US3097000A - Pipe hanger detachable by an axial force - Google Patents

Description

July 9, 1963 R. A. MOCLINTOCK ETAL 3,097,000

PIPE HANGER DETACHABLE BY AN AXIAL FORCE Filed Oct. 28. 1957 R053 A. M: CLINTOCK RA YMOND E THOMPSON KENNETH E. WAGGENER INVENTOR. WHANN at Me MA mam. filler-nay: fin- A Z/ian/s United States Patent Calif.

Filed Oct. 28, 1957, Ser. No. 692,941 7 Claims. (Cl. 285-142) This invention relates generally to well completion equipment and relates more particularly to landing apparatus, such as is used in the drilling and completion of oil wells and the like.

While the invention has particular utility in offshore or subsea drilling operations, and is shown and described in such connection, it is to be understood that its utility is not confined thereto.

In oil well completion operations several strings of successively smaller diameter casing or pipe may be used. These strings are landed or supported at their upper ends and in subsea operations certain problems are involved. For example, under some circumstances it is desirable to disconnect the strings above the surface of the formation and leave only a very short part of the lower ends of the string projecting above the formation surface. It is highly desirable to have the projecting portion as short as possible. Heretofore, where there are several strings used, the landing heads therefor are arranged one on top of the other in the well-known manner and project some distance above the formation surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for landing strings in such subsea operations but with which the part of the lower portion of the strings projecting above the formation after disconnection of the upper string portion may be held to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character wherein the landing head and strings supported thereby are locked in position but may be removed should such removal be desired.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character that is relatively simple in construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character that is reliable and effective in use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufficiently referred to in connection with the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings which represent certain embodiments. After considering these examples, skilled persons will understand that variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed, and we contemplate the employment of any structures, or arrangements or modes of operation that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, with portions broken away, of a safety joint mandrel attached to the upper end of a casing with a string landed therein; and

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a safety joint showing an alternative arrangement of the invention.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 there is shown a mandrel, indicated generally at '10, which is similar to that disclosed in the Waggener application for Release Casing Safety Joint for Well Tool Strings, Serial No. 605,241, filed August 21, 1956, now abandoned, but which embodies certain new and useful elements and features.

Mandrel 10 includes a tubular body -11 having an ex- 3,097,000 Patented July 9, 1963 ternally threaded tapering pin 12 which is threadably received in an internally threaded socket 14 at the upper end of the upper pipe section or casing 15 of a well, a short portion of the upper end of said casing projecting above the surface 15a of the formation 15b. From the opposite or upper end of the body 11 there extends a short tubular shank .16 of reduced external diameter with respect to the external diameter of said body 11, and there is an annular external flange 17 on the body which provides a shoulder 18 at its upper side of said flange which serves as a stop for the barrel unit of the safety joint. At the junction of the body 11 and shank 16 there is an annular external shoulder 19 from which a suitable number of downwardly inclined spiral of helical slots 20 extend, there being three such slots in the present mandrel. The closed end walls 21 of the slots 20 extend longitudinally with respect to the mandrel and at the open end of each slot 20 there is a longitudinally extending key sleeve locking slot 22 formed in the inner wall 23 of said slot 20.

The passageway through the mandrel comprises a lower bore 25 and an upper bore 26 of greater diameter. At a point intermediate the ends of the mandrel and connecting the inner adjacent end portions of the bores 25 and 26 there is an upwardly flaring landing surface or seat 27. Spaced upwardly of the seat 27 there is an internal annular groove 28 formed in the body of the mandrel and the upper wall 29 of said groove is inclined upwardly and inwardly.

In underwater drilling operations the method and apparatus disclosed in the Gibson et al. application for Method and Apparatus for Offshore Drilling, Serial No. 627,250, filed December 10, 1956, may be used. In the initial stages, a safety release joint is used which includes a mandrel such as the mandrel 10 of the present application. When the casing is in to the required depth, the barrel unit of the safety release joint is removed and further drilling operations may be carried out through the casing, a smaller hole then being drilled and provided with the usual pipe string of which the pipe 35 comprises the top section. For a production hookup the pipe or tubing section 35 has a tubing head or hangar, indicated generally at 36, screwed onto the upper externally threaded end portion.

The tubing head 36 is provided with a. frusto-conical seating surface 37 adjacent the lower end thereof. The part of the tubing head or hangar above the seating surface 37 comprises a body portion 38 slidably receivable in the bore portion 26 of the mandrel. The body portion 38 has an external annular groove 39 adjacent the lower end thereof for reception of a seal 40. Spaced upwardly from said groove 39 is a groove 4-1 adjacent the upper end of the body portion in which is disposed a seal 42. Between the grooves 39 and 41 is an external annular groove 44 in which is received a split ring 45. Ring 45 has an upper peripheral edge portion 46 that is inclined inwardly and upwardly to match the inclination of the Wall 29 of the groove 28 of the mandrel, said ring 45 being received in the groove 28 of the mandrel when the head is seated on the seat 27, said ring 45 comprising a releasable or disengageable securing means: for maintaining the tubing head or hangar 36 in position in the mandrel.

Should it be desired to remove the tubing, a suitable tool is used to engage the internal threads 48 at the upper end of the bore of the hangar and provide sufiicient pull upwardly to cause the ring 45 to contract and leave the groove 28, the peripheral portion 46 of said ring 45 serving as a cam surface in connection with the wall 29 of said groove 28 to effect such contraction of said ring.

There may be situations wherein it is desirable to suspend the tubing from the barrel units of the releasable safety joint and this may be effected by means of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

The barrel unit is indicated generally at 50 and includes a tubular barrel 51 having internal threads at the upper end thereof for threadable reception of an externally threaded reduced diameter portion 53 of a top sub 54. The top sub 54 is provided with the usual tapered, internally threaded socket 55 for connection to the pin of an adjacent portion of a well string, not shown. An internally threaded bore 56 extends downwardly from the socket 55 and there is an annular shoulder 57 at the junction of the bore 56 and socket 55. Reduced diameter portion 53 has an internally threaded counterbore 53 coaxial with the bore 56 and of larger diameter, there being a shoulder 59 at the junction of said counterbore 58 and bore 56. A fixed tubular sleeve 64 of smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of the barrel 51, is provided with external threads at the upper end and is threadably received in the counterbore 58. The upper end of fixed sleeve 60 abuts the shoulder 59 and said sleeve depends in said barrel and serves as a guide means for a key sleeve, 61 which is slidably disposed on said fixed sleeve and is adapted to be received in the annular space 62 between said fixed sleeve 60 and the barrel 51. A spring 63 reacts between the upper end of sleeve 61 and the lower annular end 64 of the reduced diameter portion 53 for yieldingly urging the sleeve 61 downwardly. The barrel 51 has internal lugs, not shown, and the key sleeve 61 has a plurality of depending keys, also not shown. The barrel lugs and keys are adapted to be received in the helical recesses and key slots of the mandrel in the manner described in the above referred to \Vaggener application.

The upper end of the upper section 66 of a tubing section is threadably received within the threaded bore 67 of a tubing hanger or head 68, said head being externally threaded and screwed into the bore 56. At the upper end of the head there is a flange 69 having a tapered seat "70 at the lower end thereof which seats on the shoulder 57. Below the externally threaded portion of the head 68 there is a cylindrical part 72 which has an annular external groove 73 therein for reception of a sealing ring or element 74.

Thus, with the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, a tubing string may be supported by means of a head removably received and seated in the mandrel portion of the safety release joint. Also, a tubing string may be supported in the barrel unit of such safety release joint by means of the head 68, said string depending through the string 35. In both arrangements other types of seats may be used for the supporting head and the latter may be removed should it be desired to raise the string supported thereby.

Within the barrel 51 of the barrel unit 50 are internal lugs 20a, which are received in the slots 20 when the barrel 51 of the barrel unit 50 is telescoped onto the mandrel Key sleeve 61 has keys 22a on the lower end which are received in the locking slots 22a to prevent the lugs a from moving out of the slots 20. When it is desired to release the barrel unit from the mandrel and detach same therefrom, a suitable tool of known type is dropped into the drill string and has parts engageable with internal shoulder 61a so that upward movement of tool will cause the sleeve 61 to be raised against the force of spring 63 to move the keys 22a out of the locking slots 22. When the key 22a have been lifted out of the slots 22 the lugs 20a will slide out of the slots 2i? when there is an upward pull on the drill string and barrel unit 50 attached to the lower end of said string.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is thought that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the arrangements hereinbefore described being merely for purposes of illustration.

We claim:

1. Well completion equipment, comprising: a safety release joint having a mandrel including a part with a plurality of annularly spaced helical recesses open at the upper end and a key groove for each recess, said key grooves extending longitudinally with respect to the mandrel and opening at the open ends of said recesses; an annular external shoulder on said mandrel forming a stop; means for securing the lower end of said mandrel to a tubular .pipe, said mandrel having a bore therethrough including an enlarged bore portion extending from the top and a smaller diameter portion therebelow, there being a landing surface flaring from the smaller diameter bore portion to the larger diameter bore, there also being an annular internal groove in the large diameter bore portion, spaced upwardly from the landing surface and having the upper wall inclined upwardly and inwardly; a tubing hanger releasably positioned in said mandrel and having a frusto-conical seating surface seating on said landing surface and having an external annular groove spaced upwardly of said seating surface, said hanger being adapted to have a pipe string secured thereto; a split ring disposed in said groove in the hanger and received in the internal annular groove of the mandrel, said ring having an upper outer wall portion conforming to the inclination of the upper wall portion of the internal mandrel groove and cooperating therewith to releasably secure the hanger in said mandrel; and a barrel unit including a tubular barrel receivable on said mandrel and having an internal diameter so as to be respectively engageable with said stop; a top sub to which said barrel is secured, said top sub having an internally threaded socket from which there extends a depending internally threaded bore; means, including a key sleeve, for releasably securing the barrel unit to the mandrel; and a tubing hanger having an externally threaded portion receivable in the depending bore portion of said top sub and adapted to have a pipe string secured thereto which is receivable in the first mentioned pipe string.

2. Well completion equipment, comprising: a safety release joint having a mandrel, including an annular external shoulder thereon forming a stop; means for securing one end of said mandrel to a tubular pipe, said mandrel having a bore therethrough including an enlarged upper portion extending from the top end and a smaller diameter portion therebelow, there being a landing surface flaring from the smaller diameter bore portion to the larger diameter bore portion, there being an annular internal groove in the large diameter bore portion spaced from the landing surface and having the upper wall inclined upwardly and inwardly; a tubing hanger releasably positioned in said mandrel and having a frusto-conical seating surface seating on said landing surface and having an external annular groove spaced upwardly of said seating surface; a split ring disposed in said groove in the hanger and received in the internal annular groove, said ring having an upper outer wall portion conforming to the inclination of the upper wall portion of the internal mandrel groove and cooperating therewith to releasably secure the hanger in said mandrel; and a barrel unit including a tubular barrel receivable on said mandrel and having an internal diameter so as to be restrictively engageable with said stop; a top sub to which said barrel unit is secured, said top sub having an internally threaded socket from which there extends a depending internally threaded bore; means for releasably securing the barrel unit to the mandrel; and a tubing hanger having an externally threaded portion receivable in the depending bore portion of said top sub and adapted to have a pipe string secured thereto which is receivable in the tubing head in the mandrel.

3. Well completion equipment, comprising: a safety release joint having a mandrel with a plurality of annularly spaced helical recesses open at the upper end and a key groove for each recess, said key grooves extending longitudinally with respect to the mandrel and opening at the open ends of said recesses; means for securing one end of said mandrel to a tubular pipe, said mandrel having a bore therethrough including an upwardly flaring landing surface and an annular internal groove spaced upwardly from the landing surface and having the upper wall inclined upwardly and inwardly; and a tubing hanger releasably positioned in said mandrel and having a frustoconical seating surface seating on said landing surface and having an external annular groove spaced upwardly of said seating surface; a split ring disposed in said groove in the hanger and received in the internal annular groove, said ring having an upper outer wall portion conforming to the inclination of the upper wall portion of the internal mandrel groove and cooperating therewith to releasably secure the hanger in said mandrel.

4. In well completion equipment: a safety release joint including a mandrel with a plurality of annularly spaced helical recesses open at the upper end and a key groove for each recess, said key grooves extending longitudinally with respect to the mandrel and opening at the open ends of said recesses; means for securing one end of said mandrel to a tubular pipe, said mandrel having a bore therethrough, including an upwardly flaring landing surface and an annular internal groove spaced upwardly from the landing surface and having the upper wall inclined upwardly and inwardly.

5. In Well completion equipment: a safety joint, including a barrel unit having a tubular barrel; a top sub to which said barrel unit is secured, said top sub having an internally threaded socket from which there extends a depending internally threaded bore; a shoulder about the upper end of said bore; means for releasably securing the barrel unit to a mandrel; and a tubing hanger having an externally threaded portion receivable in the depending bore portion of said top sub and adapted to have a pipe string secured thereto, said hanger having a part seating on said shoulder.

6. In well completion equipment: a safety release joint having a mandrel and a barrel unit adapted to be releasably secured to said mandrel, said mandrel and barrel being telescopically associated and selectively releasable in response to manipulating remote from said safety re lease joint; a tubing hanger; upwardly facing seat means in said mandrel for supporting said tubing hanger; and resilient means for detachably securing said tubing hanger when seated in said mandrel; said resilient means enabling the separation of said tubing hanger and said mandrel in response to the exertion of an axial and upwardly directed force on said hanger.

7. Well completion equipment as described in claim 6 wherein said resilient means comprises snap ring means disposed between an outer peripheral portion of said tubing hanger and an inner peripheral portion of said mandrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,739,802 Rasmussen et al Dec. 17, 1929 2,039,943 Wickersham et a1 May 5, 1936 2,049,290 Burns July 28, 1936 2,080,610 Humason May 18, 1937 2,678,806 Brown May 18, 1954 2,886,289 LeBus May 12, 1959 2,940,730 McClintock et a1 June 14, 1960 2,950,929 Nicholson Aug. 30, 1960

Claims (1)

1. WELL COMPLETION EQUIPMENT, COMPRISING: A SAFETY RELEASE JOINT HAVING A MANDREL INCLUDING A PART WITH A PLURALITY OF ANNULARLY SPACED HELICAL RECESSES OPEN AT THE UPPER END AND A KEY GROOVE FOR EACH RECESS, SAID KEY GROOVES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE MANDREL AND OPENING AT THE OPEN ENDS OF SAID RECESSES; AN ANNULAR EXTERNAL SHOULDER ON SAID MANDREL FORMING A STOP; MEANS FOR SECURING THE LOWER END OF SAID MANDREL TO A TUBULAR PIPE, SAID MANDREL HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH INCLUDING AN ENLARGED BORE PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE TOP AND A SMALLER DIAMETER PORTION THEREBELOW, THERE BEING A LANDING SURFACE FLARING FROM THE SMALLER DIAMETER BORE PORTION TO THE LARGER DIAMETER BORE, THERE ALSO BEING AN ANNULAR INTERNAL GROOVE IN THE LARGE DIAMETER BORE PORTION, SPACED UPWARDLY FROM THE LANDING SURFACE AND HAVING THE UPPER WALL INCLINED UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY; A TUBING HANGER RELEASABLY POSITIONED IN SAID MANDREL AND HAVING A FRUSTO-CONIAL SEATING SURFACE SEATING ON SAID LANDING SURFACE AND HAVING AN EXTERNAL ANNULAR GROOVE SPACED UPWARDLY OF SAID SEATING SURFACE, SAID HANGER BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE A PIPE STRING SECURED THERETO; A SPLIT RING DISPOSED IN SAID GROOVE IN THE HANGER AND RECEIVED IN THE INTERNAL ANNULAR GROOVE OF THE MANDREL, SAID RING HAVING AN UPPER OUTER WALL PORTION CONFORMING TO THE INCLINATION OF THE UPPER WALL PORTION OF THE INTERNAL MANDREL GROOVE AND COOPERATING THEREWITH

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