Halliburton Company

Jon B Christensen

Vincent Paul Zeller

Harold Kent Beck

Gary D Zunkel

Wesley J Burris, Ii

H Kent Beck

William H Shoffner

An above packer perforate, test and sample tool for use in obtaining a sample of fluid from a formation reservoir in a well. The apparatus includes a sampler and an actuator cylinder positioned above a packer and a valve body below the packer. An operating mandrel opens a valve below the packer to flow the fluid from a well annulus defined below the packer to a sampling chamber in the sampler above the packer. The operating mandrel is moved in response to a pressure differential between the pressure in the well annulus above the packer and a pressure in the tool. In another embodiment, a second packer may be positioned below the first packer to sealingly engage the well bore below the well formation. A method of sampling fluid from a well formation is also disclosed.

Above packer perforate, test and sample tool and method of use

A perforate, test and sample tool for obtaining fluid samples from a formation reservoir in a well. The tool comprises a retrievable packer, perforating guns and a sampler disposed between the packer and guns which is adapted for entrapping a fluid sample without flowing well fluids into the tool string. An operating position is slidably disposed in a cylinder above the packer and is used to actuate a sampler valve in the sampler. A seal insures that all portions of a sampling chamber in the sampler are disposed below the packer. In one embodiment, the operating piston is actuated in response to a pressure differential between a well annulus above the packer and an internal pressure in the tool. The sampler includes a plurality of sampler modules disposed in the sampling chamber. Each of the sampler modules includes a valve which automatically closes after a predetermined volume of fluid fills a sampler module chamber defined in the sampler module. Testing gauges may be disposed in the sampler adjacent the sampler modules. A shear pin holds the operating piston and sampler valve in a first closed position as the tool in run into the hole, and a locking dog assembly is used to lock the operating piston and sampler in a second closed position after the sampling chamber has been filled. A method of using the perforate, test and sample tool is also disclosed.

Perforate, test and sample tool and method of use

A well fluid sampling apparatus for sampling fluids from a formation reservoir in a wall. The sampling apparatus comprises a body portion defining a large sampling chamber therein and at least one sampler module disposed in the sampling chamber. The sampler module is adapted for separately entrapping a volume of fluid as the sampling chamber fills. A sliding sampler valve is moved to open a sampler port allowing formation fluid to enter the sampling chamber. The sampler module has a metering piston therein which automatically closes after a predetermined volume of fluid has entered a sampler module chamber defined in the sampler module. The metering is accomplished by a chamber filled with a viscous liquid which must be discharged through a small orifice as the piston moves in response to fluid pressure in the sampling chamber. The viscous fluid is discharged into an air chamber. Testing gauges may be positioned adjacent each of the sampler modules to measure and record fluid pressure and temperature as desired. A surface drain nipple may be connected to a portion of the sampler module for moving the metering piston to an open position for draining the fluid from the sampler module chamber. A drain collar and drain nipple may be attached to the sampler module adjacent the hole therein for draining through a drain line and appropriate valving. The sampling apparatus may be used as a portion of a perforate, test and sample tool which also includes a packer and perforating guns. No portion of the fluid entrapped in the sampler goes above the packer or enters the tool string.

Well fluid modular sampling apparatus

A packer bypass for use between a pump and packer in a testing string for venting said pump and packer to a well annulus after completion of a testing operation. The packer bypass comprises a case with an inner flow tube disposed therein such that an annular passageway is defined therebetween. A piston having a lower portion is reciprocably disposed in the annular passageway. A plurality of latching fingers are pivotally mounted to the lower end of the piston and biased towards a latching position. A bypassing mandrel is reciprocably disposed in the annular passageway below the piston and has an open position for bypassing pump pressure thereabove and packer pressure therebelow to the well annulus and also has a closed position in which bypassing is prevented. The mandrel may be raised from the closed position to the open position by lowering the piston and engaging the latching fingers with a flange on the mandrel. When the mandrel is moved to the open position, the latching fingers are automatically released. The mandrel may be pumped back to the closed position for another test. Hydraulic pressure across the mandrel prevents overpull, and pressure balancing on the piston prevents undesired downward force on the packer.

Packer bypass

A string bypass for bypassing fluid around a packer as a testing string is lowered into or raised out of a well bore. The string bypass includes an outer case with an inner mandrel positioned therein such that an annular cavity is defined therebetween. A reciprocating piston is positioned in the annular cavity. The case and mandrel both define transverse holes therethrough, and the piston includes a transverse passageway which provides intercommunication between the holes when the piston is in an open position. A spring biases the piston toward the open position. A pump is used to inflate the packer, and, as the pump pressure gradually increases, a differential between the pump pressure and well annulus pressure acts against an annular area on the piston and overcomes the spring force so that the piston is moved to a sealed, closed position in which communication between the holes is prevented. The piston also includes a substantially longitudinal passageway therethrough which provides continuous fluid communication between the pump above the string bypass and the packer below the string bypass.

String bypass

The high pressure gauge carrier of the present invention uses an outer gauge carrier housing having disposed therein a pressure-tight inner housing carrying a temperature gauge in the interior thereof. The inner housing is substantially filled with a compressible liquid, and the pressure tight connections of the inner housing incorporated metal to metal seals in order to eliminate the failure of elastomeric seals at the elevated temperatures encountered by the gauge carrier.

High pressure gauge carrier

A bundle type gauge carrier including a support assembly which may be loaded with a plurality of downhole gauges, the support assembly being quickly insertable in a case assembly incorporated in the pipe string used for a formation test. The gauges are grouped in the support assembly about an unobstructed central flow path, whereby each gauge is exposed to the pressure and temperature of the flowing oil and gas during a drill stem test.

Growing community of inventors

Duncan, OK, United States of America

Jon B Christensen