US2741314A

US2741314A - Well testing valve

Info

Publication number: US2741314A
Application number: US246128A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bruce A Deters
Original assignee: Johnston Testers Inc
Current assignee: Johnston Testers Inc
Priority date: 1951-09-11
Filing date: 1951-09-11
Publication date: 1956-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 1973-04-10

Description

April 10, 1956 B. A. DETERS WELL TESTING VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1951 I N V EN TOR. 59062 ,4. 957595 Ami 10, 1956 B. A. DETERS WELL TESTING VALVE Filed Sept. 11, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

States WELL TESTBNG VALVE Application September 11, 1951, Serial No. 246,123

4 Ciairns. (Cl. 166-435) This invention relates to an oil well tool and the method of operating the same.

In the co-pending application of myself and William W. Butler entitled, Back Circulator Device, Serial No. 238,134, filed July 23, 1951, now Patent No. 2,645,288, issued July 14, 1953, there is disclosed a device including a laterally ported housing adapted to be incorporated in a drill string, specifically in a formation tester secured to the lower end of a drill string. The ports of the housing are initially closed by an impact responsive sleeve which is adapted to be moved to a position uncovering the ports when struck by a go-devil dropped from the surface. Thereafter, back-scuttlingthrough the ports can take place.

After back-scuttling, it is usually desired to remove the formation tester. The tester has a packer blocking oi the well bore or well casing. This packer during the setting thereof and during the subsequent operations of testing a formation frequently becomes very tightly stuck in place and cannot be readily removed without the possibility of damage to the packer, the formation tester or drill string.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a method of and apparatus for permitting the easy removal of the packer even though the packer is tightly stuck in place.

More specifically, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a housing having spaced upper and lower valve seats vertically disposed one on either side of laterally extending ports in the walls of the housing, and within which housing there is a centrally bored drop valve adapted to seat on the valve seats of the housing to close off the ports and permit the pumping of fluid down through the drill string, through the formation tester and drop valve to below the packer to apply a force on the under side of the packer which when combined with an upward pull on the drill string enables ready removal of the packer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved drop valve.

Various other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a drill string having secured to the lower end thereof a formation tester and above which tester is disposed a device embodying the concepts of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the arrangement disclosed in Fig. 1, showing a laterally ported housing with the ports thereof closed by an impact responsive sleeve. I

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the impact responsive sleeve as having been moved to a port uncovering position by the engagement therewith of a go-devil.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the godevil as having been removed and a drop. valve, WhlCh is dropped down the well, seated against the spaced upper and lower seats provided by the housing.

Meat

2,741,314 Patented Apr. 10, 1956 Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along lines 5--5 of Fig. 2 showing the manner of supporting the sleeve within the housing.

The invention will be described with reference to a drill string having a formation tester secured to the lower end thereof, but the invention is not intended to be specifically limited to a drill string having the particular formation tester disclosed incorporated therein or limited to a drill string having a formation tester of any type incorporated therein, since the present invention provides broadly for the closing off of laterally disposed ports and the simultaneous provision of a longitudinal passageway through a drill string or the like.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 1 includes a formation tester generally entitled 9 having a drop valve assembly 11 incorporates therein, said drop valve assembly being connected by a sub 13 to the lower end of the drill string (not shown). The formation tester disclosed is set out in detail on pages 2571 and 2573 of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipe Line Equipment, 1950 edition, and therefore will be only generally referred to.

The formation tester 9 includes a trip valve assembly 15, adapted to be opened by dropping a trip valve godevil down the drill string, and a retaining valve assembly 17 adapted to be opened, after a packer 19 is set, by partially telescoping the formationtester. A compression spring 21 is compressed by this telescopic movement and serves to again close the retaining valve when the weight of the drill string isrelieved. There is also an equalizing valve assembly 23 for bypassing the packer and for equalizing pressure below and above the packer when it is desired to remove the packer. Below the packer there is a preforated anchor 25 through which the native or connate fluid is adapted to flow into the formation tester 9 up through the retaining valve 17, trip valve 15, and into the drill string.

After the formation test is completed, it is frequently desirable to bring the connate fluid, gas and the like to the surface under control by a back-scuttling operation. In the present invention, this baclqscuttling can be accomplished through the drop valve assembly 11. After back-scuttling, it is then desirable to remove the packer 19. Frequently, the packer becomes tightly stuck in the well bore due to the original setting operation and subsequent formation testing operations and is not readily removed without possible damage to the packer or formation tester and drill string. By the present invention, after the back-scuttling operation is completed, fluid under pressure can be forced down through the drill string, through the formation tester, and to a point below the packer 19 to thereby apply a force upwardly on the under side of the packer and formation tester urging the packer to unseat so that by a combined upward force on the under side of the packer and an upward pull on the drill string, the packer can be unseated without damage to the packer, formation tester or drill string.

The drop valve assembly 11 includes a tubular housing 31 connected by previously mentioned sub 13 to the drill string and by a lower sub 33 to sections of drill pipe which in turn are connected to the formation tester 9. Tubular housing 31 is counter bored at 35 to slidably receive a sleeve 37, which sleeve, when in the position shown in Fig. 2, is adapted to close ports 39 provided by bushings 41 threadedly received within bores 43 formed in tubular housing 31. For preventing leakage around the exterior of sleeve 37, suitable 0 rings 45 are provided on the interior of tubular housing 31 in sealing engagement with sleeve 37.

Sleeve 37 is maintained in port-closing position by a deformable annulus 47 having inwardly extending fingers upon which rest depending arms 49 preferably formed integrally with sleeve 37. Deformable annulus 47 is clamped in place between a downwardly facing shoulder 51 formed on housing 31 and the upper end of sub 33 threadedly received by the lower end of housing 31. Arms 49 may have the exterior surfaces thereof serrated as shown.

Sleeve 37 has an upwardly diverging valve seat 55 formed thereon, and tubular housing 31 has an upwardly diverging valve seat 57 formed thereon, the upper valve seat 57 having a mean diameter substantially greater than the mean diameter of the lower valve seat 55, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,

After a formation test is made, and it is-desired to back-suttle through ports 39, a suitable go-devil 59 can be dropped down the drill string for engagement with sleeve 37 to force the sleeve downwardly uncovering ports 39 While simultaneously deforming the fingers of deformable annulus 47. The engagement of the fingers of the annulus 47 with arms 49 will prevent subsequent upward movement of the sleeve 37. After dropping go-devil 59, it is obvious that a back-scuttling operation can take place through ports 39, fluid being pumped down between the exterior of the drill string and the walls of the well bore through the ports 39 and upwardly through the drill string bringing the connate fluid, gas and the like to the surface under control.

After this back-scuttling operation, it is desirable to remove the packer 19. To permit ready removal of the packer 19 in the manner previously described, a drop valve geenrally entitled 61 is provided and is dropped down the drill string after the go-devil 59 has been fished out of the formation'tester and drill string.-

Drop valve 61 comprises a valve body 63 having an enlarged central portion 65, a reduced upwardly extending stem 67 and a reduced downwardly extending stem 69. A central bore 71 extends through the valve body 63.- Enlarged portion 65 of valve body 63 terminates in a downwardly diverging frusto-conical shoulder 73 against which is disposed a resilient seating element 75 slidably receivable on downwardly extending stem 69 and having its upward face formed complementary to the shoulder 73. Also slidably received on downwardly extending stem 69 is a rigid guard 77 engaging the lower end of resilient seating element 75. Guard 77 has an upwardly diverging frusto-conical face 77a suitably annularly recessed at 77b to complementarily receive the lower end of resilient seating element 75. Guard 77 and resilient seating element 75 are retained on stem 69 by a nut 81 threadedly received by the stern.

Guard 77 will normally be disposed in engagement with nut 81 but can be forced upwardly away from the nut when the drop valve is dropped down the well to allow firm seating of the lower resilient seating element 75 and also firm seating of an upper resilient seating element 83 provided on the upper end of valve body 63, which is to be described more in detail hereinafter.

The peripheral surface of guard 77 diverges upwardly, as is clearly apparent from Fig. 4, complementary to the inclination of valve seat provided by sleeve 37. The periphery of resilient seating element 75 likewise has a complementary upwardly diverging seating surface 75a for engagement with seat 55 of sleeve 37.

Resilient seating element 83, previously mentioned, surrounds stem 67 and is disposed against an upwardly diverging frusto-conical shoulder 85 provided by enlargement 65. Resilient seating element 33 is retained in place by a nut 87 threadedly received on stem 67 and having a downwardly diverging frusto-conical face 87a ment '83 diverges upwardly complementary to valve seat 7 57 formed on tubular housing 31.

The operation of the drop valve is as follows: After 4 the back-scuttling operation, the go-devil 59 is fished out of the drillstring and thereafter the drop valve 61 is dropped down the drill string. The guard 77 and the resilient seating element will simultaneously engage valve seat 55 formed on sleeve 37, such impact forcing guard 77 upwardly, somewhat compressing the resilient seating element 75 and allowing a full tight engagement 7 of resilient seating element 83 with its valve face 57. As is apparent from Fig. 4, the mean diameter of resilient seating element 75 is substantially less than the mean diameter of the resilient seating element 83, allowing the resilient seating element 75 to readily pass by the valve seat 57 and into engagement with valve seat 55. Ports 39 are closed oflf by such seating of drop valve 61 and thereafter fluid under pressure may be pumped'down the drill string through the drop valve 61, out through the anchor 25 and thus apply a force against the under side of packer 19 to urge the packer upwardly. By the combined force of fluid pressure on the under side of packer 19 and an upward pull on the drill string, the packer can be readily unseated without damage to the packer or to the formation tester or drill string.-

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A well testing drop valve comprising a centrally bored valve body, and spaced upper and lower resilient seating elements on the body for seating on spaced valve seats, the lower seating elements having a movable guard forwardly thereof for engagement with a valve seat to compress the lower seating element at the same time as the upper seating element seats on theupper valve seat.

2. A well testing drop valve comprising a centrally bored valve body, and spaced upper and lower resilient seating elements on the body for'seating on spaced valve seats, the lower seating element having a movable guard forwardly thereof for engagement with a valve seat to compress the lower seating element at the same time as the upper seating element seats on the, upper valve seat, each seating element having an upwardly diverging frusto-conical peripheral surface to provide for a tight seating condition when the valve is dropped down a drill string and lands on spaced upper and lower upwardly diverging frusto-conical valve seats.

3. A well testing drop valve comprising a centrally bored valve body, and spaced upper and lower resilient seating elements on the body for seating on spaced valve seats, the upper seating element having a larger mean diameter than the lower seating element, the lower seating element having a movable guard forwardly thereof for engagement with a valve seat to compress the lower seating element at the same time as the upper seating element seats on the upper valve seat, each seating element having an upwardly diverging frusto-conical peripheral surface to provide for a tight seating condition when the valve is dropped down a drill string and lands on spaced upper and lower upwardly diverging frustoconical seats.

4. An oil Well tool comprising a' tubular housing adapted to be incorporated in a drill string and having a port communicating the exterior of the housing with the interior thereof, said housing having spaced upper and lower internal valve seats thereon disposed one on either side of the port, and a drop valve removably dis posed' within the housing,'said valve comprising an imperforate tubular member havingfspaced upper and lower resilient seating elements mounted thereon yieldingly engaging said spaced valve seats to seal off ingress or egress of fluid through the port while permitting passage of fluid through the bore of said tubular housing, a'movable guard element slidably embracing said tubular member forwardly Refexences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Macready Jan. 1, 1929 Johnston Jan. 27. 1931 10 I 6 Macready' Feb. 7, 1933 Johnston Mar. 9, 1937 Thomas Apr. 13, 1937 Chrisman May 24, 1938 Haslam Jan. 7, 1941 Johnston Dec. 28, 1943 Brown et a1. July 30, 1946 Deters et a1 July 14, 1953