US3858649A — Apparatus for testing oil wells using annulus pre…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 495 words

Oil well sampling apparatus for placement in a testing string, comprising: power section means arranged to receive applied fluidic pressure on fluids between the test string and the well casing and convert said pressure applications into sampler actuating movement in the test string; and sampler means arranged to be attached to said power section means and receive said actuating movements thereby controlling fluid flow through the test string and capable of trapping a sample of the fluid therein; said power section means further comprising: a substantially cylindrical outer housing assembly having a bore therethrough; an inner barrel assembly concentrically located within said housing assembly and forming a plurality of annular chambers therebetween, said inner barrel assembly having a substantially open unrestricted bore therethrough; a valve sleeve assembly slidably located on said housing assembly and having a plurality of ports through the wall thereof, some of said ports being capable of fluidically communicating with a plurality of ports through the wall of said housing; said sleeve assembly arranged to be pressure balanced against buoyancy of said testing string and said sleeve assembly further adapted to move in response to reciprocation of said testing string to align some of said ports in said sleeve assembly with said ports in said housing in one position of said sleeve assembly; and in a second position of said sleeve assembly to prevent flow through said housing assembly ports; supplemental pressure annular floating piston means located in sealing engagement between said housing assembly and said inner barrel assembly and having fluid communication with said housing assembly ports, said piston means capable of sliding movement between said housing assembly and said barrel assembly; spring biasing means located between said outer housing assembly and said inner barrel assembly blow said supplemental pressure annular floating piston means and arranged in springing engagement therewith; said spring biasing means comprising an inert gas chamber; second annular floating piston means slidably and sealingly located within said chamber; pressuRized inert gas within said chamber between said supplemental piston means and said second annular floating piston means; and mechanical spring means abutting said second annular piston means; power piston means slidably and concentrically located within said housing assembly in abutting relationship with said spring biasing means and reacting in conjunction with said second annular floating piston means by way of hydraulic fluid sealingly emplaced between said power piston means and said second annular floating piston means; said power piston means arranged to receive annulus fluid through a second plurality of ports through the wall of said housing assembly and adapted to react in longitudinal movement against said spring biasing means in response to fluidic pressure applied to said annulus fluid, said power piston means having a differential pressure area thereon; and pull mandrel means located slidably within said housing assembly and arranged to move in response to longitudinal movement of said power piston means; said pull mandrel means adapted to engage said sampler means and transfer longitudinal movements thereto.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 495 words

Oil well sampling apparatus for placement in a testing string, comprising: power section means arranged to receive applied fluidic pressure on fluids between the test string and the well casing and convert said pressure applications into sampler actuating movement in the test string; and sampler means arranged to be attached to said power section means and receive said actuating movements thereby controlling fluid flow through the test string and capable of trapping a sample of the fluid therein; said power section means further comprising: a substantially cylindrical outer housing assembly having a bore therethrough; an inner barrel assembly concentrically located within said housing assembly and forming a plurality of annular chambers therebetween, said inner barrel assembly having a substantially open unrestricted bore therethrough; a valve sleeve assembly slidably located on said housing assembly and having a plurality of ports through the wall thereof, some of said ports being capable of fluidically communicating with a plurality of ports through the wall of said housing; said sleeve assembly arranged to be pressure balanced against buoyancy of said testing string and said sleeve assembly further adapted to move in response to reciprocation of said testing string to align some of said ports in said sleeve assembly with said ports in said housing in one position of said sleeve assembly; and in a second position of said sleeve assembly to prevent flow through said housing assembly ports; supplemental pressure annular floating piston means located in sealing engagement between said housing assembly and said inner barrel assembly and having fluid communication with said housing assembly ports, said piston means capable of sliding movement between said housing assembly and said barrel assembly; spring biasing means located between said outer housing assembly and said inner barrel assembly blow said supplemental pressure annular floating piston means and arranged in springing engagement therewith; said spring biasing means comprising an inert gas chamber; second annular floating piston means slidably and sealingly located within said chamber; pressuRized inert gas within said chamber between said supplemental piston means and said second annular floating piston means; and mechanical spring means abutting said second annular piston means; power piston means slidably and concentrically located within said housing assembly in abutting relationship with said spring biasing means and reacting in conjunction with said second annular floating piston means by way of hydraulic fluid sealingly emplaced between said power piston means and said second annular floating piston means; said power piston means arranged to receive annulus fluid through a second plurality of ports through the wall of said housing assembly and adapted to react in longitudinal movement against said spring biasing means in response to fluidic pressure applied to said annulus fluid, said power piston means having a differential pressure area thereon; and pull mandrel means located slidably within said housing assembly and arranged to move in response to longitudinal movement of said power piston means; said pull mandrel means adapted to engage said sampler means and transfer longitudinal movements thereto.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 101 words

The sampling apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: inert gas filler valve means located in said housing assembly; inert gas chamber isolation valve means located in said housing; hydraulic impedance means located in said housing between said second annular floating piston means and said power piston means in said hydraulic fluid and arranged to dampen movements of said power piston means; and check valve means in communication with said hydraulic fluid and located in parallel with said impedance means and adapted to bypass said impedance means upon longitudinal movement of said power piston means in response to said spring biasing means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 241 words

The sampling apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sampler means further comprises: a cylindrical external sampler housing assembly having a bore therein and adapted to be securedly attached to said power section housing assembly; an upper, inner housing extension member fixedly attached to the interior of said external sampler housing, located concentrically therein, and having an open axial bore therethrough; a lower inner housing extension member fixedly attached to the interior of said external sampler housing located concentrically therein, coaxial with said upper extension member, and having an open axial bore therethrough; valve mandrel means slidably located within said upper and lower extension members and said sampler housing assembly and forming a sample chamber therein; valve coupler means located concentrically within said sampler housing, attached to said valve mandrel means, and adapted to be securedly engaged with said pull mandrel means in said power section means; first port means in said valve mandrel means comprising two sets of ports through the wall thereof; second port means through the wall of said upper extension member and arranged to communicate with one set of ports in said first port means in one position of said valve mandrel means within said housing assembly; and third port means through the wall of said lower extension member and arranged to communicate with the other set of ports in said first port means simultaneously with said communication between said second port means and said first port means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 93 words

The sampling apparatus of claim 3 further comprising: drain valve means in said sample chamber, said drain valve means including: a drain port through the wall of said upper extension member; plug means threadedly engaged in said upper extension member, aligned coaxially with said upper extension member, and threadedly engaged in the bore thereof so as to block said drain port in a first position thereof; said plug means further adapted to be selectively moved out of blocking engagement with said drain port; and said drain port having drain conduit attachment means therein.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 150 words

The sampling apparatus of claim 3 further comprising: safety lock-closed means, said lock-closed means including: limit-stop sleeve means frangibly attached to said valve coupler means and arranged to abut said power section means in a first, open position of said valve mandrel means; a concentric inner sleeve attached to said lower extension member located concentrically within said valve mandrel means; a plurality of prop-arms hingedly attached to said inner sleeve between said inner sleeve and said valve mandrel means and arranged to swing out in propping relationship below said valve mandrel means upon shearing of said limit-stop sleeve means in response to extreme upward movement of said valve coupler means; and spring actuation means between said prop-arms and said inner sleeve arranged to move said prop-arms out into propping relationship below said valve mandrel means upon sufficient movement upwards of said valve mandrel means to clear said spring actuation means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 324 words

A sampler apparatus for use in a test string in an oil well comprising: a power section having a central bore therethrough, which comprises; a piston responsive to fluid pressure in the annulus exterior to the test string such that increases in said annulus pressure will move said piston in a first longitudinal direction, means engaged with said piston for biasing said piston in order that said piston will move in a second longitudinal direction opposite to said first direction when said annulus pressure increases are removed, means for supplementing said biasing means with hydrostatic pressure in the annulus as the apparatus is lowered into the well, and means having an open position and a closed position for selectively isolating said supplementing means such that hydrostatic pressure in the annulus while said isolating means is in the open position will actuate said supplementing means, and increases in the annulus pressure subsequent to the closing of said isolating means will move said piston in the first direction against said biasing means, and a sampler section removably attached to said power section and having a central bore therethrough communicating with said central bore of said power section, which comprises; means removably attached to said piston for transferring movements of said piston, and two valves in said sampler section spaced apart to form a sample chamber therebetween, both valves being actuated by said movement transferring means to open when said piston moves in the first longitudinal direction thereby allowing formation fluid to flow through said central bores, and to close when said piston moves in the second longitudinal direction thereby trapping a sample of formation fluid in said sample chamber, said valves further having a fail safe position wherein said valves are closed when the annulus pressure increases above a predetermined level thereby moving said piston and said valves by the action of said movement transferring means in the first longitudinal direction to a fail safe position.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 324 words

A sampler apparatus for use in a test string in an oil well comprising: a power section having a central bore therethrough, which comprises; a piston responsive to fluid pressure in the annulus exterior to the test string such that increases in said annulus pressure will move said piston in a first longitudinal direction, means engaged with said piston for biasing said piston in order that said piston will move in a second longitudinal direction opposite to said first direction when said annulus pressure increases are removed, means for supplementing said biasing means with hydrostatic pressure in the annulus as the apparatus is lowered into the well, and means having an open position and a closed position for selectively isolating said supplementing means such that hydrostatic pressure in the annulus while said isolating means is in the open position will actuate said supplementing means, and increases in the annulus pressure subsequent to the closing of said isolating means will move said piston in the first direction against said biasing means, and a sampler section removably attached to said power section and having a central bore therethrough communicating with said central bore of said power section, which comprises; means removably attached to said piston for transferring movements of said piston, and two valves in said sampler section spaced apart to form a sample chamber therebetween, both valves being actuated by said movement transferring means to open when said piston moves in the first longitudinal direction thereby allowing formation fluid to flow through said central bores, and to close when said piston moves in the second longitudinal direction thereby trapping a sample of formation fluid in said sample chamber, said valves further having a fail safe position wherein said valves are closed when the annulus pressure increases above a predetermined level thereby moving said piston and said valves by the action of said movement transferring means in the first longitudinal direction to a fail safe position.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 41 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said piston comprises an annular tubular piston arranged within said power section to abut said biasing means, said piston attached to said movement transferring means and adapted to receive said applications of increased annulus pressure.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 24 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said isolating means is remotely shifted to the opened or closed position by manipulations of the test string.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 75 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein one valve of said sampler section controls fluid communication between said sample chamber and said communicating central bores through the sampler section and the power section, wherein said second valve of said sampler section controls fluid communication between said sample chamber and the test string, and wherein said valves are actuated by said movement transferring means to open and close simultaneously in respoNse to longitudinal movements of said piston.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 50 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said sampler comprises a means for locking said valves in the closed fail safe position when said movement transferring means has moved said valves to the fail safe position in response to movement of said piston under the influence of overpressure in the annulus.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 40 words

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said biasing means comprises a pressured inert gas filled chamber forming an inert gas spring within said power section arranged to bias against said piston as said piston moves in the first longitudinal direction.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 62 words

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said supplementing means comprises a floating annular piston adajcent said inert gas spring and exposed on one side to the pressurized inert gas of said gas spring, and exposed on a second side to the hydrostatic pressure in said annulus, and free to move in response to said hydrostatic pressure to further pressurize said inert gas.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 49 words

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said isolating means comprises a valve between said second side of said floating piston and said annulus which when open allows fluid communication between said floating piston and said annulus, and when closed blocks fluid communication between said floating piston and said annulus.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 27 words

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said floating annular piston comprises spaced apart, axially aligned sleeve pistons and oil located in the space between said sleeve pistons.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 34 words

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said biasing means further comprises a mechanical spring arranged to work in conjunction with said inert gas spring to further bias said piston in said second longitudinal direction.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 113 words

The apparatus of claim 15 with said power section having a spring chamber containing said mechanical spring between said piston and said inert gas spring, said power section further comprising: a fluid conduit communicating said spring chamber with said inert gas filled chamber; an oil cushion in said spring chamber wherein a portion of said oil is displaced from said spring chamber through said fluid conduit and into said gas filled chamber as said piston is moved in the first longitudinal direction; and a floating annular piston slidably located in said inert gas filled chamber exposed on one side to said pressurized inert gas and on a second side to said displaced oil.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 42 words

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said fluid conduit contains hydraulic impedance means for impeding the rate of oil displacement from said spring chamber to said inert gas filled chamber to thereby dampen movements of said piston in the first longitudinal direction.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 378 words

An oil well testing sampler for controlling the flow of well fluids through the conduit of a test string in a well bore, and for trapping a sample of well fluids therein; said sampler comprising: a cylindrical outer housing assembly; upper and lower inner cylindrical housing members, both having a plurality of ports through the walls thereof, said members being longitudinally spaced apart and located concentrically within and connected to said outer housing assembly so as to provide an annular space between each inner housing member and said outer housing assembly; a cylindrical sampler mandrel having an upper set of a plurality of ports and a lower set of a plurality of ports through the wall thereof, said sampler mandrel slidably located concentrically within said inner housing members and spanning the space between said inner housing members to form an annular sample chamber between said outer housing assembly, said sampler mandrel, and said upper and lower inner housing members; and a pull mandrel having a plurality of longitudinal flow channels along a portion of the sides of said pull mandrel, said pull mandrel extending from one end of said outer housing assembly between said outer housing and one of said inner housing members and being linked to one end of said sampler mandrel through lOngitudinal slots in said one of said inner housing members; said pull mandrel, when connected to an actuating tool in said test string, moving said sampler mandrel from a closed position wherein said upper set and lower set of ports of said sampler mandrel do not communicate with the ports in said upper and lower inner housing members; to an open position wherein said upper set and lower set of ports of said sampler mandrel communicate respectively with the ports in said upper and lower inner housing members with one set of communicating ports additionally communicating with said flow channels in said pull mandrel and with the other set of communicating ports additionally communicating with the annular space between the second of said inner housing members and said outer housing assembly, and to a second closed position wherein said upper set and lower set of ports of said sampler mandrel do not communicate with said ports in said upper and lower inner housing members.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 378 words

An oil well testing sampler for controlling the flow of well fluids through the conduit of a test string in a well bore, and for trapping a sample of well fluids therein; said sampler comprising: a cylindrical outer housing assembly; upper and lower inner cylindrical housing members, both having a plurality of ports through the walls thereof, said members being longitudinally spaced apart and located concentrically within and connected to said outer housing assembly so as to provide an annular space between each inner housing member and said outer housing assembly; a cylindrical sampler mandrel having an upper set of a plurality of ports and a lower set of a plurality of ports through the wall thereof, said sampler mandrel slidably located concentrically within said inner housing members and spanning the space between said inner housing members to form an annular sample chamber between said outer housing assembly, said sampler mandrel, and said upper and lower inner housing members; and a pull mandrel having a plurality of longitudinal flow channels along a portion of the sides of said pull mandrel, said pull mandrel extending from one end of said outer housing assembly between said outer housing and one of said inner housing members and being linked to one end of said sampler mandrel through lOngitudinal slots in said one of said inner housing members; said pull mandrel, when connected to an actuating tool in said test string, moving said sampler mandrel from a closed position wherein said upper set and lower set of ports of said sampler mandrel do not communicate with the ports in said upper and lower inner housing members; to an open position wherein said upper set and lower set of ports of said sampler mandrel communicate respectively with the ports in said upper and lower inner housing members with one set of communicating ports additionally communicating with said flow channels in said pull mandrel and with the other set of communicating ports additionally communicating with the annular space between the second of said inner housing members and said outer housing assembly, and to a second closed position wherein said upper set and lower set of ports of said sampler mandrel do not communicate with said ports in said upper and lower inner housing members.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 27 words

The sampler of claim 18 further comprising safety means for locking said sampler mandrel in said second closed position after a predetermined force from said actuating tool.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 85 words

The sampler of claim 19 wherein said safety means comprises a sleeve frangibly attached to said pull mandrel for abutting the tool string to which said sampler is attached, hinged prop arms retained in the annular space between one of said inner housing members and said outer housing assembly while said sampler is in said initial closed or said open position, and means for biasing said prop arms in locking engagement with said sampler mandrel when said sampler mandrel moves to said second closed position.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 77 words

The sampler of claim 20 wherein one of said inner housing members has a drain port adapted for attachment of a drain conduit therein, said sampler further comprising: a removable plug, threadably engaged in said inner housing member for blocking fluid communication through the central bore of said cylindrical inner housing member; said removable plug adapted to block said drain port in one position, and to allow fluid communication through said drain port in a second position.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 80 words

The sampler of claim 21 further comprising a spool valve through the wall of said outer housing assembly and communicating with the annular space between said second inner housing member and said outer housing assembly; said spool valve having a first position for allowing fluid flow from the conduit of said test string into said sampler, and a second position for allowing the draining of fluids trapped within said outer housing assembly through the walls of said outer housing assembly.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-01-06	1978-07-08	1979-01-07	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-01-06	1982-07-08	1983-01-07	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-01-06	1986-07-08	1987-01-07	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for testing oil wells using annulus pressure

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