US2507246A

US2507246A - Apparatus for supporting tubing during well completion

Info

Publication number: US2507246A
Application number: US687134A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward E Davidson; John R Doggett
Original assignee: Gray Tool Co
Current assignee: Vetco Gray LLC
Priority date: 1946-07-30
Filing date: 1946-07-30
Publication date: 1950-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1967-05-09

Description

May 9, 1950 E. E. DAVIDSON ET AL APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING TUBING DURING WELL COMPLETION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 30, 1946 Inventors" EDWARD E'. DAVIDSON JOHN R. DOGGETT Attorneys y 1950 E. E. DAVIDSON E AL 2,507,246

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING TUBING DURING WELL COMPLETION Filed July 50, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A c o P [6 L Y! 20 EE n l6 3 FIG. 4.

Inventors EDWARD E. DAVIDSON JOHN R. DOGGETT Attorneys y 9, 1950 E. E. DAVIDSON ETAL 2,507,246

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING TUBING DURING WELL COMPLETION Filed July 30, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6. 0 FIG. 8.

v 46 52 \i grail-35:?

I 5| 5o I i I 3 FIG. 9. i -E- T Inventors I EDWARD E. DAVIDSON JOHN R. DOGGETT KW MW Aflorneys Patented May 9, 1950 APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING TUBING DURING WELL COMPLETION Edward E. Davidson and John R. Doggett, Houston, Tex., assignors to Gray Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application July 30, 1946, Serial No. 687,134

2 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to apparatus for the safe completion of oil wells, wherein all necessary operations subsequent to drilling in may be performed with the well under complete con-- trol, and wherein the control equipment used for the above purposes may then be removed and replaced with the christmas tree for use during the flow life of the well.

In Patent No. 2,241,288 to Yancey, May 6, 1941, practical and successful apparatus for completing Wells is disclosed employing a, stuffing box hanger S which is landed and locked in a tubing head through control equipment as indicated in Figure 2 of the patent. The control equipment shown may then be removed and the christmas tree substituted as shown in Figure 3 of the patent. While this completion apparatus has proved successful in practical use, it is subject to some disadvantages which the present invention avoids. For instance, referring to Figure 2 of the said Yancey patent, it will be noted that the tubing collar C bears against the stuffing box gland of the hanger at a time when the entire weight of the tubing is supported on the hanger by this collar. As some thousands of feet of oil well tubing may be involved, the chances of injury to the stuffing box of the hanger are con-' siderable, and in fact, such injury has been found to result in practice. It is a purpose of our invention to provide equipment which avoids the above disadvantages, and without complicating the equipment which must be left as a permanent part of the well installation. An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a temporary support for the tubing which is available for use when needed, but which can be easily removed when its service is no longer required.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a removable support which makes unnecessary the employment of more complicated tubing head, hanger or special tubing collar designs, and it is a purpose of the invention to provide such a removable tubing support which can be lowered through the control equipment without at any time impairing the protective availability of the latter.

Referring again to the said Yancey patent, it will be noted in Figure 3 that a slip holder '74 and slips 72 are employed to support the tubing 30 when the christmas tree is being attached thereto. This involves a separate step or operation subsequent to the time when the control equipment has been removed. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate this separate step and the I ously present to support the tubing while attach- Iiiv ing the christmas tree. In accordance with the above, we have provided a removable tubing sup port, (and one capable of passing through control equipment) which supports and presents the collar to which the christmas tree is to be connected a sufficient distance above the flange of the tub ing head, whereby when the tubing head has been landed and the control equipment removed, the christmas tree may be immediately attached. Thereafter, the separable support may be easily removed so that the christmas tree is then per-. manently landed on the tubing head with the tubing suspended from the christmas tree in the manner discussed in said Yancey patent. During all of the above, the control and convenience of the stuifing box hanger is present, all in the manner-disclosed in said Yancey patent.

It will be understood that after attachment of the christmas tree and removal of the support,- the tubing may be elevated and manipulated through its hanger with complete control incident to the setting of production packers as disclosed in said Yancey patent. It is notable, that by reason of the use of the present invention, the marring or cutting of the polished upper end of the tubing which must pass through the stufiing box hanger is avoided, thus protecting, the seal in the hanger, whereas the use of slips, and the like as in the Yancey patent may injure said polished surface.

Various other objects and advantages of thisinvention will be apparent as the description herein progresses. In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of now well known equipment used during a stage of Well completion, showing the removable support of our invention preliminarily positioned for use. This figure may be compared with Figure 1 of the said Yancey patent.

Figure 2 is a part side elevational part vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus of; Figure 1, showing a subsequent stage of operations wherein the hanger has been landed and, the operation of the removable tubing support comes into play. This view may be compared: with Figure 2 of the said Yancey patent.

Figure 3 is a similar view, of a subsequent condition of the apparatus after the control equipment has been removed and at the time the christmas tree is being attached. This view may be compared with Figure 3 of the said Yancey patent.

Figure 4 is a similar view, but showing the necessity for introducing an agency not previ-ta; condition of the apparatus after the christmas.

tree has been landed and secured, and after removal of any tubing closure which ma have been employed for control, this view being comparable to Figure 5 of the aforesaid patent.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the two parts of the removable tubing support.

Figure 5 is a side 'elevational View of the tubin support with its parts assembled.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the assembled tubing support.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the tub ing support, taken along the line 8 8 of Figure '7, and

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional View at right angles to that of Figure 8 (along the line 9- 901 Figure 7) and indicating in dotted lines a manner in which the tubing may be supported. 7

In connection with the description below, it will be understood that now known safe completion practices are contemplated, as referred to in the said Yancey Patent 2,24 :1288, and reference is also made to Patent 2,148,327, Smith et ah, Feb. 21, 1939 for a further description of the safe practices with which the present invention is concerned, the present apparatus being intended as an improvement of the apparatus disclosed in both of said patents.

Referring to Figure l, the usual outside casing is shown at [6, attached thereto is a casing head [2 of the type adapted to receive a casing hanger carried at the upper end or an inside casing 14 of smaller size. Preferably, this casing hanger will be of the double tapered type as disclosed in Patent 2,082,413, Mueller, et a1., June 1, 1937, so that the next casing head or tubingheed 16 will seal with said hanger. Referring to-Fi'gure 2, the full opening tubing head i9 has an inside tapered seat l8 of a minimum diameter substa'ntially as large as the interior'diaineter of the casing I4, in order to receive ahanger (speciih cally a stuffing box hanger S of the type described in said Yancey patent) and has pressure prooi locking screws 20 which can be operated while the control equipment is present to lock the hanger in its seat as described in the patents previously mentioned. I

Returning now to Figure 1; it will be observed that the full opening control equipment is shown as including a master drilling valve M and any well-known form of blow out preventor B. This equipment is removably secured on the tubing head I6 and is or full bore to permit successful performance of all of the operations incident to well completion as referred to in said patents; the control equipment being of related size to that of the tubing head.

The tubing is shown at T, and when operations have reached the state of Figure 1 (i. e.; when tubing is to be run in), a stuf fing box hanger S is positioned on the tubing below a special collar C, whose construction is completely described in the said Yancey patent,- including its provision of a removable tubing back pressure valve. At this time, the removable support P of the present invention is slipped around the tubing be tween the hanger S and the special collar C. As clearly shown in Figures 5 through 9, the rmov able support comprises interfittin'g upper and

lower sections

25 and 26 respectively, which when assembled to the tubing as disclosed in Figure 6 and in Figure 1, forms a cylindrical support of diameter no larger than that of the hanger S and without any protruding parts which would interfere with complete freedom of use of the device.

As described in the said Yancey patent, and referring to Figures 1 and 2, the control equipment is properly manipulated to lower the hanger S to its seat and seal the well, as shown in Figure 2, and when the hanger is locked in its seat by the screws 20 (and with the inside seal provided bya back pressure valve in the collar C), the master drilling valve M and other control equipment may be safely removed. When this is done, the tubing is supported on the hanger S which sealed in the tubing head l6 by the weight of the tubing imparted to the hanger by the collar C through the special support P.

However, there is no weight carried on my of the sealing parts of the hanger, such as its 'st'ufling box. The possibility of injury to parts which would cause subsequent leakage i thereby avoided.

The special support P is of such vertical thickness that it presents the upper end of the special collar C in proper position for immediate threading to adapter A or any other device which comprises the lower end of the christmas tree, and without elevating the tubing or otherwise supporting it as by slips. The christmas tree is shown as including the smaller master manifold valve X. After the christmas tree is attached, as illustrated in Figure 3, the tubing may be slightly elevated and the sections of the special support P separated and laterally removed from the tubme, without breaking the tubing or in any way disturbing the control of the well, and thereafter the christmas tree is landed and bolted onto the tubing head. The back pressure valve may then beremoved from the special collar C in order that the well may be flowed under control of the christmas tree valve X as described in the Yancey patent.

7 As stated above, various manipulations of the tubing such as for setting packers, may be performed after the christmas tree is attached and before it is landed and permanently secured, as disclosed in said Yancey patent.

It will here be noted that the present apparatus makes possible the immediate attachment of the christmas tree when the control equipment has been removed. Furthermore, it Will be observed that all ofthe artsnecessary for attachment of the tree are already available when the control equipment is removed, and in addition, the actual attaching operation may be performed without having to support the christrnas tree relatively high in the well as in the said Yancey patent. V fteierringto Figure 5 the upper part 250i the se itlisem s w n -l ke emb r 30 h ing a central cylindrical opening 32 which opens out to the outer rim of the member through a 1'adia1 -slot 34 having width slightly greater than the tubing T. Opposite the slot 34; the upper section of the support has a depending his 3 5 which is just thick enough to fill a similar slot in the" lower section 26 ofthe support. The lowersectio'n has a ring'por'ti'on 38 with a slot at just wide enough to pass the tubing into its interior circular opening" '32 There is an up} standing lug {Mon this ring opposite the slot 40, and wiieri the" two parts are assembled as shown in Figures' 6 through 9, lug 44 fits in slot 34 and lug '36 fits in slotjlll; and the two parts thus form asleeve-li-l're support around the tubing. The support may be very conveniently taken apart to remove the device when no-loneer needed. Lock: ing screws 46 may be providedto'pass through vertical openings 48' in' ach of the sections of the sup er-t to lock the same together when properly assembled. It may also be found to be desirable to form the bore of the lower ring and the interior of the lug 36 with a. ledge 50 as indicated in Figures 5 and 9, as this ledge may be found useful to support projections on pipe which might not be of sufiicient diameter to rest on top of the upper section as in Figure 9. An annular depression 5! is formed around the bore 42 of the lower ring and a shallow depending portion 52 is formed on the bottom surface of the upper ring to cause said rings to accurately and firmly interfit with one another.

The stuffing box of the hanger S may be formed generally as shown in the said Yancey patent comprising compressible packing 23 to seal with the tubing, upper and lower follower rings, and a threaded gland 22 whose upper end is well below the upper surface of the hanger. If desired, a removable threaded ring 24 may close the lower end of the bore of the ban er. As will be observed, a depending ring 53 on the bottom of the support rests on the top of the hanger well above the s-tuffing box gland. In order to provide for proper seating of the supporting ring on the hanger, the lower ring 38 is of outside configuration tapering inwardly to the foot ring 53, which is of proper reduced diameter to rest on the top surface of the hanger S, and yet not enter the bore of said hanger to contact the stuffing box thereof. The taper of the lower ring is such that the foot ring 53 does not contact the inner pointed ends of the locking screws 20.

In accordance with this invention, a removable support is provided of size and shape for lowering through the control equipment, so that when the latter is removed, the equipment is immediately in condition for attachment of the christmas tree without moving the tubing or inserting any other parts not previously present.

We claim:

1. Completion equipment comprising a tubing head having an inside seat, a tubing hanger having an outside surface to seal with said seat and a bore for the tubing concentrically positioned with respect to said seat with a stufiing box therein having a gland terminating below the upper end of said bore, a temporary tubing support comprising upper and lower sections, each having a. central bore therethrough of diameter adapted to closely embrace the tubing, and having radial slots extending from said bore to the exterior of said sections adapting said sections for lateral insertion onto and around the tubing, each of said sections having an extending lug which fills the slot in the opposite section when said sections are assembled on the tubing, said sections when assembled forming a substantially cylindrical tubular support having an upper surface adapted to engage and support a collar on the tubing and having a body which tapers inwardly to a foot ring of diameter adapted to rest on the upper surface of said tubing hanger without entering the bore thereof, said hanger and support being of size and shape capable of being lowered through control equipment such as master drilling valve and blow out preventer of corresponding size with said tubing head.

2. Completion equipment comprising a tubing head having an inside seat and locking screws for locking the hanger in said seat, a tubing hanger having an outside surface to seal with said seat, and a bore to receive the tubing concentrically positioned with respect to said seat with a stuffing box therein having a gland terminating below the upper end of said bore, said hanger having a top surface around said bore which in turn is surrounded by a beveled surface for engagement by the heads of said locking screw, a temporary tubing support comprising upper and lower sections, each having a central bore therethrough of diameter adapted to closely embrace the tubing, and having radial slots extending from said bore to the exterior of said sections, adapting said sections for lateral insertion onto and around said tubing, each of said sections having an extending lug which fills the slot in the opposite section when said sections are assembled on the tubing, said sections when assembled forming a substantially cylindrical tubing support having an upper surface adapted to engage and support a collar on the tubing, and having a body which tapers inwardly to a foot ring of diameter to rest on said upper surface of said hanger without entering the bore thereof and without engaging th heads of said locking screws, said hanger and support being of size and shape capable of being lowered through control equipment such as master drilling valves and blow out preventers of correspondin size with said tubing head.

EDWARD E. DAVIDSON. JOHN R. DOGGETT.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 780,861 Buzard Jan. 24, 1905 2,241,288 Yancey May 6, 1941