Well flow control apparatus and method

Claim 2

A well device for controlling fluid communication between the interior and exterior of a well tubing comprising: a side-pocket mandrel body having means at each end for connection into said tubing and a longitudinal open bore for alignment with the bore of said tubing when said mandrel body is connected into said tubing; said mandrel body having a side-pocket chamber longitudinally aligned with and laterally offset from said open bore and communicating with said open bore; a side-pocket landing nipple formed in said side-pocket chamber for supporting a well tool in said mandrel body; said mandrel body having port means in a side wall thereof opening into said side-pocket landing nipple; and valve means secured in said landing nipple for opening and closing said port means into said nipple responsive to insertion and removal of a well tool in said nipple.

Claim 3

A well device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said valve means in said side-pocket landing nipple is a sliding sleeve valve.

Claim 4

A well device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said sleeve valve includes means for opening said valve and means for closing said valve responsive to the installation of a well tool in and removal of said tool from said side-pocket landing nipple.

Claim 5

A well device in accordance with claim 3 wherein said sliding sleeve valve includes locking means for releasably locking said sleeve valve at a closed position in said landing nipple.

Claim 6

A well device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said sliding sleeve valve is provided with an internal support shoulder for supporting a well tool therein and said landing nipple includes stop means for limiting movement of said sliding sleeve valve at an open position.

Claim 7

A well device in accordance with claim 5 wherein said side-pocket landing nipple includes a locking surface spaced from said sliding sleeve valve for engagement by a locking means on a well tool positioned in said sliding sleeve valve and said landing nipple for holding said sliding sleeve valve open when said well tool is in operating position within said landing nipple.

Claim 8

A well device in accordance with claim 6 wherein said releasable locking means on said sliding sleeve valve comprises a locking collet having radially movable collet fingers provided with locking heads adapted to engage a locking recess in said landing nipple when a well tool is not present in said sleeve valve and to move from said locking recess to interlock with a well tool when said tool is in operating position in said sliding sleeve valve.

Claim 9

A well device in accordance with claim 7 including laterally spaced guide lugs in said side-pocket chamber of said body mandrel longitudinally spaced from said side-pocket landing nipple to guide a well tool along said side-pocket chamber into said landing nipple and an orientation sleeve in said body mandrel aligned with said open bore and having an orientation slot and guide surfaces leading to said slot for manipulating a kick-over tool to orient said tool for insertion of a well tool supported by said kick-over tool into said side-pocket landing nipple.

Claim 10

A well device in accordance with claim 7 in combination with a well tool having a support shoulder for engagement with said sliding sleeve valve to move said valve from a closed to an open position and support said well tool in said valve, a recess in the body of said well tool for receiving the locking heads of said locking collet when said sliding sleeve valve is moved from a closed to an open position, and locking mandrel means for engaging said locking surface in said side-pocket landing nipple when said well tool is installed in said landing nipple.

Claim 11

A well device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mandrel body is provided with laterally spaced guide lugs in said side-pocket chamber longitudinally spaced from said side-pocket landing nipple.

Claim 12

A well device in accordance with claim 10 wherein said body mandrel includes a sleeve concentric with said open bore and having guide surfaces and an orientation slot to coact with a kick-over tool for orienting said tool with said side-pocket landing nipple to direct a well tool supported from said kick-over tool into said landing nipple.

Claim 13

A well device for controlling fluid communication between the interior and exterior of a well tubing comprising: a side-pocket mandrel body having means at each end for connection into said well tubing and a longitudinal open bore aligned with said tubing when said mandrel body is connected into said tubing; said mandrel body having a side-pocket chamber extending longitudinally therein in integral relationship with said open bore and laterally offset from said bore; a side-pocket landing nipple formed within said body mandrel along said side-pocket chamber and having a longitudinal bore substantially parallel with said open bore through said body mandrel; said body mandrel having an outside wall along said side-pocket landing nipple provided with side port means opening into said bore of said landing nipple for communicating space around said body mandrel with said bore of said landing nipple; a sliding sleeve valve slidably positioned within said bore of said side-pocket landing nipple and movable therein between a first closed position and a second open position, said sleeve valve having side port means aligned with said side port means in said body mandrel when said sleeve valve is at said second open position; ring seal means on said sleeve valve sealing between the wall surface defining said bore through said landing nipple on opposite sides of said port means in said sleeve valve; locking collet means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced collet fingers on said sliding sleeve valve for releasably locking said sleeve valve at said first closed position in said landing nipple, said locking collet fingers having external and internal locking bosses thereon; said landing nipple having an internal annular locking recess for receiving said external locking bosses on said collet fingers to releasably lock said sliding sleeve valve at said first closed position; stop means having a stop shoulder engaged in said side-pocket landing nipple for limiting movement of said sliding sleeve valve at said second open position; and said side-pocket landing nipple having a stop shoulder formed around the bore therethrough spaced from said sliding sleeve valve for engagement by locking means on a well tool positioned through said landing nipple and sliding sleeve valve when said well tool is locked therein and holding said sliding sleeve valve at said second open position; and stop shoulder means in said sliding sleeve valve for supporting said well tool in said sleeve valve.

Claim 14

A well device for controlling fluid communication between the interior and exterior of a well tubing comprising: a side-pocket mandrel body having means at each end for connection into said well tubing and a longitudinal open bore aligned with said tubing when said mandrel body is connected into said tubing; said mandrel body having a side-pocket chamber extending longitudinally therein in integral relationship with said open bore and laterally offset from said bore; a side-pocket landing nipple formed within said body mandrel along said side-pocket chamber and having a longitudinal bore substantially parallel with said open bore through said body mandrel; said body mandrel having an outside wall along said side-pocket landing nipple provided with side port means opening into said bore of said landing nipple for communicating space around said body mandrel with said bore of said landing nipple; a sliding sleeve valve slidably positioned within said bore of said side-pocket landing nipple and movable therein between a first closed position and a second open position, said sleeve valve having side port means aligned with said side port means in said body mandrel when said sleeve valve is at said second open position; ring seal means on said sleeve valve sealing between the wall surface defining said bore through said landing nipple on opposite sides of said port means in said sleeve valve; locking collet means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced collet fingers on said sliding sleeve valve for releasably locking said sleeve valve at said first closed position in said landing nipple, said locking collet fingers having external and internal locking bosses thereon; said landing nipple having an internal annular locking recess for receiving said external locking bosses on said collet fingers to releasably lock said sliding sleeve valve at said first closed position; stop means having a stop shoulder engaged in said side-pocket landing nipple for limiting movement of said sliding sleeve valve at said second open position; and said side-pocket landing nipple having a stop shoulder formed around the bore therethrough spaced from said sliding sleeve valve for engagement by locking means on a well tool positioned through said landing nipple and sliding sleeve valve when said well tool is locked therein and holding said sliding sleeve valve at said second open position; and stop shoulder means in said sliding sleeve valve for supporting said well tool in said sleeve valve.

Claim 15

A well device in accordance with claim 12 including an orientation sleeve in said body mandrel around said open bore therethrough and spaced from said side-pocket landing nipple, said orientation sleeve having an orientation slot and a spiral guide surface leading to said slot for orienting a kick-over tool supporting a well tool for installation in said side-pocket landing nipple.

Claim 16

A well device in accordance with claim 13 including laterally spaced guide lugs in said body mandrel along said side-pocket chamber therein spaced from said side-pocket landing nipple for guiding a well tool into said bore of said landing nipple.

Claim 17

A well device for controlling communication between the interior and exterior of a tubing string comprising: a body mandrel connectible at opposite ends into said tubing string and having a chamber therein defined by a main open bore portion in alignment with the bore of said tubing string when said body mandrel is connected with said tubing string and a laterally displaced side-pocket portion extending longitudinally along said main open bore portion; a side-pocket landing nipple secured along said chamber within said body mandrel and having an open bore therethrough opening at opposite ends into said side-pocket portion of said chamber; said body mandrel having a side-wall provided with port means opening into said bore of said landing nipple; and a sliding sleeve valve in said landing nipple for controlling flow through said side port into said bore of said nipple, said sliding sleeve valve having means for releasably locking said valve at a closed position and means for releasably latching said valve with a flow control device positioned in said sleeve valve, said releasable locking means and said releasable latching means coacting with said flow control device to move said sliding sleeve valve from a closed position to an open position responsive to insertion of said flow control device into said sliding sleeve valve and to release said flow control device from said sliding sleeve valve only responsive to movement of said sliding sleeve valve back to a closed position.

Claim 18

A well device for controlling communication between the interior and exterior of a tubing string comprising: a body mandrel connectible at opposite ends into said tubing string and having a chamber therein defined by a main open bore portion in alignment with the bore of said tubing string when said body mandrel is connected with said tubing string and a laterally displaced side-pocket portion extending longitudinally along said main open bore portion; a side-pocket landing nipple secured along said chamber within said body mandrel and having an open bore therethrough opening at opposite ends into said side-pocket portion of said chamber; said body mandrel having a side-wall provided with port means opening into said bore of said landing nipple; and a sliding sleeve valve in said landing nipple for controlling flow through said side port into said bore of said nipple, said sliding sleeve valve having means for releasably locking said valve at a closed position and means for releasably latching said valve with a flow control device positioned in said sleeve valve, said releasable locking means and said releasable latching means coacting with said flow control device to move said sliding sleeve valve from a closed position to an open position responsive to insertion of said flow control device into said sliding sleeve valve and to release said flow control device from said sliding sleeve valve only responsive to movement of said sliding sleeve valve back to a closed position.

Claim 21

A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein said well tool is a flow control device and including the steps of flowing said well and controlling said flowing by means of said flow control device.

Claim 22

A method in accordance with claim 16 including the step of thereafter closing said sliding sleeve valve by moving said well tool in a direction to force said sliding sleeve valve from an open position back to a closed position; releasing said well tool from said sliding sleeve valve; and locking said sliding sleeve valve at said closed position in said landing nipple upon release of said well tool from said sliding sleeve valve.

Claim 23

A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein said well tool is engaged with said sliding sleeve valve forcing said well tool against a stop shoulder provided in said sliding sleeve valve, said sliding sleeve valve is released from said landing nipple and latched with said well tool by camming collet finger heads on said sliding sleeve valve inwardly from a locking recess in said landing nipple into a latching recess around said well tool, said sliding sleeve valve is locked at an open position in said landing nipple by engagement of locking means on said well tool with a locking shoulder in said landing nipple, and said sliding sleeve valve is returned to a closed position by withdrawing said well tool from said landing nipple to force said sliding sleeve valve to said closed position by means of said collet finger heads which are expanded into said locking recess in said landing nipple to lock said sliding sleeve valve at said closed position while expanding said collet finger heads out of said latching recess around said well tool to release said well tool for withdrawal from said landing nipple.