US3312280A - Oil well completion - Google Patents

Oil well completion Download PDF

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Publication number
US3312280A
US3312280A US438711A US43871165A US3312280A US 3312280 A US3312280 A US 3312280A US 438711 A US438711 A US 438711A US 43871165 A US43871165 A US 43871165A US 3312280 A US3312280 A US 3312280A
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United States
Prior art keywords
casing
tool
bore
well
cement
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Expired - Lifetime
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US438711A
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English (en)
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Koplin Harry
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Individual
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Individual
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Priority to US438711A priority Critical patent/US3312280A/en
Priority to FR101303A priority patent/FR1525231A/fr
Priority to BE696516D priority patent/BE696516A/fr
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Publication of US3312280A publication Critical patent/US3312280A/en
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/11—Perforators; Permeators
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
    • E21B33/13—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
    • E21B33/13—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
    • E21B33/14—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like for cementing casings into boreholes
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/14—Obtaining from a multiple-zone well

Definitions

  • This invention relates to oil well completion techniques and devices for selectively connecting sections of well casings to various strata.
  • zones of permeability interspersed with water sands, shale sands, or non-oil bearing zones or layers.
  • connection elements can be extended hydraulically before the cement is introduced or shortly after the cement is introduced but before it has time to set. In either case, special precautions have to be taken or arrangements made to avoid having the cement enter the connection elements and the excess cement in the tubular casing must be removed in some fashion before the well can produce. Any cement inside the casing must be removed because the final step in establishing connection through the duct-providing connection elements is to dissolve or destroy a closure plug or core in each of the elements by means of chemicals or heat applied from within the tubular casing and cement in the casing prevents this.
  • the present invention avoids the hazards and difiiculties inherent in the above-described well completion 3,312,280 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 methods, and simplifies the equipment used and its manipulation so that oil well cementing and completion can be less expensive and more certain than formerly.
  • the objects of this invention are to provide a method and a tool for completing and cementing an oil well whereby a cement well bore lining will be kept free from cracks or voids; whereby transverse connection from a central tube is dependably made to selected strata outside of the central tube and the cement well bore lining; and wherein the central tube is kept clear of the cement surrounding the tube. Explosives and hydraulic pressure are not required or used in this method or .in the tool for carrying but oil well completion according to the invention.
  • One object is to provide a method and means for well completion and cementing in which no special tools or rigs are required other than the completion tool itself. Another object is to provide a tool of simple design, using a number of standard, readily available structural parts, but one that easily may be adapted or converted in thefield to satisfy changing conditions that may be encountered. A further object is to provide extendable strata connection elements operated mechanically in a dependable fashion from within a tubular well casing, these elements making self-adjustable resilient contact with the well bore. Still another object is to trigger the .extension of the connection elements by the application of acids or other chemically active materials against chemically destructible spring-holding members in the tubular casing.
  • an elongated hollow casing in the form of a tubular element for insertion into a well bore and by providing this tubular element with transversely positioned strata connection elements retracted almost entirely within the tube but biased toward ejected positions by spring means withinthe tube.
  • the springs are held in compressed condition and the connection elements are held in retracted position by means of chemically destructible elements such as bolts or links made of some metal that is readily dissolved by an acid or other suitable chemical.
  • Ejection of the connector elements from the tube is caused by applying a suitable chemical to the destructible elements within the tube so that the springs are released and will thereafter extend themselves and forcibly eject the connectors from the tube into resilient contact with the walls of the well bore.
  • the same acid or other chemical in the casing that was used to destroy the spring-holding bolts or links is used to dissolve or destroy closure plugs in the extendedcstrata connection elements so that clear passageways are provided in the elements from the strata in the well, through the cement liner and into the tubular well casing.
  • the retractable connection elements, their closure plugs, the biasing springs and the springholding links are preferably designed for easy removal and replacement in the field before the tool is put into use, so that changes can be made in any particular tool to suit variousconditions that may arise.
  • FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a well bore showing a tool according to the present invention inserted therein; a
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the well bore and tool of FIG. 1 as if on the line 2-2 thereof;
  • FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the bore and of the tool as if on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a further enlarged cross-section similar to a portion of FIG. 3 but with parts in a dilferent condition and showing cement applied in the annular space between the outer walls of the tube and the bore of the well;
  • FIG. 5 is another cross-section like FIG. 4 but showing parts of the device in still another condition
  • FIG. 6 is an enlarged view like a portion of FIG. 3 showing a modified form of chemically destructible spring-holding element.
  • one or more tool sections 10, each of any desired length are joined to pipe sections 12, which may be any desired standard threaded pipe lengths, to form an elongated hollow casing or tubular tool element intended to be inserted lengthwise into a well bore W.
  • the body of the tool section may be square in cross section as shown, or it may be round.
  • This elongated tube, with as many tool sections and as many pipe sections as required, is preferably tightly closed at the bottom and open at the top.
  • at the top and bottom of each tool section 10 is an end plate 14, carrying a threaded pipe fitting 16 adapted to be coupled to the end of a pipe section 12.
  • the end plates and fittings may be welded together and to the tool section.
  • the end plates may also carry a number of radially extending feeler arms 18, and the outer ends of these arms may or may not be joined by a guard ring 20 to hold the outer ends of the feelers in proper position. Welds again may be used to hold these parts together.
  • each fitting threadedly receives an outside threaded shouldered'nut 24, having an inner smooth bore 26 that slidably receives a laterally extendable member shown as a sleeve 28.
  • a suitable sealing ring 30, between the shoulder on nut 24 and the end of fitting 22, may be used to make a fluid-tight joint between these members.
  • a similar ring 32 of O-shape, located in a groove inside the nut 24, may provide a sliding fluid-tight joint with the sleeve 28
  • the outer end of each slidable sleeve 28 is closed as by a removable closure member 34, threadedly received at the end of the sleeve, and having a core or plug portion 36, made of zinc, magnesium, aluminum, or other metal or material that is easily dissolved or destroyed by an acid or other chemical.
  • the rest of the assembly abovedescribed, including the pipe sections and tool body sections, is made of iron, steel or other material that is not destroyed by the application of the acid or other chemical that will destroy the plug.
  • the entire closure member 34 may be made out of chemically destructible material like the plug portion, in which case the plug need not be a separate element.
  • each sleeve carries a cup-like gasket 38 made of neoprene, rubber, or similar resilient and acid resistant material.
  • this gasket is held against a shoulder 40 on sleeve 28 when the closure member 34 is screwed into place.
  • the free outer edges of the gasket extend beyond the outermost end of the closure 34 and its plug portion 36 to make sealing contact with the wall of the well bore before these elements are destroyed.
  • the gaskets may not be required and in those cases the outer faces of the closure members and of the dissolvable plug are contoured to match the curvature of the well bore to form a tight fit with the well bore when the sleeves are extended.
  • Spring means are provided to extend the sleeves transversely outwardly of the tool at the proper time and to hold the outer ends of the sleeves resiliently in sealing contact or engagement'with walls of the well bore.
  • Shown here is a compression spring 44, located within both sleeves 28 of a pair, this spring in fully extended condition spanningthe space between the inside of the closure member 34 of one sleeve 28 and the inside of the closure member of the opposite sleeve of the pair, the spring extending the sleeves outwardly to their fullest extent and pressing the outer ends of both sleeves into firm engagement with portions of the walls of the well bore. This position or condition of one sleeve is shown in FIG. 4.
  • each of the springs 44 is compressed to a length less than the space between the closure members of a pair of the sleeves when in retracted position.
  • the compressed spring is held in this condition by a link or bolt 46 and end nuts 48, as shown in FIG. v3.
  • This spring-holding link (and the nuts, if used) is of chemically destructible material similar to or the same as that of the closure plugs 36.
  • FIG. 6 shows a different form of destructible springholding link in the shape of a tube 50 with flared ends 52 engaging the ends of a compressed spring 44.
  • the destructible spring-holding link takes one form or another, its central portion, and the central part of the spring that it holds, extends across the clear space 42 between a pair of retracted sleeves, lying generally in the longituidnal axis of the hollow elongated tool.
  • 'Adjacent pairs of the sleeves which may be located as close together as three inches, are preferably positioned at right angles to each other as shown, so that when the sleeves in a tool assembly are extended they will center the hollow elongated tool in a well bore and provide an annular space A in the bore surrounding the .tool on all sides.
  • This central location of all the links, in the clear spaces 42 between the retracted connection sleeves makes it easy to apply acid or other destructive chemicals to the links.
  • the well hole is drilled in any desired fashion and the bore washed clean if necessary.
  • a log is made, using core samplings or electronic logging equipment or other methods to determine the location of potential production strata or zones S or levels at which it will be desired to make connection. There will be other levels X at Which connections definitely will not be desired, and the locations of these also will be determined by the well log.
  • a tool as above-described will be prepared, having plain pipe sections 12 covering the well levels X that are not to be connected, and tool sections with appropriate pairs of extendable sleeves 28 at the desired production or connection levels. If extensive production zones are found, the length and number of tool sections 10 may be increased accordingly, and as many sets of crosswise pairs of the sleeves 28 be provided as are desirable to handle the expected flow.
  • the feelers 18 may not be provided, but a relatively thin metal protective casing with open bottom (not shown) is placed in the well bore and the tool is then carefully lowered into the casing to the bottom of the well so that the sildable connection elements are positioned opposite the perdetermined locations for connection to the strata S. The protective casing is then removed, if following this method, and further steps followed as explained below.
  • feelers 18, with or without the guard rings 20 are provided as part of the tool assembly and the tool is lowered into the well bore to the bottom or until the slidable sleeves are located opposite the potential production strata.
  • feeler arms 18 other guiding and centering arrangements might be used for the tool, these having also the function of protecting the projecting parts of the sleeves 28 from being damaged while the tool is "being lowered into proper position in the well.
  • Discs or fins may be provided instead of the feeler arms 18 and these should extend radially outwardly far enough to protect the ends of the retracted slidable sleeves, but not far enough or through sufiicient area to impede the subsequent placement of cement in the annular space A as explained below.
  • the outer diameter of the main body of the tool is substantially less than the inner diameter of the well bore at any point.
  • the metal of the links should be no more than about one-third the thickness of the metal of the plugs, so that the plugs 'are not dissolved at this point and the ends of the springs, when released, will have sufficient material against which to press to extend the slidable sleeves.
  • a differtn material is used for the destructible plugs, and one that is not destroyed by the link-dissolving chemical, then 6 differences in thickness of link and plug'are not significant, but a second chemical must be introduced at the proper stage and in the proper amount to destroy the plugs.
  • the equipment is in the condition shown in FIG. 4, but the annular space surrounding the tool is empty.
  • the next step is to fill this annular space with cement C. This is done by using a relatively fine fluid slurry and pouring or pumping the cement slurry from the open top of the well around the tool, entirely outside of the tool. If necessary, the cement may be forced into this annular space and around and between the extended strata connecting sleeves by using a small diameter tubing of a size to fit within the available space outside the tool, withdrawing the tubing as required and vibrating or tamping the cement if necessary as the space is filled up.
  • the acid or other chemical in the tool may be working on the destructible plugs in the ends of the extended strata connecting sleeves.
  • zinc plugs were used, and zinc spring-holding links, the plugs being of a thickness calculated to be eaten out by means of an acid introduced into the tool in a period of about 72 hours after the well was cemented. This gives ample time for the cement to set, and after the plugs are destroyed the entire tubing forming the tool may be swabbed out or the spent acid neutralized by introducing a suitable neutralizing base into the tool.
  • FIG. 5 shows the tool after cementing and after destruction of the closure plugs.
  • An oil well completion method comprising the steps 0 placing into a well bore an elongated tubular casing of smaller diameter than said bore, leaving an annular space between the outside of said casing and the walls of said bore, next resiliently forcing opposite pairs of extensible tubular connector members laterally outwardly from said tubular casing, to span said annular space at selected points in said bore located 'at levels corresponding to strata in the well bore to be connected to said casing, the outer ends of said connector members, when extended, making sealing contact with said strata and carrying chemically destructible closure plugs therein, then filling the said annular space and around each of the extended said connector members with a sealing cement by introducing the cement downwardly into said annular space from the top thereof and entirely outside of said casing,
  • An oil well completion method comprising the steps placing into a well bore an elongated tubular casing of smaller diameter than said bore, leaving an annular space between the outside of said casing and the walls of said bore, next chemically releasing a spring means and thereby resiliently forcing an extensible tubular connector member laterally outwardly from said tubular casing, to span said annular space at a selected point in said bore located at a level corresponding to stratum in the well bore to be connected to said casing, the outer end of said connector member, when extended by said released spring means, making sealing contact with said stratum and carrying a chemically destructible closure plug therein, then filling the said annular space and around the extended said connector member with a sealing cement by introducing the cement downwardly into said annular space from the top thereof and entirely outside of said casing,
  • An oil well completion tool comprising an elongated hollow casing adapted for lengthwise insertion into the bore of a well
  • a connector sleeve slidably mounted in a wall of said casing for extension transversely outwardly of said casing at a preselected location corresponding to stratum in the well bore to be connected to said casing when said casing is in said well,
  • An oil well completion tool comprising an elongated hollow casing adapted for lengthwise insertion into the bore of a well
  • pairs of oppositely directed tubular connector members slidably mounted in the walls of said casing for retraction therein and extension transversely outwardly of said casing at preselected locations corresponding to strata in the well bore to be connected to said casing when said casing is in said well,
  • closure plugs in said connector members of a material readily destroyed by a chemical, said plugs closing said members until destroyed by application of said chemical thereto, a
  • a retractable spring in said casing extending between the opposite members of each pair of connector members, each said spring, when extended, forcing the associated members of each pair apart and outwardly into resilient engagement with the well bore, and
  • each link holding a said spring in retracted condition and against extension thereof until destroyed by application of said chemical
  • An oil well completion tool according to claim 5 wherein adjacent pairs of said slidably mounted tubular connector members are positioned transversely of said casing at with respect to each other along the length of the tool.
  • An oil well completion tool comprising an elongated hollow casing adapted for lengthwise insertion into the bore of a well
  • pairs of oppositely directed tubular connector members slidably mounted in the walls of said casing for retraction therein and extension transversely of said casing at preselected locations corresponding to strata in the well bore to be connected to said casing when said casing is in said well,
  • closure plugs in said connector members of a material readily destroyed by a chemical, said plugs closing the ends of said members until destroyed by application of said chemical thereto,
  • retractable spring in said casing extending within and between the opposite members of each pair of connector members, each said spring, when extended, forcing the associated members of each pair to slide apart and outwardly into resilient sealing engagement with the well bore,
  • each link holding a spring to the interior of said casing said links are first destroyed and said springs are released to extend said connector members outwardly into engagement with the bore of the well and thereafter said plugs in said members are destroyed to establish connection of preselected strata to said casing.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Pipe Accessories (AREA)
US438711A 1965-03-10 1965-03-10 Oil well completion Expired - Lifetime US3312280A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US438711A US3312280A (en) 1965-03-10 1965-03-10 Oil well completion
FR101303A FR1525231A (fr) 1965-03-10 1967-04-03 Procédé et outillage de conditionnement des puits de pétrole
BE696516D BE696516A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1965-03-10 1967-04-03

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US438711A US3312280A (en) 1965-03-10 1965-03-10 Oil well completion
FR101303A FR1525231A (fr) 1965-03-10 1967-04-03 Procédé et outillage de conditionnement des puits de pétrole
BE696516 1967-04-03

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BE (1) BE696516A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
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Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3924677A (en) * 1974-08-29 1975-12-09 Harry Koplin Device for use in the completion of an oil or gas well
US4157732A (en) * 1977-10-25 1979-06-12 Ppg Industries, Inc. Method and apparatus for well completion
US4880059A (en) * 1988-08-12 1989-11-14 Halliburton Company Sliding sleeve casing tool
US4949788A (en) * 1989-11-08 1990-08-21 Halliburton Company Well completions using casing valves
US4991654A (en) * 1989-11-08 1991-02-12 Halliburton Company Casing valve
US20120073819A1 (en) * 2009-04-17 2012-03-29 Richard Bennett M Method and system for hydraulic fracturing
US8863836B2 (en) 2010-04-06 2014-10-21 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Systems and methods for logging cased wellbores
AU2012316663B2 (en) * 2011-09-27 2016-05-19 Baker Hughes Incorporated Method and system for hydraulic fracturing
US12024976B1 (en) * 2023-03-31 2024-07-02 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Conductor running and cementing bracket (CRCB)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2775304A (en) * 1953-05-18 1956-12-25 Zandmer Solis Myron Apparatus for providing ducts between borehole wall and casing
US3087552A (en) * 1961-10-02 1963-04-30 Jersey Prod Res Co Apparatus for centering well tools in a well bore
US3120268A (en) * 1960-02-19 1964-02-04 Nat Petroleum Corp Ltd Apparatus for providing ducts through casing in a well
US3196949A (en) * 1962-05-08 1965-07-27 John R Hatch Apparatus for completing wells
US3245472A (en) * 1961-05-23 1966-04-12 Zandmer Solis Myron Duct-forming devices

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2775304A (en) * 1953-05-18 1956-12-25 Zandmer Solis Myron Apparatus for providing ducts between borehole wall and casing
US3120268A (en) * 1960-02-19 1964-02-04 Nat Petroleum Corp Ltd Apparatus for providing ducts through casing in a well
US3245472A (en) * 1961-05-23 1966-04-12 Zandmer Solis Myron Duct-forming devices
US3087552A (en) * 1961-10-02 1963-04-30 Jersey Prod Res Co Apparatus for centering well tools in a well bore
US3196949A (en) * 1962-05-08 1965-07-27 John R Hatch Apparatus for completing wells

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3924677A (en) * 1974-08-29 1975-12-09 Harry Koplin Device for use in the completion of an oil or gas well
US4157732A (en) * 1977-10-25 1979-06-12 Ppg Industries, Inc. Method and apparatus for well completion
US4880059A (en) * 1988-08-12 1989-11-14 Halliburton Company Sliding sleeve casing tool
US4949788A (en) * 1989-11-08 1990-08-21 Halliburton Company Well completions using casing valves
US4991654A (en) * 1989-11-08 1991-02-12 Halliburton Company Casing valve
US20120073819A1 (en) * 2009-04-17 2012-03-29 Richard Bennett M Method and system for hydraulic fracturing
US9074453B2 (en) * 2009-04-17 2015-07-07 Bennett M. Richard Method and system for hydraulic fracturing
US8863836B2 (en) 2010-04-06 2014-10-21 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Systems and methods for logging cased wellbores
AU2012316663B2 (en) * 2011-09-27 2016-05-19 Baker Hughes Incorporated Method and system for hydraulic fracturing
US12024976B1 (en) * 2023-03-31 2024-07-02 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Conductor running and cementing bracket (CRCB)

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Publication number Publication date
BE696516A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1967-09-18
FR1525231A (fr) 1968-05-17

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