Claims
- 1. A setting device for a gravel packing system, said setting device comprising:
- a housing having a central slurry supply passage and a fluid return passage defined therein, said return passage being an annular return passage concentrically disposed about said slurry supply passage, and having a gravel packing port disposed through a wall thereof, said housing including:
- an outer housing assembly;
- a lower inner housing member centrally received within said outer housing assembly and fixedly attached thereto, said gravel packing port being defined through both said lower inner housing member and said outer housing assembly; and
- a central flow tube, having an upper end sealingly received in an upper bore of said outer housing assembly, and having a lower end sealingly received in a bore of said lower inner housing member, a majority portion of said central supply passage being defined by a bore of said flow tube, and a majority portion of said annular return passage being defined between an outer surface of said flow tube and said outer housing assembly;
- connecting means for connecting an upper end of said setting device to a work string;
- weight responsive return valve means, operatively associated with said housing, for communicating an upper portion of said return passage with a well annulus exterior of said housing in response to reciprocation of said work string and for communicating said upper portion of said return passage with said well annulus in response to setting weight down on said setting device, said return valve including:
- a return valve sleeve slidably disposed about an upper outer surface of said housing and having a sleeve port disposed therethrough;
- a housing port disposed through said housing and communicated with said upper portion of said return passage, said housing port being arranged to be in registry with said sleeve port when weight is set down on said setting device and said return valve sleeve is in a lower position relative to said housing; and
- seal means, disposed between said housing and said return valve sleeve, for isolating said housing port from said sleeve port when a tension load is placed across said setting device and said valve sleeve is in an upper position position relative to said housing;
- hydraulic setting piston means, operatively associated with said housing and communicated with said supply passage, for setting a liner hanger of said gravel packing system in response to a first increase in fluid pressure in said supply passage to a first valve;
- hydraulically actuated supply valve means, operatively associated with said housing, for communicating said gravel packing port with said supply passage in response to a second increase in fluid pressure in said supply passage to a second value greater than said first valve, said supply valve means including:
- a sliding supply valve sleeve having an open central passageway extending therethrough and open at both a lower and upper end of said sleeve, said passageway communicating with said slurry supply passage and having a ball receiving seat means, defined on the upper end thereof;
- a closure ball adpated for seating on said ball receiving seat means of said sliding supply valve sleeve, said closure ball for use in closing said open central passageway of said sliding supply valve sleeve and to allow said sleeve to be forced downward relative to said housing in response to said second increase in fluid pressure in
- said supply passage;
- a retaining cage disposed in a portion of said housing for retaining said closure ball within said housing;
- releasable retaining means, operatively associated with said supply valve sleeve and said housing, for initially retaining said supply valve sleeve in a closed position blocking said gravel packing port;
- and
- locking means, operatively associated with said supply valve sleeve and said housing, for locking said supply valve sleeve in its said open position;
- and
- check valve means, disposed in a lower portion of said housing below said supply valve means, for permitting flow of return fluid upward therethrough, for permitting downward flow therethrough, and for directing reverse circulation fluid up through said open central passageway of said supply valve sleeve and up through said slurry supply passage to remove excess slurry from said setting device.
- 2. A gravel packing system including the setting device of claim 1, and further comprising:
- a said liner hanger releasably connected to said setting device; and
- a liner valve means, connected to a lower end of said liner hanger, and having a lower portion of said housing received therein so that said gravel packing port of said setting device is in registry with a liner valve port.
- 3. The system of claim 2, wherein:
- said liner valve means includes a liner valve body and a liner valve sleeve slidably disposed in said liner valve body; and
- said liner valve sleeve is operably associated with said housing of said setting device, so that when said housing is received in said liner valve means, said liner valve sleeve is located below said liner valve port and said gravel packing port is communicated with said liner valve port, and so that when said housing is withdrawn from said liner valve means, said liner valve sleeve is moved to an upper position relative to said liner valve body blocking said liner valve port.
- 4. The system of claim 3, wherein:
- said liner valve means further includes releasable latching means for releasably latching said liner valve sleeve in its upper position.
- 5. The system of claim 3, wherein:
- said liner valve sleeve includes a plurality of downward extending spring collet fingers, each having a lower head including both a radially inward and a radially outward exending lug; and
- said setting device and said liner valve means are so arranged and constructed that when said housing is received in said liner valve means with said gravel packing port in registry with said liner valve port, said collet fingers are cammed radially inward so that said inward extending lugs are latched in an annular outer groove of said housing so that said liner valve sleeve is releasably longitudinally fixed relative to said housing, and when said housing is withdrawn from said liner valve means, said liner valve sleeve is pulled upward with said housing relative to said liner valve body until said spring collet fingers spring radially outward to disengage from said housing.
- 6. The setting device of claim 1, wherein:
- said setting piston means is slidably received about an outer surface of said housing such that an annular power chamber is defined between said housing and said setting piston means;
- said housing has a transverse passage defined therein communicating said central supply passage with said annular power chamber, said transverse passage extending transversely through, but being isolated from, said annular return passage; and
- said gravel packing port extends transversely through, but is isolated from, said annular return passage.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 827,312, filed Feb. 7, 1986, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
827312 |
Feb 1986 |
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