Abstract: An apparatus for locking a tool into an annular groove formed on the interior of a subterranean well includes a segmented lock ring expandable into the groove by axially shiftable tapered keys wedged between segments of the ring. A latch collet between the keys and an associated running tool transmits an axial force from the running tool to the keys for wedging the keys between the segments of the segmented locking rings. After a predetermined axial travel of the running tool, the latch collet springs into the latch position, releasing the running tool and holding the keys in wedged position between the segments of the locking ring.

Abstract: An assembly including a tubing safety valve and annulus safety valve mounted within nipples incorporated within an inner conduit is disclosed for use in conjunction with the injection of material, such as gas, through the center of the inner conduit. The injected material can be used to stimulate production of fluids from the formation through the annulus between the inner conduit and an outer concentric conduit. This outer concentric conduit normally comprises an existing producting tubing string having existing safety valve nipple and external control fluid lines. Nipples incorporated within the inner conduit provide means for sealing the annulus between the inner and the outer conduit and for positioning the inner conduit relative to the outer conduit to provide communication between the tubing safety valve and the annulus safety valve and the external existing source of control fluid pressure.

Abstract: A method of drilling a subterranean well utilizing a downhole drilling apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has a driven rotary drive shaft and a relatively fixed tubular housing circumjacent the drive shaft, with the housing having an annular upwardly facing bearing surface at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the housing and an annular sealing surface facing downwardly at an angle to the axis and axially spaced above the upwardly facing bearing surface. The method includes the steps of securing the drilling apparatus to the lower end of a string of drill pipes suspended in the well with the longitudinal axis of the housing coincident with the longitudinal axis of the string of drill pipe. Thereafter, the drill bit is secured to the lower end of the drive shaft, and fluid is pumped through the drilling apparatus to rotate the drive shaft and the bit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved subterranean well safety valve wherein an annular actuator is moved downwardly by applied fluid pressure to effect the opening movement of a valve head of a valve relative to an annular valve seat. The initial downward movement of the actuator effects the displacement of a valve stem which extends through a restricted aperture in the valve head, moving a ball valve segment on the valve stem from a seat in the aperture, thus permitting the bleeding of any fluid pressure differential existing on the lower side of the valve head relative to the upper side and reducing the amount of force required to move the valve to its open position. Additionally, in one embodiment, a locking sleeve is slidably mounted within the shiftable annular actuator and such sleeve is operable by an auxiliary tool to effect the radial shifting of locking elements carried by the actuator into locking engagement with the valve housing to achieve a temporary locking of the valve in an open position.

Abstract: A bearing supports a rotatable shaft in a fluid environment. The bearing can be utilized to support a drive shaft connected to a drill bit in a downhole drilling apparatus. The drive shaft extends through a housing in which drilling fluid is flowing. Preferably, the bearing includes an inner elastomeric sleeve and an outer rigid sleeve attached to the interior side wall of the housing. The drive shaft has a wear sleeve attached for rotation therewith. The wear sleeve is rotatably received in the bearing inner sleeve. The inner sleeve is relatively short as compared with the drive shaft and absorbs radial loads imposed on the drive shaft. The bearing is lubricated by a portion of the drilling fluid in the housing which flows between the exterior side wall of the wear sleeve and the interior side wall of the inner sleeve.

Abstract: A valve apparatus for use in an intermittent gas lift subterranean well, having a reservoir with insufficient pressure for continuous delivery of produced fluids to the top surface of the well is disclosed. A valve apparatus carriable on a fluid transmission conduit has a flow passage for permitting produced fluids to flow through the transmission conduit from the reservoir. The valve is responsive to pressure to open the valve in the presence of a greater pressure exerted by the reservoir below the valve, and to close the valve in response to an even greater pressure generated by intermittent gas injection. A second flow passage selectively communicating with a radially extending port permits the flow of injected fluids from the tubing into the reservoir. A second valve, for selectively opening and closing the second flow passage, is spring biased in the closed position so that it remains closed when subjected to reservoir pressure, intermittent gas pressure, or their sum.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the insertion and disengagement of a tubing string used in a subterranean well subject to oppositely directed pressure differentials is disclosed. A packer apparatus which anchors a portion of the tubing string against rotation is used in conjunction with a disengagable on/off connector and a valve apparatus capable of withstanding oppositely directed pressure differentials. The valve apparatus can be selectively opened and closed by rotary manipulation of the tubing string through the disengagable on/off connector. Portions of the tubing string above the valve apparatus can then be inserted into the well or removed from the well or tested for pressure integrity.

Abstract: A cylindrical housing is adapted to receive and discharge fluid in a subterranean well. In a preferred form, a plate is positioned in the cylinder separating it into first and second chambers. Filter adapter receiving means are disposed across the plate, with a filter adapter securable therein, the adapter having a passageway extending to the chambers. The adapter has a cylindrical housing having an enlarged cartridge positioning portion. A grooveway is defined on the adapter extending exteriorly therearound for securing one end of a secondary cartridge filter. A secondary cartridge filter has an inner filter completely surrounded by a replaceable and reuseable primary sleeve filter and is positionable on the adapter, the filter providing a seal having an interiorly facing circumferentially extending lip for contact with the exterior of the cylindrical housing when the filter is located on the adapter, for sealingly securing the filter to the adapter.

Abstract: An improved apparatus is provided for burning hydrocarbon-containing matter as a result of, for example, testing operations on a subterranean well wherein the hydrocarbon-containing matter is atomized and sprayed outwardly from a ring of nozzles whose axes define an outwardly flaring cone. Preferably, the atomization of the hydrocarbon-containing matter in the nozzles is accomplished by introducing pressurized air and combustible gases at a shear angle of approximately 60.degree.. Pressurized water is issued as a conical spray from an orifice located within the ring of orifices for the hydrocarbon-containing matter so as to direct a conical spray of atomized water within the cone of flame resulting from the combustion of the atomized hydrocarbon-containing matter, thereby insuring a maximum conversion of smoke producing elements in the flame to relatively smoke abating hydrocarbons.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the number of turns made and the torque applied during the operation of making a threaded joint includes a high resolution turns counter. The turns counter senses the rotation of a member of the joint and generates a pulsed signal, each pulse representing a predetermined increment of rotation. The turns counter includes an idler wheel driven by one member of the joint and in turn driving an encoder which generates a relatively large number of pulses per revolution of the idler wheel. A presettable divide-by-N circuit is utilized to divide the encoder pulses to generate a pulse train to a monitoring and control apparatus for indicating whether a good or a bad joint has been made. The divide-by-N counter can be preset to generate a predetermined number of pulses per revolution of the joint member or pulses representing a predetermined percentage of a total number of turns to be made.

Abstract: An apparatus, such as a shear-out safety joint, which is incorporated in a subterranean well tubing string for separating or severing the tubing string when subjected to excessive loads is disclosed. The shear-out safety joint is used with a safety valve and by providing a prescribed failure point will ensure that the safety valve remains intact. The apparatus includes inner and outer telescoping members which can separate when the tubing above and below the joint moves in opposite directions. A shear ring connecting the two telescoping members will shear when a predetermined load is applied. The joint also has a second releasable connecting member extending through the inner telescoping member and engaging the outer telescoping member which will support a load greater than that which can be carried by the shear ring. A longitudinally shiftable member, movable within a recess, holds the second connecting member in engagement but disengages the second connecting member when moved to a second position.

Abstract: A concentric insulating tubular conduit member for use in forming a conduit string, such as a tubing string in a subterranean well, is disclosed. Each individual concentric conduit comprises an outer tubing and an outwardly flared inner tubing welded to the outer tubing at the end of the flared section. The inner tubing member is formed from an initially straight cylindrical member having enlarged ends and, when outwardly flared, the flared ends, although stretched, have a thickness at least equal to the nominal thickness of the inner tubular member. Insulation may be contained within the annular cavity between the inner and outer tubing members and between inner and outer coupling members at the juncture between adjacent tubing sections.

Abstract: A well packer having a radially extendable and retractable resilient annular sealing element and slip assembly includes a slack adjusting mechanism for maintaining the cooperating slip cones and slip members in an axially adjusted position to reduce radial play in the slip members when the slip assembly is in the retracted condition. The slack adjusting mechanism includes an internal threaded sleeve threadedly engaged with an integral tubular portion of the upper slip cone. The sleeve is disposed between the slip assembly and the sealing element and includes an annular seal urging shoulder formed thereon.

Abstract: A slip mechanism is provided to effect the anchoring of an inner tubular conduit to the inner wall of a larger surrounding tubular conduit such as the casing of the well. Two annular cam elements are disposed in axial alignment for slidable movements on the inner tube. Such cam elements have a plurality of peripherally spaced, axially extending, slots formed in their peripheries. A set of first slip members are radially slidably disposed in a portion of the axial slots and a set of second slip members are radially slidably disposed in the remainder of the axial slots. The slips are provided with an inclined cam surface which cooperates with a correspondingly shaped surface provided in the slot receiving that portion in the cam element. The slips have external teeth and may be of identical configuration, but are reversed when inserted into oppositely extending slots provided in separate cam elements.

Abstract: A well packer or other downhole tool is provided with a combination shear and rotational release mechanism comprising a release member having a set of internal threads selectively engageable with a predetermined number of external threads formed on an elongated tubular mandrel. The release member is keyed to the packer outer housing which in turn is cooperable with the slip and packing element assemblies. The mandrel may be selectively subjected to a predetermined upward pulling force to shear the threads on the release member or, alternatively, the mandrel may be rotated a predetermined number of turns to disengage the cooperating threads on the release member to effect release of the packer from its set position.

Abstract: A test assembly is provided for incorporation within a blowout preventer stack above a subterranean well and provides inner and outer latching connections between upper and lower portions of a tubular conduit extendible to a production zone within the well. The test assembly has valve means in the lower conduit portion manipulatable between open and closed positions by a reciprocable actuator to control flow of fluid within the conduit. Retaining means are provided for each of the inner and outer latches to insure that such latches may not be disengaged when the valve means is in other than an open position. The retaining means are operable by either the application of fluid pressure or through mechanical manipulation of the tubing string to be shifted to a non-retaining position relative to both the inner and outer latches, thus permitting selective disconnection and reconnection of the upper and lower portions of the tubular conduit.

Abstract: A spacing apparatus for tubing conduit in a subterranean well, normally for use with an electric component with a longitudinally extending external electrical cable, permits irrotational adjustment of the length of the tubing conduit. The spacing apparatus comprises telescoping members which are keyed to prevent rotation therebetween. A threaded member, longitudinally fixed relative to one longitudinal member, normally engages threads extending substantially along the entire length of the other telescoping member. Movement of a retaining sleeve permits disengagement of the threaded segments which ratchet along the threads during telescoping movement. The length of the conduit can thus be irrotationally adjusted to remove slack from the electrical cable.

Abstract: An improved flapper valve for installation for example, in a tubing string of a subterranean well is pivotally movable about a horizontal axis into a blocking position relative to the vertical fluid flow path of the tubing string. The flapper valve is circular and is formed from a tubular segment in such a manner that, when in the open position, its concave surface is substantially tangentially coincident with a projection of the cylindrical surface formed by the inside of the valve seat, and its convex surface prescribes a much larger chordal distance in a containing circle concentric with the valve seat than would a flat surface of the same diameter. Thus, a valve is provided wherein for a given housing diameter, the passageway through the valve can be proportionately larger.

Abstract: A hanger and valve assembly which can be employed as a safety valve assembly to close both the production tubing and the tubing-casing annulus in a subterranean well is disclosed. The assembly includes a hydraulically activated, mechanically locked hanger which has slip anchoring members engaging the casing or, exterior conduit for preventing movement in both longitudinal directions. The hanger also has annular packing elements to seal the tubing-casing annulus. An annulus safety valve member employing a longitudinally recessed resilient seal member can be mounted in a landing nipple mounted in the hanger. By recessing the seal it is protected from the turbulent flow through the valve. A second shuttle located in the landing nipple is employed in conjunction with the first annulus safety valve to permit flow in one direction while metering flow in the opposite direction.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an improved tool and method for effecting the washing of sand or particulates from casing perforations and channels in production formations in subterranean wells. The tool employed comprises an outer body suspended from a first tubing string and having vertically spaced seals in engagement with the casing wall above and below the set of casing perforations to be washed. Radial wash ports are provided in the outer body between the annular seals. An inner body, carried by a second tubing string is inserted within the first tubing string and outer body and effects a sealing engagement with the bore of the outer body at a location below the radial wash ports. Washing fluid is then introduced into the well through the annulus defined between the first and second tubing strings and the sand laden washing fluid is returned to the well surface through the bore of the inner body and the connected second tubing string.