US2341832A - Apparatus for introducing fluid into openings - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 15, 1944. M. M'. VERHEUL ET A1.

APPARAJTUS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID INTO OPENINGS VFiled May 1e, 1940 aigri',

M.v M. 'VERHEUL ET Al.-

Filed May 16, 1940 APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID INTO OPENINGS Feb. 15, 1944.

patnted Fb 15p APPARATUS ron IN'rRoDuclNG FLUID rN'ro orENrNcis`l Maarten M. Verheul, Ernest L. Potts, and Edward K. Lane, Houston, Tex., assignors to Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company, Duncan, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Application May 16, 1940, Serial No. 335,494 l s claims. (criss- 11i This invention relates to a device for introducing fluid into an opening and particularly for forcing cement into a well casing in place in a well, and comprises a tool or apparatus through which liquid cement may be pumped into a perupper section is perforated as shown at I at about its middle and has nearits lower end a 'stufng box il. Attached to .an upper operating section of the tubing I2 is a small pipe I3, which forated section of the well casing and out throughy said perforations into the space betweenA the casing and formation.

One object of the invention is to provideA a device which can be readily and easily lowered or. raised within the casing, by providing means by which flow may take place in either direction vertically past the device at any time.

Another object is to provide a device in which.

after the well has been cemented at a given point,

any cement remaining within the casing may be washed back into the tubing.

A further object of the invention is to provide isl adapted to be moved longitudinally, as by the tubing I2, through the stuiilng box II and lungitudinally of the upper section. The upper sectionll has an inverted J-slotM formed in its wall a device which can be reset and used in a well a multiplicity of times without being removed from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device with which circulation through the well either above or below the packers of the cementing device may be maintained -or accomplished at any time.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and the accmpanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one embodiment of the device, with the well casing in section, illustrating the cementer with the parts in position as when lowered into the well;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section with 'the parts in said position;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in longitudinal section showing the device with the parts in position for cementing, the parts being shifted to permit liquid cement to be forced through a suitable conduit to the point at which the casing is to be cemented;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of the invention;l

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the device shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view similar to a portion of Fig. 4 showing in vertical cross section the cement discharge nozzle.

Referring to the drawings, the tool is shown y inserted within the usual oil well casing which is generally indicated at 8. T-he tool is preferably made up of Aa plurality'of 'tubular sections, com

prising an upper ,section l, an intermediate section 8, anda lower section 9, all fastened together at their ends as by threads or couplings. The

, andthe pipe la 'is ntted 'near its upper end with a block I5 having a pin IB guided and working 'within the slot. By turningv the tubing I2 the pin may be disengaged from the upper part of the J- slot whereupon the pipe can be moved downwardly in the upper and middle sections 1 and 8. This pipe I3 is perforated at I1, which perforations, when the pipe is in its uppermost position, are above the stufiing box II, so that While the tool is being lowered the circulation of the well can be continued, the liquid being forced downwardly through the pipe I3, and thence out through the perforations I1 and Ill into the casing. It will be noted that when the pipe I3 has been moved downwardly in the section 1. and through the stuffing box, that the perforations I1,

in this position of the device, lie below the stuffing box I I and open into the intermediate section 8 as shown in Fig.v 3.

The 'lower section 9 has attached thereto near its lower end a 'lower upwardly facing cup shaped packer member l. I8 andnear its upper end a double .upper packer member comprising a pair of oppositely lfacing cup shaped packer members I9 and 20. Extending downwardly within and from the upper end of this section is a relatively small pipe 2i leading to an outlet port 22 in the wall of the section, said port communicating with the space 23` between the upper and lower packer members I8 and 20. It will be noted that the casing is perforated as at 24 between the upper and lower packing members or sealing cups and it is these perforations through which the cement is to be forced to seal the formation opposite these openings as well as to plug the openings themselves. Also at its upper end this lower section is perforated as at 25 to provide a communicating passage or by-pass from below the lower packer I8 to a point above the upper packer I9, or between the lower end of the section and an upper part of the well casing. The lower end of the lower section 9 is capped by a perforated cap 26 having perforations 21 therein.l

It will be seen that the tube I3 with its ports I1, forms a sort of valve for transferring uid from the well tubing I2 either into the well casing through the ports ID as when circulating mud prior to. after, or between cement jobs or, when it is lowered until its ports Hopen into the section 8 (as shown in Fig. 3) will direct the flow of fluid cement to the tube 2| and thence out through the perforations 24 to do the cementing lob.

In the operation of the device, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the device with the parts in the position they occupy while it is being lowered into a well. While the parts are in this position it Will be seen that ow may take place up through the lower end of the device or cap 26 and out through the perforations 25 just above the packer. This forms a by-pass which makes it possible .to move the device down into the well rapidly and after the cementing has been accomplished to remove the device from the Well rapidly without great resistance, the fluid in the well when this device is being removed .taking the reverse path from that taken when it is being lowered. Duringl the time the device is being lowered or raised'. fluid may also be pumped down through the tubing and out throughthe perforationsgi and I I- in the elements l and I3 as shown in'Fig. 2, to maintain circulation in the well. Theelements 1 and I3 are held in their relative position during this time by means of the pin kI6 carried on the block I of the element I3 and in engagement with the J-slot I4 in the element 'I. L Y

When it is desired to pump cement into the well and out through the perforations 24 in the casing, the device is placed so that .these perforations will lie between the expanslble sealing cups I8 and 20. The tubing is then rotated tomove the pin I6 in the slot I4 and to allow the element |3 to move downwardly with respect to the elements 1 and 8 until it occupies the yposition shown in Fig. 3. Cement may now be {pumped'f'down through the tubing, and inasmuch as the perforations I'I in the element I3 lie below the stuffing box II, this cement will be pumped down through the passageway 2| and out through the port 22 into the space between the packers I8 and 20. The cement will then be forced out through the perforations 24 in the casing to accomplish cementing of the casing. When'the cementing job has been completed circulation may be reversed and iluid pumped into the-'casing at the upper end thereof between the casing and the tubing. This fluid will pass inthrough the perforations 25 and down around the outside of the pipe 2| and out through theperforations 2l. Inasmuch as the fluid so pumped cannot be forced downwardly into the formation at the bottom of the well under ordinary circumstances, and in many cases the bottomy off-,the well will be closed with a cement plug or the like previously set, this fluid will force itself'lupwardly past the packer I8 and into the lower'nd of the space 23 between the packers I8 and 20. When this occurs the excess cement within the space 23 will be forced back into the passageway 2| and upwardly into the tubing. Thereupon,the upper portion of the tubing together with the element 3 may be lifted again and these parts reset in the position shown in the Figs. 1 and 2 and the device may be removed from the well or moved to another position in the well for 'further work.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, this is a slightly modified form. In this form the tubing 26 is directly connected by means of a collar 21 with a tubular member 28 having a lateral opening or openings 29 therein adjacent its upper end.

The lower end of the tubular member 28 is seascissa y i cured by a collar-like fitting 33 to the upper end of a tubular body 3|. This tubular body 3| Just below the fitting 30 is provided with lateral openings 32 and below these openings with packing means 33 and 34. In the present instance. these packing means take the form of what is customarily referred to as sealing cups and each provides a seal against flow in one direction only. The upper sealing cup 33 is adapted to bear against the inner wall of a casing and form a seal against downward flow, whereas the sealing cups 34 are adapted to bear against the inner casing and form a seal against upward flow around the outside of tubular body 3|.

Threadedly engaging the lower end of the body 3| is a fitting 35 which has passageways 36 therethrough in a longitudinal direction and a lateral opening 3l, which does not communicate withr the passageways 36 but which communicates with a central opening closed at its lower end as shown at 38 and communicating at its upperl end vwith an'upwardly extending tubular memberY 39 Withinl'the body 3|. The upper end of this member 39 is provided with a sealing ring 40 above the lateral Openings 32 so'as to prevent therow of any fluid between the 'body 3| and the upper end of the tubular member 3 l Extending downwardly from the tting 35 is a tubular section 4I, which is secured by a collar 42 to a second tubular body 43. Surrounding this tubular body 43 are additional sealing cups or packings 44 so positioned as to prevent downward flow within a casing about the b ody 43 but permitting upward ow.

Appropriate guards or the like, such as 45 and 46, may be positioned above or below the sealing rings just referred to.

The lower end o f the body 43 isprovided with lateral openings 4'I and is vpreferably closed against axial flow as shown at 48.

Surrounding the tubular member 28 and slidable thereon is a sleeve-like valve element 49 having stuffing boxes 50 and 5| at its opposite ends which form slidable seals about the exterior f of the member 28.. This valve element;l is also provided with springs 52 or the like adapted to engage the inner wall of' a casingandifrictionally tending to hold the' valve element 49 stationary with respect to the casing.

In operation, the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is similar to that previously described in connection with Figs. l, 2 and 3. However, lin the lowering of this last described device the springs 52 will be in constant engagement with the casing and the valve will occupy its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 45;, With the valve in this position any ilow downwardly through the tubing 26 will, of course, be forced. throughthe member 39 and out through the openings 31" into the' space between the packers 34 and 44. Being unable to escape upwardly or downwardly from this space such fluid wouldbe forced through any openings inA they casinginto the formation or if there were no openings in the 'casing'no ow could take place.

.When it is desired to cause circulation through the lateral openings 29l the tubing is raised a short distance thus'leaving the sleeve valve 49 in its position adjacent cthe lower end of the tubular member 28 as illustrated in Fig. 5;

It will be appreciated thatn fluid may by-pass the packers in this form of the invention exactly as in the previously described form at any and all times and that the cement remaining between the packers 34 and 44 after a cementingjob has Y low said,paclrers4 so that iiuid may bypass said fluids in other desired locations. within various types of openings and it is intended that this invention be not limited to use as a cementing L` tool.

Having described our invention, we claim 1. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a tubular body member,` a pairv of opl posed packers on said body member positioned to form a seal with the inner wall of a well casing and prevent flow from the space between the packers in either direction, one of said packers being a one way packer to permit ow toward said space, said tubular member having openings above and below said packers sothat fluid may by-pass said packers, and tubing for supporting said tubular body, means for conducting uid from said tubing through said body to the space between said packers, and means for opening said tubing laterally above said packers.

2. In al tool of the class described, the combination of a tubular body member, a pair of opposed packers on said body member positioned to form a seal with the inner wall of a well casing and prevent flow from the space between the packers in either direction', the lower of said packers being a one way packer to permit upward iiow past the same into the space between said packers, said tubular member having openings above and below said packerssothat iiuid may by-pass said packers, atubing for supporting packers, a tubing for supporting` said tubular body, means for conducting fluid from said tubing through said body to the space between saidk packers, said tubing having a lateralvopening therethrough above said packers, and avalvev lpackers in either direction, said tubular member having openingsv above and below said packers so vthat fluid may by-.pass said packers, a tubing for supportingsaid tubular body, means for conducting uid from Vsaid tubing through said body to the space between said packers, said tubing having a lateral opening therein above said packers and said tubing being movable longitudinally with respect to said tubular :to f vclose vand open said lateral'openingsf .y i ,Y

5. In a toolf of-"the'class described,` the combination of a tubular fbody memben''a pair of oping and preventlowfrom the'space between the packers in either direction, said-tubular member posed'packers on said body Amemberpositioned to forma seal with the inner wallof Va'well cashaving opening above and: below said packers so that iiuid mayby-pass said packers, a'tubingfor supporting said tubular bod-y'andlrigidly secured to said body, said tubing having' a.v lateral opening therein above said body, means vslidable on said tubing to open and close' said laterali opening, and a part on said last mentioned means for Y f frictionally engaging a f'zasing" at'all times'. 1

said tubular body, means forr conducting iiuid from said tubing through said body to the space between said packers, and means for opening said tubing laterally above said packers.

3. In a tool of vthe class described, the combination ofka tubular body member, a pair of opposed packerson said body member positioned to formL a seal with the inner wall of a well casing and prevent flow from the space between-,the packers in either direction, one of said packers being a Oneway Ypacker to Apermit owpastthe tubular member having, .openings fabovei-andf. .be-

tion."

same intoV said space between the packers, said-350' 6. A tool for cementing wells, comprising upper, lower, and intermediate tubular sectionsfthe upper section .being perforated, aperforated pipe movable longitudinallywithin said section and communicating with thev intermediate section, said lower section having perforations near its upper end, a pipe-within said lowersection communicating with `.the 'intermediate section and terminating in a port in the wallof saidy lower section, upperv and lbwerfpacke'rs* mounted Ion' the .,4

lower section above and 'belo w the port, -and a perforatedvcap" -th botto ndof the lowersec-

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