Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2~300~
150PICA
The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for inserting tubing into live wells, for
example for gas and petroleum extraction.
A conventional method of completing or servicing a well is to keep the well controlled (dead) or in
an over-balanced position using different types of fluids. In this way, a hydrostatic pressure is
created by a solid column of fluid above a producing zone which is greater than the actual well
pressure. This allows a work to be carried out on the well without any immediate danger or
Live well servicing or snubbing is primarily used in gas well ~ because of fluid sensitive
formations. Thus, it has been long proven that many gas well formations are very sensitive and can
be damaged if foreign fluids are introduced and allowed to penetrate their producing zones. A
15 common completion procedure in the oil industry today comprises perforating the zone, with no
fluid in the well or in a under-balanced condition, hl~ d._-~,ly flowing back or unloading any fluid
from the well, before the gas pressure equalizes in the casing and allows any fluid to be displaced
or injected into the formation, and then snubbing-in a production string of tubing and associated
tools.
Existing cu~ Li~JIlal snubbing techniques are dangerous because it is necessary to deal with the
effect of the well pressure over the cross-sectional areas of the tubing and/or the tools which are
being injected into the well through a series of blowout preventers.
25 The actual injecting of tubular goods into the well is achieved using a hydraulic jacking type of
assembly with inverted or upside-down slips mounted in it to prevent the tubing from coming back
or literally blowing out of the well. A gener31 rule of thurnb would be that 3000 PSI surface pressure
well against the cross-sectional area of 2 i/8 inch production tubing will force 3000 feet of pipe
weighing 4.7 Ibs./foot out of the well if allol,ved to do so. In reverse, 3000 feet of tubing would have
2i~ 5
- 2 --
to be snubbed into the well to reach a point where it could be lowered into the well using its own
weight ~pipe heavy).
All operations are performed manually frorn within a small work platform that sits directly on top
5 of the well. This has major potential ~ f ~ in the event of human error or mf ~-h~ s~l
failure. Because of the increased production potential that a well has when it has not been damaged
by allowing any fluid to penetrate the zone, oil companies have unwillingly paid the brunt of inflated
snubbing costs required to persuade personnel to work under these dangerous conditions.
10 Many companies are therefore actively looking for a viable, safe and economical alternative way of
completing and servicing wells without the lisk of formation damage and also without high cost and
potential danger of snubbing. This is IJ~ii~,ulally true in the case of in critical sour (H2S) well
~rrlir~ltirmq
15 It is acc,v~ ly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and ad~ v method of
inserting tubing with live wells which replaces conventional snubbing for many applications by
providing a safer, less expensive, more controlled procedure for inserting tubular goods and
downhole tools into well bores while v well pressure, and also while preventing foreign
fluid from penetrating the producing zone of the well bores.
According to the present invention, a method of inserting tubing into a live well comprises attaching
a resilient piston to the lower end of the tubing, lowering the piston into a passage extending through
a snubbing blow-out preventer stack installed on a well head to locate the piston in a position above
a closure which prevents the escape of gas or liquid from the well bore and opening a path of
25 c -,- - ", ., l ~ f ;.), ~ between the well bore below the closure and a portion of the passage above the
piston, so as to equalize the pressure abov" the piston with that below the closure. The closure is
then opened, and the piston is gripped and forced d~ .v~dly into the well bore and fluid is
~, .}~ ly pumped into the passage above the piston to force the piston and the tubing further
downwardly into the well bore. When the weight of tubing is sufficient, the tubing is allowed to
~ 21~30g~
- 3 -
descend further under gravity, while fluid from the well bore escapes upwardly past the piston by
deforming the piston so that the fluid can flow between the piston and the casing of the well bore.
The invention will be more readily understood from the following more detailed description of a
5 preferred r~ OIl;..,...1 thereof given, by way of example, with reference to the ac.,u~ uullyillg
drawings, in which:
Figures I through 7 show d ,~ views in vertical cross-section through a
well head and bore, showing successive steps in a method of inserting tubing into the
well bore;
Figure 8 shows in greater detail a piston cup assembly employed in the method shown in the
Figures I through 5;
Figures 9 and 10 show an underneath view and a view inside elevation, lU.~ iV~ly~ of a
gauge ring forming part of the piston cup assembly of Figure 8;
Figure 11 shows a broken-away view in Inn3 ' ' section through part of the piston cup
assembly of Figure 8;
Figure 12 shows a view in side elevation of a modified, double-acting piston cup assembly;
Figures 13 and 14 show views taken in vertical cross-section through parts of the piston cup
assembly of Figure 12;
Figure 15 shows a view in side elevation of a mn~ifi~Rtinn of the piston cup assembly of
Figure 12; and
Figure 16 shows a plan view of parts of the piston cup assembly of Figure 13 .
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As shown in Figure 1, a well bore indicated generally by reference numeral 10 and having a casing
I l is provided with well head equipment indicated generally by reference numeral 12, through which
tubing 14 is being inserted. The tubing 14 is supported by elevators 16 attached to bails suspended,
in known manner, from a pulley mechanisrn (not shown) of a ~,UIIV~ iolldl hoist (not shown).
s
The tubing 14 carries, at its lower end, a piston in the form of a piston cup assembly indicated
generally by reference numeral 20.
The well head equipment 12 includes, from the top down, snubbing slips 22 for gripping the tubing
14, the snubbing slips 22, being mounted on a base plate 24 complete with a hydraulic jacking
assembly 26 so that the slips ~ can be closed on the tubing 14 and the tubing 14 and/or the slips 22
can be raised or lowered. The base plate 24 is mounted to the top of an annular blow out preventer
30, which is mounted to an equalizing spool 48 mounted to a single gate blow-out preventer 30,
which may optionally be provided with stripping pipe rams (not shown). The blow-out preventer
has a top 28 which closes the upper end of a passage 33, the tubing 14 extending through the top 28.
The blow-out preventer 30 is mounted on d~,ul,lc 1., blow-out indicated generally by reference
numeral 31, which includes pipe rams 36 and blind rams 34 and the double-gate blow-our preventer
31 is directly connected to the well head.
20 As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the cnnfi~lra~ n and c, .l, .~ i. " . of the blow-out
preventers may vary from well to well, depending on the well, the tools and application in which
they are being used. For simplicity, the n.nnfi~lrsllinn of Figure I is considered to be standard for
the most basic well .~ .li< ns.
Below the base plate 24, the tubmg 14 extends through the annular blow-out preventer, a top 28 of
which closes the upper end of a casing 31 defining part of a passage 33 ~ .. " .. ,.. ,,li"g with the well
bore 10.
~ 21 ~30D~
s
As shown in Figure 1, the blow-out preventer 31 acts as a closure for closing an upper end of a
casing 35 which includes a casing bowl 32.
The passage 33 extends through the equalizing spool 48 and a casing 35 which has a casing bowl
S 32 joined to the well bore casing 11. The passage 33 is connected at its lower end, below the blind
rams 34, through valves 38 with an equalizing duct 40, which extends from the valves 38 to an
equali~r valve 42, through which the equalizing duct 40 can ~ . " ." . ~. . '' '1f~' with a portion 43 of the
passage 33 above the blind rams 34 and the piston cup assembly 20. This passage portion 43 is
connected through a bleed-off valve 44 and a duct 46 to a pump 49, which in turn is connected by
10 a duct 52 to a fluid resenoir tank 54.
For inserting the tubing 14 into the well bore 10, the equalizing spool 48 and the snubbing slips 22
with their piston and cylinder devices 26, and the blow-out preventers 30 and 31 are installed on the
well head with the snubbing slips 22 in the ''pipe light" position in which they are shown in Figure
15 1.
The equalizing line 40 is then connected through the valves 38 and 42 to the well bore 10 and the
passage portion 43, with the valves 38 and 42 closed, and the piston cup assembly 20 is secured to
the lower end of the tubing 14, together with a gauge ring and plugging device 50 at the lower end
20 of the piston cup assembly 20.
With the blind rams 34 closed, the piston cup assembly 20 is then lowered to the position in which
it is shown in Figure 1, i.e. to a location; 1 'y above the closed blind rams 34.
25 The piston and cylinder devices 26 are then extended to raise the snubbing slips 22 into the position
in which they are shown in Figure 1, the smubbing slips 22 are closed to grip the tubing 40 and the
blow-out preventer 30 is closed to seal-offthe well bore lO, so that the top 28 seals the passage 33
to the tubing 14.
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By opening the valves 38 and 42, and thereby providing ~ ..., . between the well bore 10
and the portion 43 of the passage above the piston cup assembly 20, the pressures above and below
the piston cup assembly 20 are equalized, as illustrated in Figure 3.
S The blind rams 34 are then opened, and the piston and cylinder devices 26 are contracted to displace
the piston cup assembly 20 du....v~aldly from the casing bowl 32 to a location within the top of the
well bore casing 11, as illustrated in Figure 2.
The equalizer valve 42 is then closed, and the pump 49 is operated to increase the pressure in the
duct 46 until this pressure equals the pressure in the passage portion 43. The valve 44 is then
opened, and the pump 49 is used to increase the pressure in the passage portion 43 to overcome the
friction of the annular blow-out preventer 30 and the well pressure in the well bore 10 and, thereby,
to force the piston cup assembly downwardly into the well bore 10.
It is preferable to create enough string weight at the elevators 16 to smoothly lower the piston cup
assembly 20 at desirable rate of speed, so lhat the elevators 16, when lowered, come down at the
same speed as the tubing 14 is being forcedl into the well.
By means of the bleed offvalve 44, any gas head in the passage 33 above the piston cup assembly
20 is bled off, while the desired pump pressure is maintained in the duct 46 and the passage portion
43, until a steady stream of fluid is bled offby the valve 44, and the valve 44 is then closed.
While the tubing 14 is still suspended by the elevators 16, the pump p}essure in tbe passage portion
43 is increased or decreased, as necessary, until the hoist comprising the elevators 16 has a string
weight of e.g. 2,000 to 3,000 Ibs. showing on its weight indicator (not shown).
The snubbing slips ~ are then opened, and a constant pressure is maintained above the piston cup
assembly 20 by means of the pump 49, while the tubing 14 is lowered by the elevators 16, as
illustrated in Figure 4.
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While a constant pressure is maintained above the piston cup assembly 20, the tubing is lowered into
the well bore 10 to a calculated depth, at which it is pipe heavy, i.e. at which the weight of the tubing
is sufficient to overcome the pressure of the gas or liquid in the well bore 10.
5 The snubbing slips ~ are then ag~un closed, and fluid is then bled from the passage portion 43 back
to the reservoir tank 54.
Fluid under pressure at the underside ofthe piston cup assembly 20 can then flow past the piston cup
assembly 20 as illustrated in Figure 4 to discharge fluid from the passage 33 above the piston cup
10 assembly 20, so that equalized pressures prevail above and below the piston cup assembly 20.
Tubing 14 is therefore in a heavy position under its own string weight.
The snubbing slips 22 are then opened to release the tubing 14 and to allow the elevators 16 to
continue to lower the tubing into the well bûre 10 to a desired depth, while,., ,1-, .g the pressure
15 in the well bore 10, as illustrated in Figure 5.
A tubing hanger S l is then landed using ~,Ull~ live well lubricating procedures, the blow-out
preventers 30 and 31 and the snubbing slips 22 are removed, and a bonnet 52 and master valve 55
(Figure 6) are installed. An equalizing duct 56 is hooked up to the tubing 14 and the casing 11, and
20 the tubing pressure is equalized to that of the well bore pressure. The tubing master valve 55 is then
closed, and flow from the casing 11 to the tank 54 creates a differential pressure and releases the
gauge ring 50 and parts of the piston cup assembly 20 from the tubing 14, as shown in Figure 6 and
as described in greater detail below.
The gauge ring 50 could all~ ,ly be released by making up a sinker bar 60 (Figure 7) to a
sandline 62 and rigging up a lubricator 64 with an orbit valve 66, and then running in and tagging
the top of the piston cup assembly 20, equalizing the tubing 14 and the casing 11, and pulling up and
lowering down to hit the gauge ring Sû with enough impact to shear off the gauge ring 50 and to
cause it to fall to the bottom of the well bore 10.
~ 21$3005
- 8 -
The fluid pumped by the pump 49 from the reservoir may be water or any other suitable fluid. For
example, it could be nitrogen or natural gas o} even air, although water would be the preferable
material because its low cost and ready availability as well as its im~,o~ ;b;l;ly. The only
Ui~ for the pumped fluid would be that its hydrostatic pressure, once the tubing has been
S injected to its pipe heavy position, would b~e less than that of the well pressure, allowing the well
pressure to displace the fluid back to the tank at surface. Air would not be a good fluid because of
thepossibilityofdownholeexplosionsorfiresbutmayhaveitsplaceinwell"l,lllil.~;;.l"~otherthan
gas or oil wells. Nitrogen would be desirable because it is being an inert gas.
The above-described method has the advantage that tbe cost of the equipment required for this
10 methodis~ul,i,LalLil.ylesstbanthecurrentcostsof-,ullv~,llLi-)l~lsnubbingequipment,andalsotbat
the method can be performed easily by a simgle person, instead of two, thus reducing labour costs.
Any person with experience on a well se~vice rig can easily be trained to perform the present
method.
15 Also, the present method has the advantage of providing total control over the well and of the
movement of the tubing. The tubing onhl moves as thAe fluid is injected above the piston cup
assembly 20. There is a much reduced chance of human error or mrrhllnir~l failure, and the
producing zone in the well is not penetrated by the pumped fluid, which can be totally recovered and
reused. The risk of injury is ~ L~IL;I~Y reduced, since all of the operations of the present method
20 can be controlled from a location remote from the well head.
The piston cup assembly 20 will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 8
through 11 of the drawings.
Referring firstly to Figure 8, the piston cup assembly 20 has resilient piston cups 72, which are
mounted on a hollow shaft 74.
The gauge ring 50 comprises a frusto-corucal body 76 having, at the top thereof, an upwardly
extending projection forming a cylindrical plug 78 which is slidably received into the lower end of
~ 21~30VS
the shaft 74. The plug 78 is provided with t vo sealing rings 82 of ~ material, which form
a seal between the plug 78 and the hollow shaft 74. The plug 78 is retained in the lower end of the
shaft 74 by means of a shear pin 83, which extends through the shaft 74 and the plug 78.
5 The frusto-conical shape of the body 76 is du ....~aldly CUIIV~ tapered to facilitate passage
of the gauge ring 50 duwllwaldly through t~e c;lsing bowl 32.
The cylindrical body 76 of the gauge ring 50 is formed with four vertically extending through-
openings 84, extending from the top to the bûttom thereof, to allow fluid to flow through the gauge
ring 50 as the piston cup assembly 20 moves along the well bore 10.
The gauge ring 50, which has a diameter siightly less than that of the well bore casing 11, serves to
protect the piston cups 72 from any foreign objects within the casing 11, e.g. from any cement
stringers which may be left inside the casing 11 when the casing is cemented into place.
'v'vhen a sufficient differential pressure is created between the interior of the tubing 14 and the well
bore 10 as described above with reference to Figure 6, and since the interior of the hollow shaft 74
with that of the tubing l4~ the plug 78 is forced from the end of the hollow shaft 74,
thus shearing the pin 83. The gauge pin 50 is then free to fall down the well bore 10.
As shown in Figure 11, the resilient piston cups 72 are each formed with a cylindrical inner portion
84 and an upwardly and outwardly curved, resilient, cup-shaped, laterally projecting portion 86
extending from the lower end of the respective inner portion 84. The inner portions 84 and the
laterally outwardly extending portions 86 of the piston cups 72 are formed in one piece of
25 elastu.l.~,.;c material. Each inner portion 84 is bonded to a metal sleeve 88, which fits snugly onto
the shaft 74. The inner portion 84 and its sleeve 88 project upwardly beyond the laterally projecting
portion 86, so that the ~ ox ~I piston cups 72 abut one another with the laterally extending
portions 86 spaced apart from one another 1~ y of the shaft 74.
~ 21S300~
-10-
The diameters of the laterally projecting portions 86 are greater than that of the casing 11.
Cu~ tly, as the piston cup assembly 20 moves du ~ .... dly past the casing cup 32 into the well
bore lû, i.e. into the position in which it is shown in Figure 2, the laterally projecting portions 86
of the piston cups 72 are radially inwardly ~,UIIIIJlC~ i, into the positions shown by dash-dot lines
5 and indicated by reference numeral 90 in Figure 11, by sliding ~ ,.g~ .. ,...~ with the well bore casing
I l . During the above-described insertion of the tubing 14 into the well bore 10, and as the fluid
from the well bore 10 flow upwardly past the piston cup assembly 20, the laterally projecting
portions 86 of the piston cups 72 are deflected even further radially inwardly of the shaft 74 to allow
the fluid to pass upwardly past the peripheries of the laterally projecting portions 86.
Beneath the lowermost piston cup 72, a spacer sleeve 92 abuts a ring 95 (Figure 8) welded to the
shaft 72 and thereby spaces the lowermost piston cup 72 from the ring 95. The piston cups 72 are
retained on the shaft 74 by a coupling 96, which is in threaded r ~ with the top of the shaft
74 and with the lower end of the tubing 14 far connecting the piston cup assembly 20 to the tubing
15 14.
Figure 12 shows a double-acting piston cup assembly, indicated generally by reference numeral 100,
which may be employed in place of the piston cup assembly 20 of Figures 8 through 11.
The piston cup assembly 100 of Figure 1:2 comprises a first piston in the form of a piston cup
assembly indicated generally by reference mumeral 120, connected by a coupling 121 to a further
piston in the form of a piston cup assemblly indicated generally by reference numeral 122. The
piston cup assembly 120 has a length of hol]ow shaft 124 in threaded ~"~ with a cylindrical
gauge ring 126, at the bottom of the shaft, the gauge ring 126 being formed with through openings
127, extending from top to bottom thereof. Above the gauge ring 127, the shaft 124 carries a first
set of tbree of the resilient piston cups 72, which are retained in abutment with one another between
the gauge ring 126 and the coupling 121.
~ 21 S300~
11
The piston cup assembly 122 comprises an elongate hollow cylindrical housing 128, which is in
threaded ~ .,,,. ~,. .. - with the coupling 121 at the lower end of the housing 128. The housing 128
carries a second set of three resilient piston cups 72, which are inverted relative to the piston cups
72 of the lower piston sub-assembly 120. More ~ ulaLly, the piston cups 72 of the piston cup
assembly 120 have upwardly directed concave sides 132, which face concave sides 132 of the
resilient piston cup 72 of the upper piston sub-as~mbly 122 and also have duwllwaldly directed
convex sides 130. The lowermost resilient piston cup 72 on the housing 128 abuts an abutment ring
134, on the housing 128, and the uppermost resilient piston cup 72 on the housing 128 is retained
by a retainer ring 136, which is secured to the hsouing 128 by retaining screws 138 extending
through the ring 136 into threaded rl -L; L.- ., .. .1 with the housing 128.
An elongate valve member 139 (Figures 13 and 14) is slidable to and fro along the hollow interior
of the housing 128, to which it is sealed by O-rings 141 and 143. The valve member has a
1nngit~ recess 140.
In its lowermost position, in which the valve member 139 is shown in Figure 13, the recess 140
~ t- ~ with the radial openings 142 and 146 in the wall of the cylindrical housing 128, thus
providing a path of flow through the housing 128 past the piston cups 72 of the upper piston sub-
assembly 122.
In its raised position, in which the valve member 139 is shown in Figure 14, the recess 140 no longer
n(m~ ' with the radial opening 142. (~ 11y~ fluid can no longer flow through the
housing 128 past the upper piston sub-assembly 122.
25 The valve member 139 can be displaced between its uppermost and lowermost positions in the
housing 128 by means of a wireline shifting tool 145, which is suspended from a wireline 147 and
which has radially retractable dogs 149 for engaging the valve member 139. To receive the tool 145,
thevalvememberl39ifformedatitsupperendwithanopeningl51,whichis~" 'toallow
the tool 145 to be lowered through the opneing 151 with the dogs 149 retracted. After the tool 145
-12- 21~30~
has thus been inserted into the valve member 139, the dogs 149 are projected outwardly from the
tool 145 by springs (not shown) and engage beneath the top of the valve member 139 adjacent the
edgeoftheopeningl51forraisingthevalvememberl39.
The upper end of the housing 128 is connecled by a coupling 148 to a profiled polished bore nipple
150, and a wire line plug 152 projects upwardly from the bore nipple 150, as shown in Figure 12.
In use, the double-acting piston cup assembly 100 of Figure 12 is employed for inserting the tubing
14 into the well bore 10 in the same manner as the piston cup assembly 20. However, the double
acting piston cup assembly 100 may additionally be employed to pull the tubing from the well.
For this purpose, the wire line plug 152 is installed downhole into the profiled nipple 150 as
illustrated in Figure 12 in a manner known in the art. The pressure in the tubing 14 is then bled off,
and the bonnet 52 and the master valve 55 l' Figure 6) are removed from the well head.
The well head equipment 12 (Figure 1) is then reinstalled on the well head, and the tubing 14 is
connected to the elevator 16. The annular blowout preventer is then closed, and the pressure is
equalized from below to the top of the tubing hanger 51. The tubmg hangers is then pulled up to the
bottom of the ar nular blowout preventer 30, and the pipe rams 36 are closed around the tubing. The
valve member 139 is moved down to its closed position in which it closes the flow path through the
shaft 128, and pressure above the pipe rams 36 is then bled off, and the annular blowout preventer
30 is opened, so that the tubing hanger can be pulled up above the annular blowout preventer 30,
which is then closed. The pressure between the pipe rams 36 and the blowout preventer 30 is then
equalized with the well bore pressure, and the pipe rams 36 are opened to allow the tubing hanger
51 to be removed and to allow a coupling (not shown) to be installed. The tubing 14 is then pulled
out of the well to a calculated position, at which the well pressure slightly over-balances the weight
of the tubing and is therefore sufficient tn move the tubing 14 upwardly in the well bore. If
necessary, the snubbing slips 22 may be closed to ret~in the tubing 14. The casing 35 is fitted with
~ 21S30~
- 13 -
fluid and bled off at a controlled rate, which determines the rate at which the tubing 14 is raised. The
fluid in the passage 43 is allowed to travel back to the reservoir tank 54.
Figurel4showsal"~ ,.,ofdouble-actingpistonofFigure12. Inthemol1ifi~ lfif~nshownin
5 Figure 14, a retractable slip assembly indicated generally by reference numeral 160 is provided
above the upper set of piston cups 72, which in this ~".1 .o.l .~"1 comprise only two piston cups 72.
The slip assembly 160 comprises a sleeve ]162, which is slidable up and down on a frusto-conical
wedge member 164 located within the sleeve 162. Four elongate slips 166 are provided in slots 168
in the sleeve 162 and have inner wedge surfaces 170 in sliding rl 1~ l. 11 with the frusto-conical
wedge member 164. The ~ ,.., ..1 is such that, on ~ s~ - of the wedge member 164
upwardly relative to the sleeve 162, the slips 166 are urged outwardly ofthe sleeve 162 into gripping
. ..~".g~-",. .,1 with the well bore casing 65.
15 The slip assembly 160 is useful to prevent buckling of the tubing in the well bore in cases where the
well pressure is high and the casing size is llarge.
For that purpose, the differential pressure across the two uppermost cups 72 displaces the wedge
member 164 upwardly in the sleeve 162, to urge the slips 166 radially outwardly against the well
20 bore casing 11.
The well head casing 35 is then bled off, and the casing 35 is supplied with fluid to equalize the
pressure, which causes a downwardly acting pressure on the lower most three cups 72 to move the
wedge member 164 ~ VV~ and, thus, to allow the slips 166 to retract radially inwardly.
