US2668593A - Device for scraping and testing well tubing - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9, 1954 L. E. HAY

DEVICE FOR SCRAPING AND TESTING WELL TUBING Filed Jan. 14, 1950 INVENTOR. LEHMAN E. HAY

ATIORNEYS the tubing until the testing pressure of the tubing is reached, for example, until a pressure of 5000 pounds per square inch is reached and the tubing tested. After the tubing has been tested, the hydraulic pressure is released from the tubing and the connections are changed at the surface to supply pressure to the annulus between the tubing and the casing so that the hydraulic medium, for example, drilling mud enters the tubing at its bottom to force the scraper upwardly and out of the tubing. In practice, it has. been found expedient to first test the tubing which is to be used in the squeeze-cementing prior to effecting the squeeze-cementing andthen effect a test after the squeeze-cementing to determine Whether the tubing can withstand the well production pressure.

Referring to the single figure of the drawings,

which is partly in section to show details, the well bore is indicated at I and has a casing H disposed therein and in spaced relation therewith, while the well tubing I2 is positioned within the casing also in spaced relation with the casing providing an annulus 13. A hollow plug M" which is internally screw threaded at its upper end is removably secured to the lower end of the tubing l2 and may be provided with a screw threaded area at its lower end in order to be adapted to receive other tools used in well drilling operations. The principal function of the I hollow plug [4, however, is in the provision of a drilled out portion l5 which is of sufficiently small diameter to prevent further downward movement of the testing and scraping device and operates as a stop for the lower end of the device,

but permits fluid to flow therethrough.

The testing and scraping device comprises a support having at its upper and lower ends respectively extensions 2| and 22 which are removably secured to the support. The extensions are similar in construction and as shown in connection'with the lower extension 22, each is provided with a screw threaded end 23, to permit the extensions to be removably secured to the support. The upper extension 2! is provided with a plurality of vanes 24, while th lower extating when it is forced down into the tubing and thus effects a more positive scraping action. It

will be understood when the tool is inserted in the tubing 12 that both the tubing and casing ll will contain liquid, then as the tool 20 isforced downwardly by liquid pressure it will force liquid ahead of itthrough the lower end of the tubing and cause its circulation through the casing. Thus theupper set of vanes 24 and the lower set of vanes 25 will both be in contact with fluid at all times and because of the opposed relationship of the sets of vanes, the tool will be prevented from rotating. The upper extension is provided with a laterally extending flange portion 26 while the support 20 is provided with a cooperating laterally extending flange 21. Similarly the lower extension 22 is provided with a j laterally extending flange 28 while the support has a cooperating laterally extending flange 29. Referring to the lower portion ofthe figure eh is partly in section, it will be seen that the extension 22 is screw threaded into the lower end of the support 20 positioning the flanges 28 and 29 in spaced relation. It will be understood that the upper extension 2| is assembled on the support 20 in a manner similar to that of the extension 22. A flexible sealing member 30 is rigidly held between the flanges 2B and 29 and is provided with an upstanding flange 3| providing in effect a cup shaped receptacl which, as fluid is admitted to the tubing l2, prevents the passage of fluid through the tubing beyond the sealing member 30 which then functions as a piston to force the tool toward the bottom of the tubing. It will be understood, of course, that a similar sealing member 32 is provided between the flanges 26 and 21 at the upper end of the device and has a depending flange 33 forming a cup shaped receptacle. In operation, when the fluid is admitted to the tube 12, it will pass the upper end of the scraper and be limited in its passage by the flanges 3! of the sealing ring 30 and the flanges 3| will be flexed outwardly to prevent the passage of fluid below the seal ring and force the tool into thetubing. After the scraper has reached the bottom of the tubing, its lower end 35 is designed to seat about the upper end of drill l5 and prevent further downward movement of the device through the tubing. After the movement of the device is stopped, the further application of hydraulic pressure will increase the pressure in the tubing and by continuing the pressure, the tubing can be tested to th desired degree as of the order of 5000 p. s. 1. After the tubing has been tested or after it has been scraped, the supply of liquid to the upper end of the tubing I2 is cut off and directed into the annulus l3, the liquid passing downwardly therethrough and upwardly through the drilled out portion 15 into the inverted cup shaped receptacle of sealing ring 33 to force the scraper upwardly and out of the tubing. It will of course be understood that the lower end oi the casing H will be plugged off during the cementing operation by the deposit of cement C and thus provide for circulation of the fluid from the annulus l3 upwardly through the hollow plug M and tubing l2.

In the above detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower scraping elements are generally symmetrical as are the flexible sealing rings, and the general arrangement of the upper scraper and the upper sealing ring is symmetrical with that of the lower scraper and th lower sealing ring. It is preferred to embody the invention in this particular design of device since its use can be made fool-proof in that either end of the device may be inserted into the tubing and the device used in the testing and scraping operations. or course it will be understood that in its broader aspects various types of scraping elements, as well as various types of flexible or resilient seal rings, could be used and the function of the invention carried out. The invention in its broader aspects can be carried out by ,the use of one scraping and one seal ring positioned in cooperating relation on the support;

The manner of securing the seal rings between 1 the laterally extending flanges has an advantage,

- This prevents the sealing rings from being expanded by'the pressure of thehydrauliq; fluid to such an extent that they are apt to stick against the tubing wall.

I claim:

1. A device adapted for testing and scraping well tubing, which comprises an elongate support, a set of tube scraping elements on each end of said support and extending laterally therefrom, a pair of resilient seal rings on said support between the sets of scraping elements, said seal rings being adapted to be forced into sealing engagement with the inner wall of the tubing by a hydraulic medium admitted to the well tubing and to move the device into and out of the tubing under the pressure of the hydraulic medium.

2. A device adapted for testing and'scraping Well tubing which comprises an elongate support, a pair of flanges extending laterally from the support, one spaced from one end and the other spaced from the other end of the support, an extension removably secured at each end of the support, each extension having a laterallyextending flange adjacent its inner end, one extension flange providing a space with one of the support flanges and the other extension flange providing a space with the other support flange, a resilient seal ring positioned in each of said spaces and adapted to be forced into sealing engagement with the inner wall of the tubing and a set of laterally extending scraping elements on each extension.

3. A device adapted for testing and scraping well tubing which comprises an elongate support, a pair of flanges extending outwardly from the support, one spaced from one end and the other spaced from the other end of the support, an extension removably secured at each end of the support, each extension having a laterally extending flange adjacent its inner end, one extension flange providing a space with one of the support flanges and the other extension flange providing a space with the other support flange, a resilient seal ring positioned in each of said spaces adapted to be forced into sealing engagement with the inner wall of the tubing, a set of vaned scraping elements on each extension extending laterally therefrom and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the extension, the scraping elements of one extension being disposed at an angle opposite to that of the scraping elements of the other extension.

4. A device adapted for testing and scraping well tubing which comprises an elongate support, a pair of flanges extending outwardly from the support, one spaced from one end and the other spaced from the other end of the support, an extension removably secured at each end of the support, each extension having an outwardly extending flange adjacent its inner end, one providing a space with one of the support flanges and the other providing a space with the other sup-port flange, a resilient seal ring in each of said spaces, a vertical flange on each seal ring, one vertical flange extending in a direction opposite to the other vertical flange, one of said vertical flanges being adapted to be forced in contact with the tubing wall when a hydraulic medium is admitted to the upper end of the tubing and force the device to the bottom of the tubing and the other vertical flange adapted. to be forced in contact with the well tubing when the hydraulic medium is supplied to the lower end of the tubing to force the device to the top of the tubing, and a hollow plug at the lower end of the tubing to stop the downward movement of the device and permit the tubing to be tested by continuing the supply of the hydraulic medium to the upper end of the tubing.

5. A device for testing and scraping well tubing, which comprises an elongate support, a set of vaned scraping elements flxed to said support adjacent one end thereof and extending laterally therefrom at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the support, another set of vaned scraping elements fixed to said support adjacent its other end and disposed at an angle opposite to that of the scraping elements of the other set, and a seal ring on said support between the sets of scraping elements and adapted to be forced into sealing engagement with the tubing wall by pressure contact with hydraulic medium used to move the device into or out of the well tubing.

LEI-IMAN E. HAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 68,917 Waite Sept. 17, 1867 576,425 Bilton et a1. .Feb. 2, 1897 1,260,241 Minton Mar. 19, 1918 1,547,440 Penn July 28, 1925 1,810,260 Swinford June 16, 1931 2,094,897 Leidecker Oct. 5, 1937 2,143,450 Pippenger Jan. 10, 1939 2,179,812 Calkins Nov. 14, 1939 2,225,413 Festervan et a1 Dec. 17, 1940 2,245,128 Gardner June 10, 1941 2,295,058 Smethers Sept. 8, 1942 2,427,632 Stephens Sept. 16, 1947

Images