US2619180A - Apparatus for pressurizing liquid and cleaning well holes therewith - Google Patents

Description

1952 R. A. SMITH ET AL 2,619,180

APPARATUS FOR PRESSURIZING LIQUID AND CLEANING WELL HOLES THEREWITH Filed May 15, 1948 jig. 1.

Pay Jm fh d ISnventors L 4/ P/erae Gttornegs Patented Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR PRESSURIZIN G LIQUID AND CLEANING WELL HOLES THERE- WITH Roy A. Smith and Le Mont Pierce, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application May 15, 1948, Serial No. 27,206

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the method and apparatus for pressurizing liquid and cleaning well holes therewith and more particularly to the washing or cleaning sand, parafiin and other materials from the walls of the pipe or bore of oil and like wells.

Loose bodies of sand in the wall of oil and like wells tend to fall into the hole and cause difficulties in pumping the well. Also rust from pipe and casing, paraflin, limestone and other formations are troublesome. Strainers and other equipment in oil wells must be cleaned and foreign material must be removed from the hole for efiicient production.

The objects of the present invention are to provide for confining a cleaning liquid, selectively applying high gas pressure to said liquid and jetting said pressurized liquid against the walls of bore holes and equipment therein for dislodging formations therefrom for removal to prevent production difiiculties; to provide for confining a cleaning liquid, selectively introducing a solidified gas into said liquid for pressuring same and releasing the pressurized liquid in jets while controlling the areas treated thereby; to provide apparatus including a container for cleaning liquid adapted for receiving gas pressure for forcing said liquid in jets from the container; to provide apparatus for pressurizing liquid and utilizing and/or releasing same with substantially no danger to the operator; and to provide a safe, simple, efiicient apparatus and method of pressurizing liquid for use in cleaning walls of well holes of undesirable materials and formations.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the liquid and gas container in use for cleaning a well hole.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the container illustrating the position of the liquid and solidified gas prior to the pressurizing of said liquid.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 2.

' Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates apparatus for using pressurized liquids in the cleaning of well holes 2. Said apparatus. being suspended on a wire line 3 or suitable cable and adapted to be lowered through casing 4 and the like into the portion of the well hole to be cleaned. The apparatus i consists of a tubular member 5 having suitable outside diameter to pass through any portion of the well casing or other pipes therein through which the device must be lowered. The wall 6 of the tubular member 5 is of suitable thickness to stand any pressure developed in the apparatus, said member being of such length that the bore 1 thereof has sufiicient capacity for the amount of liquid 8 such as water, acid, parafiin solvent, oil or other suitable liquid to be used in the cleaning process. If desired the tubular member 5 may be made up of a plurality of pipe sections suitably connected to form pressure tight joints.

A closure member 9 is suitably mounted on the lower end of the tubular member 5 and in the illustrated structure said tubular member 5 has an externally threaded lower end ill which is screwed into an internally threaded upper end I I of the closure member 9. The closure member is provided with a bore 12 preferably of the same diameter as the bore 1 in tubular member 5 and is further provided with a partition l3 integral with the wall [4 of said closure member in the apparatus. The partition I3 is provided with passage I 5 preferably concentric with the tubular member 5, the upper end of said passage l5 being provided with a seat l6 adapted to receive a ball or other suitable valve I! for normally closing the passage l5 and retaining liquid in the chamber formed above the partition. Mounted on the partition or otherwise supported in the bore [2 is a spring clamp I8 consisting of a plurality of spring fingers I 9 suitably shaped to receive and retain the ball valve l1 when said valve is lifted from the seat as later described. The wall M of the closure member 9 below the partition i3 is provided with a plurality of orifices 20 preferably shaped to direct jets of liquid toward the wall of the well bore.

An end member 2| is suitably mounted on the lower end of the closure 9 forming a chamber 22 between the member 2| and the partition I3. In the illustrated structure the lower end of the closure 9 is provided with a threaded flange 23 screwed into internal threads 24 of the end member 2|. The end member is concentric bore 25 adapted to slidably mount a plunger 26 extending through said bore 25 and having a collar 2'! secured thereon to limit the downward or outward travel of said plunger by engagement with the end member 2| When the collar is in engagement with the end memprovided with a ber 2|, the upper end 28 of said plunger is spaced slightly below passage l and is adapted to enter same and raise the ball I! upon upward movement of said plunger. The end member 2| is provided with a downwardly extending boss 29 surrounding the plunger 26 and adapted to receive suitable packing 30 which is forced into sealing engagement with said boss and plunger by a packing gland 3| to seal the lower end of the chamber 22. The plunger 26 projects from the packing gland and the lower end thereof carries a head 32 spaced from said gland. When the head is engaged with an object, for example, the bottom of the bore hole further lowering of the apparatus will move the plunger inwardly to lift the ball H from its seat and force said ball into engagement with the spring, clamp fingers IE! to retain the ball whereby the passage |5 is opened for flow of liquid therethrough.

Mounted on the upper end of the tubular meinber 5 is an extension 33 having a suitable wall thickness to withstand the pressure generated in the apparatus and of suitable internal capacity for containing pressure generating materials such as solidified gas, for example, dry ice. The extension is suitably secured to the tubular member 5 as by screwing an externally threaded flange 34 into an internally threaded portion 35 at the upper end of the tubular member 5 to form a pressure-tight joint. The upper end of the extension 33 preferably is of reduced diarneter as at 36 and has an internally threaded portion 31 adapted to receive an externally threaded flange 38 of a head member 39, said head member having a bore 49 therein terminating as at 4| at the upper end thereof in a wall that closes the chamber in which the pressure is efiected. The upper end of the head 59 is preferably provided with an externally threaded pin 42 adapted to be threaded into a box fitting 43 on the lower end of a cable or wire line connector 4- 5 having a suitable mounting on a wire line or cable 3 for supporting the apparatus and moving same in a bore hole. Mounted in the wall of the head 39 and having communication with the bore 49 thereof is a pressure release port 45 in which is seated a valve member 41 suitably threaded as at 48 in the wall of said head whereby rotation of said valve member 41 will open the port it to release r the pressure from the chamber in the apparatus. In order to retain the gas generating material 49 in spaced relation to the liquid in the tubular member 5 and selectively introduce said material into said liquid the gas generating material is preferably contained in a perforated housing 5. and said housing supported by a cable or rod 5| having a ball 52 on the upper ends thereof adapted to rest in a seat 53. The seat preferably consists of a plurality of members carried on the ends of trunnions 54 suitably mounted in the wall of the head 39 whereby said trunnions may be rotated to release the ball and drop: said gas generating material and container therefor into the liquid. Trunnions 5 extend. through the walls of the head 39 and have suitable actuating members 55 on the exterior of said head for rotating the trunnion in releasing the gas generating material into the liquid.

While one form of container has been illustrated and described for containing liquid and gas generating material it is believed obvious that the gas generating material could be placed in the lower portion of the apparatus and the water or other liquid in the upper portion with suitable valve means for releasing the water for flow onto the gas generating material or other arrangement whereby the liquid and gas generating material may be maintained in separate condition and selectively brought together for affecting the generation of pressurized liquid.

In using apparatus constructed as described the tubular member 5, closure 9 and end member 2| together with the plunger 25 and the ball valve I1 and spring fingers l9 are assembled and if desired the extension 33 may be secured to the tubular member 5. Water or other cleaning liquid is then placed in the bore 1 of the tubular member with the ball in seated position to retain said liquid therein. The tubular member is then supported in the upper end of the hole and dry ice or other gas generating material placed in the housing 50 supported on the seat 53 by the ball 52. The head 39 is then secured to the extension 33 to close and seal the container. The wire line connector 44 having suitable connection with said wire line is secured to the head 39 and the device is ready for lowering into a hole to be cleaned.

After the assembly is complete and with the container in the upper end of the well bore, one or both of the trunnions 54 is rotated to release theball 52 and permit the housing 50 to drop into the liquid carried in the tubular member 5, The difierence in temperature between the liquid and the gas generating material such as dry ice. causes said gas generating material to become a gas, and to create a very high pressure in the apparatus. The gas is generated as the device is lowered into the hole. Therefore, the. high pressure is not created in the apparatus while it is adjacent the top of the hole in proximity to any of the workmen handling same.

Usually it is the portion adjacent the bottom of the hole that requires cleaning, therefore the apparatus is lowered into said hole until it reaches the bottom thereof. The lowering process is continued to force the plunger 26 upwardly to lift the ball H from its seat and force said ball into engagement with the clamping fingers l9 to retain ball I! off the seat. The apparatus is then raised in the hole to permit the pressurized liquid passing from the bore i through the passage |5 into the chamber 22 and out of the jets 20 under high pressure to be directed against the wall of the hole whereby the force of the jet will remove any loose material thereon. Said loose material dropping to the bottom of the hole where it may be subsequently removed by bailing or other suitable method.

If through failure of any part of the apparatus it necessary to release th high pressure, the apparatus may be raised until the release valve 3; is just above the edge of the hole. Then by releasing said valve the pressure may be allowed to slowly escape. Even under such conditions the principal portion of the pressure carrying apparatus is below the surface and any explosion or other accidents would be unlikely to cause injury to the workmen.

By varying the capacity of the liquid containing compartment, the liquid used, the gas generating material and amounts thereof, variation in the force of the jet, the duration thereof and the amount of surface cleaned may be obtained. Also these variations may be arranged to adapt ie cleaning to the particular material and structure to be treated for obtaining the best results.

It is believed obvious that we have provided an apparatus and method of pressurizing liquid and using same in cleaning of well holes which is safe, economical and eflicient and capable of variation to accommodate the cleaning to the condition encountered.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning well bores with pressurized liquid comprising, an elongated substantially closed container movable in a well bore and adapted for containing a cleaning liquid in the lower portion thereof, said container having jet openings at the lower end below the cleaning liquid, valve means between the liquid and jet openings for isolating the liquid from said openings, means containing a gas generating material housed in the container in spaced relation to the liquid, means for selectively releasing the gas generatin material for bodily movement into the liquid whereby said gas generating material is gasified forming a relatively high pressure in the container, means for opening the valve means for releasing the pressurized liquid for discharge through the jet openings onto the walls of the well bore for cleaning same, means retaining the valve means in open condition for continued release of the pressurized liquid, and means for moving the container through the area of the well bore to be cleaned during release of said liquid.

2. An apparatus for cleaning well bores with pressurized liquid comprising, an elongated substantially closed container movable in a well bore and adapted for containing a cleaning liquid in the lower portion thereof, said container having jet openings at the lower end below the cleaning liquid, valve means in the container between the cleaning liquid and jet openings for isolating the openings from the liquid, means for supporting solidified gas in the container in spaced relation to the cleaning liquid, means for selectively releasing the solidified gas for bodily movement into the cleaning liquid whereby the liquid effect gasification of the solidified gas and forms a relatively high pressure in the container, means for opening the valve means for releasing the pressurized cleaning liquid for discharge through the jet openings onto the walls of the well bore for cleaning same, and means retaining the valve means in open condition for continued release of the pressurized liquid.

3. An apparatus for cleaning well bores with pressurized liquid comprising, an elongated substantially closed container movable in a well bore and adapted for containing a cleaning liquid in the lower portion thereof, said container having jet openings at the lower end below the cleaning liquid, valve means between the cleaning liquid and jet openings for isolating the liquid from the openings, a perforated container supported in the elongated container in spaced relation to the liquid and having solidified gas therein, means for selectively releasing the perforated container of solidified gas for bodily movement into the liquid whereby said solidified gas is gasified forining a relatively high pressure in the container, means for selectively moving the elongated container in a well bore for positioning same relative to an area to be cleaned therein, means for opening the valve means for releasing the pres surized liquid for discharge in jets through the jet openings onto the Walls of the Well bore for cleaning same, means for retaining the valve means in open condition for continued release of the pressurized liquid, and means for selectively releasing the pressure in the elongated container while said valve means is in closed condition.

ROY A. SMITH. LE MONT PIERCE.

CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 968,851 Illy Aug. 30, 1910 1,410,627 Muehl Mar. 28, 1922 1,449,672 I-Iallvarson Mar. 27, 1923 1,843,002 Small Jan. 26, 1932 1,866,927 Ekstromer July 12, 1932 2,018,285 Schweitzer et a1. Oct. 22, 1935 2,136,881 Johnson Nov. 15, 1938 2,144,203 Van Meter Jan. 17, 1939 2,327,051 Lyons et a1 Aug. 17, 1943 2,373,006 Baker Apr. 3, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 47,5 19 Austria Apr. 25, 1911

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