Rotatable ball valve apparatus and method

A safety valve comprising,

• a housing having at least one lateral outlet,
• an upper cylindrical passage and a lower cylindrical passage, each of the outlet and upper and lower passages being open to a chamber in the housing, and a rotatable ball having
• an outer part with means for seating it within the chamber, said outer part having a cylindrical insert cavity along a central axis of the outer part, the insert cavity having an inner diameter substantially the same as or less than that of the upper cylindrical passage and a perpendicular passage,
• a removable inner cylindrical part having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the insert cavity of the outer part and having a head passage communicating with a base passage, the head passage being along said central axis and the base passage being aligned with the perpendicular passage of the outer part,
• means for seating and sealing the ball with a lower conduit placed in said lower passage, and
• means for rotating said ball within the housing to a position where a portion of the external surface of the ball having no passage extending through it covers the lower conduit, thereby blocking the flow path from the lower conduit.

Valve apparatus comprising,

• a housing having two lateral outlets,
• an upper cylindrical passage and a lower cylindrical passage, each of the outlets and upper and lower passages being open to a chamber in the housing, and a rotatable ball having
• an outer part with means for seating it within the chamber, said outer part having a cylindrical insert cavity along a central axis of the outer part, the insert cavity having an inner diameter substantially the same as or less than that of the upper cylindrical passage and having a perpendicular passage,
• a removable inner cylindrical part having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the insert cavity of the outer part and having a head passage communicating with a base passage forming a "T" shape, the head passage of the "T" being along said central axis and the base passage of the "T" being aligned with the perpendicular passage of the outer part,
• means for seating and sealing the ball with a lower conduit placed in said lower passage,
• means for seating the exterior of the ball with the lateral outlets,
• means for seating the exterior of the ball with an upper conduit placed in said upper passage, and
• means for rotating said ball among at least four positions:
• a first position where the head passage completes a fluid flow path from said lower conduit to said upper conduit and said perpendicular passage is in fluid communication with a first of said lateral outlets,
• a second position where the head passage is in fluid communication with said lateral outlets, said perpendicular passage is in fluid communication with said lower conduit, and a portion of the external surface of the ball having no passage extending through it covers the upper conduit thereby blocking the flow path to the upper conduit,
• a third position where the external surface of the ball having no passage extending through it covers the lower conduit thereby blocking the flow path from the lower conduit and the head passage is aligned with the two lateral outlets and the perpendicular passage is aligned with the upper conduit, and
• a fourth position where the head passage completes a fluid flow path from said lower conduit to said upper conduit and said perpendicular passage is in fluid communication with a second of the lateral outlets.

A safety valve comprising,

• a housing having an upper cylindrical passage and a lower cylindrical passage, each of the upper and lower passages being open to a chamber in the housing,
• a rotatable ball disposed in said chamber, the ball having an outer part, the outer part having a cylindrical insert cavity along a central axis of the outer part, the insert cavity having an inner cylindrical diameter substantially the same as or less than that of a full cylindrical diameter access of the upper passage, and
• a mechanically releasably removable inner part disposed in said insert cavity having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the insert cavity of the outer part and having a passage through it along said central axis,
• latch means interengaged between said inner part and said insert cavity, whereby,
• when said removable inner part is removed from said outer part and said central axis of the outer part is aligned with the upper and lower passages, the full diameter access through the insert cavity is provided to the lower passage from the upper passage.

A safety valve comprising,

• a housing having an upper cylindrical passage and a lower cylindrical passage, each of the upper and lower passages being open to a chamber in the housing,
• a rotatable ball disposed in said chamber, the ball having an outer part, the outer part having a cylindrical insert cavity along a central axis of the outer part, the insert cavity having an inner cylindrical diameter subtantially the same as or less than that of a full cylindrical diameter access of the upper passage,
• a mechanically releasably removable inner part disposed in said insert cavity having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the insert cavity of the outer part and having a passage through it along said central axis,
• means for rotating said ball between at least three positions:
• a first position where the passage of the inner part is aligned with the upper and lower passages of the housing allowing fluid communication between the upper and lower passages of the housing,
• a second position where a portion of the outer part of the ball having no passage extending through it covers the lower passage thereby closing the flow path from the lower passage to the upper passage of the housing, and
• a third position where said ball is rotated 180.degree. from said first position to operably allow mechanical release and removal of the inner part from said outer part, and
• latch means interengaged between said inner part and said outer part for allowing removal of said inner part in the third position while preventing removal of said inner part in the first position,
• whereby
• when said removable inner part is removed from said outer part and said central axis of the outer part is aligned with the upper and lower passages, the full diameter access through the insert cavity is provided to the lower passage from the upper passage.

A production tree for use with an oil and well comprising,

• a master valve having
• a housing having at least one lateral outlet, an upper passage and a lower passage, each of the outlet and upper and lower passages being open to a chamber in the housing, and
• a rotatable ball having
• an outer part with means for seating it within the chamber, said outer part having an insert cavity along a central axis of the outer part, the insert cavity having an inner diameter substantially the same as or less than that of the upper passage, said outer part having a perpendicular passage extending from the insert cavity to the exterior of the outer part,
• a removable inner part disposed in said insert cavity and having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the insert cavity of the outer part and having a head passage communicating with a base passage, the head passage being along said central axis and the base passage being aligned with the perpendicular passage of the outer part,
• the housing of said master valve being connected to a tubing head of the well,
• means for coupling production tubing landed in the well with the lower passage of said master valve, and
• control valve means attached to said lateral outlet for controlling fluid flow in the production tubing in the well.

A safety valve adapted for use in an oil well comprising,

• a wellhead,
• a housing having coaxial upper and lower vertical housing passages, a full diameter access of the upper and lower passages being sufficiently large to pass a tubing hanger with tubing for landing in said wellhead, said wellhead secured to said housing,
• control element means having a removable inner part, said control element means disposed between said upper and lower vertical housing passages for preventing or allowing fluid flow through a passage in the inner part smaller than the lower vertical housing passage and for providing the full diametrical access via the upper housing passage to the lower housing passage upon removal of the inner part, and
• latch means interengaged between said inner part and said insert cavity.