Annulus pressure operated vent assembly

An apparatus for perforating a casing containing fluid therein in a well and for controlling the flow of fluids into said apparatus from said casing containing fluid therein and from a formation of the earth behind said casing in said well, said apparatus comprising:

• a tubing string disposed in said well in spaced relation to said casing so that an annulus is defined therebetween, said tubing string adapted to conduct a fluid therethrough and containing a fluid therein and said tubing string including:
• tubing sections extending from the top of said well thereinto;
• and
• packer means connected to said tubing sections and set in said casing in said well for dividing said annulus into an upper annular portion located above said packer means and a lower annular portion located below said packer means;
• vent means, connected to said tubing string and located below said packer means, for preventing the flow of fluid between said lower annular portion and said tubing string through said vent means when said vent means is closed and for permitting the flow of fluid between said lower annular portion and said tubing string through said vent means when said vent means is open;
• and
• actuating means, connected to said tubing string and located above said packer means, for actuating said vent means in response to the differential in fluid pressure of said fluid within said casing in said upper annular portion and the fluid pressure of the fluid within said tubing string, said actuating means including:
• a piston housing connectible into said tubing string;
• a piston disposed in said piston housing;
• connector means for connecting said piston to said vent means;
• and
• holding means for holding said piston stationary relative to said piston housing until said differential in said fluid pressures acting on said holding means exceeds a predetermined magnitude.

An apparatus for perforating a casing containing fluid therein in a well and for controlling the flow of fluids into said apparatus from said casing containing fluid therein and from a formation of the earth behind said casing in said well, said apparatus comprising:

• a tubing string disposed in said well in spaced relation to said casing so that an annulus is defined therebetween, said tubing string adapted to conduct a fluid therethrough and containing a fluid therein and said tubing string including:
• tubing sections extending from the top of said well thereinto;
• and
• packer means connected to said tubing sections and set in said casing in said well for dividing said annulus into an upper annular portion located above said packer means and a lower annular portion located below said packer means;
• vent means, connected to said tubing string and located below said packer means, for preventing the flow of fluid between said lower annular portion and said tubing string through said vent means when said vent means is closed and for permitting the flow of fluid between said lower annular portion and said tubing string through said vent means when said vent means is open, said vent means including:
• a vent body connected to said tubing string;
• and
• a vent sleeve slidably received in said vent body;
• actuating means, connected to said tubing string and located above said packer means, for actuating said vent means in response to the differential in fluid pressure of said fluid within said casing in said upper annular portion and the fluid pressure of the fluid within said tubing string, said actuating means including:
• connector means for connecting said actuating means to said vent sleeve so that said connector means can be disconnected from said vent sleeve in response to a rotational force applied to said connector means;
• and
• said vent means further including means for preventing said vent sleeve from rotating relative to said vent body when the rotational force is applied to said connector means.

An apparatus for communicating an annulus outside a tubing string with an interior of the tubing string when the tubing string is disposed in a well, comprising:

• a vent connectible into the tubing string and controllable between a closed state, wherein an annulus outside the tubing string is not communicated to the interior of the tubing string through said vent, and an open state, wherein an annulus outside the tubing string is communicated to the interior of the tubing string through said vent, said vent including:
• a vent body;
• a vent sleeve slidably connected to said vent body;
• and
• actuating means, disposable in the well, for actuating said vent to one of said states in response to a differential bias acting on said actuating means within the well at a location spaced from said vent, said actuating means including:
• a piston housing;
• a piston disposed in said piston housing and responsive to said differential bias;
• and
• connector means for connecting said piston and said vent sleeve, said connector means including:
• a tubing connected to said piston;
• and
• engagement means, connected to said tubing, for engaging an engagement surface of said vent sleeve in response to downward movement of said engagement means relative to said vent sleeve, said engagement means including:
• a mandrel connected to said tubing, said mandrel having a lower rim;
• and
• a collet member mounted on said mandrel so that said collet member is rotatable with said mandrel but so that said mandrel is longitudinally movable relative to said collet member, said collet member having resilient collet fingers for engaging the engagement surface of said vent sleeve in response to the downward movement of said engagement means relative to said vent sleeve and for being held against the engagement means by said rim of said mandrel in response to subsequent upward movement of said mandrel relative to said collet member.