Coil tubing unit

Claim 2

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing and tubing feeding means wherein the improvement comprises a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, powered tubing gripping means movable along said track from said inlet end to said outlet end, and pressure means overlying said track and having means thereon to engage said tubing to urge said tubing into gripping engagement with said tubing gripping means, said pressure means comprising fluid pressure actuable means adapted to provide substantially uniform pressure of engagement of said gripping means with said tubing from said inlet end to said outlet end.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said pressure actuable means comprises a curved flexible fluid impermeable member overlying and spaced away from said track.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined by claim 2 and including an inner curved compression member free to move radially toward and away from said track, positioned between said fluid impermeable member and said gripping means, and an outer curved frame member fixed substantially rigidly with respect to said track, overlying said fluid impermeable member.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined by claim 3, wherein said tubing gripping means comprises a plurality of rollers flexibly connected together in a chain, whereby said rollers roll along said track from said inlet end to said outlet end, and gripping devices carried by said rollers to engage the tubing.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined by claim 4, wherein said pressure means includes a plurality of rollers intermediate said compression member and said gripping devices, and means on the pressure means rollers for engaging the tubing.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined by claim 5, wherein said pressure means rollers are flexibly connected together to form an endless roller chain passing around said compression member and said outer curved frame member and lying in the plane of said track.

Claim 8

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing and tubing feeding means comprising a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, powered tubing gripping means movable along said track from said inlet end to said outlet end, and pressure means overlying said track and having means thereon to engage said tubing to urge said tubing into gripping engagement with said tubing gripping means, wherein the improvement comprises tubing straightening means positioned to provide a straightening force on the tubing at the outlet end of said tubing means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing and tubing feeding means comprising a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, powered tubing gripping means movable along said track from said inlet end to said outlet end, and pressure means overlying said track and having means thereon to engage said tubing to urge said tubing into gripping engagement with said tubing gripping means, wherein the improvement comprises tubing straightening means positioned to provide a straightening force on the tubing at the outlet end of said tubing means.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined by claim 7 wherein said tubing straightening means comprises means for applying a straightening moment about a point substAntially at the outlet end of the feeding means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined by claim 8 wherein said tubing straightening means includes a resilient plate positioned to form an extension of said track, and means to adjust said plate laterally and angularly with respect to said track to change the straightening force applied.

Claim 12

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing and tubing feeding means comprising a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, powered tubing gripping means movable along said track from said inlet end to said outlet end, and pressure means overlying said track and having means thereon to engage said tubing to urge said tubing into gripping engagement with said tubing gripping means, wherein the improvement comprises a substantially flexible line proportioned to be gripped by said gripping means, and means for attaching said line to the end of the tubing on said reel, whereby said tubing feeding means can be used to pull said line and thereby pull the tubing off the reel.

Claim 13

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing and tubing feeding means comprising a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, powered tubing gripping means movable along said track from said inlet end to said outlet end, and pressure means overlying said track and having means thereon to engage said tubing to urge said tubing into gripping engagement with said tubing gripping means, wherein the improvement comprises a substantially flexible line proportioned to be gripped by said gripping means, and means for attaching said line to the end of the tubing on said reel, whereby said tubing feeding means can be used to pull said line and thereby pull the tubing off the reel.

Claim 14

A process for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing from a reel into a well which comprises grippingly engaging said tubing with a plurality of gripping elements positioned along a curved path, applying a resilient radially inwardly directed force to said tubing along said curved path, said force being substantially uniform throughout the length of said curved path, and applying a force to said gripping elements to move them along said curved path, whereby said tubing is pulled from said reel along said curved path until the tubing at the end of the curved path is substantially vertical, and pushing said tubing into said well.

Claim 15

A process for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing from a reel into a well which comprises grippingly engaging said tubing with a plurality of gripping elements positioned along a curved path, applying a resilient radially inwardly directed force to said tubing along said curved path, said force being substantially uniform throughout the length of said curved path, and applying a force to said gripping elements to move them along said curved path, whereby said tubing is pulled from said reel along said curved path until the tubing at the end of the curved path is substantially vertical, and pushing said tubing into said well.

Claim 16

A process as defined by claim 11 wherein said radially inwardly directed force is applied through elements which engage said tubing intermediate the points of engagement of said gripping elements.

Claim 17

A process as defined by claim 11 and including straightening said tubing at the end of said curved path.

Claim 18

A process as defined by claim 12 wherein the moment for straightening the tubing is applied about a moment arm having its moment-center in said path.

Claim 19

In apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing, a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, an endless roller chain lying in a vertical plane on said track, power means connected to drive said chain, whereby its rollers move along said track from its inlet end to its outlet end, a plurality of tubing gripping elements mounted on said chain and extending radially outwardly from the chain on the track for engagement with tubing overlying said track, a second, non-powered roller chain overlying the powered roller chain, and a plurality of tubing engageable elements on said second roller chain extending radially inwardly therefrom toward said powered roller chain, said tubing gripping elements and said tubing-engageable elements being spaced and proportioned to allow tubing to pass between them, the improvement which comprises a compression member overlying the radially inner flight of said second roller chain, and extending substantially the length of said track, free to move radially toward and away from said track, a curved, flexible fluid impermeable member overlying said frame member, an outer curved frame member fixed substantially rigidly with respect to said track, overlying said fluid impermeable member, said compression member and said outer frame member and said fluid impermeAble member being mounted within said second roller chain, and means for applying fluid under pressure to said fluid impermeable member.

Claim 20

In apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing, a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, an endless roller chain lying in a vertical plane on said track, power means connected to drive said chain, whereby its rollers move along said track from its inlet end to its outlet end, a plurality of tubing gripping elements mounted on said chain and extending radially outwardly from the chain on the track for engagement with tubing overlying said track, a second, non-powered roller chain overlying the powered roller chain, and a plurality of tubing engageable elements on said second roller chain extending radially inwardly therefrom toward said powered roller chain, said tubing gripping elements and said tubing-engageable elements being spaced and proportioned to allow tubing to pass between them, the improvement which comprises a compression member overlying the radially inner flight of said second roller chain, and extending substantially the length of said track, free to move radially toward and away from said track, a curved, flexible fluid impermeable member overlying said frame member, an outer curved frame member fixed substantially rigidly with respect to said track, overlying said fluid impermeable member, said compression member and said outer frame member and said fluid impermeAble member being mounted within said second roller chain, and means for applying fluid under pressure to said fluid impermeable member.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined by claim 15 wherein said tubing gripping elements include a substantially 180* groove having a nominal radius the same as that of the tubing positioned to engage the tubing to grip it within the groove.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein said tubing-engageable elements include a groove of substantially less than 180* positioned to engage the tubing to push it into gripping engagement with the gripping elements.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined by claim 15 wherein said gripping elements are spaced apart along the power-driven chain and said tubing-engageable elements are spaced apart along the second chain, the spacings being different so that at least some of the tubing-engageable elements do not engage the tubing directly opposite a gripping element.

Claim 24

Apparatus as defined by claim 15 including means to apply a straightening moment to the tubing substantially at the outlet end of said track.

Claim 25

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing and a curved feeding unit adapted to grip the tubing to pull it substantially horizontally from the reel and push it substantially vertically into the well, wherein the improvement comprises means for applying a straightening moment to the tubing substantially at the vertical outlet end of the feeding unit, said means comprising a pivot within the feeding unit about which the straightening moment is applied.

Claim 26

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing and a curved feeding unit adapted to grip the tubing to pull it substantially horizontally from the reel and push it substantially vertically into the well, wherein the improvement comprises means for applying a straightening moment to the tubing substantially at the vertical outlet end of the feeding unit, said means comprising a pivot within the feeding unit about which the straightening moment is applied.

Claim 27

Apparatus as defined claim 20 wherein said staightening means further includes means within the feeding unit adapted to apply said straightening moment.

Claim 28

In apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing, a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, an endless roller chain lying in a vertical plane on said track, power means connected to drive said chain, whereby its rollers move along said track from its inlet end to its outlet end, a plurality of tubing gripping elements mounted on said chain and extending radially outwardly from the chain on the track for engagement with tubing overlying said track, a second roller chain overlying the powered roller chain, and a plurality of tubing-engageable elements on said second roller chain extending radially inwardly therefrom toward said powered roller chain, said tubing gripping elements and said tubing-engageable elements being spaced and proportioned to allow tubing to pass between them, the improvement wherein said tubing gripping elements include a substantially 180* groove having a nominal radius the same as that of the tubing positioned to engage the tubing to grip it within the groove.

Claim 29

In apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubing, a curved track lying in a vertical plane, said track having an inlet end opening toward said reel and an outlet end extending substantially vertically downwardly, an endless roller chain lying in a vertical plane on said track, power means connected to drive said chain, whereby its rollers move along said track from its inlet end to its outlet end, a plurality of tubing gripping elements mounted on said chain and extending radially outwardly from the chain on the track for engagement with tubing overlying said track, a second roller chain overlying the powered roller chain, and a plurality of tubing-engageable elements on said second roller chain extending radially inwardly therefrom toward said powered roller chain, said tubing gripping elements and said tubing-engageable elements being spaced and proportioned to allow tubing to pass between them, the improvement wherein said tubing gripping elements include a substantially 180* groove having a nominal radius the same as that of the tubing positioned to engage the tubing to grip it within the groove.

Claim 30

Apparatus as defined by claim 22 wherein said tubing-engageable elements include a groove of substantially less than 180* positioned to engage the tubing to push it into gripping engagement with the gripping elements.

Claim 31

Apparatus as defined by claim 22 wherein said gripping elements are spaced apart along the power-driven chain and said tubing-engageable elements are spaced apart along the second chain, the spacings being different so that at least some of the tubing-engageable elements do not engage the tubing directly opposite a gripping element.

Claim 32

Apparatus as defined by claim 22 and including means to apply a straightening moment to the tubing substantially at the outlet end of said track.

Claim 33

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubiNg and a curved feeding unit adapted to grip the tubing to pull it substantially horizontally from the reel and push it substantially vertically into the well, wherein the improvement comprises means for applying a straightening moment to the tubing about a point substantially at the vertical outlet end of the feeding unit, said means including a resilient plate positioned immediately adjacent the outlet end of the feeding unit, and means to adjust said plate laterally and angularly with respect to said feeding unit to change the straightening force applied.

Claim 34

Apparatus for running a continuous length of coiled substantially inflexible tubing into a well, comprising a reel for carrying said coiled tubiNg and a curved feeding unit adapted to grip the tubing to pull it substantially horizontally from the reel and push it substantially vertically into the well, wherein the improvement comprises means for applying a straightening moment to the tubing about a point substantially at the vertical outlet end of the feeding unit, said means including a resilient plate positioned immediately adjacent the outlet end of the feeding unit, and means to adjust said plate laterally and angularly with respect to said feeding unit to change the straightening force applied.