Claims
- 1. For use in landing a well tool within a selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced landing nipples of a well conduit connected as part of a well string, wherein each nipple has a cylindrical bore of the same diameter as the others and a groove having an upwardly facing seat thereabout, well apparatus comprising
- a wire line running tool,
- a landing tool connectible to the running tool for raising and lowering therewith within the well string,
- keys each having a downwardly facing shoulder and carried by the landing tool for radial movement between inner positions in which they move past the locking grooves and outer positions in which they may move upwardly through the nipples but in which they fit within the groove of any of the nipples to land the shoulders thereof on the seat of the groove, upon downward movement,
- spring means carried by the landing tool for shifting between a first position urging the keys to their inner positions, as the landing tool is lowered within the conduit and until the keys are beneath the groove in a selected nipple, and a second position urging the keys to their outer positions, upon raising of the landing tool to lift the keys above the groove in the selected nipple,
- sensing means carried by the landing tool and urged radially outwardly to a position to engage the bore of a nipple as the landing tool is lowered to move the keys into a position opposite the groove of the selected nipple, and
- means on the landing tool which is responsive to movement of the sensing means into engagement with the bore and further lowering of the landing tool, following movement of the keys into the groove, for holding the keys within the locking groove of the selected nipple.
- 2. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein
- said running tool has laterally shiftable latching means which is released, and then relatched to permit parts of the running tool to be moved from a first to a second position in response to raising of the landing tool to lift the keys above the groove of the selected nipple, and
- said spring means is held in its first position until the release of laterally shiftable latching means, and thereafter shifted to its second position upon relatching of the parts of the running tool in their second position.
- 3. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 2, wherein
- said running tool has sensing means which is urged outwardly to a position to engage a nipple bore as the keys are raised with the landing tool, and
- means responsive to movement of said last mentioned sensing means into engagement with the bore to release said shiftable latching means and thereby permit said spring means to be moved from its first to its second position.
- 4. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein
- said sensing means is engagable with the bore before the keys are lowered to a position opposite the groove of the selected nipple.
- 5. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein
- said sensing means returns to a non-sensing position upon return of the spring means to its first position in response to raising of the landing tool.
- 6. For use in landing a well tool within a selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced landing nipples of a well conduit connected as part of a well string, wherein each nipple has a cylindrical bore of the same diameter as the others and a locking groove having an upwardly facing seat thereabout, well apparatus comprising
- a wire line running tool,
- a landing tool comprising a body connectible to the running tool for raising and lowering therewith within the well string, and including a first body part and a second body part connectible to the well tool and vertically moveable between first and second relative vertical positions with respect to said first part
- keys each having a downwardly facing shoulder and carried by the second body part for movement between inner positions in which they move downwardly past the locking grooves, and outer positions in which they may move upwardly through the nipples, but in which they may fit within the groove of any of such nipple when disposed opposite thereto to land the shoulders thereof on the seat of the groove upon downward movement,
- spring means carried by the landing tool for shifting between a first position urging the keys to their inner positions as the landing tool is lowered within the conduit and until the keys are beneath the groove in a selected nipple, and a second position urging the keys to their outer positions upon raising of the landing tool to lift the keys to a position above the groove in the selected nipple,
- means on the landing tool which is for preventing movement of said body parts from their first to their second relative material position, upon raising of the landing tool to lift the keys to a position above the groove in the selected nipple,
- sensing means carried by the body and urged radially outwardly to a position to engage the bore of a nipple as the landing tool is lowered to move the keys opposite the groove of the selected nipple, and
- means responsive to movement of the sensing means into engagement with the bore for releasing the body parts for movement from their first to their second relative vertical position upon lowering of the running tool following movement of the keys into the groove, and
- means automatically responsive to movement of the body parts into their second position for holding said body parts against movement from their second to their first relative vertical position.
- 7. Well apparatus of the character as defined in claim 6, wherein
- said running tool has laterally shiftable latching means which is released, and then relatched to permit parts of the running tool to be moved from a first to a second position in response to raising of the landing tool to lift the keys above the groove of the selected nipple, and
- said spring means is held in its first position until the release of laterally shiftable latching means, and thereafter shifted to its second position upon relatching of the parts of the running tool in their second position.
- 8. Well apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein
- said running tool has sensing means which is urged outwardly to a position to engage a nipple bore as the keys are raised with the landing tool, and
- means responsive to movement of said last mentioned sensing means into engagement with the bore to release said shiftable latching means and thereby permit said spring means to be moved from its first to its second position.
- 9. Well apparatus of the character as defined in claim 6, wherein
- said sensing means is engagable with the bore, before the keys are lowered to a position opposite the groove in the bore.
- 10. Well apparatus of the character as defined in claim 6, wherein
- said sensing means returns to a non-sensing position upon return of the spring means to its first position in response raising of the landing tool
- 11. For use in landing a well tool within a selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced landing nipples of a well conduit connected as part of a well string, wherein each nipple has a cylindrical bore of the same diameter as the others and a locking groove having an upwardly facing seat thereabout, well apparatus comprising
- a wire line running tool,
- a landing tool having a body connectible to the running tool for raising and lowering therewith within the well string and including a first body part and a second body part connectible to the well tool and vertically moveable between first, second and third relative vertical positions with respect to the first part,
- keys each having a downwardly facing shoulder and carried by the second body part for movement between inner positions in which they move downwardly past the locking grooves and outer positions in which they may move upwardly through the nipples, but in which they fit within the groove of any of such nipples when disposed opposite thereto, to land the shoulders thereof movement, on the seat of the groove upon downward movement,
- spring means carried by the landing tool for shifting between positions urging the keys to their inner positions, when the body parts are in their third relative vertical position, and to their outer positions, when the body parts are in their first relative vertical position, and
- means on the first body part for holding the keys within the groove upon movement of said body parts from their first to their second relative vertical position,
- means for holding the body parts in their third relative position, as the landing tool is lowered within the well conduit and until the keys thereof are beneath the groove in a selected nipple, and then moving the body parts from their third to their first relative vertical position means for preventing movement of said body parts from their first to their second relative vertical position, in response to raising of the running tool to lift the keys to a position above the groove in the selected nipple,
- sensing means carried by the second body part and urged radially outwardly to a position to engage the bore of a nipple as the running tool is lowered to move the keys opposite the groove of the selected nipple.
- means on the landing tool which is responsive to movement of the sensing means into engagement with the bore for releasing the body parts for movement from their first to their second relative vertical position upon lowering of the running tool following movement of the keys into the groove, and
- means automatically responsive to movement into their second position for holding said body parts against movement from their second to their first relative vertical position.
- 12. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 11, wherein
- the running tool has means including laterally shiftable latching means for holding the body parts of the landing tool against movement from their third to their first relative vertical position, as the locking keys are lowered in their inner positions past said locking groove, and then releasing said body parts for movement from their third to their first relative vertical position and relatching them against movement from their first to their third relative vertical position in response to raising of said landing tool to lift said keys above said groove.
- 13. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 12, including
- sensing means carried by the running tool and urged outwardly to engage the bore of a nipple as the landing tool is raised from a position in which the keys are below the groove in the selected nipple, and
- means on the running tool which is responsive to movement of said last mentioned sensing means into engagement with the bore to release said latching means and thereby permit said body parts to be moved from their third to their first relative vertical position.
- 14. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 11, wherein
- the running tool comprises a body having first and second body parts vertically movable with respect to another between first and second relative vertical positions,
- a neck connectible to a wire line for raising and lowering therewith within the well string,
- means supporting the first body part from the neck for vertical movement with respect thereto between first and second relative vertical positions,
- means supporting the second body part from the neck when the body parts are in their first and third relative vertical positions and permitting the neck to be lowered with respect to the second body part upon movement of the body parts to their second relative vertical position,
- means on the first body part of the running tool for latching it to the first part of the landing tool,
- means on the second body part of the running tool for latching it to the second part of the landing tool,
- means on the first and second body parts of the running tool for releasable latching them against movement from their first relative vertical position to their second relative vertical position, when the neck is raised with respect to the first body part, to move the body parts of the landing tool from their third to their first relative vertical position,
- means for releasing the second body part of the running tool from the first part to permit it to be raised with the neck from its first to its second relative vertical movement with respect to the first body part of the running tool, so as to move the body parts of the landing tool to their second relative vertical position, as the neck is moved from its first to its second relative vertical position, and then relatching the second body part of the running tool against movement from said second to said first position with respect to the first body part,
- said neck being lowerable with respect to said first body from their second to their first vertical part position, and
- said first body part then being lowerable with the neck from its second to its third relative vertical position with respect to said second body part, when said second body part is supported through its latching means to the other part of the landing tool, and
- means for releasing the means latching said first and second parts of the running tool from the first and second tool parts of the landing tool automatically in response to movement of the first and second body parts of the landing tool to their second relative vertical position.
- 15. Well apparatus of the character as defined in claim 14, wherein
- the running tool includes
- sensing means carried by the first body part for engaging the bore of a nipple, and
- means carried by the first body part for engaging the well conduit to resist raising of the first body part therein, as the sensing means is engaging the bore, and
- said releasing means releases the second body part to be raised with respect to the neck in response to engagement of the sensing means of the running tool with the bore,
- 16. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 14, including
- means on the running tool and engagable by a tool lowerable into the well conduit for releasing the means releasably latching the running tool from the landing tool in the event said running tool is not released in response to movement of the body parts of the landing tool into their second relative vertical position.
- 17. Well apparatus tool of the character defined in claim 16,
- wherein the releasing means includes an elongate member mounted for vertical reciprocation with respect to the second body part of the running tool between an upper position and a lower position in which it engages and moves the means releasably latching the body parts of the running tool to the body parts of the landing tool to unlatching position, and
- means releasably connecting the member to the second body part of the running tool in its upper position,
- said member having a part engagable by a tool lowered into the well string to release said connecting means and move said member to its lower position.
- 18. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 11, wherein
- said sensing means is engagable with the bore before the keys are lowered to a position opposite the groove of the selected nipple.
- 19. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 11, wherein said sensing means is automatically returned to a nonsensing position upon raising of the landing tool to move the body parts of the landing tool from their first to their third relative vertical position.
- 20. For use in landing a well tool within a selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced landing nipples of a well conduit connected as part of a well string, wherein each nipple has a cylindrical bore of the same diameter as the others and a locking groove having an upwardly facing seat thereabout, a landing tool comprising
- a body adapted to be connected to a wire line running tool in order to be raised and lowered therewith within the well string, and having a first body part and a second body part connectible to the well tool and vertically moveable with respect to the first part between first, second and third relative vertical positions,
- keys each having a downwardly facing shoulder and carried by the second body part for movement between inner, positions in which they may move downwardly past the locking groove and outer positions in which they may move upwardly through the nipples, but in which they may fit within the groove of any of such nipples when disposed opposite thereto to land the shoulder thereof on the seat of the groove, upon downward movement,
- spring means shiftable between a first position urging the keys to their inner positions, when the body parts are in their third relative vertical position, and a second position urging the keys to their outer positions, when the body parts are in their first relative vertical position,
- sensing means carried by the second body part for radial movement between an inner position and an outer position protruding from said first body part in order to engage the bore of a nipple,
- means on the first body part for yieldably urging the sensing means from its inner to its outer position and for preventing movement of said body parts to their second position when the body parts are in their first position,
- means responsive to movement of said sensing means into engagement with the bore to release said body parts for movement from said first to said second relative vertical position, upon lowering of the landing tool following landing of the keys in the groove,
- means on the first body part for holding the keys within the locking groove upon movement of said body parts from their first to their second relative vertical position, and
- means on the body parts automatically responsive to movement in their second relative vertical position for holding said body parts against movement from their second to their first relative vertical position.
- 21. A landing tool of the character defined in claim 20, wherein
- said holding means comprises latches on the second part laterally shiftable into a position latching said first body part in its second position.
- 22. A landing tool of the character defined in claim 21, wherein
- said yieldable urging means comprises a C-ring carried for radial movement within a groove about the first body part.
- 23. For use in landing a well tool within a selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced landing nipples of a well conduit connected as part of a well string, wherein each nipple has a cylindrical bore of the same diameter as the others and a locking groove having an upwardly facing seat thereabout, a running tool
- comprising a body having first and second body parts vertically movable with respect to another between first and second relative vertical positions,
- a neck connectible to a wire line for raising and lowering therewith within the well string,
- means supporting the first body part from the neck for vertical movement with respect thereto between first and second relative vertical positions,
- means supporting the second body part from the neck when the body parts are in their first and third relative vertical positions and permitting the neck to be lowered with respect to the second body part upon movement of the body parts to their second relative vertical position,
- means on the first body part for latching it to one part of a landing tool,
- means on the second body part for latching it to another part of the landing tool,
- means on the first and second body parts for releasable latching them against movement from their first relative vertical position to their second relative vertical position, when the neck is raised with respect to the first body part,
- sensing means carried by the first body part for engaging the bore of a nipple,
- means carried by the first body part for engaging the well conduit to resist raising of the first body part therein, as the sensing means is engaging the bore, and
- means responsive to engagement of the sensing means with the bore for releasing the second body part to be raised with the neck from its first to its second relative vertical movement with respect to the first body part, as the neck is moved from its first to its second relative vertical position, and then relatching the body parts against movement from said second with respect to the first body part,
- said neck being lowerable with respect to said first body from their second to their first vertical part position, and
- said first body part then being lowerable with the neck from its second to its third relative vertical position with respect to said second body part, when said second body part is supported through its latching means to the other part of the landing tool.
- 24. A running tool of the character defined in claim 23, wherein
- the well conduit engaging means comprises dogs carried by the first body part for movement between positions in which they move downwardly through the conduit but engage a downwardly facing shoulder in the nipple when raised therein.
- 25. A running tool of the character defined in claim 24, including
- detent means on the neck and first body part for releasably holding the neck in its second position with respect to the first body part.
- 26. A running tool of the character defined in claim 23, wherein
- the means for latching and relatching comprises a C-ring carried by the second body part for urging the sensing means inwardly to sensing position, when the body parts are in their first relatively vertical position, and being outwardly yieldable upon movement of the sensing means into a bore to release said body parts for movement to their second relative vertical position.
- 27. A running tool of the character defined in claim 26, wherein
- the C-ring is carried within a groove about the second body parts for expansion and contraction into and out of positions above and below shoulders on the first part.
- 28. A running tool of the character defined in claim 26,
- including an elongate member mounted for vertical reciprocation with respect to the body between an upper position and a lower position in which it engages and moves the latching means to unlatching position, and
- means releasably connecting the member to the body in its upper position,
- said member having a part engagable by a tool lowered into the well string to release said connecting means and move said member to its lower position.
- 29. For use in landing a well tool within a selected one of a plurality of vertically spaced landing nipples of a well conduit connected as part of a well string, wherein each nipple has a cylindrical bore of the same diameter as the others and a locking groove having an upwardly facing seat thereabout, well apparatus comprising
- a wire line running tool,
- a landing tool comprising a first body part and a second body part vertically movable between first and second relative vertical position with respect to said first part
- said running tool having first and second body parts which are vertically movable with respect to one another between first and second relative vertical positions,
- said first part being connectible to the wire line tool for raising and lowering therewith and
- said second part being supported from the wire line tool for vertical movement with respect thereto,
- means for releasably latching the first part of the running tool to the first part of the landing tool,
- means for releasably latching the second part of the running tool to the second part of the landing tool,
- keys each having a downwardly facing shoulder and carried by the second body part of the landing tool for movement between inner positions in which they move downwardly past the locking grooves, and outer positions in which they may move upwardly through the nipples, but in which they may fit within the groove of any of such nipple when disposed opposite thereto to land the shoulders thereof on the seat of the groove upon downward movement,
- spring means carried by the landing tool for shifting between a first position urging the keys to their inner positions as the landing tool is lowered within the conduit and until the keys are beneath the groove in a selected nipple, and a second position urging the keys to their outer positions upon raising of the landing tool with the running tool to lift the keys to a position above the groove in the selected nipple,
- means for preventing movement of said body parts of the landing tool from their first to their second relative vertical position, upon raising of the landing tool to lift the keys to a position above the groove in the selected nipple,
- means for releasing the body parts of the landing tool for movement from their first to their second relative vertical position in which said keys are held by one of said body parts within the groove of the selected nipple upon lowering of the landing tool with the running tool following movement of the keys into the groove, and
- means for holding said body parts against movement from their second to their first relative vertical position, and for releasing said clamping means to permit the running tool to be retrieved from the landing tool, automatically in response to movement of the running tool parts into their second position upon lowering of the first part of the running tool with respect to the second part thereof.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Ser. No. 708,536, filed in Mar. 5, 1985 and entitled "Well Apparatus", which is a continuation of Ser. No. 536,278, filed Sept. 27, 1983, and entitled "Well Apparatus", and now abandoned, which in turn was a continuation in part of my copending application, Ser. No. 489,827, filed Apr. 29, 1983, and entitled "Well Apparatus" now U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,259.
This invention relates generally to well apparatus of the type in which a well tool connected to a landing tool is lowered within a well conduit by means of a wire line running tool which, when the landing tool is so lowered, may be manipulated in order to cause locking means carried by the landing tool to be locked with a locking groove of the well conduit, and which, when the landing tool is so locked, may be released therefrom for retrieval from the well conduit. More particularly, this invention relates to improved apparatus of this type in which the landing tool carries keys which may be landed and locked within a selected one of a plurality vertically spaced landing nipples of the conduit each of which has a cylindrical bore and a groove having an upwardly facing seat thereabout on which the key may be landed when spring pressed outwardly into the groove.
Typically, the well conduit of such well apparatus of this general type is connected as a part of a well string extending within a well bore, and each nipple has cylindrical bore therein which, when the locking means is locked within the locking groove in the nipple, is sealably engaged by the landing tool or the well tool connected to and lowered with the landing tool in order to close the well string or otherwise control flow therethrough. Alternatively, the well tool may be an instrument of some type which is not intended to control low through the well string and thus need not sealably engage the seal bore of the nipple.
In apparatus of this type manufactured and sold by Otis Engineering Corp., of Dallas, Tex., and known as its Type "X" equipment, the operator is able to "select" one of a plurality of vertically spaced nipples of the well conduit in which the well tool is to be landed by selective manipulation of the running tool. Thus, as shown and described on pages 3832--3 of the 1970-71 issue of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services, the landing tool has spring means which is positioned to urge keys carried by one body part of the landing tool inwardly to a position in which the landing tool may move downwardly past the grooves, as the landing tool is lowered beneath the selected nipple. Then, as the landing tool is raised with the running tool to a position above the selected nipple, the spring means is caused to urge the keys outwardly while permitting them to be raised through the one or more of the nipples. Thus, when again lowered with the running tool to a position opposite thereto, the keys move outwardly into the groove of the selected nipple so that, in response to a downward jar, to permit one part of the running tool to be lowered with respect to the other, another part of the landing tool is moved into a position in which it holds the keys in locking position within the groove, following which the running tool may be released and raised from the landing tool in response to an upward jar to shear a pin connecting the running tool to the one part of the landing tool.
The above described Otis "X" equipment is an improvement upon other apparatus of this general type in which it is possible to select one of a plurality of nipples in which the landing tool is to be locked, because it permits selection of the nipple without having to provide selective and differing keys and grooves for this purpose. Nevertheless, it suffers the same shortcomings as other apparatus of this type in that it requires, for operation, the shearing of one or more pins, in response to jars imparted to the running tool, as well as the proper functioning of other locator parts, which may cause the landing tool to be landed and locked in an unintended location within the well string. Also, the construction and arrangement of the Otis Type "X" running and landing tools is such that, as they are lowered to land the keys in the selected nipple, the landing tool and thus the well tool are supported only by the aforementioned shear pin. As a result, if the tools should encounter an obstruction which interferes with their downward movement, they may cause the shear pin to be sheared before the keys are landed, thus permitting the well tool to be dropped into the well bore.
For the purpose of overcoming these and other problems in the case of landing well tools within an individual nipple of a well conduit--i.e., not a succession of identical nipples--the landing tools shown and described in my prior applications have sensing means movable into engagement with the seal bore or another, deliberately provided cylindrical bore in the nipple, as the landing tool is lowered by means of a running tool into the well conduit, and means which is responsive to further manipulation of the running tool following movement of the sensing means into engagement with the bore for causing normally retracted locking means carried by the well tool to be expanded into and held within the locking groove of the nipple, and when the locking means is so expanded and held releasing the running tool from connection to the landing tool, so that the running tool may be retrieved from the well conduit. Thus, this apparatus dows not require jars for shearing pins connecting the various parts of the tool, and instead enables a "soft" release of such parts with the assurance that the landing tool will be landed in the nipple, as intended.
However, such well apparatus is not intended for use in the "selective" equipment above described wherein there are vertically spaced apart nipples having cylindrical surfaces of the same diameter, and hence the landing tool could be adapted to land only within the uppermost of the nipples. It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide well apparatus which, similarly to that of my prior applications, does not require pins which must be sheared, either to land, lock or retrieve the landing tool, or retrieve the running tool therefrom, but which nevertheless enables the nipple in which the landing tool is to be landed to be "selected", as in the Otis Tape "X" equipment, even though the nipples are not selectively different and, in fact, may be identical. More particularly, it relates to such apparatus which, in its preferred and illustrated embodiment, overcomes other shortcomings of such prior equipment of the "selective" type.
This and other objects are accomplished, in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of this invention, by apparatus which, similarly to the Otis Type "X" equipment, includes a wire line running tool, a landing tool connectible to the running tool for raising and lowering therewith within the well string, and keys each having a downwardly facing shoulder and carried by the landing tool for radial movement between inner positions in which they move past the locking grooves in the nipples of the well conduit, and outer positions in which they may move upwardly through the nipples but in which they fit within the groove of any of the nipples so that the shoulders thereof may land on the seat of the groove upon downward movement. More particularly, spring means is provided for shifting between a first position urging the keys to their inner positions, as the landing tool is lowered within the conduit, and a second position urging the keys to their outer positions, upon raising of the running tool above the selected nipple, whereby the keys are adapted to land within the groove of the selected nipple upon lowering the landing tool to dispose the keys opposite the groove. In accordance with the novel aspects of this invention, however, the apparatus also includes sensing means carried by the landing tool and urged radially outwardly to a position to engage the bore of a nipple, as the landing tool is then lowered to move the keys into a position opposite the groove of the selected nipple, and means responsive to movement of the sensing means into engagement with the bore and further lowering of the landing tool, following movement of the keys into the groove, for holding the keys within the locking groove of the selected nipple.
In accordance with the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the invention, the sensing means is retained in "non-sensing" positions, as the landing tool is raised to move the spring means to its second position, and then, when the spring means has been so moved, is urged to "sensing" position so that the landing tool is landed and locked in only the selected nipple. More particularly, the sensing means of the landing tool is engagable with the bore before the keys are lowered to a position opposite the groove of the selected nipple, and returns to non-sensing position upon return of the spring means to its first position in response to raising of the landing tool.
In accordance with a further novel aspect of the invention, the running tool has parts which are latched by laterally shiftable means which is released and then latched by other laterally shiftable means in response to raising of the landing tool to lift the keys above the groove of the selected nipple, and the spring means is held in its first position, until the release of the first laterally shiftable latching means, and then caused to shift to its second position upon release and relatching of the parts of the running tool. More particularly, the running tool has sensing means which is urged outwardly to a position to engage a nipple bore, and means responsive to raising of said last mentioned sensing means into engagement with the bore to release said first shiftable latching means and permit movement of said parts to cause said spring means may be moved from its first to its second position.
In its preferred and illustrated embodiment, the landing tool comprises a body connectible to the running tool and including a first body part and a second body part which carries the keys and is connectible to the well tool and which is vertically movable between first, second and third relative vertical positions with respect to the first body part. The spring means is shiftable from its first position urging the keys to their inner positions, when the body parts are in their third relative vertical position, to its second position urging the keys to their outer positions, when the body parts are in their first relative vertical position, and the keys are held within the groove by means on the first body part when the body parts are moved from their first to their second relative vertical position. The body parts are held in their third relative position, as the landing tool is lowered within the well conduit, and then moved from their third to their first relative vertical position in response to raising of the running tool through the selected nipple. The body parts are held in their first relative vertical position until the keys are lowered into the locking groove of the selected nipple. More particularly, the sensing means is carried by the second body part and urged radially outwardly to a position to engage the bore of a nipple as the running tool is lowered to move the body parts from their third to their first relative vertical position, and the means responsive to movement of the sensing means into engagement with the bore releases the body parts for movement from their first to their second relative vertical position upon lowering of the running tool following movement of the keys into the groove.
The means for holding the body parts against movement from their second to their first relative vertical position comprises laterally shiftable latching means on the body parts of the running tool for latching to the body parts of the landing tool and the latching means is released to permit retrieval of the running tool automatically in response to movement of the body parts of the landing tool into their second relative vertical position to hold the keys in the groove. Thus, as compared with the Otis Type "X" equipment, the well tool connected to the second body part of the landing tool cannot be inadvertently released with the landing tool by premature release of a shear pin connecting the running tool to the second body part.
Preferably, and in a manner similar to that of the well apparatus disclosed in Application, Ser. No. 708,536 the latching means for latching to the first body part is released automatically in response to movement of latching parts on the second body part into latching position with respect to the first body part.
In accordance with a further novel aspect of the invention, additional means is carried on the running tool in position to be engaged by a tool lowerable into the well conduit for releasing the running tool from the landing tool in the event the running tool is not released in response to movement of the first and second body parts of the landing tool into their second relative vertical position. The emergency release means preferably comprises an elongate member mounted for vertical reciprocation with respect to the body between an upper position and a lower position in which it engages and moves the latching means to an unlatching position, and means releasably connecting the emergency release means to the body in its upper position, said elongate member having a part engagable by a tool lowered into the well string to release said connecting means and move said member to its lower position.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
| Entry |
| Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services, 1970/71, pp. 3832-3833. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
536278 |
Sep 1983 |
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
708536 |
Mar 1985 |
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| Parent |
489827 |
Apr 1983 |
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Patent Grant
4628998
