Otis Engineering Corporation

Exxon Production Research Company

Henry P Arendt

Craig William Godfrey

Mark A Schnatzmeyer

Thomas M Deaton

John H Yonker

Gary A Kohn

Charles C Cobb

Warren E Holland

Russell A Johnston

James D Burley

Donald L Dooley

Phillips S Sizer

Thomas J Heard

A wet concern for latchingly connecting an electric cable between surface equipment and a previously installed electrically powered well tool at a remote, downhole location in a well for transmitting electrical energy or signals thereto or therefrom. One form of the wet connector is released electrically (reverse polarity being used), and another form of the connector is released by tensioning and slackening the electric cable a predetermined plurality of times. Systems using such wet connectors are disclosed, as are methods for their use. The wet connector can be used in conjunction with an electric cable for installing certain tools in a well, especially where it is desirable to deposit such tools gently with no jarring.

Wet connector

A wet connector for latchingly connecting an electric cable between surface equipment and a previously installed electrically powered well tool at a remote, downhole location in a well for transmitting electrical energy or signals thereto or therefrom. This wet connector comprises a male connector on the downhole well tool and a female connector on the electric cable. The female connector carries a non-conductive liquid which is expelled therefrom during mating with the male connector to wash and cleanse the electrical contacts of both the male and the female connectors. One form of the wet connector is released electrically (reverse polarity being used), and another form of the connector is released by tensioning and slackening the electric cable a predetermined plurality of times. Systems using such wet connectors are disclosed, as are methods for their use. The wet connector can be used in conjunction with an electric cable for installing certain tools in a well, especially where it is desirable to deposit such tools gently with no jarring.

A system and methods for the inspection of a well borehole and the formation around said borehole. The system includes a coiled tubing unit for injecting flexible coiled tubing into a wellbore through a wellhead, a pump and valves for control of injection of fluids such as water, nitrogen, light-hydrocarbons, natural gas, and carbon dioxide through the coiled tubing into the wellbore, and a sensor for visually inspecting and/or acoustically examining the wellbore and a region around the sensor within a slug of fluid injected into the wellbore from the coiled tubing. The method includes the steps of injecting coiled tubing having an inspection sensor into a wellbore to a selected location, injecting an optically transparent or acoustically homogenous fluid into the wellbore through the coiled tubing to form a slug of such fluid around the sensor, and transmitting signals from the sensor representative of well conditions to the surface. The method may be practiced to inspect only the region around the sensor at a selected depth in the well or may be continuously practiced to examine the length of the wellbore by producing the well and retrieving the coiled tubing and sensor at a controlled rate synchronized with the rate of well production.

Downhole inspection system

A wet connector for latchingly connecting an electric cable between surface equipment and a previously installed electrically powered well tool at a remote, downhole location in a well for transmitting electrical energy or signals thereto or therefrom. One form of the wet connector is released electricaly (reverse polarity being used), and another form of the connector is released by tensioning and slackening the electric cable a predetermined plurality of times. Systems using such wet connectors are disclosed, as are methods for their use. The wet connector can be used in conjunction with an electric cable for installing certain tools in a well, especially where it is desirable to deposit such tools gently with no jarring.

A pumpdown system in which the pistons providing for movement of the train into and out of the well do not travel down into the tubing below the wellhead and are connected to tools through reach rods extending down into the tubing. The cathead effect resulting from working around the loop with pistons is minimized by guides which substantially center the pistons in the loop and in the preferred form by the use of straight sections of the loop.

Method and apparatus for performing operations in well tubing

A method and apparatus especially adapted for use with an injection well in which a valve controlled H-member interconnects the two tubings of a two tubing installation and landing nipples are attached to the lower legs of the H-member to receive expendable fluid control means, such as standing valves, in which pressure applied to one tubing to create a pressure differential will move the valve controlling the interconnection between the H-members to open position to permit TFL operations to be carried out in the well and thereafter pressure exerted on a ball supported on the valve member of the control valve for the H-member closes the control valve, and the ball passes through the control valve. The fluid control members in the landing nipples may be ejected either before or after closing of the valve in the H-member.

Well system and method

A subsurface safety valve for use in wells, preferably adapted for placement in a tubing string, having a lock open mechanism for temporarily maintaining the safety valve in the open to flow position. The safety valve includes a closure device, such as a rotatable ball, located in the flow passage of the valve and is opened and closed by a biased operator tube. The operator tube is movable in response to hydraulic fluid conducted to the safety valve operating on a piston carried on the operator tube. A shiftable sleeve and collet is positioned above the operator tube and has a profile for receiving a shifting tool. When shifted, the collet and sleeve act on the operator tube to hold the valve in the open to flow position. The collet engages a recess on the bore wall of the safety valve upon shifting, and the sleeve moves behind the engaged collet head to prevent unlocking. The safety valve can be returned to operation by shifting the sleeve and collet to their original, normal position.

Lock open mechanism for subsurface safety valve

A single line surface controlled, subsurface safety valve, adapted for connection in a well tubing string. The safety valve has a closure means disposed in the bore of the safety valve housing and is operable by action of control pressure fluid causing a longitudinal operator to move the closure means to an open to flow position. The control pressure fluid chamber in the safety valve is protected from well pressure by providing annular areas, between the longitudinal operator and the housing, positioned between the control pressure fluid chamber and well pressure. The annular areas are sealed from exposure to well pressure and are in fluid communication with each other. A floating piston is positioned to respond to well pressure entering the annular areas and thus move to engage and assist the operator means in closing the safety valve to flow of well fluids therethrough. Vent means is provided to prevent a hydraulic lock from retarding movement of the floating piston.

Balanced area safety valve

A sealing ring assembly is disclosed for use in sealing the annular gap between two concentric cylindrical members, one of the members having an annular groove and the other member having a surface opposed to the groove. Deformable seal material and a radially expansible-contractible non-deformable split retaining ring are located in the groove, the seal material engaging one surface of the retaining ring and the retaining ring being positioned on one of the sidewalls of the groove. The seal material and the retaining ring extend radially to the surface of the other cylindrical member, the retaining ring being sized to elastically compress against that surface. The surface of the retaining ring facing the seal material is beveled or chamfered along a portion or all of its width, the beveled surface extending inwardly to the inner edge of the retaining ring. Fluid pressure applied to the seal material deforms the seal material and causes the seal material to urge the outer edge of the retaining ring against the surface of the other cylindrical member. The seal material is deformed to press against the surface of the other cylindrical member to provide a primary seal. The inner edge of the retaining ring is, preferably, spaced from the inner wall of the groove and under pressure the seal material deforms and flows into the gap formed between the inner edge of the retaining ring and the inner wall of the groove to prevent leakage of fluid around the retaining ring.

Sealing retaining ring assembly

Disclosed is a tubing retrievable surface controlled subsurface safety valve having provisions for blocking communication of control fluid to the valve's pressure responsive operator and for locking the valve open in the event of valve failure. This abstract of the disclosure is neither intended to define the scope of the invention which, of course, is measured by the claims nor is it intended to limit the invention in any way.

Tubing retrievable surface controlled subsurface safety valve

Disclosed is a well latch for locking well tools in a well flow conductor. The latch housing has a pressure equalizing passage extending through its wall. A valve controls flow through the equalizing passage. Keys, carried by the latch housing, are expanded outwardly into a locking groove of a well flow conductor to lock the well latch therein. A fishing neck, associated with the latch, permits retrieval of the latch. This abstract is neither intended to define the scope of the invention, which, of course, is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting in any way.

Well latch

Disclosed is a rod-type lubricator for moving well equipment through a flow conductor. A piston controls movement of the lubricator rod. The rod includes an equipment handling segment and reach segments. As many reach segments as desired may be employed. The distance through which the well equipment may be moved is greater than the stroke of the piston. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which, of course, is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Lubricator for moving well equipment through flow conductor

Disclosed is a pumpdown, retrievable, subsurface, safety valve for use in a well. The valve comprises a valve section including a valve member to control flow through the well tubing and one or more force exerting sections urging the valve member to a position blocking flow. The valve section and force exerting sections are interconnected. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which, of course, is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

Pumpdown safety valve

A seal unit for movement through a flow conductor for pumpdown piston or well swab service, including a mandrel body, a seal element mounting sleeve disposed for limited travel on the body, and elastic annular seal means secured on the mounting sleeve to seal with the flow conductor wall in response to a first fluid differential across the unit and to permit controlled bypass and load transfer under a second higher differential. The seal means includes spaced annular lips or fins and an annular choke ring which is expanded by limited sleeve movement in response to a fluid pressure differential load applied across the fins. When the pressure differential across the fins exceeds a predetermined value, the sleeve expands the choke ring which assumes a major portion of the pressure differential load relieving the fins to reduce fin wear. As a pumpdown piston, the unit is pumped along a flow conductor to drive a tool train by fluid flow in a direction from the fins toward the choke ring. As a swab, the unit is pulled in the opposite direction to agitate or displace fluid in a well.

Piston type seal unit for wells

Disclosed is a safety system to control flow within a well which includes an annulus safety valve to control flow in the annulus between concentric well pipe and which may include a tubing safety valve to control flow in the inner pipe.

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Dallas, TX, United States of America

Henry P Arendt