US3771603A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dual safety valve method and apparatus
Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
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Filing: 1972-04-13
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Granted: 1973-11-13
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Expires: 1992-04-13
Abstract
Abstract Dual safety valve apparatus is utilized to automatically shut in one or a pair of producing well zones upon a reduction in control fluid pressure. A tubing hanger is run into the well on a setting tool and supports a dual tubing string when the hanger is set in the well casing. The setting tool is removed and a dual, full opening shutoff valve assembly is run into the well and seats in the tubing hanger. Control fluid pressure supplied from the top of the well holds the shutoff valves open. Each shutoff valve has a full bore opening therethrough in the open position. A shifting tool is operable by fluid pressure to mechanically open the shutoff valves and when mechanically opened by the shifting tool, the valves can receive a secondary wireline retrievable shutoff valve operable by control fluid pressure. The dual shutoff valve is retrievable, and the tubing hanger is then retrievable by a retrieving tool.
Inventors
- 👤 T Crowe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:49
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B33/00; E21B33/10; E21B33/12; E21B33/129; E21B33/1295; E21B23/00; E21B23/06; E21B33/122; E21B34/00; E21B34/06; E21B34/10; E21B34/14; E21B43/00; E21B43/14; E21B2200/00; E21B2200/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
In apparatus for producing a well from plural productive zones penetrated by the well bore in which casing is set below the top of the well: tubing hanger means supporting a plurality of production tubing strings extending downwardly in the well bore and respectively communicating with one of said productive zones, anchor means on said tubing hanger means actuable into anchoring engagement with said casing, said tubing hanger means having a receptacle, plural safety valve means releasably engaged in said receptacle and having a plurality of flow passages communicating with said plurality of tubing strings, a plurality of upwardly extending tubings leading from said valve passages to the top of the well, said plural safety valve means including a plurality of shutoff valves each having means for normally closing one of said passages and means responsive to control fluid pressure for opening the same, and control fluid conduit means leading from said control fluid pressure responsive means to the top of the well and connectable to a source of control fluid pressure to open said shutoff valves.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
In apparatus for producing a well from plural productive zones penetrated by the well bore in which casing is set below the top of the well: tubing hanger means supporting a plurality of production tubing strings extending downwardly in the well bore and respectively communicating with one of said productive zones, anchor means on said tubing hanger means actuable into anchoring engagement with said casing, said tubing hanger means having a receptacle, plural safety valve means releasably engaged in said receptacle and having a plurality of flow passages communicating with said plurality of tubing strings, a plurality of upwardly extending tubings leading from said valve passages to the top of the well, said plural safety valve means including a plurality of shutoff valves each having means for normally closing one of said passages and means responsive to control fluid pressure for opening the same, and control fluid conduit means leading from said control fluid pressure responsive means to the top of the well and connectable to a source of control fluid pressure to open said shutoff valves.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each comprising ball valve members having an opening substantially equal to the opening in said tubing strings, and means for shifting said ball valve members between a first position at which said opening is aligned with said flow passages and a second position closing said flow passages.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure and locking said shutoff valve open.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure and locking said shutoff valve open, said shutoff valve when locked open having seat means for a wireline retrievable secondary shutoff valve means operable by control fluid pressure, and passage means for supplying control fluid to said wireline retrievable valve means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure and locking said shutoff valve open, and shifting tool means engageable with said additional means to shift the latter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure and locking said shutoff valve open, and shifting tool means engageable with said additional means to shift the latter responsive to fluid pressure, said shifting tool means having means connectable to a running pipe string for conducting fluid pressure to said shifting tool means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additonal means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure and locking said shutoff valve open, said shutoff valve when locked open having seat means for a wireline retrievable secondary shutoff valve means operable by control fluid pressure, and passage means for supplying control fluid to said wireline retrievable valve means, and including control fluid pressure operated wireline retrievable valve means in said seat means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
109 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each including additional means shiftable to open said shutoff valve independently of control fluid pressure and locking said shutoff valve open, said shutoff valve when locked open having seat means for a wireline retrievable secondary shutoff valve means operable by control fluid pressure, and passage means for supplying control fluid to said wireline retrievable valve means, and including control fluid pressure operated wireline retrievable valve means in said seat means, said wireline retrievable valve means including packing means engaged in said latter seat means and straddling said passage means for supplying control fluid to said wireline retrievable valve means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said tubing hanger means and said safety valve means having releasable Latch means for securing said safety valve means in said receptacle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
82 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said safety valve means and said tubing hanger means having complemental flow tube and socket means interengageable upon landing of said safety valve means in said receptacle to establish communication between said flow passages and said respective tubing strings, and coengageable orienting means on said safety valve means and said tubing hanger means for aligning said flow tube and socket means for interengagement when said safety valve means is landed in said tubing hanger means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 11, said orienting means including a longitudinally extended slot and inclined surfaces leading to said slot, and an orienting key engageable with said inclined surfaces and moveable into said slot.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said anchor means including releasable means enabling release of said anchor means from said casing in response to an upward pull on said tubing hanger means following removal of said safety valve means from said receptacle, said tubing hanger means having means engageable by retrieving tool means to apply said upward pull.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 13, retrieving tool means having means engageable with said means engageable by said retrieving tool means and capable of applying said upward pull to said tubing hanger means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 14, said retrieving tool means having fluid pressure responsive means for damping upward movement of said retrieving tool means upon release of said anchor means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said tubing hanger means having connecting means engageable by setting tool means for lowering said tubing hanger in said casing and operating said anchor means before engagement of said safety valve means in said receptacles.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
71 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said tubing hanger means having connecting means engageable by setting tool means for lowering said tubing hanger in said casing and operating said anchor means before engagement of said safety valve means in said receptacles, and setting tool means releasably engaged with connecting means for positioning said tubing hanger means in said casing and actuating said anchor means into anchoring engagement with said casing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
49 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said control fluid conduit means including a control fluid tubing connected to said safety valve means, said safety valve means including passage means connecting said control fluid tubing to the means responsive to control fluid pressure for opening the respective shutoff valves.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each comprising an elongated valve body, the respective valve bodies being longitudinally spaced with respect to one another.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
In apparatus as defined in claim 1, said shutoff valves each comprising an elongated valve body, the respective valve bodies being longitudinally spaced with respect to one another, and including tubular members extending from one shutoff valve body in side-by-side parallel relation to an upper shutoff valve body.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
146 words
The method of producing well fluids from a plurality of vertically spaced subsurface earth zones penetrated by a well bore, comprising isolating said earth zones in the well bore, running a plurality of production tubing strings into the well bore on a tubing hanger assembly and establishing communication between the respective earth zones and one of said tubing strings, anchoring said tubing hanger assembly in the well bore in upwardly spaced relation to the upper earth zone, running into the well above said tubing hanger means a plural safety valve assembly supported on an upper plurality of tubing strings and landing said safety valve assembly in said tubing hanger assembly to normally shut off flow from said earth zones through said tubing strings, and supplying control fluid pressure to said safety valve assembly to allow floW of fluid from said earth zones through said tubing strings.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
146 words
The method of producing well fluids from a plurality of vertically spaced subsurface earth zones penetrated by a well bore, comprising isolating said earth zones in the well bore, running a plurality of production tubing strings into the well bore on a tubing hanger assembly and establishing communication between the respective earth zones and one of said tubing strings, anchoring said tubing hanger assembly in the well bore in upwardly spaced relation to the upper earth zone, running into the well above said tubing hanger means a plural safety valve assembly supported on an upper plurality of tubing strings and landing said safety valve assembly in said tubing hanger assembly to normally shut off flow from said earth zones through said tubing strings, and supplying control fluid pressure to said safety valve assembly to allow floW of fluid from said earth zones through said tubing strings.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
The methof of claim 21, wherein said tubing hanger assembly is run into said well on a setting tool, and including operating said setting tool to anchor said tubing hanger assembly in the well bore, and removing said setting tool before running said safety valve assembly.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 21, including shutting in said earth zones by relieving said safety valve assembly of control fluid pressure to close said tubing strings.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 21, including removing said upper tubing strings and said safety valve assembly from said tubing hanger assembly and pulling the said upper tubing strings and said safety valve assembly from the well, running a retrieving tool into said tubing hanger assembly and connecting them together, and pulling said retrieving tool, said tubing hanger assembly and said lower tubing strings from the well.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 21, including running a shifting tool into the well through one of said upper tubing strings and operating said safety valve means to establish flow through said tubing strings from one of said earth zones, running into said safety valve assembly through the upper tubing string of said last-mentioned tubing strings an auxiliary safety valve assembly to normally shut off flow through said last-mentioned tubing strings, and applying said control fluid pressure to said auxiliary safety valve assembly to establish flow through said last-mentioned tubing strings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-12 | 1977-05-14 | 1977-11-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-12 | 1981-05-14 | 1981-11-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-12 | 1985-05-14 | 1985-11-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |