Multiple stage cementing tool with inflation packer and methods of use

A cementing packer tool for cementing through a pipe string or casing comprising:

• a tubular housing containing one or more outer cementing ports through the wall thereof;
• means for interposing said tubular housing between pipe sections of a string of pipe and attaching said housing to the pipe;
• a closing sleeve slidably located within said tubular housing and containing one or more inner cementing ports through the wall thereof;
• said closing sleeve in one position allowing said outer ports and said inner ports to communicate therethrough and in a second position isolating said inner ports from said outer ports;
• said closing sleeve having a large unrestricted bore therethrough with a relatively constant inner diameter substantially equivalent to the inner diameter of the pipe string or casing;
• an opening sleeve slidably located within said closing sleeve and covering said inner ports in a first position and uncovering said ports in a second position;
• said opening sleeve having a large unrestricted bore therethrough of substantially constant diameter and slightly smaller in diameter than said closing sleeve;
• spring means on said closing sleeve engaging said housing, said spring means adapted to retain said closing sleeve in an open-port position until sufficient force is applied downwardly on said sleeve to overcome said spring means;
• a releasing sleeve slidably located within said closing sleeve and arranged in a first upper position to maintain said spring means engaged in said housing and in a second position to release said spring means and engage said closing sleeve to move it downwardly;
• said releasing sleeve having a large unrestricted bore therethrough with a substantially constant inner diameter which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the pipe string or casing;
• a sleeve retainer fixedly located within said closing sleeve and adapted to limit downward movement of said opening sleeve;
• said retainer having an open unrestricted bore therethrough substantially equal to that of the opening sleeves;
• first shear means contained in said closing sleeve and said opening sleeve, attaching said opening sleeve to said closing sleeve and arranged to maintain said opening sleeve covering said inner ports;
• second shear means contained in said releasing sleeve and said closing sleeve and attaching said releasing sleeve to said closing sleeve;
• means for selectively shearing said first and second shear means further comprising first activating means and second activating means, said first activating means further adapted to fluidically seal the bore of said opening sleeve and said second activating means adapted to fluidically seal the bore of said releasing means, said first activating means arranged to shear said first shear means and said activating means arranged to shear said second shear means;
• recess means in the exterior surface of the lower end of said releasing sleeve, said recess means arranged to prevent fluid lock between said first activating means and said second activating means by fluidically communicating between said outer and inner cementing ports and the area trapped between said first and second activating means;
• a tubular inflation packer assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the lower end portion sealingly engaging the outer periphery of said tubular housing a distance below the outer cementing ports through the wall thereof, the upper end portion defining an annular space between the inner periphery of said inflation packer assembly and the outer periphery of said tubular housing communicating with and extending upwardly from the outer cementing ports through the wall of said tubular housing and having at least one cementing port formed in the upper portion communicating between the annular space and the outer periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly, said tubular inflation packer assembly further including:
• means for providing an annular seal between the inner periphery of said tubular packer assembly and the outer periphery of said tubular housing below the outer cementing ports in said tubular housing and allowing one-way downward fluid flow therepast while preventing upward fluid flow therepast;
• a tubular deformable member carried by said tubular packer assembly and extending between the lower portion thereof and the upper portion thereof adjacent said means for providing an annular seal and defining a closed annular chamber between the inner periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly and the exterior of said tubular housing intermediate the lower end portion thereof and said means for providing an annular seal;
• a tubular resilient packer sealing member formed on the outer periphery of said tubular deformable member;
• and
• pressure responsive valve means interposed between the outer cementing ports of said tubular housing and the cementing ports formed in the upper end portion of said tubular inflation packer assembly for preventing fluid communication between the outer cementing ports of said tubular housing and the cementing ports of said inflation packer assembly and, alternately, placing said ports in fluid communication in response to the application of a predetermined pressure differential across said valve means.

Oil well cementing apparatus capable of cementing any number of annulus cementing stages and adapted to be interposed between sections of oil well casing comprising:

• one or more sliding sleeve cementing valves adapted to be interconnected within a casing string, each of said valves comprising ported sliding inner sleeve means and a ported stationary outer housing, said sleeve valves each being movable from a closed position to an open position and from an open position to a closed position an indefinite number of times, each said valve adapted to be located in said casing string at a respective cementing stage location;
• opening means adapted to be arranged axially on a rigid tubular member disposed within and longitudinally movable within the casing string and longitudinally movable through said cementing valves, said opening means adapted to engage said inner sleeve means for moving said inner sleeve means to a valve-open position;
• closing means adapted to be arranged axially on a rigid tubular member disposed within and longitudinally movable within the casing string and longitudinally movable through said cementing valves, said closing means adapted to engage said inner sleeve means for moving said inner sleeve means to a valve-closed position;
• a tubular inflation packer assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the lower end portion sealingly engaging the outer periphery of said outer housing a distance below the ports formed therein, the upper end portion defining an annular space between the inner periphery of said inflation packer assembly and the outer periphery of said outer housing communicating with and extending upwardly from the ports formed in said outer housing and having at least one port formed in the upper portion communicating between the annular space and the outer periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly, said tubular inflation packer assembly further including:
• means for providing an annular seal between the inner periphery of said tubular packer assembly and the outer periphery of said outer housing below the ports in said outer housing and allowing one-way downward fluid flow therepast while preventing upward fluid flow therepast;
• a tubular deformable member carried by said packer assembly and extending between the lower portion thereof and the upper portion thereof adjacent said means for providing an annular seal and defining a closed annular chamber between the inner periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly and the exterior of said outer housing intermediate the lower end portion of said inflation packer assembly and said means for providing an annular seal,
• a tubular resilient packer sealing member formed on the outer periphery of said tubular deformable member;
• and
• pressure responsive valve means interposed between the ports of said outer housing and the ports formed in the upper end portion of said tubular inflation packer assembly for preventing fluid communication between the ports of said outer housing and the ports of said inflation packer assembly and, alternately, placing said ports in fluid communication in response to the application of a predetermined pressure differential across said valve means.

A full opening cementing tool for multiple stage oil well cementing comprising:

• an outer cylindrical housing having a plurality of ports through the wall thereof;
• a valve sleeve located telescopically within said housing and having a plurality of ports through the wall thereof capable of fluid communication with said ports in said housing in a first open position and fluid isolation from said housing ports in a second closed position;
• spring tension means between said housing and said sleeve for releasably securing said valve sleeve in the first open position and, alternately, for releasably securing said valve sleeve within said housing in the second closed position;
• means attached to said housing for inserting said housing into a casing string;
• first means for engaging said sleeve and moving said sleeve from the first open position to the second closed position;
• second means for engaging said sleeve and moving said sleeve from the second closed position to the first open position, said first and second means for engaging said sleeve being fixedly secured to a rigid tubular member located concentrically within said sleeve and axially movable within said sleeve;
• a tubular inflation packer assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the lower end portion sealingly engaging the outer periphery of said outer cylindrical housing a distance below the ports formed therien, the upper end portion defining an annular space between the inner periphery of said inflation packer assembly and the outer periphery of said outer cylindrical housing communicating with and extending upwardly from the ports through the wall of said outer cylindrical housing and having at least one cementing port formed in the upper portion communicating between the annular space and the outer periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly, said tubular inflation packer assembly further including:
• means for providing an annular seal between the inner periphery of said tubular packer assembly and the outer periphery of said outer cylindrical housing below the ports in said outer cylindrical housing and allowing one-way downward fluid flow therepast while preventing upward fluid flow therepast;
• a tubular deformable member carried by said packer assembly and extending between the lower portion thereof and the upper portion thereof adjacent said means for providing an annular seal and defining a closed annular chamber between the inner periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly and the exterior of said outer cylindrical housing intermediate the lower end portion of said inflation packer assembly and said means for providing an annular seal;
• a tubular resilient packer sealing member formed on the outer periphery of said tubular deformable member;
• and
• pressure responsive valve means interposed between the ports of said outer cylindrical housing and the cementing ports formed in the upper end portion of said tubular inflation packer assembly for preventing fluid communication between the ports of said outer cylindrical housing and the cementing ports of said inflation packer assembly and, alternately, placing said ports in fluid communication in response to the application of a predetermined pressure differential across said valve means.

In an oil well cementing apparatus for cementing any number of annulus cementing stages and adapted to be interposed between sections of oil well casing of the type which includes one or more sliding sleeve cementing valves adapted to be interconnected within a casing string, each of said cementing valves comprising ported sliding inner sleeve means and a ported stationary outer housing, said sleeve cementing valves each being movable from a closed position to an open position and from an open position to a closed position an indefinite number of times, each said valve adapted to be located in said casing string at a respective cementing stage location;

• opening means adapted to be arranged axially on a rigid tubular member disposed within and longitudinally movable within the casing string and longitudinally movable through said cementing valves, said opening means adapted to engage said inner sleeve means for moving said inner sleeve means to a valve-open position;
• and closing means adapted to be arranged axially on a rigid tubular member disposed within and longitudinally movable within the casing string and longitudinally movable through said cementing valves, said closing means adapted to engage said inner sleeve means for moving said inner sleeve means to a valve-closed position;
• the improvement comprising:
• a tubular inflation packer assembly having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the lower end portion sealingly engaging the outer periphery of said outer housing a distance below the ports formed therein, the upper end portion defining an annular space between the inner periphery of said inflation packer assembly and the outer periphery of said outer housing communicating with and extending upwardly from the ports formed in said outer housing and having at least one port formed in the upper portion communicating between the annular space and the outer periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly, said tubular inflation packer assembly further including:
• means for providing an annular seal between the inner periphery of said tubular packer assembly and the outer periphery of said outer housing below the ports in said outer housing and allowing oneway downward fluid flow therepast while preventing upward fluid flow therepast;
• a tubular deformable member carried by said packer assembly and extending between the lower portion thereof and the upper portion thereof adjacent said means for providing an annular seal and defining a closed annular chamber between the inner periphery of said tubular inflation packer assembly and the exterior of said outer housing intermediate the lower end portion of said inflation packer assembly and said means for providing an annular seal;
• a tubular resilient packer sealing member formed on the outer periphery of said tubular deformable member;
• and
• pressure responsive valve means interposed between the ports of said outer housing and the ports formed in the upper end portion of said tubular inflation packer assembly for preventing fluid communication between the ports of said outer housing and the ports of said inflation packer assembly and, alternately, placing said ports in fluid communication in response to the application of a predetermined pressure differential across said valve means.

A method of cementing the outer casing annulus between a casing string and a well bore in any desired number of stages wherein the casing string in the well bore includes a predetermined number of casing valves located in the casing wall at predetermined locations with an inflatable packer member disposed about at least one of the casing valves with the interior of the packer member communicating with the respective casing valve passage and with initially closed pressure responsive valve means interposed between the interior of the packer member and the outer casing annulus above the packer member, comprising the steps of:

• a. closing the interior of the casing string at a point below the lowermost of said casing valves;
• b. opening the lowermost of said casing valves to provide a fluid communication channel between the interior of the casing and the interior of the inflatable packer member;
• c. pumping a quantity of working fluid downwardly through the casing and through the open casing valve into the interior of the inflatable packer member;
• d. applying pressure to the working fluid until the inflatable packer member inflates and provides sealing engagement between the exterior of the casing and the well bore;
• e. continuing to apply additional pressure to the working fluid until the pressure responsive valve means opens providing fluid communication between a portion of the interior of the inflatable packer member and the annulus between the casing and the well bore above the inflated packer member while maintaining fluid pressure within the remaining portion of the interior of the inflated packer member to provide continued sealing engagement between the exterior of the casing and the well bore;
• f. pumping a quantity of cement slurry downwardly through the casing and through the open casing valve and open pressure responsive valve means of the inflatable packer member into the annulus between the exterior of the casing and the well bore above the inflated inflatable packer member forming an additional cementing stage of the outer casing annulus;
• and
• g. closing said casing valve against additional fluid flow therethrough.

A method of cementing the outer casing annulus between a casing string and a well bore in any desired number of stages wherein the casing string in the well bore includes a predetermined number of casing valves located in the casing wall at predetermined locations with an inflatable packer member disposed about at least one of the casing valves with the interior of the packer member communicating with the respective casing valve passage and with initially closed pressure responsive valve means interposed between the interior of the packer member and the outer casing annulus above the packer member, comprising the steps of:

• a. flowing a quantity of cement slurry down through the interior of the well casing, out the bottom of the casing and back up the annulus between the casing and the well bore;
• b. inserting a wiper plug in the casing immediately behind said cement slurry;
• c. pumping a working fluid behind the wiper plug, said fluid having a consistency and specific gravity near that of said cement slurry, thereby forcing the wiper plug and cement slurry to the bottom of the casing;
• d. applying pressure to the working fluid until the wiper plug seats in sealing engagement in the bottom of the casing;
• e. opening the lowermost of said casing valves to provide a fluid communication channel between the interior of the casing and the interior of the inflatable packer member;
• f. pumping a quantity of working fluid downwardly through the casing and through the open casing valve into the interior of the inflatable packer member;
• g. applying pressure to the working fluid until the inflatable packer member inflates and provides sealing engagement between the exterior of the casing and the well bore;
• h. continuing to apply additional pressure to the working fluid until the pressure responsive valve means opens providing fluid communication between a portion of the interior of the inflatable packer member and the annulus between the casing and the well bore above the inflated packer member while maintaining fluid pressure within the remaining portion of the interior of the inflated packer to provide continued sealing engagement between the exterior of the casing and the well bore;
• i. pumping a quantity of additional cement slurry downwardly through the casing and through the open casing valve and open pressure responsive valve means of the inflatable packer member into the annulus between the exterior of the casing and the well bore above the inflated inflatable packer member forming an additional cementing stage of the outer casing annulus;
• and
• j. closing said casing valve against additional fluid flow therethrough.

A method of cementing the outer casing annulus between a casing string and a well bore in any desired number of stages wherein the casing string in the well bore includes a predetermined number of casing valves located in the casing wall at predetermined locations with an inflatable packer member disposed about at least one of the casing valves with the interior of the packer member communicating with the respective casing valve passage and with pressure responsive valve means interposed between the interior of the packer member and the outer casing annulus above the packer member, comprising the steps of:

• a. flowing a quantity of cement slurry downwardly through the interior of the casing string, out the bottom of the casing string and back up the outer casing annulus between the casing string and the well bore;
• b. inserting a wiper plug in the casing string immediately behind said quantity of cement slurry;
• c. pumping a working fluid behind the wiper plug, said fluid having a consistency and specific gravity near that of said cement slurry, thereby forcing the wiper plug and cement slurry to the bottom of the casing string;
• d. applying pressure to the working fluid until the wiper plug seats in sealing engagement in the bottom of the casing string;
• e. inserting a first fluid-tight sealing member at the lowermost closed casing valve having an inflatable packer member disposed thereabout to close the interior of the casing string;
• f. pumping a quantity of working fluid downwardly through the casing string to the first fluid-tight sealing member at the casing valve;
• g. applying pressure to said quantity of working fluid above the first fluid-tight sealing member to open the adjacent casing valve and provide a fluid communication channel between the interior of the casing string and the interior of the inflatable packer member;
• h. pumping an additional quantity of working fluid downwardly through the casing string and through the open casing valve into the interior of the inflatable packer member;
• i. applying pressure to the additional quantity of working fluid until the inflatable packer member inflates and provides annular sealing engagement between the exterior of the casing string and the well bore;
• j. applying additional pressure to the additional quantity of working fluid until the pressure responsive valve means opens providing fluid communication between a portion of the interior of the inflatable packer member and the outer casing annulus between the casing string and the well bore of the inflatable packer member while maintaining fluid pressure within the remaining inflated portion of the inflatable packer member to provide continued annular sealing engagement between the exterior of the casing string and the well bore;
• k. pumping a quantity of additional cement slurry downwardly through the casing string and through the open casing valve and open pressure responsive valve means of the inflatable packer member into the outer casing annulus between the exterior of the casing string and the well bore above the inflated inflatable packer member forming an additional stage of cement in the outer casing annulus;
• l. inserting a second fluid-tight sealing member behind the quantity of additional cement slurry;
• m. pumping an additional quantity of working fluid downwardly through the casing string behind the second fluid-tight sealing member until a second fluid-tight seal is provided at the open casing valve to again close the interior of the casing string;
• and
• n. applying pressure to the additional quantity of working fluid above the open casing valve to close the open casing valve to fluid communication therethrough.

A method of cementing the outer casing annulus of a well bore in any desired number of stages wherein the casing in the well bore includes a predetermined number of casing valves located in the casing wall at predetermined locations with an inflatable packer member disposed about at least one of the casing valves with the interior of the packer member communicating with the respective casing valve passage and with pressure responsive valve means interposed between the interior of the packer member and the outer casing annulus, comprising the steps of:

• a. flowing a precalculated quantity of cement slurry downwardly through the interior of the well casing, out the bottom of the casing and back up the annulus between the casing and the well bore;
• b. inserting a wiper plug in the casing immediately behind said cement slurry;
• c. pumping a working fluid behind the wiper plug, said fluid having the consistency and specific gravity near that of said cement slurry, thereby forcing the wiper plug and cement slurry to the bottom of the casing;
• d. applying pressure to said working fluid until the wiper plug seats in sealing engagement in the bottom of the casing thereby causing a perceptible rise in fluid pressure in the casing;
• e. running in a string of tubular pipe in the well casing, said string of pipe having an opening positioner and a closing positioner located thereon;
• f. engaging said opening positioner in the lowermost of said casing valves having an inflatable packer member disposed thereabout and thereby opening said valve and providing a fluid communication channel between the interior of the casing and the interior of the temporarily sealed inflatable packer member;
• g. pumping a quantity of working fluid down through the interior of the pipe string and out the bottom end of the pipe whereby said working fluid flows through the open casing valve and into the interior of the temporarily sealed inflatable packer member;
• h. applying pressure to the working fluid until the inflatable packer member inflates to provide sealing engagement between the exterior of the casing string and the well bore;
• i. continuing to apply additional pressure to the working fluid until the pressure responsive valve means opens providing fluid communication between a portion of the interior of the inflatable packer member and the annulus between the casing string and the well bore above the inflated packer member while maintaining fluid pressure within the remaining portion of the interior of the inflated packer member;
• j. pumping a predetermined quantity of additional cement slurry downwardly through the interior of the pipe string and out the bottom end of the pipe through the open casing valve and past the open pressure responsive valve means of the inflatable packer member and into the annulus between the exterior of the casing string and the well bore above the inflated inflatable packer member forming an additional cementing stage of the exterior casing annulus;
• and
• k. engaging said closing positioner in said lowermost casing valve and thereby closing said valve against additional fluid flow therethrough.