US1459990A - Process of setting casing and cementing the same - Google Patents

Description

June 2S, 1923.

VM B.REED

PROCESS OF SETTING CASING AND CEMENTING THE SAME Filed May 8, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l /fulyefl'orncq .lime 26, 1923.

Filed May 8. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2H. l, a'. m6

Patented lune 26, 1923,.

. narran stares WARREN B. REED, OF MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA.

PnocEss or sETrING CASING AND animatiefilm.4 THE SAME.

, A Application led May 8, 1922. Serial No. 559,243.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, VARREN B. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morgan City, parish of St. Mary, Louisiana,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Setting Casing and Cementing the Same, of which the f'ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a process of set-- ting and cementing the casing in the operaltion of drilling deep wells.

In the drilling of wells for oil, gas, sulfur, etc., it is very often advisable to set ther casing tightly in lthe hole before the p ay stratum is openedup. This operation is especially desirablekwhere highgas pressure exists in the stratum being drilled into. The

process now in use is usually to fill the lower end of the hole with cement, set the lower end of the casing firmly on the bottom of the hole in the stratum above the pay and to allow thel cement to set. This is a difficult rocess to accomplish successfully, especially 1f any gas is rising, for the gas forces itsel in bubbles upwardly into the cement while it is fresh and makes the cement porous and prevents the proper setting of the same.

An object of my invention is to provide a process of c'ementing the casing so that the closure of the hole about the lower end ofA the casingwill be comp prevented rfrom mixing with the cement Another object is to simplify the operal tion of cementingand to reduce the amount of time and labor to a minimum.

Another object is to provide a process of 40 cementing whereby the hole may be thereafter drilled further into the pay stratum with a-minimum of diliiculty and without danger of injuring the well.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the detailed description which follows. Referring to the drawing herewith wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals of reference in all the views,

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section thru a well with an app aratus therein whereby my process may be performed.

VFigures 2 and 3 show similar viewswith thel parts adjusted into different positions;

lete and the gas be PP Figure 4 shows the device used in a hole which has been probed ahead and in Awhich a back pressure valve is employed.

In the carrying out of my process, I contemplate setting the casing iirmly on the bottom of the hole, expanding a packer on the casing immediately above the bot-tom and then filling the space outside the casing above the packer with cement for a suitable distance and allowing the cement to set. To carry out' this process I employ an apparatus similar in' construction to that shown in In copending application No. 548068, led l arch 20th, 1922.

The casing 1 to be set has, near the lower 70 endthereof, an enlarged nipple 2 connected, to said casing by a collar 3. `The nipple 2 telescopes over a length of pipe or liner 4 which rejects upwardly into said nipple a short'distance as shown in Fig.. 1. The nip- 75 ple is internally threaded at its lower end for attachment to said pipe 4 which is enlarged slightly and threaded at 5 for detachable connection with the nipple. 'Y

Said plpe 4 has at its lower end a collar or 80 shoe 6. This shoe 'is slotted interiorly at f 7 to receive a pointed blade 8the purpose of which is to sety firmly in the bottom of the hole and prevent the free rotation of the pipe. l 85 Intermediate the ends of pipe 4 is secured a canvas packer 9. At its lower end said packer is wired to the pipe at 10. The u er end of the packer is attached to collar 11- slidable on the outer surface of said pipe. 90

-Said. collar is reduced somewhat in thickness` below the upper end to receive the said packer. The collar 11 is 'detachably .secured to said pipe 4 by means of pins, 12 which may be made of any soft or brittle 95 metal easily sheared or broken when desired.

Inside the packer, adjacent the upper end thereof, the pipe 4 is perforated at 13 ,for a short distanceand it will be noted that, .100 with the parts as shown in Fig. 1, these perforations will be covered by the collar 11. In carrying out my process, the casing, packer and shoe are lowered to the bottom of the Well and are then raised slightly olf the bottom, as shown in Fig. 1, and flushing fluid is pumped down through the casing t0 wash out the well and clear it of obstructions. The casing is then forced down on to the bottom so asuto bury the blade 8 110 I tion 15.* This will prevent the in the material'a-nd. close the bottom of the` -leased the nipple and casin will be lowered on to' the collar 11 thus s caring oil pins 12 and moving collar 11 downwardly to expand the packer as shown in Fig. 2. A.

tamping action of the casing willthoroughly expand the packer so 'as to close the space outside the pipe 4.

The' casing will then be raised to exposeVY the openings 13 thusv opened by the movement 'of the collar 11. yCement will then be pumped down into the casing and forced outwardly through the foraminations 13 into the space abovey the packer. When a suitable quantityl of cement has thus been forced into this space, the casing will be lowered to close the .openings 13 and the casing rotated to settle the 'cementin place Varoundthe same. A smaller pipe or drill stem may then be lowered into the bottom of the well and flushing fluid be pumped down therethrough to clear the interior fof the casing of cement remaining within the casing.v The drill stem may then be withdrawn and the cement allowed lto set.

If there has been'a probe hole, such .as

vshown at 14 in Fig. 4, drilled to test the l formation, it may be necessary to use la back pressure valve of ordinary construcgas from escaping up through the casing.

When the cement is set a milling tool may `be used' e0 drill out the blade s and back pressure valve l15 and the hole may theref after be extended on into the pay stratum.`

The advantages of my improved process lie in the fact that a packer is used' to close the bottom' of the hole before the ce ment is introduced. No gas can then mix with the cementnwhile it is setting or hardening. The pay stratum is shut oil' not onlyby a proper cementing job but the packer also materially aids in closing the well outside thecasin'g.4 The casing mayv ing casing in wells, the improvement consisting of setting the casing firmly on the bottom, closing the space'outside the` casing adjacent the bottom by a packing means, forcing' cement downwardly through the casing into the space above said packing means, washing out the interior of the casing and allowing thepcement to set.

2. In the operation of setting and cementing casing in wells, the improvement consisting of introducing the casing, washing out the well, setting the casing firmly on the bottom, setting a packer above the bottom, forcing cement downwardly through the casing into the space above the packer, and allowing the cement to set. 3. In the operation of setting and ce menting casing in wells, the improvement consisting 'of introducing the casing into the well, setting said casing firmly on the bottom, packing the space outside the casing adjacent the bottom,-introducing a suitable quantity of cement into the space above the packing and allowing lthe cement to set. 4. In the operation of 'setting and cef menting casing in wells, the improvement consisting of lowering the casing to the bot-- tom of the hole, setting a packer adjacent the lower end and introducing cement into the space outside saidY casing@ above the packer.

5. In the operation of setting andl ce-l menting casing inv wells, theY improvement consistlngoflowering the casing to the bottom ofthe hole, washing the hole, setting a packer adjacent the lower end, introducing cement into the holeY above the packer, washing out the interior of the casing and allowing the cement to set.V

In testimony whereof, my signature, this the 26 day of April, 1922.

WARREN E. REED.

I hereunto aiizr

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