US2293442A

US2293442A - Well cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2293442A
Application number: US333738A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh A Montgomery
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-05-07
Filing date: 1940-05-07
Publication date: 1942-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1959-08-18

Description

Allg 18, 1942. H. A. lvionlrcsoh/IERY l2,293,442

WELL CLEANING APPARATUS Filed May '7. 1940 www Patented Aug. 18, 1942 IUNIT-E D S PATENT 0F51 2,293,442

WELL CLEANING-APPARATUS Hugh A. Montgomery,Houstcn, Tex.

Applcation'May 7, 1940, Serial No.333,7=38

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful im provements in well cleaning. apparatus.

It has been found advantageous to introduce various solvents, acids, and other chemicals into well casings and/or tubings to reduce and eliminate the deposition of parain. A common practice is to introduce a solvent or reagent into the well bore at intervalsto dissolve or clean out anyparaln which may have deposited on the wall of the well casing or the well. tubing. However, this solvent or reagent has been introduced into the upper part of the well and allowed to flow downwardly. Obviously, to properly wet the wall of the well casing or tubing with the reagent, a suiucient quantity must be introduced to allow some to liow into the oil sands. This is very detrimental to the well and often causesV a well to cease flowing altogether.

One object, therefore, of this invention is to provide an improved well cleaning apparatus, whereby thesolvent or reagent may be introduced into a section or portion of the well below the upper end thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved well cleaning apparatus, whereby the solvent or reagent may be introduced in any desirable .amount directly into the well stream owing through the well tubing, and whereby the amount and frequency of introduction of the solvent or reagent may be positively and readily controlled.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved well cleaning apparatus which is simple in structure, and which may be readily disconnected frorn the tubing string to allow the latter to be withdrawn from the well bore.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved well cleaning apparatus which may be attached to a section of ordinary tubing string, thereby eliminating the necessity of special tools or operations and reducing the cost of the apparatus.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other' features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specication and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic View of a well cleaning device, constructed in accordance with the invention, mounted on a tubing string in a well bore,

Figure 2is a longitudinal sectional view,oshow ing the'structure of the connecting member,

FigureiS. is Ya viewin. elevation taken atright angles to Figure 2, and

Figure Y4 is a horizontaL; cross-sectional View taken on theline 1 -lof Figure 3.

In the drawing, ther numeral I!! ,designates the tubing string whichis lowered into a well bore or casing. An elongate valvebody II of blister like shape is Welded, or otherwise suitably `fastened, to the outside of one tubingsection `I2 of the ,tubing string IB at any point at which it isl desired to introduce solvents or reagents, and a .check valve I3 is positioned therein. Any desir-able type of check valve may be used in the valve body. It has been found advantageous to use the valve and valve bodyillustrated in the drawing. The body I I is. formed with a substantially semi-circular cross-section, andhas its upper and lower ends rounded. The rounded ends greatly reduce thepossibilityof the bodys catching on a collar or some other obstruction in the well bore as the tubing israised or lowered. A longitudinal bore I3' is provided in the valve body. The lower portion of the bore I3 is. reduced and formed with internal left-.hand screw. threads I. The threads I4 receive and engage the left-hand screw-threaded lower end I5 of a string of relatively small tubing or pipe I6. The left-hand screw threads, connecting the pipe I6 to the valve body, allow the pipe to be disconnected by right-hand rotation and withdrawn from the well bore, leaving the tubing I0 free to be withdrawn.

A counterbore I1 extends downwardly from the lower end of the bore I3', and terminates at a point spaced from the lower end of the valve body. The upper end of the counterbore I1 carries internal screw threads I8 for receiving an annular internally screw-threaded valve seat I9. A valve ball 20 is conned Within the counterbore between the valve seat I9 and a coil spring 2I positioned in the lower portion of the counterbore. Thus the valve ball is constantly urged upwardly by the spring 2I to engage the seat IS and shut off communication through the seat and the bore I3. Pressure acting downwardly through the valve I3 will unseat the valve ball and allow uids to flow downwardly, while pressure acting upwardly upon the valve will only serve to seat the valve ball tighter against the seat I9.

A radial port 22 extends from one side of the counterbore Il at a point below the valve ball to the outside wall of the tubing section I2, and

lformed of the usual sections or lengths 24, which lare coupled by means of collars 25. The pipe nextends from the upper end of the valve I3, up 'the well bore to a pump 26 situated at or ad- .jacent the top of the well bore. Any suitable type or design of pump, such as a steam or gas pump, a motor pump, or a hand pump, may be used at the upper end of the pipe I6. If the `-well is being pumped, the pump 26 may be connected to the usual pump jack so as to operate --with the latter. Also, if desired, a second check 'valve (not shown) may be placed in the pipe I6 -at a point adjacent the pump 26 to protect the fapparatus in the event the valve I3 is held open Joy foreign matter entering between the ball 20 rand the seat I9. The second check valve is not necessary to the operation of the device, but merely furnishes an additional safeguard against the leakage of the well fluid upwardly through :the pipe I6. In addition, a pressure gauge (not shown) may be connected to the pipe I6 to indicate the pressure present therewithin.

Suitable solvents or reagents may be pumped fdown the pipe I6, through the valve I3 and the :orice 23, into the Well stream flowing through `the tubing string I0. The solvent or reagent will Vlbe carried toward the top of the well by the lowing well stream, and will loosen and dissolve Ythe paraffin deposits present on the inside wall of the tubing string.

Manifestly, the apparatus as described hereinbefore, offers many advantages. The solvent or reagent uids used will remain standing in the pipe I6 at all times, due to the fact that it will not exert sufficient pressure to open the valve I3 and drain into the tubing section I2 against the well pressure and the spring 2I. Under these conditions, as much or as little fluid as deemed suitable may be pumped through the pipe into the well stream. This allows the apparatus to be used under the widely varying conditions encountered in diierent wells. The injection of the fluid is positive, due to the action of the pump 26, and is carried out in such a manner as to cause the fluid to be carried upwardly by the well stream or flow. Obviously, the valve body II may be placed at any desirable point in the tubing string IU, so that the tubing will be treated from any such point to the surface of the ground.

The device may be used to inject fluid solvents, acids, reagents, hot water, steam, and other desirable fluids, into the tubing of an oil well or any other type of well. The invention is not to be limited to use with paraffin solvents.

As the amount of treating iiuid and the length of treatment usually varies from well to well, no particular operating procedure may be stated. The device may be operated continuously or intermittently as the particular well requires, Various changes, alterations and modifications may be made in the size, shape and arrangement of the herein described elements, within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A cleaning apparatus for wells including a conductor formed with a passageway through which the well stream flows, and provided with an inlet communicating with the interior of the passageway, a hollow blister-like body having its marginal edges rounded and merging into the periphery of the conductor and provided with a port communicating with said inlet of the conductor means detachably connected to the body for conveying a cleaning agent into the body and therethrough into the well stream, said inlet being below the top of the well whereby the agent upon encountering the well stream will be carried upwardly by the stream, and said body being intimately welded at its margin to the periphery of the conductor to prevent the escape of the cleaning agent through the joint between the body and conductor, and a check valve in and movable longitudinally of the body and located above the port thereof, to prevent the well stream from entering the cleaning agent conveying means.

HUGH A. MONTGOMERY.