GB2247482A

GB2247482A - Subterranean well shifting tool for positive equalization movement

Info

Publication number: GB2247482A
Application number: GB9118334A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert J Coon
Original assignee: Baker Hughes Inc
Current assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
Priority date: 1990-08-27
Filing date: 1991-08-27
Publication date: 1992-03-04
Also published as: AU8279291A; FR2666115A1; NO913339D0; GB9118334D0; DK151391D0; NL9101448A

Abstract

A subterranean well tool is provided and method of its use described wherein a shiftable sleeve (SM) covering a fluid flow communication port P may be moved from a first sealingly closed position to an intermediate pressure equalizing position without the sleeve (SM) inadvertently being shifted to a third fully open position. The tool is moved into the well until it engages the sleeve SM. The tool then shifts the sleeve downwardly to the intermediate pressure equalizing piston. Further downward movement of the tool causes its release from the sleeve so that the sleeve will remain in the equalizing position. The sleeve is moved to its fully open position by a second tool after the first tool has been removed from the well. <IMAGE>

Description

SUBTERRANEAN WELL SHIFTING TOOL FOR POSITIVE EQUALIZATION MOVEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention: The invention relates to a well tool for moving a ealing element across a ported member for positively moving the sealing means from a first ealingly closed position to an intermediate pressure equalizing position without fully opening the ported member by the tool.

2. Description of the Prior Art: In a subterranean well it often occurs that a ported member is necessary to be carried into the well on a workstring or production conduit concentrically disposed within a second conduit, such as casing, in order to permit fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the production or workstring, such as, for example, when circulating a chemical inhibitor either downwardly within the first conduit and thence upwardly to the top of the well through the tubing/casing annulus, or by reverse circulation techniques wherein a fluid is pumped into the well downwardly through the tubing/casing annulus, thence thorugh the ported member and to the top of the well. Such operations are necessary during remedial and workover operations as well as to establish undebalanoing of a hydrostatic column in a well prior to perforating or reperforating one or more zones in said well, and the like.

In such operations, it it customary to provide such ported member with an internally carried sliding sleeve which may selectively open and close the ported member. 8uch sleeve is manipulated from closed to open position by an auxiliary well tool which ii introduced into the first conduit by means of electric line, wiroline, coiled tubing, or the like with a compatible shifting tool secured to the lowermost end thereof.

Such auxiliary tool will be positioned adjacent the sleeve and activated to move the sleeve from closed position whereby the port or ports are covered, to an open position whereby the ports freely communicate fluid between the interior and the exterior of the tool Whon such tools are exposed to high pressure enviroments of the well, it is highly desirable to equalize pressure between the interior and the exterior of the first conduit adjacent the port or ports to be opened in order not to adversely effect sensitive sealing mechanisms disposed between the moving sleeve mechanisms and the housing for the sleeve and port members. In actual operation, the shifting tools for the sleeve member have not been ablo to positively shift the sleeve from the fully closed position to an equalizing position without danger of inadvertent movement of the sleeve during such actuation immediately to the fully open position.Frequently, the difference between such intermediate equalizing position and such fully open position is a matter of inches, with the tools being disposed within the well many thousands of feet below the surface of the earth, and calculations with respect to movement of such tool simply cannot be made with sufficient accuracy to assure movement of the sleeve only to the intermediate pressure equalizing position.

The present invention addresses such problems by providing a method and apparatus whereby such sleeve is moved from the closed position to the intermediate equalizing position, positively, without inadvertent movability of the sleeve from the intermediate position to the fully open position, or from the first sealing closed position to the fully open position. In such mannor, the tool provides positive movement of the sleeve only to the intermediate pressure equalizing position. Thereafter, a second tool may be run into the well to move the sleeve to the fully open position from open position from the intermediate pressure equalizing position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A subterranean well tool is carryable into a well on a first conduit interiorly and concentrically disposed relative to a tubular second conduit. The second tubular conduit includes a ported member for fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the tubular second conduit a. well a selectively shiftable means for opening and sealingly closing the ported member and movable between the first sealing closed position, an intermediate pressure equalizing position, and a third fully open position.

The well tool comprises a housing. Means are provided for operationally securing the tool through the housing to the first conduit. Neani are also provided for moving the second selectively shiftable means in a first direction from the first sealingly closed position to only the intermediate pressure equalizing position.

In a preferred embodiment, means are also provided for continuing movement of the well tool in the first direction after the selectively shiftable means have been moved to the intermediate pressure equalizing position without moving the selectively shiftable means to the third fully open position.

Subsequent to movement of the sleeve to the intermediate pressure equalizing position, the well tool of the present invention may be moved in any longitudinal direction, and/or axial rotational direction without affecting the integrity of the positioning of the sleeve in the intermediate pressure equalizing position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional schematic illustration of a completed subterranean well wherein the shifting means is shown relative to a port prior to introduction of the well tool of the present invention into the well.

Figs. 2a, 2b, and 2e are longitudinal sectional views showing the well tool of the present invention in position within the shirting means prior to moving the shifting means from the first closed position to the second intermediate pressure equalizing position.

Figs. 3a, 3b, and 3c are views similar to that of Fig. 2 showing the well tool positioning relative to the sleeve with the sleeve being positioned to the intermediate pressure equalizing position.

Figs. 4a, 4b, and 4c are views similar to that of Figs. 2 and 3 showing the positioning of the well tool subsequent to movement of the sleeve to the intermediate pressure equalizing position with the well tool being disengaged from the sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now, first with reference to Fig. 1, there is shown in schematic illustration a subterranean well W which has placed therein a tubular second conduit or casing C interiorly of which is concentrically positioned a first conduit C1, which may be a production tubing, workstring, or the like, which, in turn, carries a ported member PM thereon with a port P traversing thereacross and the opaning P through the ported member PM being selectively controlled by means of a shifting means SM interiorly disposed therein.

A conventional well packer WP is shown positioned blow the ported member PM on the first conduit C1 and does not play a particular part of the present invention A conventional BOP stack is emplaced at the uppermost top surface of the well W to illustrate that the well is on production.

Now referring to the more detailed view shown in Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c, a conventional manipulating wireline tool (not shown) has its lowermost end secured at threads 11 to an upper housing member 10a of the well tool WT of the present invention. A lower housing member 10b is secured at threads 10c to an internal housing member 10d, which, in turn, is secured at its uppermost end to the upper housing member 10a at threads 10c.

The well tool WT of the present invention is shown in Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c in position for shifting of a sleeve means 8M from a first sealingly closed position (Shown in Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c) to an intermediate pressure equalizing position (shown in Figures 3a, 3b, and 3c) without movement to a third fully open position. The shifting moans SM contains an opening 5M1 which is in lateral alignment with port P when the sleeve member SM is in the fully open position.

Each port P ha. a companion opening SM-1 defined through the shifting means SM, with each of the openings SM-1 being elongatedly contracted to form an equalizing groove SM-2 at the lowermost ond thereof.

Accordingly, when the shifting means SM-1 is shifted from the sealingly closed position to the intermediate pressure equalizing position, the equalizing groove SM- 2 of each of the opening. SM-1 will permit a reduced fluid flow to enter the interior of the ported member PM through the port P and the groove SM-2 portion of the opening SM-1,\with such restricted opening through the groove 8M-2 reducing the fluid flow during pressure equalization such that the seal means S-1 and S-2 positioned within the housing of the ported member PM are not adversely affected by pressure surge, or the like.

The shifting means SM contains an outwardly protruding flexible latch means SM-3 for selective receint within on of three grooves defined within the

housing of the ported member PN The first,groove G-1 intercepts the flexible latch SM-3 to position the shifting means SN in the first sealingly closed position.Correspondingly, the

groove G-2 will receive and position the flexible latch SX-3 when the shifting means SM move to the intermediate pressure equalizing position by the well tool WT. Subsequent to removal of the well tool WT and introduction into the well W of an auxiliary tool for engagement with the shifting means SH, the shifting means SM may be moved such that the flexible latch 6M-3 is removed from the

intermediate groove G-2 and will snap into an enlarged, groove G-3 which will secure the shifting means SM through the flexible latch SM-3 in the fully opened position.

Between the housing members 10a and lob of the well tool WT is a window 14 therein through which a prong 12 may project. The prong 12 has a shoulder 13 which will engage a companion shoulder Sx-4 on the shifting means when tha well tool WT is engagement with the shifting means SM to carry the shifting means SM in a first direction for manipulation between closed and open position.

The prong 12 is designed such that it may actually pivot to move the shoulder 13 from the interengagement on the shoulder 5M-4 of the shifting means SM and is spring biased outwardly. The bias of such e spring 13a is controlled by interegagement of the prong 12 to a latching dog 17 positioned through an opening 19 in the housing 10 lowerly of the prong 12 and by interegagement of the prong 12 and the dog 17 through an abutment 20 on the lowermost end of the prong 12 and a companion abuttment 19 at the uppermost interior of the dog 17.An outer face or ehoulder 18 of the dog 17 is contoured to be companionly received on a shoulder A at the lowermost end of th. ported member PM when the well tool WT has moved the flexible latch SH-3 into the intermediate or equalizing groove G-2, such that further longitudinal movement of the well tool WT in the direction which has moved the shifting means SM fron the closed position to the intermediate position will apply force to the dog 17 and cause same to inwardly pivot through a pivot pin ia and flex the lowermost end of the prong 12 through the abutment 19- so inwardly to remove the shoulder 13 on the prong 12 from ahifting engagement on a shoulder SM-4 on the shifting means SM.

OPERATION Now with reference to Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, and 4a, 4b, and 4cm the shifting means SM normally is positioned such that the port P and the ported member PM is sealingly isolated from the interior of the ported member PM with the shifting means SM being positioned across the seals S1, S2 and the flexible latch 8M-3 being in the uppermost groove G-1. The shifting means SM is, as described, in the sealingly closing position relative to the port P.

Now, when it is desired to open the port P, an auxiliary conduit, such as wireline, well tool, or the like, is introduced through the first conduit C1 with the well tool WT of the present invention being secured at the lowermost end thereof at the threads 11.As the well tool moves in the well W, it will come into lateral relationship with the shifting means SM and the shoulder 13 of the prong 12 will find and become engaged in the groove SM-3 at the shoulder 8M-4 of the shirting moans SM. The sleeve SM will now be urged in a first direction with continued movement through the remedial conduit such that the latch SM-3 will snap out of the first groove G-l and will find and become engaged in the groove a-2 such that the equalizing grooves 8M-2 become positioned for equalizing fluid coDmunication therethrough by means of the port P.

When the latch SM-3 is in the groove G-2, the dog 17 will be in abutting engagement with the shifting means SM by mean. of the outer face of the dog 18 being positioned on the shoulder A. Now, further longitudinal movement in the game first direction of the well tool wT will cause the outer dog 17 to pivot slightly inwardly because of the beveled contour of the outer face of the dog 18 relative to the shoulder A and will, in turn, urge the lowenno-t end of prong 12 at the abutment 20 to move axially inwardly to disengage the shoulder 13 of the prong from position in the shoulder SS-4 of the shifting means SM.Thus, the well tool WT becomes completely disengaged from the shifting means 8M subsequent to positioning of the shifting means SM in the intermediate pressure equalizing position. The shifting means SM cannot be moved by the well tool WT at any time from either the first sealingly engaged position or the intermediate position to the third fully opened position because of the positioning of the dog 17 relative to the shoulder A and positioning of the shoulder 13 of the prong relative to the shoulder SM-4.

It will be appreciated that one of the unique features of the present invention is to prevent the shifting moans 8M from being inadvertently moved from the fully closed position to the fully open position by providing such a well tool, pressure surges are avoided which could inadvertently cause coiled tubing, wirolin, conduits, or the like, to "spaghetti" within the well, or, even worse, being blown to the top of the well.

Although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments which are set forth in detail, it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, since alternative embodiment and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure. Accordingly, modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention.

Claims

1. A subterranean well tool carryable into said

well on a first conduit interiorly and concentrically disposed relative to a tubular second conduit including a ported member for fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of said tubular second conduit, and selectively shiftable means for opening and sealingly closing said ported member and movable between a first sealingly closed position, an intermediate pressure equalizing position, and a third fully op-n position, s said well tool comprising:: (1) a housing; (2) means for operationally securing said well tool through said housing to said first conduit; and (3) means for moving said selectively shiftable means in a first direction from said first sealingly closed position to only said intermediate pressure equalizing position.

2. The well tool of Claim I further including means for continuing movement of said well tool in said first direction after said selectively shiftable means have been moved to said intermediate pressure equalizing position without moving said selectively shiftable means to said third fully open position.

3. A method for shifting a selectively shiftable means for opening and sealingly closing a ported member and movable between a first sealingly closed position, an intermediate pressure equalizing position, and a third fully open position, said selectively shiftable means being carried interiorly on a tubular second conduit relative to a ported member of said second conduit, said method comprising the step of;; (a) assembling at the top of the well1 a well tool comprising: (1) a housing; (2) mean for operationally securing said well tool through said housing to a first conduit interiorly and concentrically disposable relative to said tubular second conduit; and (3) weans for moving said selectively shiftable means in a first direction from said first sealingly closed position to only said intermediate pressure equalizing position; (b) moving said well tool on said first conduit concentrically through said tubular second conduit until said well tool is positioned adjacent said selectively shiftable means; and (c) actuating said well tool to move said selectively shiftable means in a first direction from the first sealingly closed position to only the intermediate pressure equalizing position.

4. The method of Claim 3 further comprising the step of: (d) continuing movement of said well tool in the first direction after the selectively shiftable means has been moved to the intermediate pressure .qualizing position without moving the selectively shiftable means to the third fully open position.

S. The well tool of Claim 1 wherein said well tool further comprises an exteriorly projecting prong for selective receipt within an internal shifting groove defined on said sleeve.

6. The well tool of Claim d wherein said prong is disengagable from said groove subsequent to said selectively shiftable means being moved to the intermediate pressure equalizing position.

7. The well tool of Claim 1 further comprising an exteriorly projecting prong for receipt within an internal shifting groove on said selectively shiftable means and further comprising means for disengaging said well tool from raid sleeve subsequent to movement of said sleave to said intermediate pressure equalizing position.

8. The well tool of Claim 7 wherein said means for disengaging said well tool comprises a shiftable dog means placable into abutting relationship with said first conduit whereby further travel of said well tool in said first direction is resisted.

9. /t well tool of Clam

continued travel of said wall tool in said first direction subsequent to positioning of said selectively shiftable means in said intermediate pressure equalizing position shifts said dog means flexibly inwardly to release said prong from said shifting means whereby said well tool may move further in said first direction or in a second direction opposite said first direction without moving said shifting means.