US3007526A - Apparatus for performing operations in wells - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 7, 1961 G. H. TAUSCH APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS IN WELLS Filed June 4, 19 58 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 5.

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FIG. 2. FIG. 3.

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GILBERT H. TAUSCH,

fl-ml ATMLLZ T NEY Nov. 7, 1961 G. H. TAUSCH APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS IN WELLS Filed June 4, 1958 s Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR.

' GILBERT H.TAUSCH,

1' ATM FIG. 6.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 7, 1961 G. H. TAUSCH APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS IN WELLS 5 Sheets-$heet 3 Filed June 4, 1958 FIG. l2.

FIG. ll.

FIG. IO.

INVENTOR.

GILBERT H. TAUSCH,

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ATTORNEY.

3,007,526 APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS IN WELLS Gilbert H. Tausch, Houston, Tex assignor, by mesne assignments, to .lerseyProduction Research Company, Tulsa, Okla, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 4, 1958, Ser. No. 739,830 4 Claims. (Cl. 166-206) This invention relates to workover operations carried out in oil and gas wells. More particularly, this invention relates to the removal of material, such as sand, from a well having a tubing string without requiring the use of a wireline during any period of the operation.

A current practice in carrying out workover operations, such as sand removal, is to lower by means of a wireline various instruments which are used in carrying out these operations. Often, the utilization of a Wireline is undesirable, particularly when reworking deviated holes in which line friction is excessive. Also, when using a wireline the possibility of line breakage is always present. If the line breaks, extensive fishing operations are required to recover the various instruments which have been lowered down the well.

An object, therefore, of this invention is to provide a tool for removing materials such as sand from a well having a tubing string without requiring the use of a wireline.

Briefly described, my new apparatus consists of a tubular member which is dropped down a production tubing string. When the tubular member has completed its drop, it will rest upon the material to be removed. Releasable locking means are provided on the tubular member for locking the tubular member against upward movement within the tubing string. Fluid may then be pumped down the production tubing-borehole annulus and up through the tubular member and production tubing string to remove the material to the surface.

After the material has been removed from the well, a pulling tool is circulated down the production tubing. The pulling tool includes a means for unlocking the releasable locking means on the tubular member. After the pulling tool has been secured to the tubular member, fluid is again circulated down the production tubing-borehole annulus and up the production tubing to remove the tubular member to the surface.

All of the foregoing operations are performed without at any time requiring the use of a wireline.

A better understanding of the invention, as well as its many advantages, may be had by reference to the following drawings and detailed description, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational View. partly in section, showing the tubular member after it has been dropped down the production tubing string;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the tubular member in a position locked against upward movement;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational View, partly in section, showing the telescopic extension member in fully extended position during sand washing operations;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the tubular member dropped and then locked to the next lower production tubing collar from that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an elevational View, partly in section, showing the method by which the tubular member is removed from the tubing string after the material such as sand has been removed from the well bore;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view partly in section, showing in detail the releasable locking means used in FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive;

3,697,526 Patented Nov. 7, 1%61 FIG. 7 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the structure of the telescopic members;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the releasable locking means locked against a collar;

FIG. 9 is a sectional elevational View, showing in detail the pulling tool for unlocking and retrieving the releasable locking means;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a second type of releasable locking means;

FIG. 11 is a sectional elevational view showing a third type of releasable locking means in the unlocked position; and

FIG. 12 shows the releasable locking means of FIG. 11 in the locked position.

FIG. 1 shows a well casing 10 which penetrates a subsurface formation 13. Perforations 12 have been made through the casing 10 to communicate with the producing formation 13. As shown in the figure, undesirable material, such as sand 14, has filtered through perforations 12 and into the casing. Before production can be resumed, this sand must be removed.

A tubular member 15, having the usual fishing neck 16, is shown after it has been dropped down the production tubing string 17. The production tubing string 17 is made up of a plurality of pipe sections joined together by threaded collars, such as collars 18 and 19. The lowermost pipe of the production tubing string 17 has its lower extremity spaced above the bottom of the well.

As seen in FIG. 1, the tubular member 15 has its lower portion resting against the material 14 which is to be removed from the well. The length of tubular member 15 may be chosen such that the tubular member will extend upwardly into the tubular production string 17 after it has been dropped to the bottom of the well. The distance from the top of the sand 14 up to the bottom of the production tubing string 17 may be determined by the use of conventional locator tools well known to those skilled in the art. Knowing this distance, the proper length of the tubular member 15 can be made by joining pipe of the proper diameter together by means of threaded collars, such as collars 20.

To make certain the tubular member 15 does not pass through the bottom of production tubing 17, a no-go ring 22 is provided adjacent the upper end of the tubular member 15. The no-go ring will rest upon an inner shoulder 23 provided in the lower end of production tubing 17, thus preventing the tubular member 15 from passing below the production tubing string.

Locking dogs 24 are pivotally connected to the inside wall of tubular member 15 by means of pivots 26 (see FIG. 6). Locking dogs 24 are biased outwardly against the inside wall of the production tubing 17 by means of biasing springs 28. The locking dogs '24 are shaped such that they will permit the tubular member 15 to fall freely by gravity in the production tubing string, but will lock in the next threaded collar recess above the tubular member 15 when reverse circulation is begun.

Packing means, such as cup packer 30, is provided adjacent the upper portion of the tubular member 15 between the locking dogs 24 and the no-go ring 22.

The tubular member 15 increases in diameter adjacent its lower end to provide an elongated chamber 31, in which is arranged a telescoping tubular extension member 32, which is provided with an external shoulder 33 on its upper end (see FIG. 7). The lower end of the chamber is provided with an internal shoulder 34 which serves to retain the telescoping member 32 in the chamber 31. It will be seen that the tubular member 15 has a continuous open passageway therethrough.

After the tubular member 15 has been lowered down the well to the position shown in FIG. 1, reverse circulation of fluid is begun. In reverse circulation, fluid is pumped down the production tubing-casing annulus 35. The circulated fluid exerts pressure against the bottom portion of cup packer 30 to move the tubular member 15 upwardly until locking dogs 24 engage the recess of threaded collar 18. When this occurs, further upward movement of tubular member 15 is prevented, and the cup packer 30 seals against the inside wall of the production tubing string 17. The pumped fluid then flows down the production tubing-casing annulus and up through the tubular extension member 32, tubular member 15, and production tubing string 17 to the earths surface. The fluid serves to carry the sand 14 up to the earths surface.

As the well is reverse circulated, the telescoping extension member 32 will extend from the position shown in FIG. 2 to its fully extended position as shown in FIG. 3, while washing the column of sand.

When telescoping extension member 32 has reached its fully extended position, circulation is stopped. Tubular extension member 15 will then fall freely by gravity until the telescoping extension member 32 is again in its retracted position, and the tubular member 15 rests against the surface of the sand. If member 15 should not fall freely by gravity, direct circulation can be applied. At this time, reverse circulation is begun again to move the tubular member 15 upwardly to lock the member 15 into the next lower locking collar recess 19 or production tubing string 17. The position of the tubular member 15 in tubing string 17 is then as shown in FIG. 4. The process is then repeated until all of the material 14 is washed from the well.

FIG. shows in a schematic drawing another type of locking means in which the dogs 60 are again springloaded by means of springs 62. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the outside edges of the locking dogs 60 are provided with serrations 64. The serrations are shaped in such a manner that they will stop the tubular member in any place in the tubing and will not travel upwardly until retracted.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show in schematic drawings still another type or modification of locking means. As shown, a rubber sealing element 70 is utilized which is constructed by bonding the slips 71 into the rubber cup 72. Hydraulic pressure exerted during the reverse circulation will set the slips any place in the tubing.

After all of the sand has been removed, the tubular member 15 is removed to the surface by circulating a pressure responsive pulling tool down the production tubing string 17. The removal of the tubular member 15 by means of the pulling tool is shown in FIG. 5. The pulling tool 73 includes a cup packer 74 (see FIG. 9). The pulling tool 73 has a centrally located prong 75 which fits into the upper open end of the tubular member 15. Prong 75 engages the inside portion of the locking dogs 24 to pivot the outside of the locking dogs inwardly, permitting the removal of the tubular member 15 from the production tubing string 17. Also included on the pulling tool 73 are a pair of latches 76 adapted to latch onto the fishing neck 16 of the tubular member 15.

After the pulling tool 73 has latched onto the tubular member 15, fluid is then circulated down the production tubing-casing annulus and up the production tubing to circulate the entire assembly fom the well to the surface.

If a locking means such as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is used instead of the locking means shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, inclusive, or in FIG. 10, the central prong of the pulling tool 73 is unnecessary. The rubber cup 74 above the pulling tool seals the well tubing from circulation and allows equal pressure across the tubular cup 72, thereby preventing hydraulic setting of the slips.

The invention has been described with reference to its use in a cased well. The invention can also be used in other types of wells, such as wells with two coexistent parallel tubing strings cemented in a borehole and commonly joined at some point above the perforations. Sand may also be removed from inside the production tubing or drill pipe located in an open hole.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing material from a well having a tubing string therein comprising: a tubular member of less diameter than the tubing string to provide a tubular member-tubing string annulus, and adapted to be dropped down the tubing string to rest upon the material; cooperating means on the tubing string and the tubular member adapted to coengage to prevent the tubular member from passing through the tubing string; releasable locking means mounted in the tubular member and adapted to lockingly engage the inside of the tubing string on upward movement of the tubular member but permit the tubular member to fall freely; and a downwardly facing cup member mounted about the tubular member whereby upon circulation of fluid down the tubing stringborehole annulus and up through the tubular member and tubing string, the tubular member is locked within the tubing string and then the material is removed from the borehole and when said circulation is terminated, the tubular member is permitted to fall freely.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the releasable locking means are dogs normally biased outwardly into contact with the inside of the tubing string.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the outside edges of the dogs are serrated.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the releasable locking means are slips mounted on the downwardly facing cup member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,212,491 Appleby Aug. 27, 1940 2,462,230 Smith Feb. 22, 1949 2,749,841 Jones June 12, 1956 2,782,860 Tausch et al. Feb. 26, 1957 2,796,130 Huber June 18, 1957 2,800,186 Tausch July 23, 1957 2,805,718 Tausch Sept. 10, 1957 2,810,442 Tausch Oct. 22, 1957 2,852,078 Krause Sept. 16, 1958

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