 and causes it to press against the well wall and the element E is held in its fully expanded position by the gripping or biting action of the clutchA I3 on the body I I;

After the telescoping unit or sectionI P5 has packing has been tested, the rod 25 is raised until it comes into contact with the tripping toggles I'I on the unit P4 and which is then set in the manner heretofore described, and after that s etting has been tested, the rod 25 is again raised to set the packing elements E of the units P3, P2 and PI. Thus it is apparentthat the setting of the-packing units P5, P4, P3, P2, and PI follow each other in consecutive order and that the lowermost element may be tested, thus tending to show the perfection of its function, before the next expansible element there above it is set. It will also be noted that the entire weight of the casing or tube T and the packing units above any packing unit being set comes to rest on the packmost Section of which above the casing shoe 3l is perforated as at 30, and the casing is supplied with the repressuring fluid through a pipe 32,

' leading to a suitable source of supply. To deliver repressuring fluid to the sands SI, S3, and S4, a series of tubes 33, 34 and 35 extend through the casing or tubing T and terminate at their lower ends in fluid outlets 36, 3l, and-38 in the lower couplings I5 of the packer units PI, P3, and P4, respectively.

To support the tubes 33, 34 and 35 adjacent the side walls of the sections of pipe making up the tubing or casing T, spacers 4I) are inserted between adjacent sections of the casing at regularly spaced intervals throughout the length thereof, and inside the coupling 4I, joining the adjacent sections together. Each of the spacers 40 (Fig. 6) is provided with a vcentral aperture 42 for the passage of the repressuring gases or fluids and for permitting the passage of the op.

erating apparatus through the tubing and with a series of apertures (as manyas-may be needed,

there being one for each repressuring pipe or tube) through which the'repressuring fluid conveying tubes extend. To further support the " tubes 33,34 and 35, the couplings I5 of the packer units PI, P2, P3 are also provided with tube receiving apertures (Fig. 3).`

The upward ends of the tubes 32, 33, 34, and 35 terminate in a casing head 48 which-covers the top of the casing or tubing T. Stuing boxes 49, 50, and 5I are used to prevent and shut oif any leakage around the input tubes 33, 34, and 35, and a central opening, normally covered by a plug 53, is formed therein through which the operating tools, such as the grappling means for setting the packer units PI, P2, P3, P4, and P5, are run into the casing T.

In the running of my improv multiple packer into the well W, a predetermin d length of casing T with the perforations 30 therein and the casing shoe 3I in place thereon is attached to the lower coupling I5 of the lowermost telescoping,v

unit P5 of the string, and the unit lowered partially into the well W. Another length of casing .'I' is then attached to the coupling I0 of the I process is continued until the remaining packing units P3, P2, Pl and input tubes 3i and 33 have been assembled, andthe entire apparatus lowered together by means of adding additional lengths of casing T and tubes 33, 34, and 35 until the casing shoe 3l comes to rest on the bottom of the Well W.

It will be noted that at this time all of the expansive packing elements E are in their extended or unit positions due to the fact that the body Il of each packing unit PI, P2, P3, P5, and P5 is resting on the shoulder lGa of the body supporting members I6. The plug 53 isf then removed and thegrappling means is lowered through the tubing T until it comes 'in contact with the wickers Zl/on the upper end of the rod 25. A`s the rod 25 is raised the conical head 26 trips the toggles I'l of each of the units and each element E of the units P5, P4, P3, P2, and PI is set in consecutive order.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that after the packers have been set it is impossible to remove the apparatus from the well Y due to the fact that the clutch element I3 bites vinto and forms a solid connection with the tubing l I'and the shell it. In order that the tubing 33, 34, and 35 may be independently removed, when occasion demands, a breakable connection or joint is provided in each of the said tubes at a point slightly above the upper telescoping section or unit'Pj. The joint 60 comprises a linger 6I which is threaded to the lower sections of each of the pipes 33, 3i and 35'and a socket 62 which is secured to the upper section of each pipe and adapted to slide over the finger 6| on thelower section thereof. A yieldable packing member 63 is disposed between the nger 6l and the socket 62to prevent leakage of the re-pressuring uid at the connection. y

From the foregoingdescription it is apparent that I have provided a device for conditioning a pressure well in which each 'of the sands making up the oil bearing strata can be readily separated and segregated from each other by a series of individually set or operated packing elements, all of which are carried by a single string of tubing or casing. Further, with the use of my invention it is possible to introduce re-pressuring iluid into each of the separate sands in 'predetermined quantities and under predetermined pressures whereby `a uniform flow can be 'maintained through each of these sands and all of them exhausted at substantially the same time.

Further, since the re-pressuring iiuid is delivered to each of the sands'independently, thev amount and pressure of the iiuid introduced into each sand can be readily determined from gages and meters disposed at the surface in each repressuring tube and adjustments in the volume and pressure can be made daily to insure the complete recovery of all of the oil from the wellbearing strata. l

While I have described one embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that certain changes, modications, additions and omissions may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appendedn claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In combination' with a string of Well casing, a series of packers carried by said casing'=slips for holding each such packer in Aextended position, a cam for releasing each said slip, a single means for successively actuating the cams of each packer whereby said packers are consecutively set, and separate means for delivering fluid pressure to each of said packers.

2. In combination with a string of well casing,

l-locking each said expansible element in set position.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a series of packers interposed in a single string of tubing of uniform diameter throughout the length of such string, each of said packers including an outer tube, an inner tube slidable inl said outer tube,an expansible member carried by said inner tube, members carried by said outer tube for vreleasably supporting said inner tube, means for releasing said supporting members to permit said inner tube to move relative to said outer tube and set said expansible member, and common means for successively actuating said supporting member releasing means of each packer to consecutively set said packers.

4. A multiple packer for use in a pressure well for separating and supplying fluid pressure to a plurality of productive strata, comprisinga series of interconnected packer units each having an outer shell and an inner shell arranged telescopically, an expansible element carried by said inner shell and adapted to be expanded when said shells are collapsed and pressed against the Well wall, springs for holding said shells inlextended position to maintain said expansible elements in non-expanded position, cams for releasing said springs, common means for successively -unit and supporting the other section thereof to hold said sections against relative movement, and an actuator within said tubing adapted to successively engage and move theyieldable members ci each unit to a non-supporting position to permit each packer unit to be consecutively set.

6. A multiple packer for use in a pressure well to. separate the productive strata thereof, comp'rising a string of tubing adapted to be run into the well, and having a series of packer units .interposed therein at predetermined intervals,

each said packer unit including an expansible element and two telescoping'tubes arranged to move relative to each other and expand said element, means for releasably supporting said tubes against relative movement,vand means within said tubing and movable through said packer units for successively engaging and .releasing vsaid tube supporting means. I 7. Apparatus for use in a pressure well to separate the productive strata comprising a string of tubing adapted to be run into said well, and having a. series of vertically spaced telescoping.

sections therein, clutch means for permitting relative movement at each telescoping section of said 'tubing in one direction while preventing such movement in the opposite direction, yieldable members for holding each of said telescoping sections in extended position, an expansible ele? ment carried by each of said telescoping sections, and means in said tubing and movable through each telescoping section thereof for engaging and moving the yielding members of successive sections to a non-holding position to permit relative telescopic movement in said tubing and expand said expansible elements.

8. Apparatus for use in repressuring the sands of an oil bearing formation comprising in combination a series of packer elements carried by a single string of casing, each of which is provided with separate setting means, means extending through said string of casing and movable in succession through said packers for indeof each said packer to vset the sameand separate' adjacent sands and separate means for delivering uid pressure to predetermined sands.

10. Apparatus for use in repressuring the sands of an oil bearing formation comprising in combination a series of spaced packer elements mounted at intervals in a single string of tubing of uniform diameter, means extending into said tubing and movable through said packers for consecutively setting each said packer and independent means for delivering uid pressure to the sands separated by saidpackers.

11. Apparatus for use in repressuring the sands of an oil bearing formation comprising in combination a series of packers spaced at intervals in a string of tubing of uniform diameter and located adjacent the natural separations between such sands, each of said packers including telescoping members, a series of yieldable members for releasably holding said telescoping members in an extended position, means for locking said telescoping members against movement in one direction and an expansible element carried by'said telescoping members, means for consecutively releasing the yieldable members of each said packer to consecutively. collapse said members and expand said elements lto separate said sands, and means cooperating with selected packers for delivering uid pressure to prede-l termined sands.

12. Apparatus for use in repressuring the sev-- -and clutch means carried by one of said telescopic members-and adapted to engage the other of said members for preventing relative movement between said members in one direction while permitting such movement in the opposite of each packer to release the spring slips of each said packer in consecutive order to collapse said telescopically arranged members and expand said expansible elements into engagement with said sands to separate the same, and a series of connected tubes cooperating with selected packers for delivering fluid pressure to predetermined sands.

FERDINAND J. SPANG.

. direction, common means for actuating the cams

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