Halliburton Company

Halliburton Services

Other

Burchus Q Barrington

David L Farley

George J Nix

Norman G Hortman

Michael E McMahan

Gerald D Jackson

O L Morrisett

Wilbur P Clayton

Flint R George

Robert T Evans

Jim R Williamson

George V Copland

Bernard L Hackney

A reciprocating full flow tester valve is provided with a shock absorber and tolerance adjustment device for absorbing an impact between a power mandrel of the tool and an operating assembly of the tool. An improved hydraulic impedance system is also provided for providing a time delay in telescopingly collapsing movement of the tool when weight is set down on the tool to open the tester valve.

Tester valve

A well test string includes an annulus pressure responsive tester valve and a tubing conveyed perforating gun including a tubing pressure actuated time delay firing mechanism. A compression set packer is disposed in the test string between the tester valve and the perforating gun. The packer includes a bypass valve for communicating the well below the packer with the tubing bore. The bypass valve is operably associated with the packer so that the bypass valve is open prior to setting the packer and so that the bypass valve is closed as the packer is set. The compression set packer also includes a one-way equalizer valve for allowing one-way fluid flow from the well below the packer to the tubing bore. The equalizer valve is operably associated with a bypass valve so that the equalizer valve is inoperable when the bypass valve is open, and so that the equalizer valve is operable when the bypass valve is closed.

Drill stem testing with tubing conveyed perforation

An annulus pressure responsive downhole tool includes a housing with a power piston slidably disposed therein. First and second pressure conducting passages communicate a well annulus exterior of the housing with first and second sides of the power piston. A flow restrictor is disposed in the second pressure conducting passage so that a relatively rapid increase in well annulus pressure creates a pressure differential across the power piston to move the power piston. A volume of silicone oil is contained in a first portion of the second pressure conducting passage between the second side of the power piston and the flow restriction, for accommodating displacement of the power piston as it moves. An operating element is disposed in the housing and movable from an initial position to a final position. The operating element is associated with the power piston so that the power piston moves the operating element from its initial position to an intermediate position. A second stage power device is provided for moving the operating element from its intermediate position to its final position without further compressing the volume of silicone oil contained in the tool.

Compressible liquid mechanism for downhole tool

An electrically insulative gap sub for inclusion in a drill string that consists of upper and lower threaded joint members, an inner sleeve connected to extend axially from the upper joint member, an outer sleeve connected to the lower joint member and extending in concentric spacing over the inner sleeve, and a plurality of differently configured, annular blocks of insulative gap material serially arrayed and filling the void in between inner and outer sleeves. The gap material is a high performance molded resin capable of transmitting the requisite torque, tensile and compressive forces encountered along the drill string.

Electrically insulative gap sub assembly for tubular goods

A shock absorber device for inclusion in a tool string to provide rapid shock dissipation for shock forces traveling up or down the string. The device includes a tubular mandrel and an outer casing that forms an annular chamber therearound. At least one annular piston and one or more metering sleeves are formed integral with the outer casing and function to divide the annular chamber into a plurality of annular chambers that are filled with either nitrogen gas or silicone oil under selected pressures. Thus, the mandrel supports the lower tool string resiliently due to the fluid supported annular pistons such that any shock wave traveling along the tool string will be rapidly dissipated at the fluid piston interfaces.

Hydraulic shock absorber with nitrogen stabilizer

A shock absorber apparatus for inclusion in a tool string which consists of outer and inner casings telescopically assembled with one casing having an uphole threaded joint member and the other casing having a downhole threaded joint member. The concentric casings then define spaced, sealed voids communicating through a metering sleeve clearance that are filled with a compressible oil. Shock wave induced relative movement of the casings from either direction causes a shock absorbing instantaneous displacement of oil from one void to the other via the metering clearance. Alternatively, coil springs may be disposed in the voids to aid in shock absorption.

Hydraulic shock absorber

A plug release indicator is provided which includes an elastomeric probe, with a wire embedded therein, which extends into the interior area of a plug housing or well casing. The wire has a lip at one end and an anchor at the other end, such that when a cementing plug contacts and deflects the probe, the lip moves thereby closing a micro-switch. The micro-switch closes an electrical indicating circuit including a power supply, indicator light, buzzer, or the like. In a second embodiment, a wire contacts the cementing plug and rotates a shaft containing a magnet therein. The magnet then activates a magnetic switch thereby closing the electrical indicating circuit. Another embodiment includes an electrically conductive surface embedded within an electrically insulating rotatable shaft. Upon rotation of the shaft, the conducting surface completes an electrical circiut through adjacent electrical contacts and the electrical indicating circuit is closed. Thus, the present invention indicates the precise instant when a cementing plug is released, or passes by the plug release indicator.

Plug release indicator

A quick-connection type connector is disclosed for the coupling of high-pressure fluid flow lines, which connector utilizes an externally threaded female portion and a tapered male portion with a rotatable collar mounted thereon. Elastomeric seal means are provided as well as a metal-to-metal seal to protect the elastomeric seal means, and a locking assembly to prevent backing off of the threaded portion.

High-pressure fluid flow connector

A caliper is mounted on two springs in a free-floating manner between interlockable upper and lower packers to be set in a well bore. The caliper has radially extendible arms which are extendible in response to independent forces exerted thereon as derived from the movement of a carriage driven by a single motor contained in the caliper tool. A clutch mechanism is used to lock the arms to precision measurement transducers only after the arms have been moved radially outwardly a sufficient distance. Other transducers for generating signals indicating the total movement of the arms and for indicating the forces exerted by the springs on the arms are included in the preferred embodiment.

Well bore measurement tool

A lock, particularly suitable for locking a top packer against upward movement relative to a lower packer in a well bore, includes a radially movable latch member slidably mounted in a radial cavity defined in an inner mandrel which is movable relative to an outer member to which the top packer is connected in the exemplary use. Spring biasing elements are used to retain the latch member in a disengaged position until, from within the mandrel, an actuating pressure is exerted radially outwardly on the latch member with a force greater than the biasing force of the spring biasing elements and a radially inwardly acting force exerted by a hydrostatic pressure existing externally of the outer member but communicated internally thereof. When this occurs, gripping teeth on the latch member interlock with an engagement surface on the interior of the outer member.

Lock for downhole apparatus

A bridge plug apparatus includes a mandrel assembly having an operating fluid passageway disposed therein. A releasable coupling assembly has an upper end adapted to be connected to a tubing string and has a lower portion adapted to be releasably connected to the mandrel assembly. An annular packer is disposed about the mandrel assembly. A mechanical first slip assembly is connected to the mandrel assembly below the packer. A hydraulic second slip assembly is connected to the mandrel assembly above the packer. A power piston is disposed about the mandrel assembly for longitudinally compressing and radially expanding the packer to seal the packer in response to an increase in fluid pressure within the operating fluid passageway of the mandrel assembly. A hydraulically actuatable releasing device is provided for releasing a latched connection between the coupling assembly and the mandrel assembly. This releasing device is defined upon a power sleeve slidably disposed about the mandrel assembly. This power sleeve also has defined thereon a first valve portion for closing a bypass passage of the mandrel assembly and a second valve portion for trapping fluid under pressure within a portion of the operating fluid passageway of the mandrel assembly communicated with the hydraulic second slip assembly and the power piston.

Hydraulically set and released bridge plug

A well testing tool includes a housing adapted to be connected to a well test string and having a substantially open bore therethrough. A valve assembly is disposed in the housing and includes a spherical valve member having a substantially open valve bore therethrough and includes upper and lower annular seats engaging the spherical valve member. The valve member is rotatable within the seats between closed and open positions. An actuating assembly is engaged with the valve member for rotating the valve member between its open positions upon relative longitudinal movement between the actuating assembly and the spherical valve member. An upper load transfer mandrel is disposed between the upper seat and the housing for transferring any upward forces caused by upwardly directed pressure differentials across the spherical valve member to the housing by compressional loading of the upper load transfer mandrel. A lower load transfer mandrel is disposed between the lower annular seat and the housing for transferring any downward forces caused by a downward directed pressure differential across the spherical valve member to the housing by compressional loading of the lower load transfer mandrel.

Well tool with improved valve support structure

A downhole tool such as a formation tester valve which provides a bypass while allowing a choice of several possible functions of this bypass to be made by rearrangement of the parts of the tool. In a first arrangement, a bypass is provided which is open while the tool is run into the well, and is then closed and latched closed upon operation of the tool by setting down weight on the tool. Subsequent reopening of the tool does not reopen the bypass. In a second arrangement, an open bypass is provided as the tool is run into the well. The bypass again is closed when weight is set down on the tool to operate the tool, but in the second arrangement, the bypass reopens when weight is picked up to reopen the tool. In a third arrangement, the bypass port may be eliminated when it is desired to run the tool without a bypass.

Well tool with selective bypass functions

A well tool apparatus includes a housing adapted to be connected in a pipe string. A mandrel is slidably received in the housing and adapted to be selectively telescoped between first and second positions relative to the housing to manipulate an operating assembly of the apparatus. The mandrel is spaced radially inward from the housing to define a longitudinally extending metering chamber in which is received a metering cartridge which divides the metering chamber into first and second chamber portions. The metering cartridge has a fluid passage disposed therethrough joining the first and second chamber portions and has a flow restricter disposed therein. A sliding seal is provided between the metering cartridge and the housing. A selective seal is provided between the metering cartridge and the mandrel for temporarily sealing therebetween when the mandrel slides in a first direction relative to the housing thus requiring any fluid flow between the portions of the metering chamber to be through the fluid passage of the cartridge. The selective seal allows fluid flow between the portions of the metering chamber to bypass the fluid passage of the metering cartridge when the mandrel slides in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Duncan, OK, United States of America

Burchus Q Barrington