US2657895A

US2657895A - Fluid shut-in valve

Info

Publication number: US2657895A
Application number: US127095A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clyde L Huber; Harry C Skipper
Original assignee: Johnston Testers Inc
Current assignee: Johnston Testers Inc
Priority date: 1949-11-14
Filing date: 1949-11-14
Publication date: 1953-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1970-11-03

Description

Nov. 3, 1953 c, HUBER r 2,657,895

FLUID SHUT-IN VALVE Filed Nov. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 5 7 8 x e y. 2 2 2 2 0 ,E E W v M k k W 4 1 m w i 1 L um I]!!! 1. 1/ w H CH p w 4 9 7 7 1 1 a 4 I I'll mwm mmmw m mwfi Nov. 3, 1953 C. L. HUBER ET AL FLUID SHUT-IN VALVE Filed Nov. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS, arosL/vuasp, By H422) 6.5/r/PPER,

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Patented Nov. 3, 1953 FLUID SHUT-IN VALVE Clyde L. Huber, Houston,

Montrose, Calif., assignors, by mesne Skipper,

Tex., and Harry G.

assignments, to Johnston Testers, Inc., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Application November 14, 1949, Serial No. 127,095 5 Claims. 251-8) This invention relates to oil well tools, and particularly pertains to a fluid shut-in valve.

In making formation tests in oil well operations, it is common practice to lower a testing tool into the ground which usually includes a packer, an equalizing valve, a retaining valve, and a trip valve, so that a sample of the connate fluid in the well bore may be entrapped. Upon completion of a test it is desirable to determine the shut-in formation pressure while the packer is still set. This shut-in pressure and time of build-up are indicative of productivity and permeability of the sand. It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a shut-in tool which may be attached conveniently to a formation or casing tester, and which may be manipulated from the ground surface to control the flow of fluid passing into a sample chamber formed by the string of pipe supporting the tool.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a coupling head carrying a, pin at one end and being formed with a sub at the opposite end to carry a housing within which a valved mandrel is positioned, said mandrel being capable of longitudinal movement whereby the valve may be moved to a closed position.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view in elevation showing the assembly of the various parts of a testing tool and their relation to the shut-in valve.

Fig. 2 is a view in central longitudinal section showing the upper end of the shut-in valve structure in its open position.

Fig. 3 is a view in central longitudinal section showing the lower portion of the valve in its open position.

Fig. 4 is a view in central longitudinal section showing the upper portion of the valve in its closed position.

Fig. 5 is a view in central longitudinal section showing the lower portion of the valve With the valve closed.

Fig. 6 is a view in transverse section as seen on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 and shows the spline connection between the lower mandrel and the sleeve.

Fig. 7 is a view in transverse section as seen on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5 and shows the spline connection between the sleeve and the housing.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, N) indicates a string of drill pipe by which a testing tool is suspended within a well. Connected to the upper end of the testing tool is the 2 usual trip valve II, which is of a construction to provide a valve which is normally closed and can be released and opened by dropping a godevil in the well or by other trip means con trolled from the top of the well. Usually connected to the trip valve II is a retaining valve l2. Such a retaining valve is the main valve of an ordinary tester. This includes a tappet valve and its seat, upon which seat the valve is held by a spring l3. Usually secured below the retaining valve [2 is an equalizing valve M. In the present use of the trip valve and the retaining valve, however, a shut-in valve I5 is interposed between the trip valve II and the retaining valve [2. The present invention is concerned particularly with the shut-in valve. In any event, a packer is required and, as shown in Figure l of the drawing, a rathole packer I6 is used, although in some instances a sleeve packer may be associated with the structure when a test is to be made in an open hole or in a well casing. The details of construction of the shutin valve 15 are more particularly disclosed in Figs. 2 to '7, inclusive, where it will be seen that a sub [1 is provided with a box [8 to receive the pin [9 forming a part of a connection of the trip valve l I. The sub has a central threaded bore 20 at its lower end which communicates with a central passageway 2| extending upwardly into the box. The bore 20 is provided to receive the threaded upper end of a tubular mandrel 22. This mandrel has a cylindrical length 23 which is in threaded engagement with a lower mandrel section of reduced diameter indicated at 25. A shoulder 24 is formed on the portion 25.. The reduced length of mandrel 25 extends downwardly from the shoulder and carries a threaded section 26. This threaded section is made with coarse square or acme threads which engage threads 21 of a sleeve 28. The sleeve 28 is internally threaded at 30 to receive a tubular mandrel extension 3|. The upper end of the tubular mandrel extension 3| is formed with a threaded pin 32 terminating in a shoulder 33 which abuts against a shoulder face 34 of the sleeve 28. The lower end of the mandrel extension 3! receives a cap 35 which holds a valve seat 36 in position. The valve seat 36 receives a ball 3'! of a circulating valve and is yieldably held by a spring 38. A cross spider 39 is carried by an extension bracket 40 which affords a seat for the spring 38 and also allows free circulation of fluid downward through the valve seat 36 when the valve ball 3'! is moved from its seat. The bracket 40 is carried as a part of the cap and extends down into a bore 4| formed longitudinally of the lower end of a sub 42. The sub 42 carries a pin 43 which is externally threaded at 44 and is threaded into a. sub 42a which is connected to an element of the retaining valve II. It is understood that at the lower end of the packer it there is disposed a perforate housing l6 which carries a pressure recording device by which the pressure prevailing below the packer and within the well bore may be recorded, and particularly when the shut-oil valve I5 is closed. The upper end of the sub 42 is formed with a box section 45 which is internally threaded at 46 and receives a lower tubular housing section 41. The housing section 4! is formed at its lower end with a counterbore 4B which receives a packing 48. The packing 48 flts around the mandrel 3|. The end of the counterbore is threaded, as indicated at 50, to receive packing nut 5! which exerts pressure around the packing 49 and holds it in its sealed position. This packing will also receive the outer circumference of the mandrel extension H for a purpose to be hereinafter described. It will be understood that the sleeve 28 may be moved longitudinally by rotation of the upper mandrel 22 and the section 23 which carries the threaded section 26. It is preferable that these threads be right-hand threads, as will be hereinafter explained.

The reduced length of mandrel section 26 is fitted with a locking key 52 above the shoulder 24 which may be held within key slots 52 formed in a connecting sleeve 53. This insures that when the

mandrels

22 and 25 are fully retracted the key 52 will lock with the sleeve 53 and may be bodily rotated with this sleeve if desired. The sleeve 53 is formed with a pin 54 which is threaded into the upper end of the lower tubular housing section 41. It is to be understood that the sleeve fl is internally threaded to receive the thread on the mandrel 25, and that it is provided with a spline 55 which will permit the sleeve to move longitudinally without rotation.

The sleeve 28 is designed to move longitudinally of and to be held against rotation with the lower tubular housing section 41. This is so that the mandrel extension 3| may be used as a valve, since it is provided with a plurality of ports 50 which may be drawn upwardly through the packing nut SI and into the packing member 49 to close of! communication with the bore 4| of the lower sub 42 and the interior of the mandrel extension ii.

A split ring 58 is secured around the mandrel 22 by clamping nuts 59. are designed to receive the lower seats 60 of an anti-friction thrust bearing 6!. This bearing is provided with thrust balls 62, a cage 63, and an upper ball race 84. The anti-friction bearing is thus disposed between the upper faces of the lower seats I and the lower faces of the ball race 64. This insures that the mandrel may be rotated freely when it is desired to tighten or loosen the threaded

sections

26 and 21 oi the mandrel section 25 and the sleeve 28, respectively. Disposed above the upper ball race 64 is a compression spring 65 which rests against an adjusting collar 66 mounted on the threaded end of the sub IT. The spring 65 thus holds the key 5! in the keyways 52 and the shoulder 24 in abutting relation to the lower end of sleeve 53, and the collar 66 may be used to adjust the tension of the spring and the locking action of the key.

In operation of the present invention a for- The ring segments 4 mation tool is provided which normally includes a trip valve II, the shut-in valve IS with which the present invention is particularly concerned, a retaining valve l2, an equalizing valve l4, and a desired form of packer It. It is also to be understood that attached to the lower end of the packer and the mandrel which extends through it is the perforated nipple or housing ll carrying a pressure responsive recording device. when the tool is assembled as thus described, the structure is connected to a string of drill pipe I by which it is suspended in a well and the tool is then lowered to its position of setting. If a rathole packer is used it is obvious that the coneshaped packer element will wedge into the relatively small rathole bore at the bottom of the drilled well. In the event that the tool is to be used with an open straight hole or within well easing it is obvious that a desired type of sleeve packer is used. In any event a pressure recorder is attached beneath the well packer so that the pressure of the connate fluid which is sealed into the well bore below the packer will exert its pressure and will be forced inwardly through the wall of the perforated nipple and upwardly through the tubular mandrel of the packer. This flow will not take place of course until the retaining valve has been opened by superimposing the weight of the drill string upon the spring II to open the valve structure, and then to open the trip valve II by some suitable means, such for example as dropping a go-devil into the well. It will be understood that at this particular time the shut-in valve l5 will be open so that the fluid passing through the packer may flow upwardly around the bracket 40 and the mandrel extension 3| and then into the center of the mandrel extension through the ports 56. During this operation the fluid will be free to flow upwardly through the retaining valve 12 and the trip valve II and into the drill string 10. At this time it will be evident that the connate fluid in the formation below the packer II will not be confined, and that the pressure recorded in the recording device carried in the perforated nipple It will be low pressure and will represent the normal fluid pressure yield within the formation penetrated by the well bore. When, however, it is desired to confine the connate fluid and obtain a reading of its shut-in pressure the weight upon the drill string Ill will act to compress the spring 65 and move the keys 5! out of the keyways 52 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The drill string It is then rotated and the screw 2-. will act through the threads 21 to retract the sleeve 28 and the mandrel extension 3|. The result will be that the ports 56 will thus be drawn upwardly and within the confines of the packing element 49. This will prevent fluid from beneaththe packer passing upwardly and inwardly into the ports 56, and will insure that there will not be any supply of fluid from beneath the packer flowing upwardly through the valves of the tester and into the entrapping chamber of the drill string. When this condition occurs the fluid pressure of the formation will be shut in and the recording device housed in the perforated nipple It will record this pressure and indicate its variance from the normal flowing pressure in the well.

In the event a cave-in occurs or for other reasons which require emergency circulation, the testing tool is normally provided at its lower end with a circulating valve. It will be seen that in the present structure the valve ball 31 and its 5 seat 36 will act as a circulating valve when the tool is shut or when it is open, so that fluid may be forced downwardly through the drill string and into the tool.

It will thus be seen that the shut-in valve structure here disclosed is simple in construction and may be readily assembled with the other elements of the testing unit and may be easily manipulated from ground level to be either opened or closed.

While we have shown the preferred form of our invention as now known to us, it will be understood that various changes may be made in combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shut-in valve structure comprising an outer tubular housing, a first tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing, a tubular sub on the mandrel for connecting said mandrel to a string of drill pipe, at keyway formed in the housing, a key on said mandrel disposed in said keyway when the mandrel is in an up position to prevent rotation between the mandrel and the housing and enable driving through the connection and movable out of the keyway when the mandrel is lowered relative to the housing to allow relative rotation between the mandrel and the housing, compression spring means surrounding the mandrel and disposed between the sub and the housing for urging said mandrel and the housing to remain in locked relationship, packing means supported by and within the housing, said housing having an enlarged bore formed therein below the location of the packing means, a second tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing and sealingly engaging the pack ing means and having a portion extending into the enlarged bore of the housing, the last mentioned portion of the second mandrel having a port formed therein, and means slidably but nonrotatably engaging the housing threadedly connecting the mandrels together operable upon disengagement of the key and keyway and subsequent rotation of the first mandrel relative to the housing to withdraw the ported portion of the second mandrel from within the enlarged bore of the housing and position the same within the confines of the packing means to close off the port and shut in pressure below the housing.

2. A shut-in valve structure comprising an outer tubular housing, a first tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing, a tubular sub on the mandrel for connecting said mandrel to a string of drill pipe, 9. keyway formed in the housing, a key on said mandrel disposed in said keyway when the mandrel is in an up position to prevent rotation between the mandrel and the housing and enable driving through the connection and movable out of the keyway when the mandrel is lowered relative to the housing to allow relative rotation between the mandrel and the housing, packing means supported by and within the housing, said housing having an enlarged bore formed therein below the location of the packing means, a second tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing, sealingly engaging the packing means and having a portion extending into the enlarged bore of the housing, the last mentioned portion of the second mandrel having a port formed therein, and means slidably but non-rotatably engaging the housing threadedly connecting the mandrels together operable upon disengagement of the key and keyway and subsequent rotation of the first mandrel relative to the housing to withdraw the ported portion of the second mandrel from within the enlarged bore of the housing and position the same within the confines of the packing means to close off the port and shut-in pressure below the housing.

3. A shut-in valve structure comprising an outer tubular housing, a first tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing, a tubular sub on the mandrel for connecting said mandrel to a string of drill pipe, a keyway formed in the housing, a key on said mandrel disposed in said keyway when the mandrel is in an up position to prevent rotation between the mandrel and the housing and enable driving through the connection and movable out of the keyway when the mandrel is lowered relative to the housing to allow relative rotation between the mandrel and the housing, a second tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing adapted to be moved from a first position to a second position, said second tubular mandrel having a port formed therein uncovered when the mandrel is in its first position and covered by the housing when the mandrel is in its second position, and means slidably but non-rotatably engaging the housing threadedly connecting the mandrels together operable upon disengagement of the key and keyway and subsequent rotation of the first mandrel relative to the housing to move said second mandrel from its first position to its second position to close the port.

4. A shut-in valve structure comprising an outer tubular housing, a first tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing, a tubular sub on the mandrel for connecting said mandrel to a string of drill pipe, a keyway formed in the housing, a key on said mandrel disposed in said keyway when the mandrel is in an up position to prevent rotation between the mandrel and the housing and enable driving through the connection and movable out of the keyway when the mandrel is lowered relative to the housing to allow relative rotation between the mandrel and the housing, a thrust bearing on the upper end of the housing surrounding the mandrel, compression spring means surrounding the mandrel and hearing at its opposite ends against the thrust bearing and sub for urging said mandrel and housing to remain in locked relationship, packing means supported by and within the housing, said housing having an enlarged bore formed therein below the location of the packing means, a second tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing, sealingly engaging the packing and having a portion extending into the enlarged bore of the housing, the last mentioned portion of the second mandrel having a port formed therein, and means slidably but non-rotatably engaging the housing threadedly connecting the mandrels together operable upon disengagement of the key and keyway and subsequent rotation of the first mandrel relative to the housing to withdraw the ported portion of the second mandrel from within the enlarged bore of the housing and position the same within the confines of the packing means to close off the port and shut in pressure below the housing.

5. A shut-in valve structure comprising an outer tubular housing, a first tubular mandrel slidably disposed within the housing, a tubular sub on the mandrel for connecting said mandrel to a string of drill pipe, a keyway formed in the 7 min, whey on aidmndreldisposed in'said keymwhenthemandrelisinanupposittouto prevent rotation between the mandrel and the housing and enable driving through the connectm end movable out of the keyway when the mandrel is lowered relative to the housing to allow relative rotation between the mandrel and the housing, a. thrust bearing on the upper end of the housing surrounding the mandrel, compression spring means surrounding the mandrel and hearing at its opposite ends against the thrust hearing and. sub to: urging said mandrel and housing to remain in locked position, a second tubular mandrel slidtbly disposed within the mining and adapted to be moved from a first pmition to a. second position, said second tubular mandrel having a port formed therein uncovered when the mandrel is in its first position and covered by the housing when the mandrel is in its swond position, and means slidably but non-mtatably engaging the housing threadedly connecting the mandrels together and operable upon disengagement of the key and keyway and subsequent rotation of the first mandrel relative to the housing to move said second mandrel from its first position to its second position to ciose the port.

CLYDE L. HUBER.

HARRY C. SKIPPER.

References Cited in the file of this potent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,814,894 Cameron July 14, 1931 1,950,654 Boles Mar. 13, 1934 2,197,078 McKinley Apr. 16, 1940 2,218,988 Johnston Oct. 22, 1940