US2310483A - Well cementing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9, 1943. N. w. wlcKERsHAM WELL CEMENTING APPARATUS' Filed March 1, 1940 v2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 9, 1943. N. w. wlcKERsHAM 2,310,483

WELL CEMENT-ING APARATUs Filed March 1, 1940 2 sheetssheet 2 -embodiment of -thenventiongeas ',illustratedy i Patented Feb.V 9, 1943 lvlelavvare-A Y l "f Animation maar, meer@ y Y the Ubia-Strings or :drill-snm This invention relates tofapparatus 'force-l mening Wells, andlhasiftoldo particularly-:with devices incorporated in -thegtubinginga well for controlling the ilow therethrough ofgcement `and drilling fluid. i

An object of the inventionisto provide-appaA ratus capable of indicating to the (operator at the surface when all the cement has beenidischarged` from the tubing or drill pipeiinto,thewellj'and which is also capableofpbeingmanipulated to 10 permit washing the well above 'the cemeritfafterthe latter is deposited inthetwell.. I l Another object is to provide apparatus capable of washing the well after thecementha'sbeen deposited therein, by direct ow from the ,tubingl` or drill pipe into the well,y as distinct fr'omvvash-4 ing by reversing theflow fromrtheiwellintothe tubing. This is particularly` importantxbecause of the fact that washing by reversingthe ovv' temporarily increases thepressure in theforma- 20 tion and also puts a pressure on-thelplaced ce' ment which may drive ity into theformation'so` that the cement isnot left at thedesiredheig'lit;

- with the result that when; the-,.prefs'surelis later? reduced to normal'i vthe bore Walli'maybefweak 25. Y A votjtubing; iifpositioned` infant'uncasedborehole ened or caused to cave inin placeswf f Another object is toprovideLaparticularly simple and effective apparatusinsertable irrwell tubings for intercepting "1a n plug transmitted through the nubingiondibio'oking nowf-ftnroughf1301 the tubing, but capable'offreopening ai `passag'e1-i for resumed ow' of uid therethrou'ghfinfre sponse to a predetermined increase 'inftlie'lpres-"i sure of the fiuidin the tubingr@ Various other moreispecicifobjec'tsrand `fea-""35V tures ofthe invention will becomeiapparentfrom' the detailed description to follow'of a preferred the drawings.` l Briefly, the invention consistsin adevicewhich is inserted in the well tubing;preferablyfadjacen ber plug, which is forced downfftheitubin'g 1b tween the cement and the-displacement fluid the tubing. The devicediiersfffrom v'i'evic'e'spr viously employed for stoppigwthle rubb referred to, in that ituisadaptedeitotpen pas sageway around thefplug'fortthe @freefpassag `'o uid or cement throughtheitubing `inrs'pon'se to application of a". nredet'ermined;v increased @ofi-ithenormalpsition asfshowninfFyif.fSjjtliere' pressure on the fluid in thetubing; iluid-ifpssag xtendingilthroughfltheinterio @sleeve is.` normauy :maintained in the up g V*follovvin'g `the seating of fthe? rubber plu'gisfthat itfleliir'iinaltesv they necessityiof pulling a'wet i string,*fsihce the fluid contents `of thestrihg'ica'ndrain out as the string-iis puiioaff@ The device land itsy operationr` 'will "lriovv,`A` befde scribed' irrpdetaili` with reference: to "the drawings,

lin which F'ig'.;:12";is'azschematic view-s'hoiving the devicfe positioned inia string ofitubing andv the tubin positioned-iria welltobecem'ented; j Fig. 21isf a`lview similar to Figefl';lbut'jshovving' the tubing in raised position 4for washing the weil; following deposit of..the'cem'eht; "y" 5 Fig.` 3 lis a :vertical sectional viewvth'rtnyigh';y theI device oftheypresent. invention,- showing th ter nin normaloryclos'ed positiomy` f \Fig. `llista view simila'rto Fr'i'gl'fbut shovv 'g'l the device with thefrubber plug positioned there# in. and,1-the..,"device.actuated into open position;

Fig.V y5 is: a cross'section taken vin thev plane V-V oflFigfBiand Figi 6 islabcross'.sectiontaken in thefplane OfFig.'

Referring .first` to Figi, 1'; there is shown'astring 2,v and extending vsubstantially''to vthebottorn" thereof for cementing the bottom of the hole: l

Positioned near therlower-z end ofthe stringi is a deviceg 3 Vwhichrcons'titutesthe'nOVel apparatu invva'ccordance withftherpresent invention? "l i Referringf now to Fig;r3, `the :device3 comprises a tubular zbodyimember l0 internallythreadedf-at theupperendffto vreceivefthemale thread onA the 'lower endioffthegtubing section 4 thereabjove and havin'grmale ythreadsflonz*the low'er l'end for con'-v nectionbyjrlafcouplingi 6 to atubing section-'6 therebelow: v Slidably:l'aositi'oned*within the body memy berf` i0 fis; asleeve a1, having' a cylindrical? 1outerI slidbly ttin'g- `against alf cylin sur-facer!) infithefibody imember. i0.` The dricall surfacey 29:in21 body member ipv-feiten@ substantials distance sbelow 'the-lower end'of r the sleeve 1 ndy terninates in a 'shoulder membergl 'ithe: ends lof-Sthe plugs extending `in h apertures in the sleeve 1 With the sleeve 72" thefsleeve between-fthefsleeve' v thefiiterfiperipheral ulrfac'e f'off-sleeve" pressed between a ring I5 and a gland Il in the vbody member 3.

The remaining details of construction of the Adevice 3 will be described in connection with the description of one mode of operation thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1, the tubing string I with the device 3 incorporated therein, is lowered into the well until the lower end of the tubing is adjacent the bottom of the well, where the cement is to be deposited, the device 3 being in the condition shown in Fig. 3, in which there is a free fluid passage therethrough.

A calculated quantity of cement is then pumped into the tubing string at the top, after which a plug 20 (Fig. 7) is inserted in the tubing string and then displacement fluid is pumped into the string. The plug 20 comprises a cylindrical body member 2| of sufficiently small dimensions to pass readily through the tubing string but having an outwardly projecting flared skirt 22 on its upper end which is adapted to expand and contract as necessary to ll the tubing and act as a moving dam or piston between the upper end of the column of cement in the string and the uid thereabove which is pumped into the string to force the cement down therethrough.

l'I'he column of cement moves down through the tubing and out of the lower end thereof as the uid is pumped int-o the upper end of the string. Finally, when the upper end of the cement column has passed through the device 3. the rubber plug 20 is forced into the sleeve 1. thereby blocking the flow of fluid through the tubing, which fact is indicated to the operator of the surface by a rise in the pressure of the fluid. The operator permits the pressure to increase by a margin of about 500 pounds to the square inch, which is suillcient to force the plug 20 fully into the sleeve 1, in which position the lower end of the plug is seated against an annular shoulder 25 in the sleeve 1. The interior wall of sleeve 1 is provided with downwardly directed annular i'langes or corrugations 23 which engage the outer surface of the solid body member 2| of plug 20 and firmly anchor it against withdrawal in response to any reverse pressures that might incidentally be applied to the apparatus.

The rise in the pressure of the fluid in the tubing having indicated to the operator that the discharge of the cement has been substantially completed, the operator then raises the tubing string sufliciently to bring the lower end thereof at the level where it is desired to have the upper end of the cement plug. As shown in Fig. 1, the cement 30 has risen to a level 3| substantially higher than the desired level which is indicated at 32. Even after the tubing string has been raised to bring the lower end thereof to the level 32 (Fig. 2) the upper level 3| of the cement is still substantially too high. 'I'he excess cement must be removed by washing, or pressure forcing cement into the formation, to bring the level to the desired point 32. circulating fluid down through the tubing string i and back up through the well surrounding the tubing, and obviously, in order to effect such circulation, a passage must be provided through the device 3.

The operator produces such a passage by increasing the pressure on the fluid to a predetermined value, which may be approximately eight een hundred pounds to the square inch, which.

pressure causes the pins I2 to shear on and the 'I'he washing is done byin Fig. 4, the sleeve being stopped in this lower position by the shoulder This movement of the sleeve 1 uncovers the upper ends of longitudinal recesses 33 in the cylindrical surface 9, these recesses extending from the lower edge of the ller ring l5 downward past the shoulder 1li so that four clear passages of substantial crosssectional dimensions are provided past the sleeve 'l and the plug 20, which is blocking the central opening in the sleeve. This free passage through -the device 3 permits the operator to circulate uid downwardly through the string and upwardly therearound through the well bore to wash the tubing and the w`ell, forcing out of the well all cement above the desired level.

Spring-pressed lockpins 35 (Figs. 3 and 4) are provided in the body member I0 which, when the sleeve 1 moves into lower position, as shown in Fig. 4, enter a groove 31 provided in the wall l, thereby preventing the sleeve 1 from being returned to upper position by any ordinary reverse pressure thereon. Therefore, should the operator for any reason desire to do so, he can wash the well by reverse iiow through the tubing string and the device 3 after the sleeve 1 has been forced into lower position, as previously described.

I t will be understood, of course, that with the particular assembly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which a section of `tubing is provided below the device 3, that the lower tubing section will be filled with cement at the time the plug 20 seats in the device 3, and this cement will not be discharged until the passage has been reopened through the member 3 by the application of ex cess pressure, as described. It is not necessary. however, that the device 3 be inserted intermediate the ends of the tubing string, and, if desired, it may be mounted on the extreme lower end of the string, thereby effecting substantiallycomplete discharge of all the cement from the tubing into the well at the time that plug 20 seats.

The expression tubing string as used in the claims, is intended to cover any string of pipe within the well which is of smaller diameter than the well bore, if the hole is uncased, and of smaller diameter than the casing if the hole is cased. Ordinarily this pipe string would be either a tubing string or a drill string.

For the purpose of -fully explaining the invention, a specific embodiment and application thereof has been described in detail. However, it is to be understood that variations from the particular structure and purpose disclosed can sleeve 1 to move into a lower position, as shown 75 be made without departing from the invention, which is to be limited only to the extent set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the type described comprising a tubular member adapted to be connected to a tubing string for selectively controlling transmission of uid therethrough, said tubular member having slidably supported therewithin an open sleeve member for the passage of uid therethrough, means releasably holding said sleeve member in an upper position in which the exterior surface of said sleeve member seals with said tubular member, said sleeve member being adapted to retain and seal with a packing plug forced down through said tubing, said holding means being releasable and said sleeve member being movable in response to predetermined pressure diiferential thereon into a lower position, and said tubular member having a fluid passage therein which is blocked by said sleeve member 4when the latter is in its upper position but is uncovered by movement of said sleeve member into said lower position.

2. A device of the type described, comprising a tubular member adapted to be connected .to a tubing string, said member having an interior vertical guide wall terminating in a shoulder at the lower end thereof and having a fluid passage extending from a level adjacent the upper end of said guide wall to a level below said shoulder, a sleeve slidable along said guide wall between an upper position in which it blocks said uid passage and a lower position against said shoul der in which it uncovers said uid passage, and releasable means holding -said sleeve in upper position, said sleeve having a vertical fluid passage therethrough adapted to receive and be blocked by a cementing plug.

3. A device as described in claim 2, in which said releasable holding means comprises shear pins extending between said tubular member and said sleeve.

6. A device as described in claim 2, with cooperating locking means on said tubular member and said sleeve, respectively, for retaining said sleeve in said lower position when once moved into that position.

NEWTON W. WICKERSHAM.

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