Baker International Inc.

Baker Oil Tools, Inc.

John R Baker

David M McStravick

David V Chenoweth

Alfred R Curington

Arvin E Holland

Douglas C Wright

A concentric walled conduit for incorporation within a tubular conduit string, and particularly for use in a subterranean well, is provided with one of the walls corrugated for substantially its entire length, preferably the inner tubular member. The annular space defined between the concentric tubular member contains a high heat resistant insulating material disposed around the outer surface of the inner tubular member. Each end of the annular space containing the insulating material is effectively sealed, and secured, such as by welds. The inner wall may be prestressed in tension for counteracting the forces which may be produced by a temperature differential between the tubular member walls of concentric conduit.

Concentric walled conduit for a tubular conduit string

A subsurface safety valve for use in subterranean oil and gas well which is actuated by pressure fluctuations in the tubing-casing annulus is disclosed. The safety valve assembly consists of a safety valve mounted in a packer which is actuated by a subsurface control located above the packer. Annulus pressure variations are controlled by a surface unit. The subsurface control utilizes a reference pressure chamber in which the pressure is initially adjustable to compensate for hydrostatic pressure in the annulus. Leakage of the gas in a dome pressure chamber in the subsurface control is impeded by the presence of a barrier fluid impervious to the passage of gas therethrough, with the barrier fluid being maintained at a higher pressure than the reference pressure in the dome charged chamber.

Subterranean well safety valve with reference pressure chamber

An improved flapper valve for installation for example, in a tubing string of a subterranean well is pivotally movable about a horizontal axis into a blocking position relative to the vertical fluid flow path of the tubing string. The flapper valve is circular and is formed from a tubular segment in such a manner that, when in the open position, its concave surface is substantially tangentially coincident with a projection of the cylindrical surface formed by the inside of the valve seat, and its convex surface prescribes a much larger chordal distance in a containing circle concentric with the valve seat than would a flat surface of the same diameter. Thus, a valve is provided wherein for a given housing diameter, the passageway through the valve can be proportionately larger.

Fully opening flapper valve apparatus

Apparatus for use in injecting treatment solutions through the annulus between two concentric conduits, such as tubing and casing, and then circulating it upwards with produced hydrocarbons. The apparatus comprises an integral valve and seal, including a mandrel, a packoff valve and a casing bore receptacle. The mandrel is incorporated in the tubing, and the casing bore receptacle is incorporated in the casing. The packoff member is releasably carriable on the mandrel and comprises an integral check valve and a radially expandable latch which is cammed outward by the relatively movable mandrel. The annular packoff member has seals on the interior and exterior surfaces for providing sealing integrity between the mandrel and the casing bore receptacle. The integral check valve permits fluids injected from above to flow radially across the packoff member between longitudinally annular flow paths defined by the packoff member and the casing, and by the packoff member and the mandrel. Net pressure in the annulus below the packoff member urges the check valve to the closed position.

Casing bore receptacle with fluid check valve

A sealing assembly comprising a casing bore receptacle, an annular packoff member, and a tubing carried mandrel for use in establishing sealing integrity between a fluid transmission conduit or tubing and an outer conduit or casing, is disclosed. The casing bore receptacle is incorporable in the casing and the annular packoff member is initially carriable on the mandrel. Seals on the interior and exterior of the packoff member establish a seal with the mandrel and the casing. Upon abutting engagement of the packoff member and the casing bore receptacle, a collet on the packoff member is released from the mandrel and cammed radially outward into engagement with the casing bore receptacle to anchor the packoff member to the casing bore receptacle. The mandrel can then move relative to the packoff member and the casing without destroying the seal.

Casing bore receptacle

A retrieving tool is provided for effecting the retrieval of a packer from a well and includes a locking member, such as a conventional locking collet having expandable fingers for sliding over a downwardly facing shoulder on a seal nipple secured to the top end of the packer. The locking collet is surrounded by a housing sleeve which has an upwardly facing surface therein normally positioned below the finger portions of the locking collet but being engageable therewith by upward movement applied to the housing by the pulling of the tubing string, hence retrieving the packer. In the event that for some unforeseen reason, the packer being retrieved refuses to dislodge from its engagement with the well conduit, a releasing collet mechanism is provided within the retrieving tool sleeve housing which is actuated by downward jarring forces applied thereto by a wireline actuated releasing probe to effect an axial engagement between the locking collet and the housing so that the upwardly facing shoulder on the housing is not brought into engagement with the locking fingers of the locking collet and the collet locking fingers can slide over the downwardly facing shoulder on the seal nipple of the packer, thus permitting convenient recovery of the retrieval tool upon the occurrence of such emergency conditions.

Retrieving tool for well packer

The invention provides an improved method and apparatus for effecting the setting of a whipstock in a desired angularly oriented position in a well conduit solely by the use of a wire line but can be set on tubing or drill pipe, if desired. A packer is provided which can be expanded into sealed engagement with the casing at a desired location. The packer is provided with a key element, either a key or a key slot, and orienting elements by which a conventional well bore survey can provide an accurate indication of the angular alignment of the anchor key element. A whipstock anchor is provided incorporating a socket portion in which the whipstock may be rigidly secured and a shaft portion which is insertable within the bore of the packer and has a key element cooperating with the keyway, or key, provided in the packer. After setting of the packer in the well conduit, a survey is made to provide an accurate indication of the angular position of the packer keyway or key. The whipstock is assembled in the whipstock anchor socket and the socket is rotated relative to the shaft portion so that the arcuate face of the whipstock is positioned at a desired angular displacement from the angular position of the key element in the whipstock shaft. The whipstock shaft is then rigidly secured to the whipstock socket and the complete assembly is lowered into the well on drill pipe, or the like, and secured in the packer.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

John R Baker