US2203796A - Method and means of perforating well casing and the like - Google Patents

Description

waiullm ..vv lllnhsvloOOO OOO O 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor FRAN/f E. ONE/LL B F. E. o'NElLL I Filed Jan. 26, 19:59

lrlllf :Affili METHOD AND MEANS 0F PERFOBATING WELL CASING AND THE LIKE June 11, 1940.

June ll, 1940. 4 F. E. o'NElLL 2,203,796

METHOD AND MEANS 0F PERFORATING WELL CASING AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. ze, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 Emmi Ir'ufenor' FRA/wf E. ONE/L1.'

42 i tiorney Patented June l1, 1940 METHOD AND MEANS OF PERFORATING WELL CASING AND THE LIKE Frank E. ONeill, Glendale, Calif., assignor to Edith L. ONeill, Glendaler Calif.

Application January 26, 1939, Serial No. 253,009

6 Claims.

vices and guns which operate underthe force of an explosive charge. In the present instance, as

disclosed generally in the above issued patent, I have utilized the abrasive action of a liquid normally found in the well and which when directed against the surface of a well casing will implnge against that surface with sufficient force to erode an opening through the casing and to penetrate the geological formation back of the casing. In the perforation of set well casings a problem always arises if an attempt is made to perforate the casing in the area where a joint occurs when lengths of casing are cemented in. In such areas it will be evident that contiguous lengths of casing will be in overlapping and telescoped relation to each other and that between the overlapped faces of the casing a thickness of cement will occur. This makes it necessary to perforate an inner thickness of metal, an intermediate thickness ofcement and an outer thickness of metal if a perforation is attempted at such a joint. This operation is very difficult to achieve with mechanical perforating devices but may be accomplished readily by the method of uid perforation here disclosed.

In perforating an overlapping joint of casing and an intermediate thickness of cement with a liquid under pressure it is necessary to pursue a 40 method which will insure that the force of pressure of the jet will not be dissipated within the layer of cement which occurs between the two walls of pipe since such an action would prevent the outer pipe wall from being perforated. It is 45` the principal object of the present invention,

therefore, to provide a method and means of perforating well casing by the use of a fluid under pressure and in a manner to insure that the perforating jet will penetrate a plurality of layers of casing wall and cementwhereby an opening will be formed completely from the interior of the casing to the surrounding bore of the Well.

The present invention contemplates the provision of means whereby a nozzle structure will 5o act to direct a jet of liquid under pressure against a casing and to interrupt or establish jets of fluid under pressure as the perforating action progresses in a manner to insure the complete penetration of a plurality of wall thicknesses.

The invention is illustrated by way of example 5 in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section and elevation disclosing a perforating device set within a well and associated with a fluid pump.

Fig. 2 is anl enlarged view in section showing l0 the lower end of the perforatorand the emergency circulating valve. v

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section shown on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 showing the details of construction of a perforating nozzle with which the 15 present invention may be accomplished.

` Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section through the perforating nozzle as shown on the line 4 4 4of Fig. 3.

` Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View show- 20 ing the action of the perforating nozzle and indicating the nozzle structure in an intermediate position. l

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the nozzle structure in its nal position to complete 25 the perforation.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View in section and elevation showing another form of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in vertical section so and elevation showing means for moving and adjusting the perforating unit.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

I0 indicates the mud pump usually used in connection with Well drilling operations to circulate 35 the drilling fluid. Connected to this pump is a hose II which is attached to the grief stem carried by the swivel head I2. The swivel head is supported from the usual traveling block of the well rig but is not shown in the drawings. Mounted upon the swivel head is a length of drill pipe I3 which extends downwardly into the well and carries the perforating structure I4 with which the present invention is concerned. The perforating structure I4 is here shown as including a 45 plurality of cylindrical units I5, the details of `which are shown in Figs. 3 to 6 of the drawings.

At the lower end of this assembled set of units is a set of gripping slips I6 associated with a hook wall spring unit I'I. Below this spring unit an 50 emergency circulating valve structure I8 is carried.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 6 of the Y drawings, it will be seen that the units I5 are formed at one end with a threaded pin I9 and 55 in this instance extends upwardly into the drill liange 3 I.

tively small jet opening 36.

string and acts as a strainer for the uid which is forced downwardly through the string into the various perforating units.

Formed transversely of the body'of each of the perforating units I5 is a cylindrical bore 23. This bore is closed at its rear end with a solid threaded closure 24 and at its forward end with a threaded nozzle plate 25. Slidable within the bore is a ring-shaped piston 26. 'I'his piston is an annular member having a central fluid space 21 therethrough. A strainer plate 28 is secured to the piston by a threaded nut 29 which also holds a packing ring 36 in position. The packing ring 30 isforced forwardly against an annular The piston ,is free to slide longitudinally of the bore 23 and is limited in its rearward movement by a sleeve bushing 32 which `lines the wall of the bore for a portion of its length. This bushing 32 is held in position by the closure plate 24. It will thus be seen that the forward edge of the sleeve 32,' as indicated at 33, will limit the rear retracting ,movement of the piston 26 as the piston is forced away from the nozzle plate 25 by the coil spring 34.

The nozzle plate 25 is here lshown as formed with two jet openings therethrough, a lower relatively large jet opening 35 and an upper rela- In some instances the nozzle plate may be made with but one jet opening, as will be hereinafter described. The

lower jet opening is formed with a tapered seat 31 at its inner end. 'I'he upper jet, opening is substantially of 'the same diameter throughout its length.

.Mounted upon the piston member 26 is a boss 38 which has an outer tapered face 39 from which a pin 40 projects. The pin 4l! is designed to reciprocate through the lower relatively large opening V35 and when it has moyed outwardly withthe piston to the length of its stroke the tapered face 39 on the boss 38 will engage and seat against the tapered seat 31 of the opening. This will seal the opening 35, and since the openings 35 and 36 are both in communication with the supply of liquid under pressure within the bore 23, the fluid will then exit through the openingv 36 only. By this arrangement a lower perforation 4I will be cut through the wall of the inner casing section 42, after Which a jet of fluid from the upper opening 36 will cut a perforation forating unit.- Mounted along the outer face of the conical portion is a plurality of gripping Slips 48 having teeth which will bite into the wall of the casing 42. These slips are suitably supported upon yieldable arms 49 and are carried upon a 'collar 50 of the spring basket structure I1. The

spring basket structure is of the usual hook wall type commonly associated with casing packers and includes a plurality of spring bows 5 I, which may be flexed outwardly to frictionally hold the basket in position Within the casing while permitting the conical member 41 to move downwardly and force the slips 48y outwardly against the casing wall. A usual bayonet slot 52 and pin 53 cooperate to hold the hook wall springs in their unflexed position until it is desired to set the structure in a well. The mandrel 46 extends downwardly through the structure l1 and engages a sub 54 which carries a ball seat 55. A lower sub 56 is threaded to the ball seat and carries a nosepiece 51 which acts to guide the drill string and perforatingv structure down the hole. The 'mandrel 46 is tubular. The sub 56 has a central passageway 58 therethrough which is in communication with a passageway 59 in the sub 56. A plurality of radial openings 60 extend from the passageway 59. By this structure an emergency circulation of fluid can be produced from within the casing,` then upwardly through the passageway 58 which is sealed against downward ow of liquid by acheck ball 6I. The uid may then ow upwardly into the mandrel and through the perforating device to the drill string since the various transverse bores 23 of the perforating units are in communication through passageways 62.

Referring particularly to Fig. '7 of the. drawings, it is seen that the nozzle plate 25 will be shown as there formed with opening 36 and no other opening.

As previously stated, the purpose of this invention is to provide a method and meansv of perforating a plurality of spaced casing walls between which material, such as concrete, occurs.

In the form of theinvention shown in Fig. '1 of the drawings the nozzle plate 25 is formed with a single opening. 'I'his opening provides a jet of fluid under pressure as indicated at 64. The perforating structure is set at a lower position than indicated in Fig. 7, -uring which time an initial perforation 4I is cut through the inner casing wall 42. It has beenfound, however, that in view of the presence ofv cementitious material between the casing walls 42 and 45 the action of the jet of fluid after cutting the opening 4I is decreased and the force of the cutting liquid is dissipated in the material representing the layer 44 and particularly for the reason that the spent liquid must force its way back out through the opening 4I and against the inflowing jet of liquid.

The result is that the outer casing wall 45 is not Y penetrated'. When, however, the perforating structure is raised so that the opening 36 is at another level a second perforation will be made as indicated at 65. As the cutting action con- -tinues through the intermediate layer 44 this intermediate material will be channeled, as indicated at 66, so that it may flow out through the previously cut opening 4I. Thus the spent liquid will not offer resistance to the inflowingjet of liquid and will result in cutting through the back wall 45, as indicated at 61.

It is to be understood that various means may be provided for moving the perforating structure to set the jet openings at a suitable level to produce a second perforation. A form of set structure has been shown in Fig. 8, which comprises a sleeve 68 secured to the drill string I3 and having within it a threaded portion 39. Extending upwardly into the sleeve is a threaded mandre] Ill which is rigidly secured to the perforating unit- I4 and projects upwardly therefrom. The threaded mandrel is tubular to permit circulation of fluid therethrough and is provided with suitablepacking 'H and 'i2 to prevent leakage.

that a second perforation may be cut in the pipe.

In order that the method shown and described with reference to Fig. 7 may be carried out with greater accuracy and so that the perforation may be completed at one setting of the tool, meansare provided, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings, for automatically diverting the stream of cutting liquid from perforation 4I when it has been completed. This is accomplished in the present instance by the action of the pin 40. When this particular structure is used the perforating tool may be set in the well and manipulated so that the slips 48 will grip the side wall.

It is to be understood that while the nozzle plate 25 is here shown as being arranged with the nozzle opening 35 beneath the nozzle opening 36 it is possible to reverse this arrangement or to dispose the nozzle openings in a plane atany angle to the horizontal or in a plane lying horizontally so that the openings would be side by side.

By way of example the operation of the invention will be described as shown in the drawings, where it will be seen that the device may be lowered into the well, after which the slip structure is set to place the perforating tool with relation to the casing. Fluid is forced down the drill string from the pump IIJ, this fluid being drilling fluid which contains a normal proportion of abrasive material, or if desired may be so'me special liquid. Fluid passes through the perforations in the perforated nipple 22 and then down through the various perforating units I5, where it will flow through the passageway 62 into the transverse bores 23, and will at the same time flow on down the next succeeding units through the passageway 62. While the liquid is within the different bores 23 a sufficient pressure will be created to force the piston element 26 of each bore outwardly and away from its seat 33. This will tend to compress the spring 34. At the same time the liquid will pass through the central opening 21 of the piston regardless of whether or not the strainer 28 is in place. The liquid which passes through the center opening 21 of the piston is under pressure and in the initial stages of the operation of this device liquid will flow out of the relatively large nozzle opening 35 and the relatively small nozzle opening 33 and will flow along and around the pin 40. The force of the pressure against the piston will move the pin 40 so that its outer end abuts against the surface of the casing wall 42. Abrasive action will then takeplace around the pin 40 and upon the casing wall so that an opening 4l will be cut eventually. When this takes place the material of the intermediate layer 44 will rapidly make way for the end of the pin 40 until the conical portion 39 of the boss 38 abuts against the tapered seat 31 at the back of the nozzle opening 35. This will interrupt the flow of cutting liquid through the nozzle opening 35 and will cause the entire pressure of the liquid to be exerted upon the jet 34 passing outwardly through the nozzle opening 36. The jet will then cut the opening 43 in the plate 42 and will penetrate the intermediate layer 44, after which it will channel out, as indicated at 'i6 and permit the spent fluid to move away from the jet and the cutting area while a nal opening "I3 is cut in the outer casing wall 45. It will thus be seen that by the method and means here shown it is possible to perforate a plurality of layers of material having different cutting characteristics by an abrasive cutting action such as produced by the impingement of a stream of liquid against the surface to be penetrated.

While I have shownthe preferred form of my method and means of carrying out my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A method of perforating a laminated member with an abrasive uid under pressure, which comprises directing a jet of said fluid through the surface lamina while forming a perforation therewith and directing a jet of said lluid through said surface lamina at a point adjacent to the point of said first perforation whereby the spent luid will be relieved from the perforating area through the flrst perforation until the second perforation has been formed entirely through the member. 2. A method of perforating a laminated member comprising hard laminae and an intermediate relatively soft lamina with an abrasive uid under pressure which comprises directing a jet of said fluid through the hard surface lamina while forming a perforation and directing a jet of said fluid through said hard surface lamina at a point adjacent to the point of said rst perforation whereby the spent fluid will be relieved from the perforating area through the first perforation until the second perforation has been formed entirely through the member.

3. A method of perforating well casing including telescoping casing sections with an intermediate layer of cement, which method comprises projecting a jet of abrasive uid under pressure against the surface of one casing section until said wall has been penetrated, then projecting a jet of uid through the surface of the said casing section and through the intermediate layer of cement and the outer casing section while permitting the spent fluid to be relieved from the perforating area through the rst perforated section.

4. A tool for perforating well casing which comprises a body member adapted to be lowered into a well as supported by a string of pipe, a laterally disposed discharge chamber within the body member and in communication with a string of pipe whereby fluid under pressure may be conducted thereto, a nozzle platev at the outer end of said chamber having a pair of jet openings therethrough, a movable member extending through one of said jet openings and adapted to contact the casing to be perforated, pressure actuated means within the chamber carrying the movable member and forcing it outwardly, and cooperating valve means on the nozzle plate and the movable member whereby when the movable member has advanced a predetermined distance said valve means will close to cause the fluid to pass outwardly through the other nozzle opening only.

5. A tool for perforating Well casing which comprises a body member adapted to be lowered into a well as supported by a string of pipe, a laterally disposed discharge chamber withinA the body member and in communication with a string of pipe whereby fluid under pressure may be conducted thereto, a nozzle plate at the outer end of said chamber having a pair of jet openings therethrough, a movable member extending through one of said jet openings and adapted to contact the casing to be perforated, pressure actuated means within the chamber carrying the movable member and forcing it outwardly, cooperating valve means on the nozzle plate and the movable member whereby when the movable member has advanced a predetermined distance said valve means will rclose to cause the uid to pass outwardly through the other nozzle opening only, and means associated with the structure for holding the body member in a set position with relation to the casing.

6. A perforating device through which an abrasive uid under pressure is delivered, a jet opening therefrom through which a jet of said uid may be directed against an object to be perforated, a second jet opening through which a jet of said abrasive uid may be directed against the object to be perforated, and means acting automatically to interrupt a ow of uid through the rst jet opening when a predetermined depth of opening has been formed.

. FRANK E. ONEILL.

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