US2377981A - Well flowing means - Google Patents

Description

Jun 12, 1945. R. G. TAYLOR, JR., ET AL v 2,377,981

WELL FLOWING MEANS r libri INV EN 1 OR.

2 Shee'cs-SheeI -2 /sA myd/va 6. Ima/e Je. BY [a6/m WELL FLOWING MEANS Filed DGO. 6, 1941 G. TAYLOR, JR., ET AL June 12,` 1945.'

Patented June 12v, '1945 .t t Y l UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE' WELL FLoWING MEANS Raymond GQ Taylor, Jr., and Edgar D. Wilde,

Dallas, Tex., assignors to The Gniberson Corporation, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Application December 6; 1941, Serial N0. y421,890

8 Claims. (Cl. 103-231) This invention relates to improvements in apthat it was necessary to lowera weightbarfto the paratus for and method of owing wells. first valve and unload progressively down from Various gas lift methods have heretofore Ibeen the top to the bottom. This would take much proposed to cause the oil to flow from a' well. time which might run into hours and it further Various methods and apparatus adapted to perrequires much manipulation lby the operator to form the methods have been proposed to unload `definitely locate precisely where each valve is lothe well. This invention relates to a very simple cated. In our invention the weight =bar to opermeans of accomplishing both of the above results. ate the wire line valves operates only the lowest It is well known that initially the oil will flow valve andv'the well is unloaded automatically fromV from a well but as the pressure in the producing 10 the Statie Uid level OWII t0 the Wire lihe Valve sands decreases, the well will cease to flow and through 4the stage valves located nbOVe it and itis then necessary to resort to some means to rewhich stage valves are not Wire line Operatedr cover the oil which will rise to a certain height in The circulation of preSSllre fluid iS then reversed the we11. Many methods for pumping this on or so that the pressure huid would new downwardly aerating it have heretofore been suggested but through the Casing `and upwardly through the diiliculty has generally been encountered in untubing when the weight bar opens the wire line loading the Well when aeration apparatus is emvalve near the bottom of the well. 'I-'his is the Dloyed. One of the objects of this invention is to DrOeedllre Which would be f0110Wed When We desire overcome the said dillculties. to intermit through the tubing and in this case In the preferred embodiment of our structure the Well iS lirllOaded 'through the easng- 0f the tubing carrying the aeration apparatus is Course. if We desire t0 lrltermit through the CaS- lowered in the well. The oil is standing in the ing the well would he unloaded through the tubwell at a height possibly 900 ft. from the surface ing- We prefer t0 ntermt threugh the tubing and yet the well may be several thousand feet and believe that this practice Will generally be deep. We propose to force compressed air or followed, but case an operator desired to ingas through the. tubing and to provide at given termit throughthe casing, it is quite obvious that` Vpoints in the tubing aeration valves so that the the reverse procedure would be used from that compressed air can ilow from the ytubing intothe employed when intermitting through the tubliquid in the casing and eject the same andl after ing but [both ideas are comprehended within this the on has been ejected from the easing through invention. In either case, we have provided a verythe successive aeration valves the pressure fluid simplified and quick methodof putting a well on may be cut oi from the tubing and introduced production.

into the casing. We propose to employ a valve Another dbject of this invention is to provide near the [bottom of the tubing, which .valve can structure and a method of using the same wherebe operated by a wire line and which valve when 25 by excessively high pressures will not be required. open will afford the sole means for the introduc-4 Compressed eil' Pressure 0f 300 PellndS Per tion of the compressed air from the casing into square inch is readily available and withV such the tubing, the mst-mentioned aeration valves pressure we find that we can quiekly unload 0. performing no function in\this latter operation. well even though the well may extend for thou- When the compressed air is introduced into the sands of feet below thetstatic fluid level.

tubing it raises the oil therein to the surface. We propose a means for unloading the well by This wire line valve may be operated at interforcing/the oil from the tubing into the casing vals found to be most suitable to each wells in stages and then removing the oil in the cascharactexjistics to lift fluid in the tubing tothe ing to the surface in stages,` or if We inter-mit surface. The means for operating the wire line through the casing, this process is reversed. In

' maybe any suitable means, such as pressure fluid, this we use a more or less automatic system of electrical or' mechanical means' or even. manual using one or a series oifkick-ofi' valves for uncontrol, or it may be arranged to b'e operated inloading purposesl and one wire line .operated valve termittently by clock mechanism or any suitable for intermittlng purposes, the wire line valve betiming apparatus. v A 50 ngplaced below the kick-off valves andl near the One of the advantages of this invention over` n bottom of the well.

`other surface control gas lift systems lies in the At the extreme bottom' of the well we propose to' lfacility with which a well may ice unloaded. In use'a check valve to prevent the oil fromilowing one 4type of apparatus heretofore suggested a downwardly from the tubing into the prndu;` series of wire line valves have been operated so ing formation. Sometimes such a valve becomes clogged with sand or other deposits. In our lmproved structure we provide a means ,whereby this check valve may be cleaned and kept free from below Fig. l, Fig.l 2 being considered as a continuation of the lower portion of Fig. l;

^ Fig. 3 is a transverse view. partly in cross-section and partly in elevation, of. an equipment somewhat similar to what is shown in Fig. 2 but constituting a modiiication, in part, of the equipment shown in Fis. 2;

Fig. .4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a check valve of a kind shown in Fig. 1, the movable part of the valve being shown in elevation:

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a modication of the wire line valve shown in Fig. 2, certain of the parts being shown in side elevation;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a por' tion of the equipment shown in Fig. 3,-oertain of the parts being shown in side elevation.

LIn the drawings in which similar reference characters are used throughout to designate similar parts, a pipe I is connected to a suitable pump or compressed air chamber and serves as a means to introduce the compressed air into the tubing Aor the casing as the case may be. A T-coupling 2v is connected to the pipe I and connected to'this T-coupling are short pipes 9 and 4. 'I'he pipe 4 is connected to the tubing 5 and is provided with l a valve'fl't. Pipe lis connected to the Acasing 9 and is provided with a valve 1. An exit pipe^9 is connected to thel tubing l and is provided with a valve I0 An exit pipe II is connected to the casingil and is provided with a valve I2. Both of the pipes 9 and II are connected to an exit pipe I9 by means of a T-coupling I4. It is obvious that pressure iiuid may be introduced into the casing through the pipes I and 3 it the valve 'I is opened and the valve l is closed and the compressed an may be introduced into the tubing if the valve 9 is opened and the valve 1 is closed. It is likewise obvious that if the valveA Il is opened the contents of the. tubing may be .evacuated through the pipe 9 and likewise it the 'valve I2 is opened the contents of the casing may be evacu ated through the pipe I I.

The tubing i is provided with a series of check valves I 5. 'I'hese check valves are placed suitable distances apart as will be hereinafter more fully,

- connection I9 which is screw threaded to a valve chamber I9 which is Provided with holes 2l near Lits lower end... -The valve 2| is provided at its lower end with a conical valve portion 22 which seats on the valve seatlformed at the upper end tion of the tubular connection I8 is aplug 23 which is provided with an orice 24. This orifice plug 23 is to limit the amount of pressure fluid that can pass out to the holes 20. The size of the oriiice is determined so as to be of such size to sufciently aerate and lift the iiuid in the casing without unduly wasting the gas. Where a series of these valves are employed, the size. oi.' the oriiice may vary,thesmallest oriiice being at the top and progressively increasing in size in the valves below the same. The top of the valve chamber I9 is closed with a top cap 25 which is provided with a T-shaped vent hole 28 so as to prevent the trapping of the gases above the valve 2I.

While we have suggested the use of a. series of such check valves for wells in,which it would be desirable to unload for a great distance, it is obvious that in shallow wells only one such check valve may be required and in very shallow wells it is possible that no check valves at all ywould be required. A lug 21 is vprovided above each of the valves to protect it to prevent the valve from being v"knocked oil.' when the tubing is pulled from the well.

Near the bottom of the well We provide a packer 29 to seal the space between the tubing and the casing.l A short distance above this packer we provide a wire line operated valve 29. As shown in Fig. 2, a connection I0 is secured to the outside oi' the tubing and has secured therevtothe valve 29. A slot 3l is provided extending through the lower portion oi' the connection 90 and the tubing and a fulcrum pin 32 is carried. by the connection-99 and extends laterally across the said slot. On this iulcrum 'pin is mounted a bell crank lever 33 having a cam portion 34 projecting intovthe tubing where it may be engaged v or electrical means or maybe operated by hand or a clock mechanism. The bell crank lever Il is provided with an arm 99 in the connection'l which underlies a push rod 99 which raises the valve member in the valve 29 so that compressed` In Fig. 5 substantially the'samel arranger-nentis shown as described in connection with Fig. 2.

The bell crank lever 9 9 is provided at its lower end with a nose 42 which` engages a stop 43 on the tubing, thereby' limting.' the unward' movement oi'the 'bell crank lever as it is urged into the tubing by the spring 44I. The connection 39 is screw threaded at its upper end and receives a connection 44 which is screw threaded to the valve housing 45. As a matter of fact, the connection 44 and the valve housing 49 are made in two parts simply for simpliiication of construction and they in fact form a valve housing. The

member 44 is provided with a ,valve seat 49 which of the tubular connec on Il. In the lower poris encased by a valv 41. The upper end of the ...ai fr contact with the nose of the cam valve 41 is provided with an enlargement 48 and a spring 49. is interposed between the cap 50 and the enlargement 48, the spring serving as a means to urge the valve against its valve seat. The

connection 44 is provided with the holes 40 which 'lead into aV chamber 5I within the connection 44. This chamber is in communication with a passageway 52 when the valve is raised from its l valve seat and the passageway communicates with a passageway', 53 leading into the tubing and extending through the connection 30. The valve is raised off its valve seat by means ofa push' rod 54 connected to a screw threaded tappet" 55 and a lock nut 56 may-be used to adjust the push rod 54 for height. ,y It is', therefore, obvious that when the weight-35 is lifted so as to engage the nose of the cam portion 34 oi. the lever, the valve 41 will be raised oil of the valve seat 46 and-compressed gas could pass from the casing into the tubing or vice-versa depending upon the differential of the pressures in the tubing and in the casing.

In Figs. 3 and 6 we have shown a modiiica- V tion of the structure used in connection with the wire line operated valve. In these views the wire line valve is operated precisely as heretofore described.. The connection 44', instead oi?r having a passageway leading downwardly and communieating with the interior of theA tubing, is provided witha closure 51 through which extends a bleeder hole 58. It is also provided with holes 59 which communicate with a passageway 60 in a. sleeve 6I and which .passageway communicates with a passageway in a tube Ii2v which extends into a packer head 63 which extends through and forms an air tight engagement with a packer 28. This packer performs the same function as the tubing through the passageway I1 of the upper valve I5, raising the valve 2| and this oil would pass out through the holes into the casing, thereby raising the level of the oil in the casing and depressing thelevel of the oil in the tubing.` This differential in these levels could not exceed 900 feet with a 300 pound pressure. As av matter of fact, if we depressed the oil in the tubing for 805 feet, We would raise the oil in the casing 95 feet which would give us the max-J imum possible differential in levels.. If, therefore, we placed the upper valve I5 at 1,600 feet below the surface ofthe ground or 600 feet belever 33 against the 'tension ofthe spring 4I so as to elevate the push. rod 39, the valve 41 is raised and compressed air can pass through the holes 40,` downwardly through the-connection 44',

through the holes 59 into the passageway 60 and thence downwardly through the tube 62 into the chamber 61, and upwardly through the bottom of the tubing 5. It will be notedthat the compressed air is, therefore, forced almost to the extreme bot-tom of the well andthat the rush of fluid and gas by the standing valve l68 effectively cleans the same of sand or scale particles and removes any accumulated debris that might tend' toL causethe standing valve to become stuck in either its open or` closed position. .In order to make the operationA clear, we will assume for the purpose of illustration that the well is 4,500 feet deep but that the static iluid low the static iluld level. this valve would not only cause all the oil above it to be passed from the tubing into the casing, but after it had done this the compressed air would exert a pressure of about 66 pounds per square inch at the passageway I1 and therefore the compressed air in the tubing would pass into the casing, elevating, all of the oil above the topmost valve to the surface Where it would pass out through the valve I2 and pipe II into the outlet pipe I3. If we placed the next valve 700 feet below the topmost valve the compressed air in the tubing would then .repeat the above-mentioned operation and expel all of the oil between the topmost valve and the valve '100 feet lbelow it out through the second valve and would then blow out the oil thus ejected into the casing lso that it likewise would pass out through the exit pipe I3. We would suggest that in the above cited illustration thatV the'valvesshould be placed approximately '100 feet apart so as to give ample pressure to elevate the oil in the casing. The r100 feet suggested is purely an arbitrary figure. It would not be well to place the valves the entire 900 feet apart for while the compressed air at 300 pounds pressure would expel the oil in the tub-` ing into the casing, there would be. no pressure remaining to aerate the oil, thatfis, the air passf ing through the passageway I1 after the oil was thus forced into the casing would not have any pressure behind it and we would not, therefore, wish to place the valves a full 900 feet apart. Of course, in the above remark in regard to placing them 900 feet apart, the oil in the casing would be more than 900 feetl above the oil in the tubing when the oil betweentwo successive valves had been completely displaced from the tubing into the casing were it not for the factthat' all oil above the'next highest valve would be expelled by the higher valve. We think that a differential pressure of about 66 pounds per square inch between the tubing and the casing exerted through the passageway I1 would be a safe figure touse to cause initial movement of area of the tubing and of the casing is l to 8 and the gas pressure available is -300 pounds. It is the oil in the casing. If desirable, however, the valves may be placedclosed tgether than 700 feet so as to have a greater pressure for lifting purposes. Under any condition,y however, we would use the requisite number of` valves such as the valves I5 and space them a suitable distance apart to force the oil in the tubing from the tubing into thecasing and then to lift the oil in the casing to the surface. 'I'he number of valves that might be used will -dependupon the depth of the well, what was its static iluid level andhow far apart we spaced the valves. In the illustration used above. when we considered that the well was 4500 feet deep and where the static nuid level was at 1,000 feet from the surface, and if the valves are placed '700 feet apart, we would. place the topmost valve at 1,600 feet, the next valve at' 2,390 feet, the third' valve at 3,000 feet and the fourth valve at 3,700 feet. The fifth valve would be placed at about 4,300 feet below the surface and this ilfth valve would be the wire line operated `valve. The weight Il would bev raised and the oil would-move through the passageway 53 upwardly by the valve 41 and .out through the holeslll so that this valve in this case would serve the same function as the valve I5. The spacing of' the valves as given in the foregoing explanation is based on a compressed air pressure of 300 lb./sq. inch. It is obvious that other pressures may beused and the spec# ing of the valves as heretofore described will var! directly as the pressure. The higher the pres- 20 sure, the wider will be the spacing that may be used, and vice versa. It is not intended to imply that the pressures and spacing oi' the valves as given herein must necessarily be followed in all cases, but are merely given as an example. By g5 the above described'method and with the use of the above described apparatus we are, therefore, l able to quickly and virtually automatically unload the well. In other words, with the weight bar set so as w open the wire line valve and by 30 operating the above-mentioned connections above the surface of the ground, the well is unloaded automatically from the static duid level to the lowermost valve.

After unloading the well, would be closed and the valves 1 and i0 would be openedv sb that'the compressed air from the inlet pipe .i would pass into the casing where it would be trapped until such time as the weight 35 was raised so as to open the wire line valve 4o 29. The compressed air would not pass through the valves I5 into the tubing for the valve member 2| would prevent this. The oil would build up in the tubing until the'wire line was raised so as to open the wire line valve 2l and then 45 the compressed air would D585 into the tubing from the casing 'through the hole llkan'd would lift the oil in the tubing to the surface. As above mentioned, the wire line maybe operated by a,A

timing mechanism so as to'remove the oil in 50- the tubing after a given.` interval of time, or it may be manually operated. Whenever the weight is lifted, however, the compressed air in the easing passes through the wire line valve into A'the tubing and lifts the oil in the tubing to the sur- 55 face where it passes out through the pipe I and the exit pipe il.

The structure shown in Figs. 3 and 6 might advantageously be used where it isdesired to remove all the oil in the tubing from the vex- 30 treme bottom of the tubing and 'where it is desired to clean the standing valve, Il. In this case the compressed air in the casing would pass through the holes Il when the weight 3l had caused the rod 39 to b'e lifted so as to move the e5 valve 41 from its seat and will thn pass downwardly through the tube I2 into the chamber 51 where it would pass into the extreme bottom of the tubing, cleaning the standing valve and lifting all of the oil in the tubing in the4 surface. I0A This, of course, would occur only whenthe weight 35 was lifted -forotherwise uncompressed air would pass from the casing. into the tubing. Any gas that might become trapped in the chamber Il could, after the valve is closed, escape up 'Il the valves l and i2 ss through the tube l02 and sleeve Il and could escape through the bleeder hole 5l.

While in Figs. 5 and 6 we have shown springs above the valves and have not shown a ,spring above the valve in Fig. 4, we desire it to be understood that afspring can be used to depress any of these valves, or they can be permitted to fall by gravity as the particular manufacturer or operator may desire.

While we have decsribed our invention by way of illustration, we realize that many changes might be made in the specific form of the invention as shown in the drawings and herein described and Without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore,'desire to claim the samebroadly, except as we may expressly limit` ourselves in the appended claims.

Having now described our invention, we claim: l. In combination with a ilow line and'acasing, a series 4of normally closed check valves on the iow line at successive ,elevations to preventb passage of compressed gas or foil from the casing into the ilow line while allowing compressed air or oil to flow therethrough from the iiow line to the casingI and a wire line valve on the ilow'line below the check valves and serving as a means to intermit through the ilow line.

2. In a well having a ilow line and abcasing, a valvev which when open forms a passageway between the iiow line and casing and when closed prevents the passage lof oil or compressed gas from the casing into the now line, a lever to operate said valve, a portion of said lever projecting into the ilow line, a wire line, a weight on the wire line and within the ow line to con-vI tactvthe part of the lever projecting into the flow line when the weight is movedy by the wire line so as to operate said lever and open said weight in the flow line which may be operatedv to actuate said actuator and -rod and thereby open said valve. A

4. In a well having a now line, a valve mounted on the now line to provide a passageway to and iro'mthe flow line,a 4lever projecting into the now line, means operatively connecting said valve and lever and adapted to be moved intov or out of engagement with said valve, a weight in the ilow line which may be operated to actuate said leverand thereby open said valve, a wire line to raise or lower said weight, and means tocause said lever to be partly projected yinto the path of movement of the weight when the weight is removed from adjacent said lever.

5. In an oil well-having a now line, a valve on said flow line, a passageway extending into said now line and adapted to be opened .or closed by said valve, 'a lever partly projecting into the now line, means operativelyconnecting said valve and lever and movable into or out of engagement with said valve, a wire line, a weight en said wire line and adapted to actuate said lever. to

open. said valve when the wire line is operated to move weight into operative contact with the lever and means tocause said lever tobe partly projectedv into the path of movement of the weight when the weight is removed from adjacent said lever.

6. In an oil well having a iiow line and a casing, a plurality of normally closed check valves at successive elevations on said now line, each of said check valves being closed at all times except when the pressure in the flow line e'xceeds/the .pressure in the casing at the point where any flow valve is positioned, said check valves being used for unloading through the casing and a `wire line operated valve below the check valves, said wire line operated valve being used for intermitting through the flow line.

7. In an oil well having a flow line and a casvlng, a conduit for compressed gas, a pipe extending from the conduit to the casing and another pipe extending from the conduit to the ow line, a valve in each pipe so that by closing one may be introduced into the casing or vice-versa,

means whereby when the compressed gas isy introduced into the flow line the well is automatically unloaded in stages and means whereby when the compressed gas is introduced into the casing after unloading, the oil in the ow line is intermittently evacuated. f

8.r In an oil well having a tubing and a casing, means to introduce compressed gas into the tubing, means to automatically unload in steps valve and opening the other the compressed gas

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