Annular electrical contact apparatus for use in drill stem testing

Claim 2

Apparatus adapted for use in well testing characterized by: a tubular housing having an open bore therethrough; annular electrical contact means on a wall of said housing surrounding said bore; fluid bypass passage means extending in said housing externally of said bore for bypassing well fluids past said contact means; and locator means in said housing for selectively positioning a running tool having an associated electrical contact means thereon within said bore in a manner such that operation of the running tool can be effected to cause engagement of said associated contact means with said annular contact means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 characterized in that said locator means includes recess means defining a profile having an upwardly facing stop shoulder for stopping downward movement of the running tool at a predetermined position within said bore.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said contact means includes an insulator sleeve mounted in an annular recess in the wall of said bore, said insulator sleeve carrying a conductive metal contact sleeve on the inner wall thereof.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 or 3 characterized in that said locator means is formed in the wall of said bore above said annular contact means, said bypass passage means extending from a location in communication with said bore below said contact means to a location in communication with said bore above said locator means.

Claim 6

Apparatus of claim 2, 3 or 4 characterized by: recess means in said housing defining an upwardly facing stop shoulder; running tool means adapted to be lowered into the well on electrical wireline and positioned within said bore, said running tool means including an inner body structure telescopically disposed within an outer body structure, said outer body structure carrying latch means for locating said shoulder and stopping said running tool means in a predetermined position within said housing; normally retracted means including an annular elastomer element carried on said inner body structure, said element having an electrical contact means on the outer periphery thereof; and means responsive to telescoping movement of said body structures for expanding said elastomer element from its normally retracted position to an expanded position where said contact means engage one another to enable drill stem test data to be transmitted to the surface via the electrical wireline.

Claim 7

An electrical contact running tool apparatus for use in connection with a well tester, characterized by: an inner body structure telescopically disposed within an outer body structure; said outer body structure carrying latch means for locating said tool within the bore of an associated well tester; normally retracted means on said inner body structure including an annular elastomer element carrying electrical contact means on the outer periphery thereof; and means responsive to telescoping movement of said body structures for expanding said elastomer element from its normally retracted position to an expanded position where said contact means engages a companion contact member on the well tester.

Claim 8

An electrical contact running tool apparatus for use in connection with a well tester, characterized by: an inner body structure telescopically disposed within an outer body structure; said outer body structure carrying latch means for locating said tool within the bore of an associated well tester; normally retracted means on said inner body structure including an annular elastomer element carrying electrical contact means on the outer periphery thereof; and means responsive to telescoping movement of said body structures for expanding said elastomer element from its normally retracted position to an expanded position where said contact means engages a companion contact member on the well tester.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 characterized by arm means on said outer body structure for mounting said latch means in a manner to enable their movement between inner and outer positions, said latch means comprising latch dogs having an outer surface profile that is shaped to match a corresponding profile in the bore of the well tester.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 characterized by means associated with said expanding means for locking said latch dogs in said outer positions during expansion of said elastomer element from its retracted to its expanded position.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6 characterized by: a lower expander member fixed to said inner body structure and having an upwardly and inwardly inclined outer surface; an upper expander member moveable relative to said inner body structure and having a downwardly and inwardly inclined outer surface, said upper expander member having a locking section; expansible means engaging said inclined surfaces and adapted to be expanded radially outward in response to movement of said lower expander member relatively toward said upper expander member; annular elastomer means surrounding said expansible means and carrying electrical contact means on the outer periphery thereof, said elastomer means being expanded from a normally retracted condition to an expanded condition by expansion of said expansible means in order to bring said contact means into engagement with a companion contact member mounted in the bore of said well tester; releasable detent means on said locking section for causing said locking section to be positioned behind said latch means in response to upward movement of said inner body structure in order to lock said latch means in engaged positions, said detent means being released during such upward movement to enable relative movement between said upper expander member and said inner body structure; stop means on said latch means and said locking section for preventing further upward movement of said upper expander member after said latch means have been locked in engaged position in order to enable said lower expander member to be advanced relatively toward said upper expander to cause expansion of said expansible means and said annular elastomer element; and in that said latch means is laterally shiftable.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 5 or 9 characterized in that said elastomer element is constituted by a sleeve having a circumferential groove in the outer periphery thereof, said contact means comprising an expandable member mounted in said groove and connected by conductor means to an electrical line by means of which said apparatus is suspended in the well.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 6 or 9 characterized in that said expanding means comprises a lower expander member on said inner body structure, an upper expander member moveable relatively along said inner body structure above said lower expander member, and means associated with said latch means for stopping upward movement of said upper expander member to enable said lower expander member to be advanced relatively toward said upper expander member.

Claim 14

The apparatus o claim 9 or 10 characterized in that said latch means comprises latch dogs each having a distinctive profile on the outer surface thereof, said profile including a downwardly facing shoulder surface and being formed to match a corresponding profile located in the bore of the well tester.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12 characterized in that said outer body structure includes depending resilient arm means, said latch dogs being mounted on the lower ends of said arm means and being moveable laterally between inner released positions and outer engaged positions.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 11 characterized by means associated with said upper expander member for locking said latch dogs in outer positions during expansion of said elastomer element from its retracted to its expanded position.