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US 5,690,177 AGranted
Fill valve
AssigneeWeatherford/Lamb, Inc.
InventorPeter Budde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fill valve includes a tubular housing which accommodates a valve member which is biased toward a closed position by a light spring. The valve member includes a head and a tubular portion which is provided with two large windows. When the fill valve is open fluid flows freely through the tubular portion of the fill valve and out of the windows.
Claims13
A fill valve for use in cementing operations in the construction of oil and gas wells, the fill valve comprising a tubular housing having a valve seat,
- a valve member slidably mounted in said tubular housing,
- spring means for biasing said valve member towards a closed position,
- said valve member comprising a head engageable with said valve seat of said tubular housing to close the valve,
- a tubular portion and at least one window in said tubular portion so that fluid pumped through said tubular portion displaces said valve member relative to said tubular housing to open the fill valve and exit via said at least one window, and
- selectively releasable apparatus for releasably maintaining the fill valve in an open position.
2 more elements
A casing string comprising
- a plurality of hollow tubular pieces of casing connected end-to-end,
- a fill valve connected to a lowermost end of the lowermost casing,
- the fill valve comprising
- a fill valve for use in cementing operations in the construction of oil and gas wells, the fill valve comprising a tubular housing having a valve seat,
- a valve member slidably mounted in said tubular housing,
- spring means for biasing said valve member towards a closed position,
- said valve member comprising a head engageable with said valve seat of said tubular housing to close the valve, and
- a tubular portion and at least one window in said tubular portion so that fluid pumped through said tubular portion displaces said valve member relative to said tubular housing to open the fill valve and exit via said at least one window.
5 more elements
A method for lowering a string of casing into a wellbore while allowing liquid in the wellbore to flow into the casing, the method comprising
- lowering a casing string into the wellbore, the casing string comprising a plurality of hollow tubular pieces of casing connected end-to-end, a fill valve connected to a lowermost end of the lowermost casing, the fill valve comprising a fill valve for use in cementing operations in the construction of oil and gas wells, the fill valve comprising a tubular housing having a valve seat, a valve member slidably mounted in said tubular housing, spring means for biasing said valve member towards a closed position, said valve member comprising a head engageable with said valve seat of said tubular housing to close the valve, and a tubular portion and at least one window in said tubular portion so that fluid pumped through said tubular portion displaces said valve member relative to said tubular housing to open the fill valve and exit via said at least one window, selectively releasable apparatus for releasably maintaining the fill valve in an open position, the selectively releasable apparatus includes a shearable member shearable in response to pressure on the valve member and shearing of the shearable member closes the fill valve, adjustable means for adjusting an amount of valve opening,
- liquid in the wellbore flowing into the string of casing through the open fill valve,
- activating the selectively releasable apparatus for maintaining the fill valve in an open position to close the fill valve,
- shearing the shearable member by pressure of the liquid on the valve member, and
- prior to lowering the casing string into the wellbore, adjusting the adjustable means so the fill valve is open a desired amount.
2 more elements
A method for lowering a string of casing into a wellbore while allowing liquid in the wellbore to flow into the casing, the method comprising
- lowering a casing string into the wellbore, the casing string comprising a plurality of hollow tubular pieces of casing connected end-to-end,
- a fill valve connected to a lowermost end of the lowermost casing, the fill valve comprising a fill valve for use in cementing operations in the construction of oil and gas wells, the fill valve comprising a tubular housing having a valve seat, a valve member slidably mounted in said tubular housing, spring means for biasing said valve member towards a closed position, said valve member comprising a head engageable with said valve seat of said tubular housing to close the valve, and a tubular portion and at least one window in said tubular portion so that fluid pumped through said tubular portion displaces said valve member relative to said tubular housing to open the fill valve and exit via said at least one window, and
- liquid in the wellbore flowing into the string of casing through the open fill valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.