Storm valve
OwnerMonty E. Harrisinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for temporarily storing the lower portion of a string of drill pipe in a well which has a cased portion wherein a packer, installed between a storm valve located below the packer and an actuator located above the packer, is set in the annulus between the drill pipe and the well casing, the actuator being designed to close the valve upon initial axial movement of the upper portion of the drill pipe, and then to become disengaged from the lower portion of the set drill pipe allowing the remaining surface suspended drill pipe and actuator to be retrieved as in the case of a floating drill ship or set aside for reconnection and reopening of the storm valve after a storm has passed.
Claims19
In a well having a casing, a string of drill pipe extending into the casing, a support mechanism mounted in said string of drill pipe that transfers the weight of the drill pipe below said support mechanism to said casing, an apparatus mounted in said string of drill pipe for opening and closing a passage extending through said drill pipe, said apparatus comprising:
- a valve mounted in said passage and movable from an open to a closed position;
- an actuator assembly having a logitudinal axis and an upper portion connected to said string of drill pipe above said support member, the actuator assembly located in a first axial position relative to said valve when said valve is in said open position and a second axial position relative to said valve when said valve is in the closed position, said actuator assembly being connected to said valve to close said valve by moving from the first to the second position in response to axial movement of said string of drill pipe above said support mechanism after said drill pipe is supported within said casing by said support mechanism;
- a valve connector that connects said actuator assembly to said valve, said valve connector releasing said actuator assembly from said valve upon picking up said string of drill pipe and thus releasing said actuator assembly from the second position, allowing retrieval of said actuator assembly and said string of drill pipe above said support mechanism.
In a well having a casing, a string of drill pipe extending into the casing, a support mechanism mounted in said string of drill pipe that when set transfers the weight of the drill pipe below said support mechanism to said casing, an apparatus mounted in said string of drill pipe for opening and closing a passage extending through said drill pipe, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a lower end secured to said string of drill pipe;
- a mandrel positioned within said housing and having an upper end secured to said string of drill pipe;
- a valve sleeve in said housing movable from an open to a closed position by moving said valve sleeve upward relative to said housing;
- an upper connector that releasably connects said mandrel to said housing and disconnects said mandrel from said housing in response to downward movement of said mandrel relative to said housing;
- a lower connector that releasably connects said mandrel to said valve sleeve and disconnects said mandrel from said valve sleeve in response to upward movement of said mandrel relative to said housing after said valve sleeve is in said closed position;
- wherein slacking off tension on said drill string after said support mechanism has set moves said mandrel and said sleeve downward relative to said housing and causes said upper connecter to disconnect said mandrel from said housing;
- and
- wherein picking up said drill string after said mechanism is disconnected from said housing pulls said valve sleeve up to a closed position and said lower connector disconnects said mandrel from said valve sleeve.
In a well having a casing, an apparatus for suspending a string of drill pipe within said casing comprising:
- a packer mounted in said string of drill pipe and settable in an annulus between said drill pipe and said casing, said packer having a hanger mechanism for supporting said drill pipe in the well;
- a mandrel upper portion secured to said string of drill pipe and defining an interior passage, said mandrel upper portion having a lower end and an external recess;
- a collet member surrounding said mandrel upper portion, said mandrel upper portion being downwardly movable a short distance relative to said collet member, placing said collet member in a released position;
- a lock member on an upper end of said collet member for engaging said external recess of said mandrel upper portion while said collet member is in the released position to lock said collet member in said upper position, said collet member having inwardly biased depending fingers on a lower end of said collet member;
- a housing secured to said string of drill pipe having an upper end with an internal groove for engaging said inwardly biased depending fingers on said collet member;
- a mandrel intermediate portion having an external conical cam surface on an upper end of said mandrel intermediate portion for forcing said inwardly biased depending fingers of said collet member outward to force engagement with said groove in said housing;
- said mandrel portions being movable downwardly relative to said housing in response to slacking off tension in said string of drill pipe after said packer is set causing the collet member to move to said released position and to disengage said housing;
- an inner valve sleeve located in the housing, having outwardly biased collet fingers on an upper end of said inner valve sleeve and having a flow port passing therethrough, each of said outwardly biased collet fingers having a head on an upper end;
- a mandrel lower portion affixed to a lower end of said mandrel intermediate portion and having an annular groove in a lower end of said mandrel lower portion for receiving said heads on said upper ends of said outwardly biased collet fingers of said inner valve sleeve;
- and
- an outer valve sleeve stationarily mounted in said housing and surrounding said inner valve sleeve, said inner valve sleeve being movable upward with said mandrel portions to an upper position relative to said outer valve sleeve, and said outer valve sleeve having a flow port that selectively communicates with said flow port of said inner valve sleeve when said inner valve sleeve is in a lower position but not in said closed position, said heads on said outward biased collet fingers disengaging from said annular groove when said outer valve sleeve is in said upper position, allowing said mandrel lower portion to be retrieved.
A method of temporarily storing a string of drill pipe in a well that has a cased portion, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) mounting a valve in said string of drill pipe, and an actuator assembly that moves with respect to axial movement of the drill pipe to close said valve;
- (b) mounting a packer around said string of drill pipe below said valve;
- (c) positioning the string of drill pipe within the cased portion of the well, then setting the packer to support said string of drill pipe;
- then
- (d) moving the drill string in straight axial movement to move the actuator to close the valve, and disengaging said actuator assembly from said valve;
- and
- (e) retrieving said drill pipe above said packer and said actuator assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.