US3653435A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multi-string tubingless completion technique
Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co
•
Filing: 1970-08-14
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Granted: 1972-04-04
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Expires: 1990-08-14
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for completing multi-string tubingless underwater wells with through flowline (TFL) pumpdown tool servicing capability. A subsea borehole is drilled through the productive oil and/or gas formations. At least two parallel small diameter casing strings are run into the borehole guided by a riser assembly. These casing strings have a common hanger at their upper ends and are connected together at various levels with a plurality of gas-lift crossover mandrels and at least two (upper and lower) circulation crossover mandrels for tool circulation. Then a Xmas tree is lowered on a disconnectable running pipe to a wellhead guided by guidelines. The Xmas tree has at least two parallel small diameter casing strings extending from the lower end thereof. These upper casing strings have a common connector on their lower ends for connection to the hanger. Each upper casing string fluidly communicates with a lower casing string through the connector and hanger. A tensioner located in the Xmas tree applies tension to both the upper and lower sections of casing strings and properly spaces out the upper ends of the upper sections of casing strings in the Xmas tree. The upper ends of the casing string sections in the Xmas tree are connected to a production manifold. Suitable control fluid conduits are lowered with the Xmas tree for operation of the tensioner and for operation of safety valves located in each of the upper sections of casing strings. The lower circulation crossover port between two of the casing strings is then opened for perforating operations. A perforator gun is landed in a landing nipple adjacent a formation and is reciprocated until it rotates to the proper direction to avoid perforating the other pipe string in the borehole and then is fired. After each of the formations has been perforated, production of the formation may be maintained by natural formation energy. Various well servicing operations may be carried out using pump-down tools and techniques. A producing formation or zone may be blocked off using a pump-down patch tool and the well fluids may be artificially lifted by positioning pump-down gas-lift valves in one of the casing strings.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl E Reistle
- 👤 Thomas W Childers
- 👤 Joseph A Burkhardt
- 👤 Dewitt L Mclallen Jr
- 👤 Carroll A Woolley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 18:08
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/14; E21B33/00; E21B33/02; E21B33/03; E21B33/035
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
322 words
A method for completing a multi-string tubingless well in which a borehole has been drilled through a productive hydrocarbon formation and provided with a surface casing and a wellhead comprising the steps of: 1. running the lower sections of at least two parallel casing strings into said surface casing and said borehole on at least two parallel running pipes releasably attached to said lower sections; 2. cementing said lower sections in said borehole, said lower sections being connected together at a plurality of levels by crossover mandrels, each of which includes a crossover port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve valve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port, said crossover ports remaining closed during said cementing step; 3. connecting said lower sections to said surface casing a selected distance below the wellhead by means of a hanger attached to the upper ends of said lower sections; 4. opening one of said crossover ports; 5. detaching and removing said parallel running pipes; 6. lowering a Xmas tree assembly having vertical bores extending therethrough and curved bores branching from said vertical bores to said wellhead; 7. connecting at least two parallel upper sections of said casing strings which extend from the vertical bores of said Xmas tree assembly to said hanger by means of a connector positioned on the lower ends of said upper sections, the upper sections communicating with the lower sections through the hanger and connector when said Xmas tree assembly is positioned on said wellhead; 8. connecting the curved bores of said Xmas tree assembly to production and servicing facilities; 9. pumping a perforator down one of said casing strings to adjacent said formation with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string, through said one crossover port and up said other casing string; 10. orienting said perforator to fire away from said other casing strings; and 11. firing said perforator to perforate said formation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
322 words
A method for completing a multi-string tubingless well in which a borehole has been drilled through a productive hydrocarbon formation and provided with a surface casing and a wellhead comprising the steps of: 1. running the lower sections of at least two parallel casing strings into said surface casing and said borehole on at least two parallel running pipes releasably attached to said lower sections; 2. cementing said lower sections in said borehole, said lower sections being connected together at a plurality of levels by crossover mandrels, each of which includes a crossover port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve valve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port, said crossover ports remaining closed during said cementing step; 3. connecting said lower sections to said surface casing a selected distance below the wellhead by means of a hanger attached to the upper ends of said lower sections; 4. opening one of said crossover ports; 5. detaching and removing said parallel running pipes; 6. lowering a Xmas tree assembly having vertical bores extending therethrough and curved bores branching from said vertical bores to said wellhead; 7. connecting at least two parallel upper sections of said casing strings which extend from the vertical bores of said Xmas tree assembly to said hanger by means of a connector positioned on the lower ends of said upper sections, the upper sections communicating with the lower sections through the hanger and connector when said Xmas tree assembly is positioned on said wellhead; 8. connecting the curved bores of said Xmas tree assembly to production and servicing facilities; 9. pumping a perforator down one of said casing strings to adjacent said formation with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string, through said one crossover port and up said other casing string; 10. orienting said perforator to fire away from said other casing strings; and 11. firing said perforator to perforate said formation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
298 words
With respect to each well conducting the following steps: a. running the lower sections of at least two parallel casing strings into said surface casing and said borehole on at least two parallel running pipes releasably attached to said lower sections; b. cementing said lower sections in said borehole, said lower sections being connected together at a plurality of levels by crossover mandrels, each of which includes a crossover port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve valve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port, said crossover ports remaining closed during said cementing step; c. connecting said lower sections to said surface casing a selected distance below the wellhead by means of a hanger attached to the upper ends of said lower sections; d. opening one of said crossover ports; e. detaching and removing said parallel running pipes; f. lowering a Xmas tree assembly having vertical bores extending therethrough and curved bores branching from said vertical bores to said wellhead; g. connecting at least two parallel upper sections of said casing strings which extend from the vertical bores of said Xmas tree assembly to said hanger by means of a connector positioned on the lower ends of said upper sections, the upper sections communicating with the lower sections through the hanger and connector when said Xmas tree assembly is positioned on said wellhead; h. connecting the curved bores of said Xmas tree assembly to production and servicing facilities; i. pumping a perforator down one of said casing strings to adjacent said formation with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string, through said one crossover port and up said other casing string; j. orienting said perforator to fire away from said other casing strings; and k. firing said perforator to perforate said formation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
298 words
With respect to each well conducting the following steps: a. running the lower sections of at least two parallel casing strings into said surface casing and said borehole on at least two parallel running pipes releasably attached to said lower sections; b. cementing said lower sections in said borehole, said lower sections being connected together at a plurality of levels by crossover mandrels, each of which includes a crossover port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve valve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port, said crossover ports remaining closed during said cementing step; c. connecting said lower sections to said surface casing a selected distance below the wellhead by means of a hanger attached to the upper ends of said lower sections; d. opening one of said crossover ports; e. detaching and removing said parallel running pipes; f. lowering a Xmas tree assembly having vertical bores extending therethrough and curved bores branching from said vertical bores to said wellhead; g. connecting at least two parallel upper sections of said casing strings which extend from the vertical bores of said Xmas tree assembly to said hanger by means of a connector positioned on the lower ends of said upper sections, the upper sections communicating with the lower sections through the hanger and connector when said Xmas tree assembly is positioned on said wellhead; h. connecting the curved bores of said Xmas tree assembly to production and servicing facilities; i. pumping a perforator down one of said casing strings to adjacent said formation with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string, through said one crossover port and up said other casing string; j. orienting said perforator to fire away from said other casing strings; and k. firing said perforator to perforate said formation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
cementing said lower sections in said borehole, said lower sections being connected together at a plurality of levels by crossover mandrels, each of which includes a crossover port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve valve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port, said crossover ports remaining closed during said cementing step;
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
cementing said lower sections in said borehole, said lower sections being connected together at a plurality of levels by crossover mandrels, each of which includes a crossover port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve valve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port, said crossover ports remaining closed during said cementing step;
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as recited in claim 1 in which said borehole has been drilled through at least two productive hydrocarbon formations and including perforating each of said formations sequentially beginning with the lowest level formation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as recited in claim 1 including hydraulically actuating said hanger to connect said lower sections to said surface casing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
connecting said lower sections to said surface casing a selected distance below the wellhead by means of a hanger attached to the upper ends of said lower sections;
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
connecting said lower sections to said surface casing a selected distance below the wellhead by means of a hanger attached to the upper ends of said lower sections;
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
6 words
opening one of said crossover ports;
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
6 words
opening one of said crossover ports;
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 3 including hydraulically detaching said parallel running pipes from said hanger.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 4 including hydraulically connecting said upper sections of said casing strings to said hanger.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
7 words
detaching and removing said parallel running pipes;
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
7 words
detaching and removing said parallel running pipes;
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
lowering a Xmas tree assembly having vertical bores extending therethrough and curved bores branching from said vertical bores to said wellhead;
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
lowering a Xmas tree assembly having vertical bores extending therethrough and curved bores branching from said vertical bores to said wellhead;
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as recited in claim 5 in which said borehole is subsea and including arranging hydraulically operated safety valves in the lower ends of said lower sections to close off flow of fluids through said lower sections.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method as recited in claim 6 including placing said upper and lower sections of said casing strings in tension and spacing out the upper ends of said upper sections to accommodate said upper sections in the bores of said Xmas tree assembly following connection of said upper sections to said hanger.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
62 words
connecting at least two parallel upper sections of said casing strings which extend from the vertical bores of said Xmas tree assembly to said hanger by means of a connector positioned on the lower ends of said upper sections, the upper sections communicating with the lower sections through the hanger and connector when said Xmas tree assembly is positioned on said wellhead;
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
62 words
connecting at least two parallel upper sections of said casing strings which extend from the vertical bores of said Xmas tree assembly to said hanger by means of a connector positioned on the lower ends of said upper sections, the upper sections communicating with the lower sections through the hanger and connector when said Xmas tree assembly is positioned on said wellhead;
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
connecting the curved bores of said Xmas tree assembly to production and servicing facilities;
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
connecting the curved bores of said Xmas tree assembly to production and servicing facilities;
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
115 words
A method as recited in claim 6 and including well servicing operations in which gas-lift mandrels having gas-lift mandrel sleeves therein are located adjacent crossover ports and including pumping a train of gas-lift valves and a gas-lift mandrel sleeve shifter into one of said casing strings to below said gas-lift mandrels with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string, through said one crossover port and up said other casing string; and reverse circulating pump fluid to move said train of valves upwardly through said gas-lift mandrels to shift said gas-lift mandrel sleeves open as said sleeve shifter passes each gas-lift mandrel sleeve and depositing a gas-lift valve in each gas-lift landing nipple.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
82 words
A method as recited in claim 6 in conjunction with well servicing operations including pumping a locomotive tool string comprising a patch tool, and a running tool for said patch tool down one of said casing strings with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string through said one crossover port and up said other casing string; landing said locomotive tool in a landing nipple in said one casing string; and blanking off a perforated interval with said patch tool.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
35 words
pumping a perforator down one of said casing strings to adjacent said formation with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string, through said one crossover port and up said other casing string;
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
pumping a perforator down one of said casing strings to adjacent said formation with the fluid circulation path being down said one casing string, through said one crossover port and up said other casing string;
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
orienting said perforator to fire away from said other casing strings; and
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
12 words
orienting said perforator to fire away from said other casing strings; and
Claim 31
Independent Claim
37 words
A method for completing and servicing submerged multi-string tubingless TFL wells in which subsea boreholes have been drilled through subteranean formations, each of said boreholes being provided with surface casing and a wellhead comprising the steps of:
Claim 32
Independent Claim
37 words
A method for completing and servicing submerged multi-string tubingless TFL wells in which subsea boreholes have been drilled through subteranean formations, each of said boreholes being provided with surface casing and a wellhead comprising the steps of:
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
151 words
Apparatus for use in completing a multi-string tubingless well and for conducting well servicing operations using pump-down tools and techniques comprising: a surface casing cemented in said well; the lower sections of at least two casing strings cemented in said well and connected to said surface casing at the upper ends thereof; said lower sections being provided with a plurality of crossover mandrels for use in gas-lift operations and fluid circulation crossover mandrels to establish fluid circulation paths for pump-down tool operations, each crossover mandrel including a port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port; a plurality of landing nipples arranged in each lower section between said uppermost and lowermost circulation crossover ports; at least two upper sections of said casing strings detachably connected to said lower sections of said casing strings; and a Xmas tree connected to said upper sections.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
151 words
Apparatus for use in completing a multi-string tubingless well and for conducting well servicing operations using pump-down tools and techniques comprising: a surface casing cemented in said well; the lower sections of at least two casing strings cemented in said well and connected to said surface casing at the upper ends thereof; said lower sections being provided with a plurality of crossover mandrels for use in gas-lift operations and fluid circulation crossover mandrels to establish fluid circulation paths for pump-down tool operations, each crossover mandrel including a port fluidly communicating said lower sections and a sleeve shiftable to open or close off said crossover port; a plurality of landing nipples arranged in each lower section between said uppermost and lowermost circulation crossover ports; at least two upper sections of said casing strings detachably connected to said lower sections of said casing strings; and a Xmas tree connected to said upper sections.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
7 words
firing said perforator to perforate said formation.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
7 words
firing said perforator to perforate said formation.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 11 including manifold pipes arranged adjacent and connected to said Xmas tree for carrying fluids between said well and producing and servicing facilities.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 12 in which said Xmas tree is provided with vertical bores therethrough and branched bores curving from said vertical bores, said branched bores being connected to said manifold pipes.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 13 including hydraulically actuated means connecting said lower sections to said surface casing.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 14 including hydraulically actuated means for attaching and detaching said upper sections to said lower sections.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 15 including a plurality of said cased submerged wells; and an underwater platform having a plurality of well bays positioned on water bottom, one well bay having a guide system for moving equipment into and from said well being associated with each of said cased wells.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 16 including means for applying tension to said upper and lower sections to position said upper sections properly in said Xmas tree.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as recited in claim 17 in which said means for applying tension comprises hydraulically operated pistons located in said Xmas tree.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-04-04 | 1975-10-04 | 1976-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-04-04 | 1979-10-04 | 1980-04-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-04-04 | 1983-10-04 | 1984-04-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |