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US 4,709,761 AGranted
Well conduit joint sealing system
AssigneeOtis Engineering Corporation
InventorJohn R. Setterberg, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is apparatus and method for a system useful in establishing a metal to metal seal between conduit joints in wells. A milling tool having means controlling down force on and positioning the cutter is used to cut and/or finish a seat on a shoulder in a well conduit, which will mate and seal with metal seal surfaces on seal units lowered on conduits into the well. One seal unit has elastomeric seals in addition to the metal seals.
Claims16
A milling tool for forming an upwardly facing sealing surface on a shoulder in a conduit comprising:
- (a) an upper mandrel having a top connector, releasably positioned shoulder means on said upper mandrel including
- a lock ring threaded on said upper mandrel an adjusting ring threaded on said mandrel below said lock ring,
- a shoulder ring rotatably mounted on said mandrel below said adjusting ring, and
- a thrust bearing mounted around said upper mandrel between said adjusting and shoulder rings;
- (b) an intermediate mandrel connected to said upper mandrel, said mandrel having a guide sleeve rotably mounted thereon;
- (c) a lower mandrel connected to said intermediate mandrel, said lower mandrel
- having a cutter slidably mounted thereon, said cutter having an internal shoulder and a downwardly facing frusto-conical cutting surface forming an angle of 12.degree.-15.degree. with the longitudinal axis of the cutter, adjustable biasing means mounted on said lower mandrel including
- an adjusting ring threaded on said lower mandrel,
- a spring around said lower mandrel between said ring and said cutter, and
- a lock ring threaded on said lower mandrel above said adjusting ring,
- said lower mandrel having a shoulder engageable by said internal cutter shoulder;
- and
- (d) means for keying said lower mandrel to said cutter including
- slots in the upper end of the cutter and lugs protruding from the lower mandrel, one said lug engaged in each of said cutter slots.
11 more elements
A milling tool for forming an upwardly facing sealing surface on a shoulder in a conduit comprising:
- (a) an upper mandrel having a top connector;
- (b) an intermediate mandrel connected to said upper mandrel;
- (c) a lower mandrel connected to said intermediate mandrel having
- a cutter slidably mounted thereon,
- adjustable biasing means for controlling downward force on said cutter including
- an adjusting ring threaded on said lower mandrel and
- a spring around said lower mandrel between said ring and said cutter, and
- a shoulder limiting downward travel of said cutter;
- and
- (d) means for keying said lower mandrel to said cutter.
7 more elements
A method of sealing conduit joints in a well comprising the steps of:
- (a) lowering a milling tool having a cutter and means for controlling downward force on said cutter, on pipe into the well to engage said cutter on a shoulder in a conduit in the well;
- (b) forming an upwardly facing sealing surface on said shoulder by applying pipe weight to said milling tool and cutter and rotating said cutter on said shoulder;
- (c) replacing the milling tool with a seal unit on pipe having a metal lower end and a slidably connected metal seal ring thereon, said lower end and said metal ring each having surfaces sealingly engageable with said sealing surface;
- and
- (d) applying sufficient pipe weight to said seal unit to compress and deform the seal unit seal ring and lower end surfaces into sealing engagement with said sealing surface.
2 more elements
A method of sealing conduit joints in a well comprising the steps of:
- (a) lowering a milling tool having a cutter, means for controlling downward force on said cutter and releasably positioned shoulder means, on pipe into the well to engage said cutter on a shoulder in a well conduit having a seal bore, said releasably positioned shoulder means landing on said conduit;
- (b) forming an upwardly facing sealing surface on said shoulder by applying pipe weight to said milling tool and cutter and rotating said cutter on said shoulder;
- (c) replacing the milling tool with a seal unit on pipe having a metal lower end, a slidably connected metal seal ring thereon and one or more elastomeric seal sections thereon above said metal ring, said lower end and said metal ring each having surfaces sealingly engageable with said sealing surface and said elastomeric sections sealingly engageable in said receptacle seal bore;
- (d) positioning said seal unit lower end surface on said formed sealing surface and said elastomeric section in sealing engagement in said seal bore;
- and
- (e) applying sufficient pipe weight to said seal unit to compress and deform the seal unit seal ring and lower end surface into sealing engagement with said sealing surface.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.