Schlumberger Technology Corporation

James Michael Costley

David Milton Eslinger

Randolph J Sheffield

Mark Callister Oettli

Howard L McGill

Stephen D Hill

Hubertus V Thomeer

L Michael McKee

Marc Allcorn

Warren M Zemlak

A method and apparatus for fluid treatment of a selected interval of a well and then cleaning the selected interval and the apparatus of treatment residue. An straddle tool is run into the well to treatment depth on fluid supplying tubing and has upper and lower packers that establish sealing with the casing and define an annular interval between the packers and between the tool and casing. Fluid, such as fracturing fluid, is pumped through the tubing to the tool and is diverted through an outlet port of the tool into an upper portion of the annular interval. Fluid then flows from a lower portion of the annular interval through an inlet port below the outlet port and at low flow rate is dumped into the casing through a pressure responsive dump valve. The outlet port and inlet port are located to accomplish cleaning of residue from the packers.

Method and apparatus for cleaning a fractured interval between two packers

A tubing conveyed multi-position well treating tool having a tubular housing and a tubular inner member which are relatively positionable at &ldquo;Set&rdquo;, &ldquo;Treat&rdquo;, &ldquo;Dump&rdquo; and &ldquo;Release&rdquo; positions actuated by a mechanical indexing mechanism. The indexing mechanism is loaded by a spring, such as a compressed gas spring or mechanical spring, which urges the tubular housing away from the tubing connection of the inner tubular member, thus requiring no set-down forces for tool actuation or indexing. The treating tool is anchored within the well casing by hydraulic pressure actuated buttons, thus eliminating the typical requirement for anchoring actuation by set-down forces. The treating tool is sealed within the casing by pressure energized packers which are activated by the hydraulic pressure of fluid supplied from the tubing. The tool provides a bypass passage to allow communication of the zones above and below the tool while isolating the straddled interval to be treated.

Tubing conveyed fracturing tool and method

A tool string, such as one used for performing fracturing operations or other types of operations, includes a valve, a valve operator, and a sealing assembly that in one arrangement includes packers to define a sealed zone. The tool string is carried on a tubing, through which fluid flow may be pumped to the sealed zone. The valve operator is actuated in response to fluid flow above a predetermined flow rate. When the flow rate at greater than the predetermined flow rate does not exist, the valve operator remains in a first position that corresponds to the valve being open. However, in response to a fluid flow rate at greater than the predetermined flow rate, the valve operator is actuated to a second position to close the valve.

Flow-operated valve

A method of machining a workpiece in a subterranean wellbore comprises the steps of: (a) providing a workpiece that comprises (1) a first section that comprises a first material, and (2) a second section that comprises a second material, the second section forming at least one surface of the workpiece; (b) placing the workpiece in a subterranean wellbore that is surrounded by a geologic formation; and (c) machining the workpiece to remove at least part of the second material in the second section, whereby at least one surface of the workpiece is formed into a desired configuration. This method allows, for example, a landing nipple to be installed in a wellbore, and customized locking recesses to be formed in the inner surface of the nipple at a later time.

Downhole machining of well completion equipment

A disconnect for facilitating release of a tool at a downhole, wellbore location. The disconnect utilizes an upper portion and a lower portion connected at least in part by a shear member. The disconnect uses a plurality of pressure areas to selectively expose the lower portion to balanced, counteracting axial forces. The pressure areas allow release or disconnection of the upper portion from the lower portion upon application of a predetermined tensile load without subjecting the tubing to an undesirably high tensile load.

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Freeport, TX, United States of America

James Michael Costley