Self-decentralized hydra-jet tool

Claim 2

Apparatus for use with a source of pressurized treating fluid for jet treating well bores or the like, comprising: a flexible conduit positionable within the well bore and having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; first connecting means on the upper end portion of said flexible conduit for connecting said conduit in communication with the source of pressurized treating fluid; a jet treating head having a cavity formed therein and connecting means formed thereon for connecting the lower end portion of said flexible conduit to said jet treating head in communication with the cavity formed therein; first treating nozzle means formed in said jet treating head and extending outwardly from the cavity therein in a first direction for ejecting pressurized treating fluid therethrough in the first direction towards a point of contact with said well bore and exerting a reaction force on said jet treating head in a second direction opposite said first direction; and second decentralizing nozzle means formed in said jet treating head and extending outwardly from the cavity in the second direction for ejecting pressurized treating fluid therethrough from said jet treating head in the second direction and exerting an opposite reaction force in the first direction on said jet treating head greater than the opposite reaction force in the second direction associated with said first treating nozzle means.

Claim 3

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized further to include: means engageable with said flexible conduit for rotating said flexible conduit within the well bore and thereby rotating said jet treating head.

Claim 4

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized further to include: swivel conduit means interposed therein intermediate said jet treating head and said first connecting means for permitting the free rotation of said jet treating head relative to the well bore substantially about the axis of the well bore; and wherein said first and second nozzle means are positioned such that the opposite reaction forces associated with said first and second nozzle means and exerted on said jet treating head exert a force couple on said jet treating head whereby said jet treating head is rotated relative to said well bore facilitated by said swivel conduit means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a housing having an upper end portion, a lower end portion and means for securing said housing to the lower end portion a tubing string in substantially sealed coaxial alignment therewith; a tubular member, having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, slidably held within the housing and having limit means for engaging the housing so as to limit the downward movement of said tubular member within the housing and having annular seal means formed on the outer periphery thereof intermediate the limit means and lower end portion thereof for sealingly engaging the inner surface of said housing when the limit means engages said housing; second connecting means, forming a part of said first connecting means, for connecting the lower end portion of said tubular member to the upper end portion of said flexible conduit to provide communication therebetween; and releasable connecting means for connecting said jet treating head to said housing and for releasing said head from connection with said housing upon the application of pressurized fluid of a predetermined fluid pressure to the upper end portion of the tubing string.

Claim 6

The apparatus as defined in claim 4 characterized further to include: filter means connected to said tubular member for filtering the pressurized fluid flowing from the tubing string into and through said tubular member, flexible conduit, tubular adaptor means, jet treating head and first and second nozzle means.

Claim 7

Apparatus, for use with a source of pressurized treating fluid for jet treating a surrounding surface such as a well bore or the like, comprising: a flexible conduit positionable within the well bore and having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; first connecting means on the upper end portion of said flexible conduit for connecting said conduit in communication with the source of pressurized treating fluid; a jet treating head having a cavity formed therein and connecting means formed thereon for connecting the lower end portion of said flexible conduit to said jet treating head in communication with the cavity formed therein; first treating nozzle means, formed in said jet treating head and extending outwardly from the cavity therein in a first direction, for ejecting pressurized treating fluid therethrough in the first direction and exerting a reaction force on said jet treating head in a second direction opposite said first direction; second decentralizing nozzle means, formed in said jet treating head and extending outwardly from the cavity in the second direction opposite the first direction of said nozzle means, for ejecting pressurized treating fluid therethrough from said jet treating head in the second direction and for producing a greater opposite reaction force in said first direction than the opposite reaction force of said first nozzle means, thereby decentralizing said jet treating head in said first direction and moving said treating nozzle means closer to the surrounding surface; housing means for surrounding at least a portion of said flexible conduit; means for securing said housing to the lower end portion of a tubing string thereabove; a tubular member, connected to said jet treating head, for being slidably held within the housing, said tubular member having limit means for engaging the housing and limiting downward movement of said tubular member within said housing; annular seal means formed on the outer periphery of said tubular member intermediate the limit means and lower end portion thereof for sealingly engaging the inner surface of said housing when the limit means engages said housing; second connecting means, forming a part of said first connecting means, for connecting the lower end portion of said tubular member to the upper end portion of said flexible conduit to provide communication therebetween; and shearable means for shearably interconnecting said housing to said jet treating head and flexible conduit in a first upper position preventing decentralization of said jetting head and for shearing said interconnection upon the application of a predetermined pressure to an upper end portion of said tubing string so as to allow said jet treating head and flexible conduit to move downward to a second lower position causing said limit means to engage said housing and allowing decentralization of said jet treating head.

Claim 8

Apparatus, for use with a source of pressurized treating fluid for jet treating a surrounding surface such as a well bore or the like, comprising: a flexible conduit positionable within the well bore and having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; first connecting means on the upper end portion of said flexible conduit for connecting said conduit in communication with the source of pressurized treating fluid; a jet treating head having a cavity formed therein and connecting means formed thereon for connecting the lower end portion of said flexible conduit to said jet treating head in communication with the cavity formed therein; first treating nozzle means, formed in said jet treating head and extending outwardly from the cavity therein in a first direction, for ejecting pressurized treating fluid therethrough in the first direction and exerting a reaction force on said jet treating head in a second direction opposite said first direction; second decentralizing nozzle means, formed in said jet treating head and extending outwardly from the cavity in the second direction opposite the first direction of said nozzle means, for ejecting pressurized treating fluid therethrough from said jet treating head in the second direction and for producing a greater opposite reaction force in said first direction than the opposite reaction force of said first nozzle means, thereby decentralizing said jet treating head in said first direction and moving said treating nozzle means closer to the surrounding surface; housing means for surrounding at least a portion of said flexible conduit; means for securing said housing to the lower end portion of a tubing string thereabove; a tubular member, connected to said jet treating head, for being slidably held within the housing, said tubular member having limit means for engaging the housing and limiting downward movement of said tubular member within said housing; annular seal means formed on the outer periphery of said tubular member intermediate the limit means and lower end portion thereof for sealingly engaging the inner surface of said housing when the limit means engages said housing; second connecting means, forming a part of said first connecting means, for connecting the lower end portion of said tubular member to the upper end portion of said flexible conduit to provide communication therebetween; and shearable means for shearably interconnecting said housing to said jet treating head and flexible conduit in a first upper position preventing decentralization of said jetting head and for shearing said interconnection upon the application of a predetermined pressure to an upper end portion of said tubing string so as to allow said jet treating head and flexible conduit to move downward to a second lower position causing said limit means to engage said housing and allowing decentralization of said jet treating head.

Claim 9

The apparatus as defined in claim 6 characterized further to include: seal means carried by said jet treating head for providing sealing engagement between said head and said housing when said jet treating head is releasably secured to said housing.

Claim 10

The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said flexible conduit is characterized further as being formed of reinforced elastomeric hose.

Claim 11

The apparatus as defined in claim 4 characterized further to include: means engageable with the tubing string for rotating the tubing string within the well bore.

Claim 12

The apparatus as defined in claim 4 characterized further to include: swivel conduit means interposed therein intermediate said jet treating head and said tubing string for permitting substantially free rotation of said jet treating head relative to said tubing string substantially about the axis of the well bore; and wherein at least one of said first and second nozzle means is non-radially positioned for cooperating with the other of said first and second nozzle means so as to exert a force couple on said jet treating head and rotate said jet treating head relative to said tubing string facilitated by said swivel conduit means.

Claim 13

Apparatus for use with a source of pressurized treating fluid for jet treating a formation penetrated by a well bore, comprising: a flexible conduit positionable within the well bore and having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; connecting means on the upper end portion of said flexible conduit for connecting said conduit in communication with the source of pressurized treating fluid; a jet treating head having a cavity formed therein and connecting means formed thereon for connecting the lower end portion of said flexible conduit to said jet treating head in communication with the cavity formed therein; treating nozzle bore means, formed in said jet treating head, for communicating between the cavity and the exterior thereof and extending outwardly from the cavity in a first direction toward a point of contact with said formation; and at least two reaction nozzle means, formed in said jet treating head, for communicating between the cavity and the exterior thereof and each for extending outwardly from the cavity in a direction substantially opposite to the first direction of said treating nozzle bore and for forcing said treating nozzle bore into contact with said formation, the cross-sectional areas of each of said reaction nozzle bores being substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said treating nozzle bore.

Claim 14

Apparatus for use with a source of pressurized treating fluid for jet treating a formation penetrated by a well bore, comprising: a flexible conduit positionable within the well bore and having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; connecting means on the upper end portion of said flexible conduit for connecting said conduit in communication with the source of pressurized treating fluid; a jet treating head having a cavity formed therein and connecting means formed thereon for connecting the lower end portion of said flexible conduit to said jet treating head in communication with the cavity formed therein; treating nozzle bore means, formed in said jet treating head, for communicating between the cavity and the exterior thereof and extending outwardly from the cavity in a first direction toward a point of contact with said formation; and at least two reaction nozzle means, formed in said jet treating head, for communicating between the cavity and the exterior thereof and each for extending outwardly from the cavity in a direction substantially opposite to the first direction of said treating nozzle bore and for forcing said treating nozzle bore into contact with said formation, the cross-sectional areas of each of said reaction nozzle bores being substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said treating nozzle bore.

Claim 15

The apparatus as defined in claim 11 characterized further to include: means engageable with said flexible conduit for rotating said flexible conduit within the well bore and thereby rotating said jet treating head.

Claim 16

The apparatus as defined in claim 11 characterized further to include: swivel conduit means interposed therein intermediate said jet treating head and said connecting means for permitting the free rotation of said jet treating head relative to the well bore substantially about the axis of the well bore; and wherein the treating bore means and the reaction nozzle bores means are aligned relative to one another such that the opposite reaction forces associated therewith and exerted on said jet treating head when pressurized treating fluid is ejected therethrough exert a force couple on said jet treating head whereby said jet treating head is rotated relative to said well bore facilitated by said swivel conduit means.

Claim 19

The method as defined in claim 14 characterized further to include the additional step of: E rotating the jet treating head substantially about the axis of said zone of said well so as to move the fluid jet adjacent to said side of said zone adjacent to other sides of said zone so as to treat said other sides.

Claim 20

The method as defined in claim 15 characterized further to include the additional steps of: F changing the depth at which the jet treating head is supported within the well bore; and G repeating steps (B), (C), (D) and (E) to treat another zone of the formation.

Claim 23

The method as defined in claim 17 characterized further to include the additional step of: I rotating the jet treating head substantially about the axis of the well bore to direct the treating fluid jet adjacent to the face of the formation onto the formation surrounding the well bore to treat the formation.

Claim 24

The method as defined in claim 18 characterized further to include the additional steps of: J changing the depth of the tubing string and jet treating head within the well bore; and K repeating steps (F), (G), (H) and (I) to treat another zone of the formation.