Method and apparatus for recovering core samples under pressure
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for retrieving a core sample under pressure, comprising:
- an outer barrel;
an inner barrel having a first end and a second end and defining a pressure chamber thereinbetween selectively disposable within said outer barrel, said inner barrel comprised of an inner tube and an outer tube, said inner tube being selectively longitudinally movable relative to said outer tube;
a valve connected to the inner barrel proximate said second end for sealing said inner barrel to form said pressure chamber;
a linkage mechanism interconnected between said valve and said outer tube for closing said valve when one of said inner tube and said outer tube longitudinally moves relative to the other;
at least one selectively releasable latching mechanism for selectively securing the inner tube to the outer tube; and
a second selectively releasable latching mechanism for selectively securing at least a portion of the inner barrel to the outer barrel wherein said inner barrel is selectively longitudinally movable relative to the outer barrel for recovering the inner barrel containing a core sample under pressure while leaving the outer barrel downhole.
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Abstract
A pressure and temperature core sampler comprises a tool for recovering cores specifically enabling the evaluation of methane hydrate resources. Because methane hydrate tends to decompose under conditions of pressure decrease and/or temperature increase as the samples are retrieved to the surface, a coring tool in accordance with the present invention provides a self-contained system for retrieving core samples at or near in situ pressure while cooling the core sample. The coring tool is preferably a wire line retrievable device that provides for nearly continuous coring during the drilling operation.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. An apparatus for retrieving a core sample under pressure, comprising:
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an outer barrel;
an inner barrel having a first end and a second end and defining a pressure chamber thereinbetween selectively disposable within said outer barrel, said inner barrel comprised of an inner tube and an outer tube, said inner tube being selectively longitudinally movable relative to said outer tube;
a valve connected to the inner barrel proximate said second end for sealing said inner barrel to form said pressure chamber;
a linkage mechanism interconnected between said valve and said outer tube for closing said valve when one of said inner tube and said outer tube longitudinally moves relative to the other;
at least one selectively releasable latching mechanism for selectively securing the inner tube to the outer tube; and
a second selectively releasable latching mechanism for selectively securing at least a portion of the inner barrel to the outer barrel wherein said inner barrel is selectively longitudinally movable relative to the outer barrel for recovering the inner barrel containing a core sample under pressure while leaving the outer barrel downhole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for retrieving a core sample under pressure, comprising:
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an outer barrel;
an inner barrel having a first end and a second end and defining a pressure chamber thereinbetween selectively disposable within said outer barrel, said inner barrel comprised of an inner tube and an outer tube, said inner tube being selectively longitudinally movable relative to said outer tube;
a valve connected to the inner barrel proximate said second end for sealing said inner barrel to form said pressure chamber;
a linkage mechanism interconnected between said valve and said outer tube for closing said valve when one of said inner tube and said outer tube longitudinally moves relative to the other;
a cooling system associated with said inner tube for cooling at least a portion of the inner tube, said cooling system comprising a power source for providing electric current to a plurality of cooling elements. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification