Gravel pack tool

Claim 2

A well tool for controlling fluid communication from the interior of the tool to the exterior of the tool, comprising: a. a housing having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough; b. means for connecting each end of said housing to other well tools; c. a sleeve slidably disposed within said longitudinal bore and having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough; d. a lateral port communicating fluid between said longitudinal bore and the exterior of said housing; e. a lateral passageway extending through the wall of said sleeve; f. means for sealing between the outside diameter of said sleeve and the inside diameter of said housing; g. said sealing means spaced longitudinally on either side of said lateral passageway; h. said sleeve having three positions with respect to said housing, the first position allowing fluid communication from the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve through said lateral passageway and said lateral port to the exterior of said housing, said sleeve slidable longitudinally in one direction with respect to said housing to its second position blocking communication through said lateral port and said sleeve slidable longitudinally in the other direction with respect to said housing to its third position blocking communication through said lateral port; and i. means, carried on said sleeve and the inside diameter of said housing, for releasably holding said sleeve in each position.

Claim 3

A well tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said releasable holding means further comprises: a. a set of flexible collet fingers with collet heads carried near each end of said sleeve; b. recesses formed within the inside diameter of said housing; c. said collet heads being engageable with said recesses; and d. said recesses being spaced longitudinally with respect to said lateral port corresponding to said three positions of said sleeve.

Claim 4

A well tool as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one set of said collet fingers is flexed inwardly into the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve when said sleeve is in each of its three positions and the collet heads on said inwardly flexed collet fingers provide a shoulder for shifting said sleeve to another position.

Claim 5

A well tool as defined in claim 3 with said recesses and said collet fingers spaced longitudinally with respect to each other whereby insertion of a shifting tool into the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve to move said sleeve to said first position causes one set of collet fingers to flex inwardly into the bore of said sleeve preventing withdrawal of said shifting tool from the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve until said sleeve has been moved to either said second or said third position.

Claim 6

A well tool for controlling fluid communication from the interior of the tool to the exterior of the tool, comprising: a. a housing having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough; b. means for connecting each end of said housing to other well tools; c. a sleeve slidably disposed within said longitudinal bore and having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough, concentric with said longitudinal bore; d. a lateral port communicating fluid between said longitudinal bore and the exterior of said housing; e. a lateral passageway extending through the wall of said sleeve; f. means for sealing between the outside diameter of said sleeve and the inside diameter of said housing; g. said sealing means spaced longitudinally on either side of said lateral passageway; h. said sleeve having three positions with respect to said housing, the first position allowing fluid communication from the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve through said lateral passageway and said lateral port to the exterior of said housing, said sleeve slidable longitudinally in one direction with respect to said housing to its second position blocking communication through said lateral port, and said sleeve slidable longitudinally in the other direction with respect to said housing to its third position blocking communication through said lateral port; i. means for releasably holding said sleeve in each position; and j. a portion of said holding means projecting inwardly into the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve preventing movement of a shifting tool through said longitudinal passageway until said sleeve has moved from one position to another.

Claim 7

A well tool for controlling fluid communication from the interior of the tool to the exterior of the tool, comprising: a. a housing having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough; b. means for connecting each end of said housing to other well tools; c. a sleeve slidably disposed within said longitudinal bore and having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough, concentric with said longitudinal bore; d. a lateral port communicating fluid between said longitudinal bore and the exterior of said housing; e. a lateral passageway extending through the wall of said sleeve; f. means for sealing between the outside diameter of said sleeve and the inside diameter of said housing; g. said sealing means spaced longitudinally on either side of said lateral passageway; h. said sleeve having three positions with respect to said housing, the first position allowing fluid communication from the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve through said lateral passageway and said lateral port to the exterior of said housing, said sleeve slidable longitudinally in one direction with respect to said housing to its second position blocking communication through said lateral port, and said sleeve slidable longitudinally in the other direction with respect to said housing to its third position blocking communication through said lateral port; i. means for releasably holding said sleeve in each position; and j. a portion of said holding means projecting inwardly into the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve preventing movement of a shifting tool through said longitudinal passageway until said sleeve has moved from one position to another.

Claim 8

A well tool as defined in claim 5, wherein said releasable holding means further comprises: a. a set of flexible collet fingers with collet heads carried near each end of said sleeve; b. recesses formed within the inside diameter of said housing; c. said collet heads being engageable with said recesses; and d. said recesses being spaced longitudinally with respect to said lateral port corresponding to the three positions of said sleeve.

Claim 9

A well tool as defined in claim 6, further comprising: a. at least one of the sets of said collet heads projecting into the bore of said sleeve when said sleeve is in its first, second or third position; and b. said set of collet heads restricting passage through said longitudinal passageway until engaged by a shifting tool to move said sleeve from one position to another position.

Claim 10

A well tool as defined in claim 7, further comprising: a. said recesses and said sealing means spaced longitudinally such that when said sleeve is in its third position, the lower set of collet heads projects into said longitudinal passageway and are engageable by said shifting tool to move said sleeve to said first position; and b. both sets of said collet heads project inwardly into said longitudinal passageway when said sleeve is in said first position whereby movement of said shifting tool longitudinally in either direction with respect to said housing will shift said sleeve to said second or third position.

Claim 11

An improved gravel pack tool of the type having a well packer and means for attaching a gravel pack screen below the well packer wherein the improvement, a sliding sleeve valve connected between the well packer and means for attaching a screen, comprises: a. a housing having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough; b. means for connecting each end of said housing to other well tools; c. a sleeve slidably disposed within said longitudinal bore and having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough; d. a lateral port communicting fluid between said longitudinal bore and the exterior of said housing; e. a lateral passageway extending through the wall of said sleeve; f. means for sealing between the outside diameter of said sleeve and the inside diameter of said housing; g. said sealing means spaced longitudinally on either said of said lateral passageway; h. said sleeve having three positions with respect to said housing, the first position allowing fluid communication with the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve through said lateral passageway and said lateral port to the exterior of said housing, said sleeve slidable longitudinally in one direction with respect to said housing to its second position blocking communication through said lateral port and said sleeve slidable longutindally in the other direction with respect to said housing to its third position blocking communication through said lateral port; and i. means for releasably holding said sleeve in each position comprising a set of flexible collet fingers with collet heas carried near each end of said sleeve, recesses formed within the inside diameter of said housing, said collet heads being engageable with said recesses, and said recesses being spaced longitudinally with respect to said lateral port corresponding to the three positions of said sleeve.

Claim 12

An improved gravel pack tool of the type having a well packer and means for attaching a gravel pack screen below the well packer wherein the improvement, a sliding sleeve valve connected between the well packer and means for attaching a screen, comprises: a. a housing having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough; b. means for connecting each end of said housing to other well tools; c. a sleeve slidably disposed within said longitudinal bore and having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough; d. a lateral port communicting fluid between said longitudinal bore and the exterior of said housing; e. a lateral passageway extending through the wall of said sleeve; f. means for sealing between the outside diameter of said sleeve and the inside diameter of said housing; g. said sealing means spaced longitudinally on either said of said lateral passageway; h. said sleeve having three positions with respect to said housing, the first position allowing fluid communication with the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve through said lateral passageway and said lateral port to the exterior of said housing, said sleeve slidable longitudinally in one direction with respect to said housing to its second position blocking communication through said lateral port and said sleeve slidable longutindally in the other direction with respect to said housing to its third position blocking communication through said lateral port; and i. means for releasably holding said sleeve in each position comprising a set of flexible collet fingers with collet heas carried near each end of said sleeve, recesses formed within the inside diameter of said housing, said collet heads being engageable with said recesses, and said recesses being spaced longitudinally with respect to said lateral port corresponding to the three positions of said sleeve.

Claim 13

A well tool as defined in claim 9, further comprising: a. at least one of the sets of said collet heads projecting into the longitudinal passageway of said sleeve when said sleeve is in its first, second or third positions; and b. said set of collet heads restricting passage through said longitudinal passageway until engaged by a shifting tool to shift said sleeve from one position to another position.

Claim 14

A well tool as defined in claim 9, further comprising: a. said recesses and said sealing means spaced longitudinally such that when said sleeve is in its third position, the lower set of collet heads projects into said longitudinal passageway and are engageable by said shifting tool to shift said sleeve to said first position; and b. both sets of said collet heads project inwardly into said longitudinal passageway when said sleeve is in said first position whereby movement of said shifting tool longitudinally in either direction with respect to said housing will shift said sleeve to said second or third position.

Claim 17

The method of installing a gravel pack within a well bore as defined in claim 12, further comprising: a. lowering said shifting tool to inject fluid through said gravel pack screen to remove gel and other undesired material from said slurry; b. raising said shifting tool to open said sliding sleeve valve to inject more slurry into said annulus through said sliding sleeve valve; and c. repeating steps a. and b. until a tight, firm gravel pack has been deposited in said annulus.