US2142481A - Apparatus for raising liquids - Google Patents

Description

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J. P. STEPHENS ET AL Filed April 29, 1935 Jan. 3,' 1939.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING LIQUIDS Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES lll APPARATUS FOB MISING `QUIDS James P. Stephens,

Mllllehlrlldl Clarence l E. Steele, and William F. Flood. Oklahoma City,

swam anu ze, lass, serai Nn. isses 9Ciaims.

'l'his inventionk relates to apparatus for raising tubing. I 4 is provided with two spaced plates I1 liquids from wells, and in particular it relates to an improved type of gas lift pump for effecting raising of liquids, such as oil and water, from wells and drill holes.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for raising liquids from wells, which contains a minimum of moving parts, and Is positive and reliable in operation.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an apparatus for raising liquids from well and drill holes with a minimum amount of gas pressure and loss of volume thereof, and with a lower gas-liquid ratio than heretofore practical, and without the necessity of intermittently releasing or bleeding all of thel gas under pressure used in raising the liquid to the surface.

Still further objects and advantages of this invention will be appreciated and become more apparent upon a consideration of the following specification and the attached drawing, forming a part thereof, and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein,

Fig. 1 illustrates a vertical cross-sectional view of the apparatus for raising liquids,

Fig. 2 illustrates a modication thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a detailed modification of a valve which may be used in connection with the structures shown in both Figs. 1 and 2.

Although this invention is adapted'for raising various liquids from different types of wells and drill holes, one embodiment thereof will now be described in connection with recovering and raising liquids, such as oil and/.or water from drill holes and wells. In order to describe one concrete embodiment of this invention there is shown in Fig. l a vertical cross-sectional fragmentary view of an oil well hole illustrating the improved apparatus for raising liquids or the gas pressure lift pump, constituting one form of this invention, positioned therein. `The well hole is shown as lined with the usual casing pipe Il which extends to a depth Il, and below which is the bottom of the well hole I2, or the conventional shot hole. in which the liquids, such as water and oil, accumulate as they are forced thereinto by the rock pressure or bottom hole pressure on the producing stratum I3.y

A string of pipe or a tubing Il extends down into the well hole and terminates at its lower end,

adjacentthe bottom of the well hole, in a bull plug and Il which form therebetween a chamber Il. The size ci this chamber may yvary with 'the different conditions encountered in the bottom of the well hole, but when a high bottom hole `presi sure is present a relatively large chamber Il will be required to collect the liquid therein as will be later described. A valve cage and seat 2i are secured to the upper side of plate I1, and are provided with the valve 22, to control the inlet 22 to l0 chamber Il, and includes a valve stem 22 guided in the cage 20. A compressed spring 24 housed within the cage 2l serves to normally hold lthe valve 22 in a closed position, thus shutting oi! the chamber I9 from the bull plug I5 and the botll of the chamber Il, and is provided with the valve 25 32 to control the outlet 32' for chamber It, and includes a stem Il guided in the cage Il. A compressed spring serves to normally hold the valve 32 upon the seat 3|, thus permitting flow of the liquid and gas, as will later be described, l0

in one direction only, namely from the chamber I9 to the space 54 above plate I8 between pipes I4 and 40. The valve seat 3i has a depending collar portion 35, and secured thereto is a pipe or tube It which extends into the chamber I! to a $8 point adjacent the lower end thereof.

A second string of pipe or a tubing III, which constitutes a fluid pressure or gas line, extends down into the well hole within the tubing I4.

'I'he lower end of the pipe 40 extends through an 40 aperture in plate Il and establishes communication with the top portion of the chamber I l.

Inserted in the string of pipe 4l, and a considerable distance above the chamber Il and the valve 32, is a section of pipe 50 including the valve 45 seat 5I and a po'rt 52 formed in a side wall of the pipe section below the seat and in which is secured a tube 53 spanning the space Il, between the pipes 40 and Il, and which fits into a port Il formed in the tube Il, thereby establishing com- 50 munication between the interior of tubing 4I and the space Si between tubing Il and the casing Il. Within the pipe 5l is a valve 51 provided with a stem Il, the upper end of which carries a head 5I. Also within the pipe Il and above the valve I5 seat 5I there is formed a stop 60 for the compressed spring BI, and which by forcing against the head 59 retains the valve 51 in contact with the seat 5I. Upon the lower end of the valve stem 58 there is formed a head 52 having an orifice 63 and provided with the cylindricalsleeve or sliding valve 54 adapted to close port 52. Thus it will be seen that when the spring 5I is compressed, the valve 51 will be unseated and the sleeve 64 forced downwardly to close the port 52,A

and when the spring-6I seats valve 51 the sleeve 64 will be above port 52, leaving the same open. The valve 51, contained in the insert pipe 50, is positioned a considerable distance above the chamber I9 so that the liquid in the bottom of the well hole will not'be likely to reach a level sufiiciently high enough to choke the port 55, which is used as an exhaust and the full function of `which will be described later.

In the operation of the gas lift pump above described the same is lowered into the well hole `by means of pipes I4 and 40 until the bull plug I5 is adjacent the bottom of the hole I2, at which time the various parts will be in the positions il-l` lustrated in Fig. l. With the gas'lift pump in thisposition, `the liquid forced out of the oil bearing strata I3 and into the bottom of the well hole l2 by the rock or bottom hole pressure will, along with any Water present, enter through the apertures I5 into the bull plug I5, andas the liquid level and pressure therein builds up the liquid will be forced through inlet 22 and into the chamber I 9 when the pressure is sumcient to overcome the force of spring 24 and open valve 22. It is now apparent that chamber I9 will contain considerable liquid, such as water and/or oil, or

may be completely filled with some liquid standv ing in the lower end of the pipe 4II.` A fluid under l pressure, such as gas or air, is now supplied from the surface and forced down the pipe 40 and the pressure will be sufiicient to compress the spring 8i and force the valve 51 open, and at the same time cause the sleeve valve 64 to close the port 52which connects with thetube 53 and leads to the space 56 between pipes I0 and I4. The gas or` air under pressure will continue on down pipe 40 and enter the chamber I9 building up therein a. pressure suilicient to overcome the bottom hole pressure on the liquid in the bull plug I5 and to close valve 22, and so prevent the escape through the` outlet 22', of the fluid under pressure and the liquid already contained in chamber I9 and to guard against the entrance of additional liquid. It is not only desirable to prevent the escape of iluid under pressure from chamber I 9 so that the same may not be lost, but also to prevent it from getting into the well hole and forcing against the stratum I3 and so preventing the recovery of `the oil therein. The pressure will continue to build up within the pipe 40 and chamber I 9 and ultimately the liquid will be forced up into pipe to openvalve 32, against the action of spring 34 and the Weight of any liquid which may be in pipe I4, and force the liquid through outlet 32. The oil will then be above the plate I3 in the space 54, and at this time the introduction of further air or gas under pressure through pipe into chamber I9 is discontinued with the result that valves 51 will be forced to close by spring 6I, and valve 32 will be closedby the action of spring 34 and the weight of any liquid in the pipe I4.` This leaves the pipe 40, both above and below the valve 51, and the chamber I9 lled with air or gas under considerable pressure and which holds valve 22 closed, thus preventing the oil al4a-isi the use of such a pump as here ,described that the bottom hole pressure builds up to the point where it will balance or overcome the air or gas pressure in chamber I5 and cause the oil to flow thereinto, therefore means are provided whereby the pressure in chamber I5 may be vented or bled to reduce or exhaust the pressure therein so as to allowy the bottom hole pressure to again nil the chamber I9 with liquid. Means for doing this constitutes the sleeve valve 64, secured to valve stem 53, and which when the valve 51 is closed opens the port 52, thus allowing the air or gas under pressure in chamber I5 and in pipe 4B below the valve 51 to escape by port 52 through tube 53 into `the space 55 and so reduce or exhaust the pressure in chamber Il and yet maintain the volume of air `orgas under pressure in pipe 4II above the valve 51.

With the pressure in chamber I5 now reduced or exhausted, the liquid by virtue of the bottom hole pressure, or the level thereof, will now be forced or raised up into the inlet 22' and enter chamber Il. Additional air or gas under pressure supplied by mechanical means controlled at the surface is then reintroduced into pipe 4l, the pressurein which has not been materially exhausted or bled. From pipe 4l the air or gas under pressure is supplied to chamber il to again force the oil therefrom up into pipe I4. At such times air or gas is being applied through pipe the valve 51 is open, due to the air or gas under pressure flowing downwardly therethrough, and the port 52 closed by the sleeve 54.

The above described operation is repeated at intervals as the air or gas under pressure is intermittently supplied` through pipe 40, until, depending upon various well conditions, an appreciable column of liquid is built up in the space 54, between the pipes I4 and 40, at which time the air or gas pressure is then turned on and applied through pipe 40 as described for a time suiilcient in length to lift the entire column of liquid in pipe I4 to the surface.

The above describedoperation of the apparatus for raising liquid constitutes a complete cycle of operation and is repeated at intervals, and in this `ment of the present invention, and as the majority-of the parts thereof are identical in both structure and operation with the embodiment lllustrated in Fig.1, only the essential parts thereof and the parts not present in Fig. l will be described in detail. In this embodiment there is present the conventional casing pipe III, which extends to a depth I I. The bull plug I5, the valve 22, chamber I5, `pipe 35, valve 32, and pipe 4l and their associated parts are, or may be, identical in both operation and structure with those illustrated in Fig. l. It will be noted that in Fig. 2 there is present the casing pipe Il and only one string of tubing, namely pipe 4I, while in Fig. 1 there is utilized the casing pipe Il and the two strings of tubing., I4 and 45.` The insert 55 including the valve 51, stem 5l, sleeve valve 54 and port 52 are substantially identical to the insert 5l and its associated parts as shown in Fig. l except the pipe 53 is dispensed with and one or more parts 52 communicate directly with a space 1l between the casing I I and the string of tubi113 4l.

The bull plug II and the chamber il may be integral, or formed separately by any suitable members such as tubing or pipes, and then assembled. As illustrated, a packer body Il is secured to, or integral with the upper rend of' ther plate il to connect chamber il with pipe 40.

The packer neck Il is provided with a threaded portion Il to facilitate removal of the fluid pressure lift pump in the event the string of tubing Il should break, and also has formed therein a plurality of apertures l5 through which the liquid escapes into the space 'Il after leaving chamber Il through outlet 32'. y

The operation of this embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 is substantially the e as that described in connection with th embodiment shown in Fig'. 1, except .that in the structure disclosed in Fig. 2 the entire device is lowered into the well hole by the single string of pipe 4I, and when in place the packer li and anchor 82 are set and together they form a seal between the bottom of the well holeand the upper portion 1I thereof, and also serve to support the pump in the hole. Furthermore the ports l2, when not closed by the sleeve Il, are in direct communication with space 'Il for bleeding or exhausting the pressure in chamber Il, the pipe Il', and the portion of pipe 4I below valve l1.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a modified type of valve which may beused to supplant the valve I1 as used in the structures shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This valve includes the pipe insert Il and contains a valve seat Si. valve 02, and a stem l! which is guided in the cage Il and has a pointed end il. A spring within the cage normally tends to maintain the valve seated. The insert ll is provided with the ports Il which are connected by the transverse tube 91 in alignment therewith, and includes on its upper face an orifice I! communicating with the internal bore of' the tube and the ports 98. Formed integral with the valve seat Il and`cage u, or secured thereto, there may be provided a yoke III, which terminates in a screw threaded head Ill for facilitating the removal of the valve assembly for repairs or adjustments. e

When the valve assembly above described is used to supplant the one shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and air or gas under pressure is being forced down the tubing 4l and through the insert Il, the valve Il will .be opened by the air or gas pressure against the` action ot spring Il. As the valve opens, the stem l is forced downwardly until the point II thereof Vseats in orifice thereby preventing the escape of air or gas under pressure through the tube 91 and ports When the pressure in the tubing Il is decreased the valve I! will be closed by spring thus opening the orifice l allowing the pressure in the tube and chamber below to escape or bleed oi! through the or gas under pressure to the pump above described in relatively snort intermittent impulses that a considerable amount of liquid from the well hole will soon be built up in the pipe above the liquid accumulating chamber without the necessity of bleeding or venting the air or gas under pressure in the entire string of pipe leading to the chamber, and that by then applying the air or gas under pressure to the chamber and allowing it to fiow for a sumcient time all the liquid thereabove will be raised to the surface, thus effecting a material savings in the volume of gas or air needed to raise the liquid and reducing the gasliquid ratio to a minimum.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. In a fluid pressure litt pump for raising liduids from the bottom of well holes to the surface including a chamber for the accumulation of the liquid, a pipe for introducing fluid under pressurev into said chamber to force the liquid therein to the surface, the combinationtherewith ot a valve in said pipe to control the introductionof fluid under pressure into said chamber, anda vent in said pipe to exhaust the fluid under pressure in said chamber without loss of fluid'under ypressure in said pipe, said vent comprising a tubular member extending transversely of and through said pipe, and having an oriiice therein for the escape therethrough of fluid under pressure-.from vsaid chamber and pipe, and means integral 'withsid valve to open and close said oriiice.

2. A uid pressure operated device for raising liquids from well holes, the same comprising a tubing pipe extending into the well hole having formed integral therewith va liquid accumulation chamber provided with an inlet and an outlet. a second tubing pipe within and spaced from the first said tubing pipe andv extending into said accumulation chamber for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, a valve in said pipe to .control the introduction of uid under pressure into said chamber, a vent tube extending from andi-oonnecting the interior of said second tubing pipe with the space exterior of said first tubing pipe for exhausting fluid under pressure from said chamber, and a closure for said vent tube formed integral with said valve and operable to open said vent when said valve is closed.

3. A fluid pressure operated device for raising liquids from well holes, the same comprising a tubing pipe extending into the well hole and supporting therefrom a liquid accumulation charn-l ber of uniformly continuous diameter and oi the same diameter as said pipe and having formed therein an inlet and an outlet, a second tubing pipe within and spaced from the first said tubing pipe and extending into said accumulation chamber for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, a valve in said pipe to control the introduction of fluid under pressure into said chamber, a vent tube extending from and connecting the interior of said second tubing pipe with the space exterior of said first tubing pipe for exhausting fluid under pressure from said chamber, and a closure for said vent tube formed integral with said valve and operable to open said vent tube when said valve is closed.

4.4 A fluid pressure operated device for raising liquids from well holes, the same comprising a liquid accumulation chamber having a uniformly continuous diameter, a tubingv pipe extending into said chamber to support the same and to supply fluid under pressure thereto, a valve in said tubing pipe to control the admission of fluid under pressure. and a vent in said pipe for exhausting fluid under 'pressure from said chamber controlled by said valve.

5.Afiuiripressure i'bmu'mtecldevicetoi-raising75 liquids from a well hole to the surface, the same including a tubing pipe extending into the well hole, a tubular casing of uniformly continuous Ydiameter suspended therefrom, spaced division plates transversely arranged in said casing and forming therebetween an accumulation chamber for liquid, a valve controlleddnlet formed in the lower of said plates, a valve controlled outlet formed in the upper of said plates, a secondV thereto of duid under pressure, an orice in said tubing pipe below said last valve, an orifice in said first tubing pipe opposite said iirst mentioned orifice. and a pipe connecting s aid oriilces for the escape therethrough of the fluid under pressure from said chamber when the application of pressure thereto is discontinued.

6. A uuid pressure operated device for raising liquids from a well hole to the surface, the same including a tubular pipe extending into a'well hole, a tubular casing of a uniformly continuous diameter suspended therefrom and of a larger diameter than said tubing pipe, spaced plates positioned in said casing to divide the same into an intermediate portion constituting a liquid accumulation chamber, an end portion forming a bull-plug, and another end portion constituting an outlet chamber, a valve controlled inlet in one of said plates, a valve controlled outlet in the` other of said plates, said tubular pipe extending through said outlet chamber and into said liquid accumulation `chamber for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, a valve in said tubing pipe to control the admission of fluid under pressure to said chamber. and a vent in said tubing pipe exterior of said accumulation chamber and a considerable distance thereabove for exhausting the fluid under pressure from said chamber when saidtubing pipe valve is closed.

'1. In a device for raising fluids from a well hole having a casing therein, a single tubing nient on the end oi' said tubing string providing a chamber, a packer positioned between said enlargement and said casing, spaced, division plates in said enlargement providing a liquid accumulation chamber therein, inlet and outlet valvesin said plates, respectively, a conduit placing said tubing string in communication with said liquid accumulation chamber, a valve in said tubing string for controlling the admission of an actuating fluid under pressureto said chamber to force the accumulated fluidtherefrom, said tubing string provided with a port for the exhaust of actuating iluidfrom said chamber, and a valve for controlling said exhaust port.

8. A fluid pressure operated device for raising liquids from well holes, the same comprising a liquid accumulation chamber, a tubing pipe extending into said chamber to support the same' and to supply fluid under pressure thereto, a valve in said tubing pipe to control the admission of fluid under` pressure, and a vent in said pipe for exhausting fluid under pressure from said chamber controlled by said valve.

9. A device for raising liquids from a well comprising a liquid accumulation chamber in said well hole having an inlet and an outlet for liquid, a tubing pipe connected with said chamber for supplying fluid under pressure thereto and exhausting fluid therefrom, a valve in said pipe for controlling the admission of said fluid under pressure to said chamber, said valve having a sleeve portion slidably engaging said tubing pipe, a vent insaid tubing pipe adjacent said sleeve and adapted to be closed thereby in the fluid admitting position of said valve.

. JAMES P. STEPHENS. CLARENCE M. RADER. FRANCIS E. STEELE. WILLIAM F. FLDOD.

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