Continuous retrievable testing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING FLUID SAMPLES FROM A FORMATION PENETRATED DURING THE DRILLING OF AN OIL OR GAS WELL OR THE LIKE WITHOUT REMOVING THE DRILLING STRING THEREFROM COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED IN SAID DRILLING STRING NEAR THE LOWER END THEREOF, AN EXPANDABLE PACKING MEMBER ENCIRCLING A PORTION OF SAID TUBULAR BODY, SAID PACKING MEMBER BEING DEFORMABLE TO FORM A FLUID TIGHT SEAL WITH THE WALL OF SAID WELL, SAID TUBULAR BODY HAVING A PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING FROM THE INTERIOR THEREOF IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID PACKING MEMBER, A SLEEVE VALVE MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID TUBULAR BODY FOR CONTROLLING FLOW THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY, A SAMPLE RECEIVING ASSEMBLY HAVING A SAMPLE RECEIVING CHAMBER THEREIN AND A PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID CHAMBER, SAID DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAY HAVING ITS LOWER END IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE WELL BELOW SAID PACKING MEMBER, SAID SAMPLE RECEIVING ASSEMBLY BEING REMOVABLY INSERTED IN SAID TUBULAR BODY AND SLEEVE VALVE MEMBER AND HAVING SEAL MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID SLEEVE VALVE MEMBER TO PERMIT PRESSURE TO BE BUILT UP IN THE DRILLING STRING THEREABOVE, A CHAMBER CLOSING VALVE MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAY FOR CONTROLLING FLUID FLOW THERETHROUGH, SAID CHAMBER CLOSING VALVE MEMBER HAVING A PORTION THEREOF EXPOSED TO THE PRESSURE OF FLUID IN THE DRILLING STRING, SAID SLEEVE VALVE MEMBER AND CHAMBER CLOSING VALVE MEMBER BEING MOVABLE TO PERMIT FLOW OF PRESSURE LIQUID FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID DRILLING STRING INTO SAID PACKING MEMBER AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO PERMIT FLUID FLOW OF FORMATION FLUID INTO SAID SAMPLE CHAMBER UPON THE APPLICATION OF PREDETERMINED PRESSURES IN SAID DRILLING STRING, AND MEANS, INCLUDING A PORT IN SAID SLEEVE VALVE MEMBER AND A PORT EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID TUBULAR BODY ABOVE SAID PACKING MEMBER, TO PERMIT EQUALIZATION OF PRESSURE IN THE WELL ABOVE AND BELOW SAID PACKING MEMBER DURING THE EXPANSION THEREOF.