US3183974A - Full flow packer cementing shoe - Google Patents

Description

May 18, 1965 E. E. BAKER FULL FLOW PACKER CEMENTING SHOE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29, 1962 I NVEN TOR. raaf/v5 t AL/fe May 18, 1965 E. E. BAKER 3,183,974

FULL FLOW PACKER GEMENTING SHOE Filed Nov. 29, 1962, 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

M65/Vf 5,4652

BY my q Arroz/V56 May 18, 196s E. E. BAKER 3,183,974

FULL FLOW PACKER CEMENTING SHOE Filed Nov. 29, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 'S Fifa. 5.

INVENTOR 06f/V E. A/f? May 18, 1965 E. E. BAKER 3,183,974 FULL FLOW PACKER CEMENTING SHOE l Filed NOV. 29, 1962 4 Sheets-S1196?l 4 i l /M dz l /2/ INVENTOR.

aaa/5 4A/5e l 'Lm/M United States Patent l s ifti Patented May 18, 1955 ice 3,183,974 FULL FLW PACKER CEMEN'IING SHOE Eugene E. Baker, Duncan, Qkla., assigner to Halliburton Company, Duncan, Ghia., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov..29, 1962, Ser. No. 240,817 3 Claims. (Cl. 1664-141) This invention relates to well drilling equipment and more particularly relates to apparatus employed in the cementing of a casing in the bore hole of a well.-

In United States Patent No. 2,925,865, issued February 23, 1960 to O. N. Oliver, there is disclosed apparatus for producing a Icement sheath in a bore hole above a producing formation. In the apparatus of the patent, a

tool is attached to the bottom of a string of casing andl positioned in the bore hole just above the producing formation. A plug is positioned on a rst seat in the tool and a predetermined pressure is applied, causing a packer on the exterior of the tool to set and causing a sleeve to move relative to the wall of the tool, thus opening a plurality of ports therein. The cement slurry is then pumped down through the casing and out through the ports into the annular space between the casing and the bore hole. A second plug is then pumped down the casing onto another seat in lthe tool. The application of pressure on this plug causes a second sleeve to move relative to the tool and close the ports in the tool. Continued application of the pressure pumps the seats, plugs, and any excess cement into the bottom of the bore hole, thereby leaving a fully open passageway.

Although the tool of the patent is satisfactory, some difliculties have been experienced regarding the re liability of the shear pins used to prevent or permit the movement of the opening and closing sleeves and in the looking means used to prevent premature relative movement between the ttirst seat and the opening sleeve. According to the present invention, these diiculties are overcome :by providing locking rings and associated structure in place of the shear pins of the patent, thereby permitting the seats to move relative to the sleeves in response to the assumption of predetermined positions by the various members rather than 'by the exceeding of predetermined shearing forces exerted on them, the former being found more reliable than the latter.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool -for conveniently and reliably cementing a casing in a Ibore hole.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved full-ow packer cementing tool.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the accompanying description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the tool of the present invention positioned at a desired location in a well bore;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the tool of the present invention showing the position of the various members of the tool during a cementing operation;V Y

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the tool of the present invention showing the position of the various members of the tool after the cementing operation has been completed;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the tool of the present invention showing the condition of the tool after the seats and plugs have been pumped out;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the tool shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of another portion of a tool shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the tool in the position shown in FIGURE. 3; and

FIGURE 8 is Van enlarged fragmentary sectioii of portion of the tool in the condition shown in FIGURE-4. .Referring now to the several iigures, and in particular to FIGURES 1, 5 and 6, a tool is shown having an upper collar 1d which is provided in its upper portion with a rst set of internal threads for attachment to the casing string and in its lower portion with a second set of internal threads which cooperate with external threads on the upper end of a tubular member 12. The member 12 is provided with a plurality of ports 14, preferably three in number, of which only one is shown. The member 12 is also provided with external threads at its lower end for attachment to a guide 16 of any conventional design.

A packer 113 of any suitable flexible material is positioned about the exterior of the tubular member 12 and maintained in position by shoes 20 and 22. The shoe 2t) is iixedly attached to the guide 16 while the shoe 22 depends from the lower surface of an external sleeve 24 which is mounted on the tubular member 12 for relative movement therewith but restrained therefrom by a plurality of shear pins 26. The external sleeve 24 is also provided with a conventional slip 28 which permits its movement in a downward direction relative to the tubular member I2 but prevents its movement in an upward direction.

A-n opening sleeve 3G is positioned in the interior of the tubular member 12 and is attached by a plurality of shear pins 32 to plugs 34 which are xedly attached to the external sleeve 24 and which protrude inwardly through the ports 14 in the tubular member 12. A plu rality of O-rings 36 maintain a liquid seal between the opening sleeve and the tubular member i2.

.Positioned in the interior of the opening sleeve 30 is an opening seating member 38 which is provided with a peripheral groove 4t? and a plurality of radial passagewa'ys 42, preferably eight in number. An expanded split lock ring 44 preferably made of spring steel and having a wedge-shape outer periphery is positioned in the groove 4t) and expanded into a groove 46 formed in the interior of the sleeve 3i) by a plurality of steel balls 48 which are positioned in the passageways 42 and held in place by a cylindrically-shaped releasing sleeve 50 mounted on the interior of the seating member 38. A retaining ring 5i. is positioned in the upper portion of the groove 49 and maintains the lock ring 44 in position in the lower portion of groove 40. The releasing slee-ve is provided with a plurality of apertures 52 corresponding in number to the passageways 42 and radially aligned with the passageways 4t2, although longitudinally spaced above them.

A number of the holes 32 are provided with extended slots 54`which cooperate with shear pins 56 mounted on the interior of the seating member 38. The shear pins 56, preferably two in number, prevent the releasing sleeve 50 from moving downward relative to the seating member 38 until after a predetermined shearing force is exceded. The releasing sleeve 50 is also provided with a suitable snap ring 58 whose action, together with the effects of friction between the releasing sleeve 50 and the seating member 38, is suicient to prevent the releasing sleeve from moving upward relative to the seating member 38 under normal operating condition. When the cementing operation is about to commence, a suitable lplug or bomb 60 can be positioned in the bore of the seating member 38by simply pumping it down the casing string in the well known manner.

A closing sleeve 62 is positioned in the upper portion of the interior of the tubular member 12 and is provided -with a 'recessed portion 64 for cooperating with the upper porti-on of the sleeve 30. A plurality of O-rings 66 are provided in this recessed portion to form a liquid seal between the two sleeves. A closing seating member ateaevs sleeve 62. These two grooves are joined by a plurality of radial passageways 74, preferably eight. in number. A first split lock ring 76 of spring. steel is compressed in the groove 7i) while a second spiit lock ring 78, prefcrab-ly having an inner wedge-shaped profile is positioned in the groove 72.

A plurality of steel balls Si) are'positioned inthe passageways 7d and protrude into the groove 72 thereby forcing the lock ring 78 to be compressed into a groove 82 formed inthe outer periphery of the closing seating member 68. ThisV arrangement prevents relative movement between the sleeve 62 and seating member 68. A suitable plug 84 can be positioned on t 'e seating member 6% at lan appropriate time in the operation of the tool as shown in- FIGURE 3. A plurality of shear pins '86, preferably Ithree in number, join the seating member 68 and collar l@ and prevent relative movement therebetween until a predetermined shearing force is exerted.

The sleeve 62 is provided with a suitable pressureequalizing check valve which enables fluid to flow outwardly from the interior of the tool but not inwardly. This valve comprises, for example, fou-r aligned holes 8S and 90 drilled in the seating member 68 and sleeve 62 respectively. The hole in the sleeve 62 is provided with a suitable seat 92 and communicates with a groove 94 formed in the periphery of the sleeve. A steel ball 96 is spring-biased or otherwise maintained in contact with the seat 92 unless a predetermined pressure differential is exceded.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is shown the position of the various too-l members during the cementing phase of the operation. At the beginning of this phase, the plug 6! is positioned in the seating member 38. A pressure is then exerted on this plug causing the member 38 to move downwardly. The expanded lock ring causes the sleeve 30 to lalso move downwardly and this sleeve in turn causes the external sleeve 24 to move downwardly because of the presence of the shear pins 32. The shear pins 26 are broken at the outset of this operation by the movement of the sleeve 3ft relative tothe tubular member 12. As the external sleeve 24 rnoves downwardly, the packer llS is compressed and set to cause it to firmly engage the Walls of the well bore. When the external sleeve 24 is moved downwardly far enough so that the plugs 34 engage the lower surfaces of the ports M, the shear pins 32 are sheared off because of the continued application of pressure on the plug 60. The sleeve Sti and the'seating member 38 thus continue to move until the bottom of the sleeve 30 engages the guide 16. At this time, the slips 28 prevent the external sleeves 24 from moving upward and the upper portion of the sleeve 3u is below a portion of each of the ports 14 and thus the cement slurry can pass through the ports tinto the annular space between the casing and the well bore.

After the cementing has been completed, it is desired to close the ports 14. The position of the tool members during this phase of theV operation is shown in FIGURE 3. In this figure, the plug 84 has been positioned on the seating member 68 and pressure applied to it with the result that the shear pins 85 have snapped and the seating member 68 and sleeve 62 have moved downwardly relative to the tubular lmember i2. After the members 62 and 68 have moved downwardly a predetermined amount, the lower end of the seating member 68 engages the releasing sleeve 56.

of the snap ring .5S with the result that the releasing sleeve -59 moves downwardly reative to the seating member 38. When the apertures 52 in the releasing sleeve Si) are lined up with the passageways 42, the ring 44 is yable to contract by pushing the balls LES through the apertures 52. The seating member 38 is thus able to move relative to the sleeve 30. FIGURE 3 shows Vthe position of the various members at this time. Continued pressure on the plug S4 causes lthe seating rnemberS and the sleeve 62 to continue to move downwardly until the portion 64 ofthe sleeve 62 has telescoped into the top portion of the sleeve 36 thereby blocking the ports 14.

At this time, the lock ring '76 in the groove 7 0 registers with an internal groove 98 in the tubular member i2. The lock ring 76 therefore expands into the groove 9S enabling the lock ring 78 Vto expand by forcing the balls Sit out of the groove 72. The expansion of the lock ring 78 together with the camming action of the seating member 62 on the wedge-shaped surface of the ring 78 enables the seating member 68 to move relative to the sleeve 62. Continued pressure on the plug 84 causes the seating member 68 and the seating member 38 together' with the plugs 60 and S4 to be pushed right through the tool and out into the well borre, leaving a wholly open passageway, as can be seen in FIGURE 4.

From Ithe .foregoing description, it can be seen that an improved tool has been provided for use in cementing a casing in a well bore. The tool does not depend upon the exceeding of predetermined forces on shear pins to permit relative movement between the seating members and the sleeves, but rather depends upon the members reaching predetermined positions, This provides more reliable operation, as proper positioning of t-he members is assured before the next step can take place and thus the possibility of faulty operation caused by Vdefective shear pins is avoided.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood `that I am not to be limited to the details herein set forth, but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In apparatus for cementing casing in a well, the combination comprising: a tubular member having a port in the wall thereto-f; expansible packer means surrounding said member in the vicinity of said port; an extended sleeve slidably mounted on the outside of said member above said packer means for setting said packer means when a downward force is applied thereto; a first internal sleeve slidably mounted on said member, said sleeve having a first position Vwherein it obstructs said port and a second position wherein it does not obstruct said port; means including a shear pin extending through said port and rigidly connecting said external sleeve with said first internal sleeve whereby movement of said first internal sleeve toward said second position causes said external sleeve -to set said packer means; a first seatmg lmember mounted in said first internal sleeve, said seating member having a groove in the outer periphery thereof and a plurality of radial passageways extending from said groove to the interior of said seating member; a releasing sleeve movably mounted in said rst seating member and having a plurality of apertures in the walls thereof, said releasing sleeve having a first position in which said walls obstruct the passageways in said first seating member and a second position in which said apertures in said walls communicate said passageways with the interior of said releasing sleeve; means in said peripheral groove and said passageways for preventing relative movement of said first internal sleeveand said first seating member when said releasing sleeve is in said first position; Ia second internal sleeve slidably mounted in said Vtubular member, said Ysecond internal sleeve having a first position remote from said first internal sleeve and a second position wherein it' cooperates with said first internal sleeve in the second position thereof to completely obstruct said port; said second internal sleeve having a first groove formed in the outer periphery thereof, a second groove formed in the inner periphery thereof and a plurality of radial passageways connecting said grooves; a second seating member mounted in said internal sleeve, the lower end of said second seating member being engageable with said releasing sleeve; and means in said grooves and said passageways for cooperating with said tubular members and preventing relative movement of said second internal sleeve and said second seating memberV until said second internal sleeve reaches said second position.

2. In apparatus for cementing casing in a well, the combination comprising: a tubular mernber having a port in the wall thereof; expansible packer m-eans surrounding said member in the vicinity of said port; an external sleeve slidably mounted on the outside of said member above said packer means for set-ting said packer means when a downward force is applied thereto; a first yinternal sleeve slidably mounted on said member, said sleeve havingr a first position wherein it obstructs said port and a second position wherein it does not obstruct said port; means including a shear pin extending through said port and rigidly connecting said external sleeve with said first internal sleeve whereby movement o-f said first internal sleeve toward said second position causes said external sleeve to set said packer means; a first seating member mounted in said first internal sleeve, said seating member having .a groove in t-he outer periphery thereof and a plurality of radial passageways extending from said groove to the interior of said seating member; a releasing sleeve movably mounted in s-aid first seating member and having -a plurality of apertures in the walls thereof, said releasing sleeve having a first position in which said walls obstruct the passageways in said first seating member and a second position in which said apertures in said walls communicate said passageways with the interior of said releasing sleeve; a first portion of a lock ring positioned in said peripheral groove; a plurality of balls, one of said balls being positioned in each of said passageways, said balls causing a second portion of said lloch ring to expand into a groove formed in the inner periphery of said first internal sleeve when said releasing sleeve is in said first position thereby preventing relative movement between said first seating means and said first internal sleeve; a second internal sleeve slidably mounted in said tubular member, said second internal sleeve 4having a first position remote from said first internal sleeve and a second position wherein it cooperates with said first internal sleeve in the second position thereof to completely obstruct said port; said second internal sleeve having a first groo-ve formed in the outer periphery thereof, a second groove formed in the inner periphery thereof and -a plurality of radial passageways connecting said grooves; a second seating member mounted in said second internal sleeve and having a groove formed in its outer periphery, the lower end of said second seating member being engageable with said releasing sleeve; a rst lock ring positioned in the outer peripheral gro-ove of said second internal sleeve; a second lock ring positioned in lthe inner peripheral groove of said second internal sleeve; land a plurality of balls, one of said balls being positioned in each of said p-ass-ageways of said seco-nd internal sleeve, said balls causing said second lock ring to be compressed into said groove in said second seating means thereby preventing relative movement between said second internal sleeve and said second seating means until said first lock ring is permitted to expand into a groove formed in said tubular member, said expansion occurring when said second internal sleeve reaches said second position.

3. In apparatus for cementing casing in a well, the combination comprising: a tubular member having a port in the wall thereof; expansible packer means surrounding said member in the vicinity of said port; an external sleeve slidably mounted on the outside of said member above said packer means for setting said packer means when a downward force is applied thereto; a first internal sleeve slidably mounted on said member, said sleeve having a first position whe-rein it obstructs said port and a second position wherein it does not obstruct said port; means including a shear pin extending through said port and rigidly connecting said external sleeve with said first internal sleeve whereby movement of said first internal sleeve toward said second position causes said external sleeve to set said packer means; a first seating member mounted in said first internal sleeve, said seating member having a groove in the outer periphery thereof and a plurality of radial passageways extending from said `groove to the interior of said seating member; a releasing sleeve movably mounted in said first seating member and having a plurality of apertures in the walls thereof, said releasing sleeve having a first position in which said walls obstruct the passageways in said first seating member and a second position in which said apertures in said walls communicate said passageways with the interior of said releasing sleeve; a first portion of a lock ring positioned in said peripheral groove; a plurality of balls, one of said balls being positioned in each of said passageways, said `balls causing a second portion of said lock ring to expand into a groove formed in the inner periphery of said first internal sleeve when said releasing sleeve is in said first position thereby preventing relative movement between said first seating means and said first internal sleeve; -a second internal sleeve slidably mounted in said tubular member, said second internal sleeve having a first position remote from said first internal sleeve and a second position wherein it cooperates with said first internal sleeve in the second position thereof to completely obstruct said port; said second internal sleeve having a first groove formed in the youter periphery thereof, 4a second groove formed in the inner periphery thereof and a plurality of radial passageways connecting said grooves; a second seating member mounted in said second internal sleeve and having a groove formed in its outer periphery, the lower end of said second seating member being engageable with said releasing sleeve; 'a first lock ring positioned in the outer peripheral groove of said second internal sleeve; a second lock ring positioned in the inner peripheral groove of said second internal sleeve; a plurality of balls, one of said balls lbeing positioned in each of said passageways of said second internal sleeve, said balls causing said second lock ring to be compressed into said groove in said second seating means thereby preventing relative movement between said second internal sleeve and said second seating means until said first lock ring is permitted to expand into a groove formed in said tubular member, said expansion occurring when said second internal sleeve reaches said second position; firs-t plug means positionable upon said first seating member whereby a stream of cement slurry passed into said apparatus causes said first seating means and said first internal sleeve to move downwardly until said first internal sleeve reaches said second position, and second plug means positionable upon said second seating member whereby a force exert-ed o-n said second Iplug means causes said second seating member and said second intern-al sleeve to move downwardly until said lower end of said second seating member engages said releasing sleeve and moves it to said second position, said second seating member and said second internal sleeve continuing to move downwardly under said force until said second internal sleeve reaches said second position and said second seating member is freed for movement relative to said second intern-al sleeve.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,925,865 2/60 Oliver 166-154 3,044,553 7/62 Bradley 166-184 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN APPARATUS FOR CEMENTING CASING IN A WELL, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING; A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A PORT IN THE WALL THEREOF; EXPANSIBLE PACKER MEANS SURROUNDING SAID MEMBER IN THE VICINITY OF SAID PORT; AN EXTENDED SLEEVE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTSIDE OF SAID MEMBER ABOVE SAID PACKER MEANS FOR SETTING SAID PACKER MEANS WHEN A DOWNWARD FORCE IS APPLIED THERETO; A FIRST INTERNAL SLEEVE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MEMBER, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN IT OBSTRUCTS SAID PORT AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN IT DOES NOT OBSTRUCT SAID PORT; MEANS INCLUDING A SHEAR PIN EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PORT AND RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID EXTERNAL SLEEVE WITH SAID FIRST INTERNAL SLEEVE WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST INTERNAL SLEEVE TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION CAUSES SAID EXTERNAL SLEEVE TO SET SAID PACKER MEANS; A FIRST SEATING MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID FIRST INTERNAL SLEEVE, SAID SEATING MEMBER HAVING A GROOVE IN THE OUTER PERIPHERY THEREFO AND A PLURALITY OF RADIAL PASSAGEWAYS EXTENDING FROM SAID GROOVE TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SEATING MEMBER; A RELEASING SLEEVE MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FIRST SEATING MEMBER AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES IN THE WALLS THEREOF, SAID RELEASING SLEEVE HAVING A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID WALLS OBSTRUCT THE PASSAGEWAYS IN SAID FIRST SEATING MEMBER AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID APERTURES IN SAID WALLS COMMUNICATE SAID PASSAGEWAYS WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID RELEASING SLEEVE; MEANS IN SAID PERIPHERAL GROOVE AND SAID PASSAGEWAYS FOR PREVENTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST INTERNAL SLEEVE AND SAID FIRST SEATING MEMBER WHEN SAID RELEASING SLEEVE IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION; A SECOND INTERNAL SLEEVE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID SECOND INTERNAL SLEEVE HAVING A FIRST POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID FIRST INTERNAL SLEEVE AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN IT COOPERATES WITH SAID FIRST INTERNAL SLEEVE IN THE SECOND POSITION THEREOF TO COMPLETELY OBSTRUCT SAID PORT; SAID SECOND INTERNAL SLEEVE HAVING A FIRST GROOVE FORMED IN THE INNER PERIPHERY THEREOF, A SECOND GROOVE FORMED IN THE INNER PERIPHERY THEREOF AND A PLURALITY OF RADIAL PASSAGEWAYS CONNECTING SAID GROOVES; A SECOND SEATING MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID INTERNAL SLEEVE, THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND SEATING MEMBER BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RELEASING SLEEVE; AND MEANS IN SAID GROOVES AND SAID PASSAGEWAYS FOR COOPERATAING WITH SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS AND PREVENTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND INTERNAL SLEEVE AND SAID SECOND SEATING MEMBER UNTIL SAID SECOND INTERNAL SLEEVE REACHES SAID SECOND POSITION.

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