Down-hole, production pump and circulation system

• US 5,941,311 A
• Filed: 12/12/1996
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Newton Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Newton Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Newton, Carl Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hoang C.
• Application Number:
  US08/762,870
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 166/369, 166/105, 166/107, 166/108, 166/68, 417/443, 417/444, 417/554, 417/450, 417/448, 417/434
• US Class Current: 166/369
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/127 Adaptations of walking-beam pump systems

Abstract

A production pump & circulation tool (1, FIG. 1) used down-hole on the end of a production string (FIG. 10) including: a combined traveling valve assembly bottom connector (10) and fishing tool section (20) which engages gripping pins (51) for twisting the tool and is associated with a traveling ball valve (11/12); a sleeve (30); peripherally spaced, "J" slots (43) in an outer member (40) in which guide pins (52) move changing the tool'"'"'s state with rotation about a longitudinal axis; a biasing spring (81); a standing valve assembly (50) which carries at its top a projector for unseating the traveling ball valve and to which the pins are attached and which encloses a standing valve ball (50A) and carries its seat (50B); a combined bushing (60) and top spring seat (70); a spring housing (80); and a standing valve projector (90) which can unseat the standing ball from its valve seat when the assembly 50 is lowered against the force of the spring. A pumping "valve locked closed" disposition (FIGS. 10B-D) and an injection "valve locked open" disposition (FIG. 10E). An atomizer (270) is utilized and/or a standing valve injector (320) and/or a projector channel (93) in the lower standing valve projector (90) are utilized for injecting diluents. The tool barrel and plunger with a non-abrasive outer "lining" and a non-corrosive inner "lining".

Claims

1. A down-hole circulation tool for use down-hole in a production well having a production tubing string and an inner plunger carried by a sucker rod string in association with a reciprocating pumping system on the surface, comprising:

a basic body attachable to the bottom of the tubing string which remains substantially stationary in use;

two ball valves in line, one above the other, associated with said basic body, each having a ball and a valve seat;

a lower projector located at the bottom area of the tool which is projectable through said valve seat of said lower valve, unseating its ball; and

an inner body which is rotatable about a longitudinally axis and longitudinally moveable with respect to said basic body and is temporarily attachable to the bottom of the plunger through a tool section;

the relative longitudinal positioning of said inner body with respect to said basic body defining two, distinctively different dispositions for the tool, a usual, closed, production disposition in which production flow pumping takes place using the reciprocating pump, and an injection, open disposition in which fluids from the surface are injected down the production tubing through the down-hole tool on an intermittent basis.

2. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 1, wherein there is further included an injection system fed with fluid by an injector pump located on the surface and comprising an injection fluid tube leading from the injector pump, into a longitudinal hole within a barrel connector, said barrel connector connecting the tool to a barrel and the production tubing string, said longitudinal hole aligning with a barrel channel through the barrel, and the injection fluid entering the down-hole tool through entry means.

3. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 2 wherein the barrel connector further comprises:

a check valve with a spring inserted at the bottom of the longitudinal hole;

a ball positioned on top of the spring in the longitudinal hole; and

a hollow longitudinal seat pin positioned on top of the spring.

4. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 2, wherein the entry means further comprise a channel into the center of the barrel connector from the bottom of the longitudinal hole.

5. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 2, wherein the entry means further comprise a second inner tube leading from the base of the longitudinal hole to a first injection means, or a second injection means, or a third injection means.

6. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 5, wherein the first injection means further comprise a standing valve injector positioned so as to receive the fluid from the injection fluid tube and inject it into the down-hole circulation tool adjacent the second ball valve.

7. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 6, wherein the standing valve injector further comprises;

a hollow sleeve with external threads for connection into the down-hole circulation tool adjacent the second ball valve and internal threads at its entry;

a nozzle injector insertable into the hollow sleeve;

a spring insertable behind the nozzle injector into the hollow sleeve; and

a threaded seat pin for securing the spring and nozzle injector in the hollow sleeve at the internal threads.

8. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 5, wherein the second injector means comprise an atomizer injector positioned adjacent the base of the lower projector located at the bottom area of the tool and connected to the injection fluid tube.

9. The down-hole circulation tool of claim 5, wherein the third injector means comprise a projector channel formed inside the lower projector and connected to the injection fluid tube;

said projector channel having a diameter that is reduced at the upper end of the lower projector.

10. A method of down-hole circulation in a production well including a production tubing string using a reciprocating pumping system on the surface to pump the production fluid from down in the well using a plunger, comprising the following steps:

a) providing a tool down-hole at the bottom of the production string, having

a basic body attachable to the bottom of the tubing string which remains substantially stationary in use;

two ball valves in line, one above the other, associated with said basic body; and

an inner body which is rotatable about a longitudinally axis and longitudinally moveable with respect to said basic body;

b) changing the relative longitudinal positioning of said inner body with respect to said basic body to change the tool between two, distinctively different dispositions, namely, a usual, closed, production disposition in which production flow pumping takes place using the reciprocating pumping system, and an activation, open disposition in which fluids from the surface are injected down the production tubing string through the down-hole tool on an intermittent basis; and

c) using a tool attached to the bottom of the plunger to temporarily engage the top of said inner body and rotating the engaged top of said inner body with respect to a longitudinal axis with respect to said basic body, changing the tool'"'"'s disposition.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein there is further provided the step of:

injecting fluids from the surface from an injection system fed with fluid by an injector pump located on the surface and comprising an injection fluid tube leading from the injector pump, into a longitudinal hole within a barrel connector and entering the down-hole tool through entry means.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the injecting step is further comprised of the additional step of:

injecting fluid through entry means comprising a standing valve injector positioned so as to receive the fluid from the injection fluid tube and inject it into the down-hole circulation tool adjacent the lower ball valve.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the injecting step is further comprised of the additional step of:

injecting fluid through entry means comprising an atomizer injector positioned adjacent the bottom area of the tool and connected to the injection tube.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the down-hole tool further has a lower projector, and wherein the injecting step is further comprised of the additional step of:

injecting fluid through entry means comprising a projector channel formed inside the lower projector and connected to the injection tube.