US1980219A - Pressure release for sand testing tools - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 13, 1934.

J. S. MORRIS PRESSURE RELEASE FOR SAND TESTING TOOLS Filed April 18, 1932 INVENTQR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nev. 13, 1934 PATENT OFFICE y 1,980,219 PRESSURE RELEASE Fon SAND TESTING 'rooLs Joseph S. Morris, Bruni, Tex.

Application April 18, 1932, Serial No. 606,038

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for deep well drilling, particularly where a sand testing tool is employed.

Preliminary to a thorough understanding of 5 the invention it will be protable to state that thev invention hereinafter described and claimed has particular reference to sand testing tools and particularly to a sand testing tool covered by Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,804,620, 0 issued May l2, 1931, to Frank Hux, which includes an elongated container having a valve for admitting and retaining samples of fluid from the lower portion of the well and having means' at its upper end for attachment to the hollow drill stem or pipe which serves as an operating member for the testing device as fully set forth in said patent. It may be used, however, with such types of sand testing tools as may be found practicable.

rn the drilling of deep wens the practice of what is known as rat-holing'is resorted to as.

of small diameter justsuicient to gather a test.

of the strata and in drilling this smaller diameter hole a different sort of packer is used to choke or cut olf the mud and water fron. the regular diameter hole. After the test of the rat-hole extension is made it is difiicult to lift. the packer,

owing to the column of mud and water in the regular hole, bearingv down upon the rat-hole packer, to lift the packer from the hole. In so removing the packer breakage and loss of time and labor frequently occur, as it is difficult to lift the packer from the hole against the aforesaid weight of mud and water.'

In keeping with the foregoing it is the princi- 49 pal object of this invention to provide means for quickly creating a pressure within the rathole and in the tubular passage of the tool equal to or in excess of the external hydrostatic pressure, whereby thepacker is relieved from the weight of mud and the like above the same, and

is in fact urge'd upwardly when the pressure acting beneath the packer exceeds the external fluid pressure. In accomplishing this result a tubular or cylindrical member is slidably mounted within 50 the packer and is so proportioned as to function as a pump plunger when reciprocated through the medium of the drill stem orpipe which serves as an operating member. This cylindrical pumping member is provided with an inwardly opening radial valve to admit fluid from the outside to assist in equalizing internal and external pressures, while preventing passage of high pressure uid from the interior after a pressure has been built up substantially equal to or greater than the pressure of the outside fluid, thus permitting ready removal of the packer.

The invention will be readily understood from a perusal of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a packer, the lower end of a sand testing tool, and the suction pipe through which a test is drawn, and embodying the invention, the view including a. vertical section through a regular diameter well and the strata below the well showing the ratl'uolel extension.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a conical packer for rat-holing in position on its supporting member or tube. f

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3,-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Having more detailed reference to the drawing, l denotes the lower end of a sand testing tool which is preferably of the type shown in the Hun Patent No. 1,8,04,620, referred to above, which comprises an elongated container having a valve for admitting and retaining samples of the uid g5 from the lower portion of the well, and which is likewise provided at its upper end with means for attachment to an operating member or pipe, i. e. the usual drill stem tubing. As shown,4 the testing tool is provided with a coupling thread for connection thereto of a tubular vor cylindrical member. 2 having relatively thick walls as compared with the diameter of the internal duct 18, and which in effect serves as a pump plunger or rod when reciprocated ina manner to be hereagainst its seat by a spring 20. A conical shaped '105 packer 5 is `shownas slidably mounted upon the tubular member,- whose position is limited below vby the enlargement of the tubular member and above by the lower end 1 of the testing tool.

The usual well hole is shown as having its walls exnded down to s point s 'and beyond uns depth tween the regular hole andthe extension. as

clearly shown in Figure 1.

This packer is commonly made of several layers of material' suitable ior'the purpose and indicated at 6 and 7 and as herein shown Athere is embodied in theconstruction a sleeve 8 with screwthreads 9 and 10. The layers of the material are superimposed one upon the other between the rings l1 and 12 and these rings thus hold the structune together. A tight seal is thus eiected between the sleeve and the tubular member 2 which is slidable therein and may be reclprocated by means of the drill stem tubing. Each ringv is further provided with gaskets or washers 13 to further enhance lthe sealing means. The upper ring 12 is oil-set to extend inwardly over the top of the sleeve, likewise the lower ring 11 is similarly arranged. The lower ring 1l is seated on the annular step or extension 14o! the tubular member 2.

Operation lin/operation the entire device'is lowered until the packer element reaches the position shownin Fig'. l, at which the conical walls of the packer engage the well at thetop of the rat-hole. In this position the opening 19 inlthe cylindrical pumping member 2 is above the packer. As soon, however, as the weight of the. testing tool and drill stem attached to the upper end of the tubular Amember comes into play, the member 2 will slide downwardly within the packer until the opening 19 is within the sleeve 8, while at the same time forcing the packer into tight engagement with where it is retained by manipulation of the valve, with which said tool is provided.

To remove the packer after the test has been taken, the thick walled cylindrical pumping memb er 2 may be reciprocated, thereby quickly buildwhich is equal .to or greater than' the outside pressure. Insuch operation-it will be noted that the valve 21 permits iluid to ow inwardly, 'but does not permit iluid to pass outwardly alter an in ternalpressurehasbeenbuiltupequaltoor greater than the pressure on the outside.

What `is claimed as new is:

For use with an elongated container having a valve for admitting and retaining samples of a ilid from the lower end of a well and having means at its upper end for attachment to an operating member or pipe; a cylindrical pumping member adapted to be secured to the lower portion of the container and having an intake at its lower end. and Aa downwardly taperingy packer member having a limited sliding movement on said cylindrical pumping member, said cylindrical pumping member having an unobstructed duct leading from its intake into the receptacle, the duct being'oi small ldiameter as compared with the diameter of the cylinder, whereby the liquid, displaced when the packer'is wedged into a rathole entrance a'nd the cylinder descends into the rat-hole, is forced up into the container, said cylindrical pumping member also having a radial opening communicating with the duct, said opening being located within the tapering packer mem- .ing up a pressure in the rat-hole below the packer ber when the latter is in its uppermost position with lrespect to said cylinder and above it when it is in its lowermost position with respect to the cylinder, and an inwardly opening valve in said radial opening to prevent e of high pressure iluid from the interior of the duct after a pressure has been built up substantially equal to or greater than the pressure of the outside uld. thus permitting ready removal oi' the packer on the completion of a test.

` JOSEPH S. MORRIS.

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