US2531942A

US2531942A - Well cementing device

Info

Publication number: US2531942A
Application number: US730346A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lee Francis Hampton
Original assignee: Baker Oil Tools Inc
Current assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
Priority date: 1947-02-24
Filing date: 1947-02-24
Publication date: 1950-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1967-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1950 F, H, LEE l 2,531,942

WELL CEMENTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 24, 1947 Patented Nov. 28, 15950 2,531,942 WELL onMENTrNG DEVICE Francislimrtn Lee, SanPed-ro, Salif-assigner tto Ba'kfui Ouf T0015. IHG': Yefrnpnf, Cami-1, 31.00;.'- iaoeiifa of @einem Application February 24, 1947, Serial No. 730,346

(C lj,` 25l. ..8

fir-Gleime 1.

The present invention relates. to Well cement.- ing devices, andmore particularly to sideported cementing devices adapted to form part oi a well casing, lineark or similar conduit string.

Anobject of the present invention is to pro videA an improved. sidev ported cementing device adapted` to forrnpart of a. well casing, liner or similar conduit string, which is of, compact and comparatively simple construction, maintaining the overalloutside diameterof. thedevice to a minimum, the side ports of the device being opened and'closed. by manipulation. of the. conduit string.

Another object ofthe invention is.. to provide a side ported cernenting devive. adapted to.. form part of a Well casing, liner or similarA conduit string, whose side portscan be opened and Closed by manipulationof, the conduit string, and in which any tendency for. the parts to become plugge'dor, fouled is largely, if not entirely, elim? inated.

This invention hasother objects and aspects which will become apparent from a consideration of. the embodimentshown. in the rawings acf, companying and forming part of the. present specication. This form, will noW-bedescribed in detail, butit isy tobe understood thatsueh def tailed description isf'not tobec taken in lallirnited sense, since the scope of the invention is best dcned by the claims appended hereto,

-Referring to thedrawings:

Fig.'1.is al longitudinal View,l partly in releva; tion and. partly'in section, of the device, with its. parts intlieir initial positions ,Y closing. the ports.

Fig; 2. is a .partial longitudinal -4 section. of the device, withthe partsin port opening position,

Fig.,3 isa' View similar to Fig. 2,. with the parts, in position to reclose the ports.

As disclosed in Athedrawings, the device, in the form .of a collar A adapted. to constitute. part of a string of well casing by beingA connected to upper and' lower casing sections B, C and securel ing the latter in longitudinal spaced relation. Although specic reference is made in this de scription to av well casing and casingsections., it is Yto be understood that the invention isalso applicable to liner and similar conduit strings.

The apparatus includes an upper outer tubu-L larnmember IQ adapted to be threaded onto an upper casing section B, and a lower inner tubular member Il adapted to be threadedV within. or onto a lower casing sectionC. The two members are telescopically arranged with respect to-each other, with the lower member Il Vdisposed within theupper member ID, their interconnection being obtained by straight external :threads l2 on the lower member engaging companion straight. .internal-threads I3 on. the uppenmember. The upper member l is provided with an upper shoulder or seat litpositioned aboveaplu.- rality of: circumferentially y disposed side ports'. l5, and the. upper end lof the lower. member. con.- stitutes a head adaptedV to, be. movedl acrossv the portsv l5. and into firm sealing engagementwith tha seatA I4, inorder.- to close the ports against passage ofiiuids. in .bothdirections A valve.sleeve.. Ii'l ismounted o n the exterior of both theupperand lower members, itsupper portion Ila extending initially acrossthe ports l5, there being a suitable seal, suchasa, Around rubber ringI I mounted in an internal` ring groove I9.:` in the sleeve' and adaptedto,4 engage the periphery. of the upperi member laboye-the ports, I5, forl the purposeof; preventing leakage through. the-` ports` whenY thei sleeve i isiA disposed thereover. The sleeve Ilis-slidably Splined; to the lower-member Il in anypsuitablemanner, as, for example, by positioning oneK or more keyss 29e welded to the. sleeve, within; longituf dinal slots or key-ways` 2| in thelowermember. Leakage of. fluid between theloWer-member Il and sleeve. l'IV may be. prevented )ayasuitable Aside seal, in the form of-a roundrubber ring 22, enf gaging theinnersurfaceofvthevsleeve and carriedzwithin an external ring groove 23 in the lowermember.l

Thefsleeye I'l issecuredto theupper memb er by its internal threads Mengagingcom-f panion. external threads25 onthelatter part.

These

threads

24, 25 are of a differenthand from A the threads i3, y l2 constituting the interconnectionbetween thevupperand lower members.; l0, H so that thcsleeve Il andlowermemf berl l may move relatively indifferent directions Aalongtlie upper member IB upon rotation of the latter..y Itis to be notedthat the threaded connection 2f, 25 lbetween the-sleeve il and upf per member. l0 extends, forV a comparatively short distance,. to,A permit the, threads .-to; dis,.- engagef.

In onespeci io r1 n of, ,the device, the Straight threaded,connectionhi Al2betv,1een the upper and-lower members-l l, H may beconstituted by righthand threadsL wr reasttha-,threadedg

Connection

24, 25 1 between he sleeve l1 Vand upper member-TIS may be constitu-ted byfinterengaging lei-thand threads, having a-,leadVA substantially greater than/,the ,lead of the `:righthandethreads. More .specically the lead.; of theleft-,hand threaded; connection; 24., .25:11amX be; twicefffthe. leed 0f the Iiehthandf threaded V.commet/ion.N I2-l !Sgin `order ,that the sleeve vl'l may-move -along the upper member I 0f; twice,-` the distance L that theupner member. moves :alonathe lowenfmember l l; upon rotationn of .the former.;

The. ,apparatus.. ist.; assembled .with the runner sleeve. seal. I8 .ldispcsedfmssealne engagement with,y the ...upper member .l nabove ,vthelcincumelr ential ports l5, as determined by upward.

threading of the sleeve Il on the upper mem- Vber is threadedly secured to the upper member with its head disposed at a substantial distance below the ports. The device, as thus assembled (see Fig. 1), is threaded onto the lower casing section C of the casing string and also onto the upper casing section B, and is lowered with the Casing string as a component part thereof in the well bore to the desired depth or location.

In the event cement is to be discharged from the casing string at some point below the collar A, the required amount of cement slurry may be pumped directly into the casing string (preferably preceded by circulating fluid to condition the well bore), passing through the collar device A, whose ports I5 are closed by the sleeve Il, and discharging from the casing string at the Specified lower point, as from a casing shoe (not shown), after which the charge of slurry ows upwardly through the annulus around the casing string toward the apparatus A to the desired height.

Following ejection of the lower charge of cement slurry, and after its hardening, the upper portion of the casing string connected to the device A is rotated to the right a predetermined number of revolutions, which threads the upper member lo downwardly along the lower member Il, and also effects threading of the sleeve il downwardly along the upper member I and lower member II, in view of the leitliand threaded

connection

24, 25. It is to be noted that the lower charge of cement holds vthe lower portion of the casing string stationrighthand threaded connection I2, I3, the sleeve 'Il moves downwardly along the upper member Ill twice the distance that the upper member Ie is moving downwardly along the lower member II. Accordingly, the upper end Ila of the sleeve will move down beiow the ports I5 before L,

the upper head end IG of the lower member H can be positioned across the ports, so that rotation of the upper member l0 a predetermined number of revolutions will completely expose the ports I5 by threading the sleeve I'! downwardly a suicient distance, but will not, at first, effect closing of the ports by the lower tubular member II (see Fig. 2). It is preferred that the lefthand threaded

connection

24, 25 become completely disengaged after the sleeve Il has moved downwardly7 to port opening position, since the sleeve serves no further port controlling function after it has been moved to port opening position, and there is no need for continuing its downward threading. A second charge of cement slurry may now be pumped directly into the casing for outward 'passage through the open ports I5 and for upward flowing through the annulus around the upper portion of the casing string. When suilicient cement slurry has thus been discharged laterally from the collar device A, righthand rotation of the casing string may continue, in order to thread the upper tubular member I0 downwardly over the lower tubular member II and bring the seat I4 in the upper member rmly into engagement with the upper head end I6 of the lower member, with the lower member disposed across the ports I5. VThe lower member II may be provided with circular ribs 28 on its head end I6, to provide a multiple metallic seal between the upper and lower members I0, II, and thus insure against leakage of uids through the ports I5 upon their engagement.

It is to :be noted that the seat I on the upper member, engageable with the head end I6 of the lower member, is disposed above the ports I5 and in such position that the lower charge of cement slurry will pass downwardly beyond it without tending to contaminate the seat, in View of its facing in a downward direction. Accordingly, the danger of such seats becoming contaminated or coated with cement particles is reduced. In any event, should any foreign substances tend to cling to the seat, they will be pierced readily by the ribs 28 on the lower member head IE.

It is further to be noted that the inside diameter of the device is preferably at least equal to and no less than the inside diameter of the casing sections, as B, C, constituting the remaining poi'- tion of the casing string itself, to establish no restriction to the passage of cementing plugs and other devices through the collar A. The maximum outside diameter of the device is the diameter of the sleeve valve I1, which is very little more than the outside diameter of the ordinary casing couplings comprising the casing string, thereby enabling the device to be run in well bores whose diameters are not substantially greater than the diameter of the casing sections themselves.

Itis, accordingly, apparent that a well cementing device or collar has 'been provided, in which the ports I5 are closed initially against the passage of fluid to permit iluids to be pumped through the casing string to some lower point, in which the ports are readily opened through rotation of the casing string in one direction, as to the right, and in which the ports are positively reclosed by a continuation of the rotation of the casing string in the same direction, to prevent passage of fluid in both directions through the ports. The device consists of a relatively small number of parts, compactly arranged, and simply constructed.

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

l. Apparatus of the character described, including a rst tubular member having a side port, a second tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection between said second member and sleeve, means providing a first connection between said Sleeve and rst tubular member, means providing a second connection between said members, said rst and second connections being so constructed and arranged that relative rotation between said members moves said sleeve longitudinally of said rst member between port closing and port opening positions and moves said members longitudinally of each other between port opening and port closing positions.

2. Apparatus of the character described. in-

cluding a first tubular member having a side port, a second tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection vbetween said second member and sleeve, means providing a threaded connection b-etween said sleeve and rst tubular member, means providing a threaded connection between said members, said threaded connections being so arranged that relative rotation between said members eiects movement of said sleeve longitudinally of said first member from port closing to port opening position and moves said members longitudinally of each other to close said port.

3. Apparatus of the character described, including a rst tubular member having a side port, a second tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection between said second member and sleeve, means providing a threaded connection between said sleeve and rst tubular member, means providing a threaded connection between said members of a different lead from the lead of said other threaded connection, whereby relative rotation between said members eiects longitudinal movement of said sleeve along said first member a diierent distance than said members are moved longtudinally of each other, to open and close said side port.

4. Apparatus of the character described, including a rst tubular member having a side port, a second tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection lbetween said second member and sleeve, means providing a threaded connection between said sleeve and rst tubular member, means providing a threaded connection between said members of a diierent hand from the hand of said other threaded connection, whereby relative rotation between said members effects movement of said sleeve longitudinally of said rst member between port closing and port opening positions and moves said members longitudinally of each other between port opening and port closing positions.

5. Apparatus of the character described, including a nrst tubular member having a side port, a second tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection between one ci said members and said sleeve, means providing a threaded connection between said sleeve and the other of said members, means providing a threaded connection between said members of a different hand from the hand of said other threaded connection, whereby relative rotation between said members effects movement of said sleeve longitudinally of said rst member between port closing and port opening positions and moves said members longitudinally of each other between port opening and port closing positions,

6. Apparatus of the character described, including a first tubular member having a side port, a second tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection between said second member and sleeve,

means providing a lefthand threaded connection between said sleeve and iirst tubular member, means providing a righthand threaded connection between said members, whereby relative rotation between said members eiTects movement of said sleeve longitudinally of said first member between port closing and port opening positions and moves said members longitudinally of each other between port opening and port closing positions.

7. Apparatus of the character described, including a first tubular member having a side port, a second tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection between said second member and sleeve, means providing a lefthand threaded connection between said sleeve and first tubular member, means providing a righthand threaded connection between said members of a lesser lead from the lead of said lefthand threaded connection, whereby relative rotation between said members effects longitudinal movement of said sleeve along said first member from port closing to port opening position and moves said members longitudinally of each other from port opening to port closing position.

8. Apparatus of the character described, including an upper tubular member having a side port, a lower tubular member, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection between said lower member and sleeve, means providing a lefthand threaded connection between said sleeve and upper tubular member, means providing a righthand threaded connection between said members of a lesser lead from the lead of said lefthand threaded connection, whereby rotation of said upper member effects downward movement of said sleeve to port opening position and moves said upper member down along said lower member to locate said lower member across said port to close the same.

9. Apparatus of the character described, including an upper tubular member having a side port and a valve seat above said port, a lower tubular member disposed within said upper membre and having a valve head adapted to engage said seat, said members being adapted to form part of a well casing string, a sleeve on the exterior of said members disposable over said side port to close the same, means providing a slidable spline connection between said lower member and sleeve, means providing a lefthand threaded connection between said sleeve and upper tubular member, means providing a righthand threaded connection between said members of a lesser lead from the lead of said lefthand threaded connection, whereby rotation of said upper member eiTects ldownward movement of .said sleeve to port opening position and moves said upper member down along said lower' member to dispose said port over said lower member land engage its seat with said head.

FRANCIS HAMPTON LEE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hayward Sept. 10, 1940 Number