Methods of completing a well

Claim 1

A method of completing a well comprising: installing a flow conductor of substantially unrestricted internal passage in a well bore; performing operations on the well by movement of substances and well tools through the flow conductor; locating and fixing a landing section liner sleeve at a predetermined location in the flow conductor which provides internal seal surface of smaller diameter than the passage of the flow conductor and oppositely facing stop shoulders; and setting a well tool in said landing section liner sleeve having means engageable with the opposed stop shoulders to limit longitudinal movement of said well tool in the landing section liner sleeve and having seal means engageable with the seal surface for sealing therebetween.

Claim 2

A method of completing a well comprising: installing a flow conductor of substantially unrestricted internal passage in a well bore; performing operations on the well by movement of substances and well tools through the flow conductor; locating and fixing a landing section liner sleeve at a predetermined location in the flow conductor which provides internal seal surface of smaller diameter than the passage of the flow conductor and oppositely facing stop shoulders; and setting a well tool in said landing section liner sleeve having means engageable with the opposed stop shoulders to limit longitudinal movement of said well tool in the landing section liner sleeve and having seal means engageable with the seal surface for sealing therebetween.

Claim 4

A method of completing a well comprising: installing in a well a well casing formed of sections connected by coupling collars which provide spaced internal collar recesses; moving into said well casing a well tool assembly including a setting tool carrying a liner and a packer and a collar recess detector for locating the liner at a predetermined position in the well casing by means of signals transmitted from the detector to an indicator at the surface of the well to which the detector transmits a signal each time it passes a collar recess, expanding the liner outwardly progressively upwardly by moving the setting tool upwardly relative to the liner, and then installing the well packer in the expanded liner by continued upward movement of the setting tool.

Claim 5

A method of completing a well comprising: installing in a well a well casing formed of sections connected by coupling collars which provide spaced internal collar recesses; moving into said well casing a well tool assembly including a setting tool carrying a liner and a packer and a collar recess detector for locating the liner at a predetermined position in the well casing by means of signals transmitted from the detector to an indicator at the surface of the well to which the detector transmits a signal each time it passes a collar recess, expanding the liner outwardly progressively upwardly by moving the setting tool upwardly relative to the liner, and then installing the well packer in the expanded liner by continued upward movement of the setting tool.

Claim 7

A method of completing a well installation in a well having a well flow conductor having no internal restrictions therein in the bore of said well, said method including: performing operations on the well by means of said unrestricted passage of said flow conductor; moving a packer, a packer setting tool, an expansible packer housing sleeve in contracted condition and an expander for said housing sleeve simultaneously through the well flow conductor to a desired location therein; holding the top end portion of said unexpanded expansible packer housing sleeve against movement in the flow conductor while moving said expander through said housing sleeve to expand said packer housing sleeve into expanded gripping and sealing engagement with the flow conductor; releasing said expander from said housing sleeve after completion of the expansion of said housing sleeve; securing said packer in locked sealing engagement with said housing sleeve; releasing said setting tool from said packer; and removing said setting tool and said expander from the well through the flow conductor.

Claim 8

A method of completing a well installation in a well having a well flow conductor having no internal restrictions therein in the bore of said well, said method including: performing operations on the well by means of said unrestricted passage of said flow conductor; moving a packer, a packer setting tool, an expansible packer housing sleeve in contracted condition and an expander for said housing sleeve simultaneously through the well flow conductor to a desired location therein; holding the top end portion of said unexpanded expansible packer housing sleeve against movement in the flow conductor while moving said expander through said housing sleeve to expand said packer housing sleeve into expanded gripping and sealing engagement with the flow conductor; releasing said expander from said housing sleeve after completion of the expansion of said housing sleeve; securing said packer in locked sealing engagement with said housing sleeve; releasing said setting tool from said packer; and removing said setting tool and said expander from the well through the flow conductor.

Claim 10

A method of completing a well comprising: installing a flow conductor of substantially unrestricted internal passage in a well bore; performing well completion and testing operations on the well by movement of substances and well tools inserted through the conductor into the well, and withDrawing said tools; locating a landing section liner sleeve in the flow conductor at a predetermined location therein, expanding said liner sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the bore wall of the flow conductor to provide internal opposed stop shoulders and an internal seal surface of smaller diameter than the passage of the flow conductor; and setting a well tool in said landing section liner sleeve having means engageable with the stop shoulders of said liner to limit longitudinal movement of said well tool in the liner sleeve and having seal means thereon engageable with the seal surface in the bore of said liner sleeve for sealing therebetween.

Claim 11

A method of completing a well comprising: installing a flow conductor of substantially unrestricted internal passage in a well bore; performing well completion and testing operations on the well by movement of substances and well tools inserted through the conductor into the well, and withDrawing said tools; locating a landing section liner sleeve in the flow conductor at a predetermined location therein, expanding said liner sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the bore wall of the flow conductor to provide internal opposed stop shoulders and an internal seal surface of smaller diameter than the passage of the flow conductor; and setting a well tool in said landing section liner sleeve having means engageable with the stop shoulders of said liner to limit longitudinal movement of said well tool in the liner sleeve and having seal means thereon engageable with the seal surface in the bore of said liner sleeve for sealing therebetween.

Claim 12

A method of treating a well having therein a flow conductor having a substantially unrestricted internal passage, comprising: performing well testing and completion operations on the well by movement of substances and well tools through the flow conductor in place in the well; supporting a packer in the well flow conductor adjacent a desired location; supporting an unexpanded expansible locating and locking sleeve in the well conductor above the packer; expanding the locating and locking sleeve at said position in said well conductor to grip the wall of the flow conductor at such location to provide a seal surface of reduced bore in the flow conductor having opposed lock and stop shoulders at its opposite ends; moving the packer upwardly in the flow conductor into locking and sealing engagement with said locating and locking sleeve; releasing the support from the locating and locking sleeve; releasing the support from the packer and removing the supports from the well bore leaving the packer in anchored sealing position in the locating and locking sleeve.

Claim 13

A method of treating a well having therein a flow conductor having a substantially unrestricted internal passage, comprising: performing well testing and completion operations on the well by movement of substances and well tools through the flow conductor in place in the well; supporting a packer in the well flow conductor adjacent a desired location; supporting an unexpanded expansible locating and locking sleeve in the well conductor above the packer; expanding the locating and locking sleeve at said position in said well conductor to grip the wall of the flow conductor at such location to provide a seal surface of reduced bore in the flow conductor having opposed lock and stop shoulders at its opposite ends; moving the packer upwardly in the flow conductor into locking and sealing engagement with said locating and locking sleeve; releasing the support from the locating and locking sleeve; releasing the support from the packer and removing the supports from the well bore leaving the packer in anchored sealing position in the locating and locking sleeve.

Claim 15

A method of treating a well having a well casing therein formed of sections connected by coupling collars and having a substantially uniform unrestricted bore therethrough, said method comprising: moving a well tool assembly including a setting tool carrying an expansible packer housing sleeve and a packer into the well casing from the surface; locating a position in the well casing at which it is desired to anchor the packer housing sleeve and packer in sealing engagement in the well casing; expanding the packer housing sleeve at such location by moving the assembly upwardly; and installing the well packer in the expanded housing sleeve by continued upward movement of the well tool assembly to lock the packer in anchored sealing engagement with the housing sleeve in the casing.

Claim 16

A method of treating a well having a well casing therein formed of sections connected by coupling collars and having a substantially uniform unrestricted bore therethrough, said method comprising: moving a well tool assembly including a setting tool carrying an expansible packer housing sleeve and a packer into the well casing from the surface; locating a position in the well casing at which it is desired to anchor the packer housing sleeve and packer in sealing engagement in the well casing; expanding the packer housing sleeve at such location by moving the assembly upwardly; and installing the well packer in the expanded housing sleeve by continued upward movement of the well tool assembly to lock the packer in anchored sealing engagement with the housing sleeve in the casing.

Claim 18

A method of completing a well installation in a well having a well casing therein with a substantially uniform unrestricted bore extending therethrough, said method comprising: moving into the well casing a setting tool having a packer mounted thereon at its lower end in an unexpanded non-sealing, non-gripping condition, so as to be supported by said setting tool in such condition in the well casing; supporting an unexpanded expansible packer landing housing sleeve on the setting tool above an expander carried by the setting tool below the packer housing sleeve; positioning the setting tool in the well at a desired depth therein at which it is desired to support the packer landing housing sleeve in sealing engagement with the casing; moving the setting tool to move the expander member through the packer landing housing sleeve to expand said landing housing sleeve into gripping engagement with the inner surface of the casing; disconnecting tHe setting tool from the packer landing housing sleeve after the landing housing sleeve has been expanded into gripping engagement with the inner surface of the casing; moving the setting tool upwardly in the well casing to move the packer into position to engage the landing housing sleeve in locked sealing engagement therewith against movement in either direction; disconnecting the setting tool from the packer and removing the setting tool from the well leaving the packer in anchored sealing engagement in the packer landing housing sleeve.

Claim 19

A method of completing a well installation in a well having a well casing therein with a substantially uniform unrestricted bore extending therethrough, said method comprising: moving into the well casing a setting tool having a packer mounted thereon at its lower end in an unexpanded non-sealing, non-gripping condition, so as to be supported by said setting tool in such condition in the well casing; supporting an unexpanded expansible packer landing housing sleeve on the setting tool above an expander carried by the setting tool below the packer housing sleeve; positioning the setting tool in the well at a desired depth therein at which it is desired to support the packer landing housing sleeve in sealing engagement with the casing; moving the setting tool to move the expander member through the packer landing housing sleeve to expand said landing housing sleeve into gripping engagement with the inner surface of the casing; disconnecting tHe setting tool from the packer landing housing sleeve after the landing housing sleeve has been expanded into gripping engagement with the inner surface of the casing; moving the setting tool upwardly in the well casing to move the packer into position to engage the landing housing sleeve in locked sealing engagement therewith against movement in either direction; disconnecting the setting tool from the packer and removing the setting tool from the well leaving the packer in anchored sealing engagement in the packer landing housing sleeve.

Claim 22

A method of completing a well having a flow conductor of substantially unrestricted internal passage therein comprising: moving into the flow conductor a setting tool having an unexpanded expansible packer landing housing sleeve and an expander carried by the setting tool engageable with the packer housing sleeve; positioning the setting tool in the flow conductor at a depth therein at which it is desired to dispose the packer landing housing sleeve in gripping sealing engagement with the casing; moving the setting tool to move the expander member to expand said landing housing sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of the flow conductor to provide a smooth internal sealing surface wall of reduced diameter in the flow conductor having opposed stop shoulders at its ends; disconnecting the setting tool from the packer landing housing sleeve after the same has been expanded into gripping sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of the flow conductor; removing the setting tool from within the flow conductor; then inserting a tubular conductor having a packing assembly thereon into the flow conductor; moving the packing assembly downwardly in the flow conductor to position the same in sealing engagement with the inner surface wall of the packer landing housing sleeve; and supporting the packer assembly in place in such sleeve to provide a seal between the flow conductor and the tubular conductor at the packer housing landing sleeve.

Claim 23

A method of completing a well having a flow conductor of substantially unrestricted internal passage therein comprising: moving into the flow conductor a setting tool having an unexpanded expansible packer landing housing sleeve and an expander carried by the setting tool engageable with the packer housing sleeve; positioning the setting tool in the flow conductor at a depth therein at which it is desired to dispose the packer landing housing sleeve in gripping sealing engagement with the casing; moving the setting tool to move the expander member to expand said landing housing sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of the flow conductor to provide a smooth internal sealing surface wall of reduced diameter in the flow conductor having opposed stop shoulders at its ends; disconnecting the setting tool from the packer landing housing sleeve after the same has been expanded into gripping sealing engagement with the inner wall surface of the flow conductor; removing the setting tool from within the flow conductor; then inserting a tubular conductor having a packing assembly thereon into the flow conductor; moving the packing assembly downwardly in the flow conductor to position the same in sealing engagement with the inner surface wall of the packer landing housing sleeve; and supporting the packer assembly in place in such sleeve to provide a seal between the flow conductor and the tubular conductor at the packer housing landing sleeve.

Claim 30

A method of completing a well having a flow conductor with an unrestricted substantially uniform bore disposed therein, which includes: moving into the flow conductor a contracted expansible packer landing housing sleeve to a point in the flow conductor at which it is desired to locate the same; expanding the contracted expansible packer landing housing sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the bore wall of the flow conductor at such location in the flow conductor to provide a smooth internal sealing surface wall of diameter smaller than the bore of the flow conductor and having stop shoulders at its opposite ends; inserting a tubing string having a sealing packer assembly thereon into the first flow conductor; moving the tubing string downwardly in the first flow conductor to position the packer assembly in sealing engagement with the internal reduced sealing surface wall of the packer landing housing sleeve; and holding the packer assembly in sealing engagement with the internal sealing surface wall of said packer housing sleeve for sealing between the tubing string and the first flow conductor at such point.

Claim 31

A method of completing a well having a flow conductor with an unrestricted substantially uniform bore disposed therein, which includes: moving into the flow conductor a contracted expansible packer landing housing sleeve to a point in the flow conductor at which it is desired to locate the same; expanding the contracted expansible packer landing housing sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the bore wall of the flow conductor at such location in the flow conductor to provide a smooth internal sealing surface wall of diameter smaller than the bore of the flow conductor and having stop shoulders at its opposite ends; inserting a tubing string having a sealing packer assembly thereon into the first flow conductor; moving the tubing string downwardly in the first flow conductor to position the packer assembly in sealing engagement with the internal reduced sealing surface wall of the packer landing housing sleeve; and holding the packer assembly in sealing engagement with the internal sealing surface wall of said packer housing sleeve for sealing between the tubing string and the first flow conductor at such point.

Claim 36

A method of treating a well having therein a flow conductor having a substantially unrestricted internal passage, including: inserting a packer landing housing sleeve into the flow conductor on a setting tool lowerable from the surface of the well; moving the sleeve to a desired point in the flow conductor; actuating the setting tool to expand the packer landing housing sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the bore wall of the flow conductor at the selected point; removing the setting tool from the flow conductor; installing a packer assembly connected with a second flow conductor in the well into sealing engagement with the bore wall of the packer landing housing sleeve in place therein and sealing between the second conductor and the packer landing housing sleeve by means of said packer assembly.

Claim 37

A method of treating a well having therein a flow conductor having a substantially unrestricted internal passage, including: inserting a packer landing housing sleeve into the flow conductor on a setting tool lowerable from the surface of the well; moving the sleeve to a desired point in the flow conductor; actuating the setting tool to expand the packer landing housing sleeve into gripping sealing engagement with the bore wall of the flow conductor at the selected point; removing the setting tool from the flow conductor; installing a packer assembly connected with a second flow conductor in the well into sealing engagement with the bore wall of the packer landing housing sleeve in place therein and sealing between the second conductor and the packer landing housing sleeve by means of said packer assembly.