Mechanical Drain for Oilfield Service

Abstract

A mechanically actuated tubing drain for service with oil wells, water wells, gas wells and/or thermal wells has a configuration in which the drain opens by operation of a bumper member which may be pulled upwardly to move a sleeve member which is initially positioned adjacent to a drain port, thereby sealing the drain port. Once the bumper member pushes the sleeve member upwardly, any fluid in the tubing above the drain port will drain from the tubing. The bumper member may be pulled upwardly either by upward movement of a rod string or by operation of a wireline or slickline tool. The mechanically actuated drain does not require a tubing anchor to operate.

Claims

1. A mechanically actuated drain for draining a tubing string in an oilwell, the mechanically actuated drain comprising: a tubular member having an upper end, a lower end, with an axially aligned opening defined within a tubular wall, the axially aligned opening extending between the upper end and the lower end, the tubular wall having an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside surface comprising an upper bore section and a contiguous lower bore section, wherein the lower bore section comprises a drain port extending through the tubular wall from the inside surface to the outside surface; a sleeve member having a top and a bottom, the sleeve member configured to be releasably retained within the lower bore section by a plurality of shear pins, the sleeve member disposed across the drain port, the sleeve member configured to prevent a flow of fluid through the drain port when the sleeve member is retained within the lower bore section; a bumper member disposed in a first position below the lower bore section, the bumper member raisable to a second position wherein the bumper member engages the bottom of the sleeve member thereby causing the plurality of shear pins to shear and driving the top of the sleeve member into the upper bore section, thereby uncovering the drain port and allowing a fluid to flow through the drain port to an exterior of the mechanically actuated drain, wherein the top of the sleeve member is retained in the upper bore section.

2. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the tubular member is a single piece mandrel.

3. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises an upper connector member and a lower mandrel member detachably connected together by a threaded connection wherein the upper connector member comprises the upper bore section and the lower mandrel comprises the lower bore section.

4. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 3 wherein the sleeve member comprises a plurality of outside diameters in a graduated configuration, with the plurality of outside diameters increasing in size from a smallest outside diameter at the top of the sleeve member and increasing with respect to an axial distance away from the top of the sleeve member.

5. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 4 wherein the upper bore section comprises an internal diameter having a wedge configuration with the internal diameter decreasing in size axially toward the upper end, wherein the graduated configuration of the outside diameters of the sleeve member and the wedge configuration of the internal diameter of the upper bore section cooperatively act to retain the top of the sleeve member in the upper bore section upon the raising of the sleeve member by the bumper member.

6. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the bumper member depends from a rod, the rod extending through the tubular member and the sleeve member, wherein the bumper member is configured to be selectively raised by the rod from the first position to the second position.

7. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the bumper member is configured to be selectively raised by a wireline from the first position to the second position.

8. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the bumper member comprises an upper section having a lobed profile.

9. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 6 wherein the rod comprises a downward facing threaded pin and the bumper member an internal thread configured to accept the threaded pin.

10. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises a plurality of apertures for receiving the plurality of shear pins.

11. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises an upper O-ring groove having a first O-ring disposed therein, the sleeve further comprising a lower O-ring groove having a second O-ring disposed therein.

12. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein the tubular member comprises a plurality of drain ports.

13. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of shear pins comprises a threaded brass set screw.

14. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of drain ports has a diameter ranging from one half inch to three-quarter inch.

15. A mechanically actuated drain for draining a tubing string in an oilwell, the mechanically actuated drain comprising: a mandrel member having an upper end, a lower end, with an axially aligned opening defined within a mandrel wall, the axially aligned opening extending between the upper end and the lower end, the mandrel wall having an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside surface comprising an upper bore section and an adjacent lower bore section, wherein the lower bore section comprises a drain port extending through the mandrel wall from the inside surface to the outside surface; a sleeve member having a top and a bottom, the sleeve member configured to be pinned at a first position within the lower bore section by a plurality of shear pins, the sleeve member disposed across the drain port, the sleeve member comprising a first O-ring disposed above the drain port, the sleeve member comprising a second O-ring disposed below the drain port; a bumper member disposed in an initial position below the sleeve member, the bumper member raisable to a secondary position above the drain port, thereby causing the bumper member to engage the bottom of the sleeve member, shear the shear pins and raise the top of the sleeve member into the upper bore section, thereby uncovering the drain port and allowing a fluid to flow through the drain port to an exterior of the mechanically actuated drain.

16. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 15 wherein the sleeve member comprises a plurality of outside diameters in a graduated configuration, with the plurality of outside diameters increasing in size from a smallest outside diameter at the top of the sleeve member to a maximum diameter point an axial distance away from the top of the sleeve member.

17. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 16 wherein the upper bore section comprises an internal diameter having a wedge configuration with the internal diameter decreasing in size axially toward an upper terminus of the upper bore section, wherein the graduated configuration of the outside diameters of the sleeve member and the wedge configuration of the internal diameter of the upper bore section cooperatively act to retain the top of the sleeve member in the upper bore section upon the raising of the sleeve member by the bumper member.

18. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 15 wherein the bumper member depends from a rod, the rod extending through the mandrel member and the sleeve member, wherein the bumper member is configured to be selectively raised by the rod from the initial position to the secondary position.

19. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of shear pins comprises a threaded brass set screw.

20. The mechanically actuated drain of claim 15 wherein the shearing of the plurality of shear pins results in a first plurality of shear pin fragments left in the sleeve member and a second plurality of shear pin fragments left in the mandrel member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 depicts a sectioned view of an embodiment of a mechanical drain comprising a single piece mandrel with the sleeve member pulled into an upper bore section of the mandrel.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a quarter-sectioned view of a tubular member of an embodiment of a mechanical drain, the tubular member comprising a single piece mandrel.

[0017] FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of the single piece mandrel and sleeve shown in FIG. 2.

[0018] FIG. 4 depicts a sectioned view of the tubular member of an embodiment of the mechanical drain, the tubular member comprising a lower mandrel member and an upper connector member.

[0019] FIG. 5 depicts an exploded view of an assembly comprising a lower mandrel member, an upper connector member and a sleeve member utilized in an embodiment of the mechanical drain.

[0020] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a sleeve member of FIG. 5.

[0021] FIG. 7 shows a sectioned view of the of the lower mandrel member, upper connector member and the sleeve member shown in FIG. 5.

[0022] FIG. 8 shows a sectioned view of the upper connector member depicted in FIG. 5.

[0023] FIG. 9 shows a quarter sectioned view of the sleeve member depicted in FIG. 5.

[0024] FIG. 10 shows a sectioned view of a portion of the walls of the upper connector, the lower mandrel member and the sleeve member when the sleeve member has been moved into the upper bore section of the lower mandrel member, thereby allowing flow through the drain port.

[0025] FIG. 11 depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of a bumper member which might be utilized in embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 12 depicts a side view of the bumper member depicted in FIG. 11.

[0027] FIG. 13 depicts a top view of the bumper member depicted in FIG. 11, showing the outside diameter of the bumper member to the inside diameters of the pump barrel diameter and the sleeve member, each shown by dashed lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Referring specifically to the figures, two basic embodiments of the presently disclosed invention are depicted. The first embodiment 100 of the mechanical drain has a one-piece tubular member 110 or mandrel as depicted in FIGS. 1-3. First embodiment 100 may provide a sleeve member 130 having larger inside diameter by utilizing tighter tolerances between the outside diameter of the sleeve member and the inside diameter of the tubular member 110.

[0029] Second embodiment 200 utilizes a two-piece tubular member 210 which provides looser tolerances between the outside diameter of the sleeve member 250 and the inside diameter of the tubular member, thereby providing an embodiment in which the sleeve member 230 has a smaller inside diameter than the inside diameter of the sleeve member 130 utilized in the one-piece tubular member 110. Each embodiment will have specific benefits depending upon the characteristics of a particular well.

[0030] The first embodiment of the mechanical drain 100 is connected at its upper end to a joint of tubing 10 suspended from a string of tubing which extends to the surface of the well. A string of sucker rods may run through the tubing string and extend through the mechanical drain 100 and connect to a pump assembly, such as a plunger for a tubing pump below the mechanical drain 100.

[0031] Mechanical drain 100 comprises a tubular member 110, also referred to herein as a single piece mandrel. Tubular member 110 comprises an upper end 112, a lower end 114 and an axially aligned opening 116 extending between the upper end and the lower end. Tubular member 110 has a tubular wall 118 having an inside surface 120 and an outside surface 122. The inside surface has an upper bore section UB and a lower bore section LB which is contiguous with the upper bore section. The lower bore section LB has at least one drain port 124 which extends through the tubular wall 118 from the inside surface 120 to the outside surface 122.

[0032] Mechanical drain 100 also comprises a sleeve member 130. Sleeve member 130 is initially disposed within the lower bore section LB and pinned into place in that section as discussed below. When desired, sleeve member 130 may be raised into upper bore section UB by utilizing an upward pulling means. FIG. 1 depicts sleeve member 130 after it has been pulled into the upper bore section.

[0033] Mechanical drain 100 also comprises a bumper member 150, shown in greater detail in FIGS. 11-13. When used in a tubing pump configuration, bumper member 150 may be made up to the pump plunger or to a plunger extension which attaches to the plunger. The lower end of bumper member 150 may be configured to attach to a plunger assembly. Bumper member 150 is installed with the pump plunger set within the pump barrel which is run in with the tubing string.

[0034] As indicated in FIG. 13, bumper member 150 has a lobed configuration having a minimum diameter and a maximum diameter. FIG. 13 shows the minimum and maximum outside diameters of the bumper member 150 with respect to the relative inside diameter DB of the pump barrel and the inside diameter Ds of the sleeve member 130 shown in dashed lines.

[0035] Bumper member 150 is disposed in a first position which is below lower bore section LB. The bumper member 150 is raisable to a second position where the bumper member 150 engages the bottom 132 of sleeve member 130 thereby pushing sleeve member 130 into upper bore section LB as depicted in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, bumper member 150 has axial opening 152. Axial opening 152 may comprise internal threads 154 which may extend through the length of bumper member 150 as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, internal threads 154 may extend for just a portion of the axial opening 152. The pin end of a pump rod (not shown) run in on a rod string may be made up to internal threads 154 of bumper member 150. Alternatively, bumper member 150 may have an upper end configured to be grasped by a tool run in with slickline or wireline.

[0036] Sleeve member 130 has a bottom 132 and a top 134. FIG. 2 depicts sleeve member 130 in its initial position set within lower bore section LB by shear pins 136 which extend through tubular member 110 into apertures 138 in the exterior wall of sleeve member 130. Shear pins 136 may be threaded brass screws and apertures 138 may have internal threads for receiving threaded shear pins.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the sleeve member 130 is in its initial position it is held by shear pins 136. In its initial position, sleeve member 130 is positioned over drain port(s) 124. Sleeve member 130 may have upper O-ring grooves 138 and lower O-ring grooves 140 which are respectively disposed above and below a smooth wall section 142. O-rings 144 are disposed within upper O-ring grooves 138 and O-rings 146 are disposed within lower O-ring grooves 140. When sleeve member 130 is in its initial position within lower bore section LB, smooth wall section will be disposed adjacent and across drain port(s) 124 with O-ring grooves 138 with O-rings 144 positioned above the drain port(s) and O-ring grooves 140 with O-rings 144 positioned below the drain port(s). Thus, when sleeve member 130 is in its initial position within lower bore section LB, fluid flows through the axially aligned opening through the mechanical drain and through the tubing string and drain port 124 is sealed from any fluid flow by sleeve member 130. This is the configuration of the mechanical drain when the well is on production.

[0038] As discussed above, FIG. 1 depicts at least the top of sleeve member 130 seated within upper bore section UB. Sleeve member 130 is pushed into upper bore section UB by bumper member 150 when bumper member 150 is pulled from a first position below the lower bore section LB into a second position where the bumper member 150 engages the bottom 132 of sleeve member 130. Further upward movement of bumper member 150 causes shear pins 136 to break and allows at least the top of sleeve member 130 to be pushed into the upper bore section UB, thereby uncovering drain port(s) 124 and allowing fluid to exit the tubing by flowing out through the uncovered drain port(s). It is to be noted that when the top of sleeve member 130 is pushed into the upper bore section UB by bumper member 150, shear pin fragments are retained within tubular member 110 and within the apertures 138 of the sleeve member 130, such that no shear pin fragments end up falling into the wellbore. Bumper member 150 may be pulled upward to raise sleeve member 130 either by raising of the rod string or by upward force applied by a slick line or wire line.

[0039] In this embodiment of the mechanical drain 100, once sleeve member 130 is pulled into the upper bore section UB the sleeve member remains in the upper bore section even after the upward force is release, such as when the portion of the rod string above the mechanical drain is disconnected. Although the upper bore section UB has a larger diameter than the lower bore section LB, the dimensional tolerances between the outside diameter of the sleeve member 130 and the inside diameter of the upper bore section of the tubular member 110 are sufficiently tight that once the sleeve member is pulled into the upper bore section the O-rings will expand sufficiently to prevent the sleeve from falling back into the lower bore section LB even after the upward tension is removed from the bumper member 150.

[0040] FIGS. 4-10 depict components of a second embodiment 200 of the mechanical drain. It is to be appreciated that the same bumper member 150 shown in FIGS. 11-13 may be utilized with both the first embodiment 100 and the second embodiment 200. While FIGS. 4-10 do not show bumper member 150, it is to be understood that bumper member 150 is a component of the second embodiment 200.

[0041] Mechanical drain 200 comprises a tubular member 210 comprising a lower mandrel member 212 and an upper connector member 214. Lower mandrel member 212 has an upper end 216, a lower end 218 and an axially aligned opening 220 extending between the upper end and the lower end. Lower mandrel member 212 has a mandrel member wall 222 having an inside surface 224 and an outside surface 226. The inside surface 224 has a lower bore section LB. The lower bore section LB has at least one drain port 228 which extends through the mandrel member wall 222 from the inside surface 224 to the outside surface 226.

[0042] Upper connector member 214 comprises an upper end 230 and a lower end 232. As depicted in FIG. 4, the lower end 232 of upper connector member 214 may comprise a pin end and lower mandrel member 212 may comprise a box end for receiving the pin end of the upper connector member 214. However, this configuration may be reversed as desired for the application and without changing the scope or purpose of the invention. Upper end 230 of the upper connector member 214 is connected to a joint of the tubing string above the mechanical drain 200.

[0043] Upper connector member 214 has an inside surface 234 having an upper bore section UB which is adjacent to the lower bore section LB of the lower mandrel member 212. Upper bore section UB comprises an axial section 236 having internal diameter in a wedge configuration with the internal diameter decreasing in size axially upward through the upper bore section UB to a terminus 238 of the upper bore section.

[0044] Mechanical drain 200 also comprises a sleeve member 250. Sleeve member 250 is initially disposed within the lower bore section LB and pinned into place in that section as discussed below. When desired, sleeve member 250 may be raised such that the top 252 of sleeve member 250 is shifted into upper bore section UB as depicted in FIG. 7. by utilizing an upward pulling means on bumper member 150 as described above for the first embodiment of the mechanical drain 100.

[0045] Bumper member 150 is disposed in a first position which is below lower bore section LB. The bumper member 150 is raisable to a second position where the bumper member 150 engages the bottom 254 of sleeve member 250 thereby pushing sleeve member 250 upward so that the top 252 of sleeve member 250 is moved into upper bore section LB as depicted in FIG. 7.

[0046] FIG. 4 depicts sleeve member 250 in its initial position set within lower bore section LB by shear pins 256 which extend through mandrel member 212 nto apertures 258 in the exterior wall of sleeve member 250. Shear pins 256 may be threaded brass screws and apertures 258 may have internal threads for receiving threaded shear pins.

[0047] As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the sleeve member 250 is in its initial position it is held by shear pins 256. In its initial position, sleeve member 250 is positioned over drain port(s) 228. Sleeve member 250 may have upper O-ring grooves 260 and lower O-ring grooves 262 which are respectively disposed above and below a smooth wall section 264. O-rings 266 are disposed within upper O-ring grooves 260 and O-rings 266 are disposed within lower O-ring grooves 262. When sleeve member 250 is in its initial position within lower bore section LB, smooth wall section 264 will be disposed adjacent and across drain port(s) 228 with O-ring grooves 260 with O-rings 266 positioned above the drain port(s) and O-ring grooves 262 with O-rings 266 positioned below the drain port(s). Thus, when sleeve member 250 is in its initial position within lower bore section LB, fluid flows through the axially aligned opening through the mechanical drain 200 and through the tubing string and drain port 228 is sealed from any fluid flow by sleeve member 250. This is the configuration of the mechanical drain when the well is on production.

[0048] The top 252 of sleeve member 250 is brought into upper bore section UB by bumper member 150 being pulled from a first position below the lower bore section LB into a second position where the bumper member 150 engages the bottom 254 of sleeve member 250. Further upward pushing of sleeve member 250 causes shear pins 256 to break and allows the top 252 of sleeve member 250 to be pushed into the upper bore section UB by bumper member 150. The upward movement of sleeve member 250 uncovers drain port(s) 228 and allows fluid to exit the tubing by flowing out through the uncovered drain port(s). It is to be noted that when sleeve member 250 is pushed upward with sufficient force to break the shear pins, the shear pin fragments are retained within mandrel member 212 and within the apertures 258 of the sleeve member 250 such that no shear pin fragments end up falling into the wellbore. As with mechanical anchor 100, bumper member 150 may be pulled upward to raise sleeve member 250 either by raising of the rod string or by upward force applied by a slick line or wire line.

[0049] In this embodiment of the mechanical drain 200, sleeve member 250 has an outside diameter at top 252 which is at a minimum, but which diameter increases in a step configuration between top 252 and a maximum diameter point 268. This configuration of the sleeve member 250 interacts cooperatively with wedge configuration of upper bore section UB described above to wedge the top of sleeve member into the upper bore section as it is pushed upwardly by bumper member 150 to retain sleeve member 250 in the upper position once the upward force applied to bumper member 150 is stopped, thereby preventing the sleeve member 250 from falling back into the lower bore section LB and covering drain port 228

[0050] While the above is a description of various embodiments of the present invention, further modifications may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus the scope of the invention should not be limited according to these factors, but according to the following appended claims.