Oil well testing apparatus

Abstract

A ball valve type, full opening bore, oil well formation tester utilizes a J-slot mechanism and vertical tool string manipulations to open and close a substantially unrestricted axial bore through the testing tool to allow formation fluid flow through the tool at the command of the tool operator.

What is claimed is: .[.1. Apparatus for testing the productivity of oil bearing formations penetrated by a borehole, said apparatus comprising: 
     
        testing tools in said borehole..]. 2. The apparatus of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.24 .Iaddend.further comprising pressure balancing means within said apparatus communicating from the area exterior to said apparatus to differential pressure means within said apparatus, said pressure balancing means arranged to offset the buoyancy of said string of testing tools when 
     
     
        going into a borehole containing liquid. 3. The apparatus of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.24 .Iaddend.further comprising impedance means between said housing means and said mandrel means arranged to impede .[.upward.]. movement of said mandrel means with respect to said housing means .Iadd.toward the contracted position .Iaddend.and, alternately, to provide substantially no impedance to .[.downward.]. movement of said mandrel means with respect to 
     
     
        said housing means .Iadd.toward the expanded position.Iaddend.. 4. The apparatus of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.24 .Iaddend.further comprising: spring biasing means acting between said mandrel means and said housing means and arranged to maintain said mandrel means .[.telescoped.]. .Iadd.in the expanded position .Iaddend.with respect to said housing means in such a manner as to maintain said valve means closed; and   a pressure bypass system in said mandrel means adapted to be activated at a preselected time to relieve hydrostatic pressure entrapped below said valve means; said bypass system, when activated, communicating .Iadd.through ports adjacent the connected end and in the wall of said flow tube for communicating .Iaddend.said .Iadd.housing means .Iaddend.bore .[.area above.]. .Iadd.on one side of .Iaddend.said valve means to said mandrel means bore .[.area below.]. .Iadd.on the other side   
     
     
        of .Iaddend.said valve means. 5. The apparatus of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.24 .Iaddend.wherein said valve means further comprises a rotatable ball valve sealingly and rotatably located within said testing apparatus, said ball valve comprising a generally spherical member having a relatively large, open, cylindrical bore passing axially therethrough, arranged in one position to be aligned with and to communicate with the bore of said housing means and the bore of said mandrel means, and further arranged in a second position to be sealingly isolated from said housing means bore 
     
     
        and said mandrel means bore. 6. The apparatus of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.24 .Iaddend.wherein said means for activating said valve means is characterized further to include shock absorbing means within said testing apparatus and arranged between said valve means and said mandrel means to dampen sudden movements of said mandrel means with respect to said valve 
     
     
        means and to transmit said dampened movements to said valve means. 7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said impedance means further comprises hydraulic impedance means, said hydraulic impedance means including distensible sleeve means slidably located in said testing apparatus housing means and arranged to coact with said mandrel means to provide a preselectively adjustable metering orifice therebetween;  hydraulic chamber means in said testing apparatus located adjacent said sleeve means in said testing apparatus located adjacent said sleeve means and arranged to receive hydraulic impedance fluid and further arranged to slidably receive said sleeve means in distended sealing relation during .[.upward.]. movement of said mandrel means with respect to said housing means .Iadd.toward the contracted position .Iaddend.and, alternately, in non-sealing relation during .[.downward.]. movement of said mandrel means with respect to said housing means .Iadd.toward the expanded position.Iaddend.; and bypass means in said chamber means arranged to provide hydraulic fluid bypass means around said metering orifice upon a predetermined amount of slidable movement of said sleeve means in said 
     
     
        chamber means. 8. Apparatus for testing the productivity of oil bearing formations penetrated by a borehole, said apparatus comprising: housing means arranged to be inserted into a string of testing tools and drill tubing; said housing means having a substantially open bore therethrough;   mandrel means slidably attached to said housing means and adapted to telescope selectively with respect to said housing means and coaxially aligned therewith; said mandrel means having a substantially open bore therethrough; said mandrel means further comprising an elongated bore, generally cylindrical, tubular mandrel assembly slidably and concentrically located within said housing means; and an upper, generally cylindrical, tubular mandrel assembly slidably and concentrically located within said housing means and adapted to receive said lower mandrel assembly in selectively disconnectable, telescopic relationship therewith; said upper mandrel assembly arranged to move upward in response to upward movement of said lower mandrel means after a certain predetermined amount of upward telescopic movement of said lower mandrel assembly into said upper mandrel assembly;   valve means in said housing means arranged to be activated by said mandrel means at a preselected moment; said valve means arranged to open and close said open bore through said housing means; and   means for activating said valve means in response to reciprocation of said   
     
     
        string of testing tools in said borehole. 9. Apparatus for testing the productivity of oil bearing formations penetrated by a borehole, said apparatus comprising: housing means arranged to be inserted into a string of testing tools and drill tubing; said housing means having a substantially open bore therethrough;   mandrel means slidably attached to said housing means and adapted to telescope selectively with respect to said housing means and coaxially aligned therewith; said mandrel means having a substantially open bore therethrough;   valve means in said housing means arranged to be activated by said mandrel means at a preselected moment; said valve means arranged to open and close said open bore through said housing means; and   means for activating said valve means in response to reciprocation of said string of testing tools in said borehole said activating means comprising pin sleeve means located slidably within said housing means, said pin sleeve means having a plurality of pins thereon adapted to engage said valve means; drive sleeve means attached to said pin sleeve means and adapted to telescope with respect to said mandrel means; and linkage means between said drive sleeve means and said mandrel means and arranged to   
     
     
        abut loosely said mandrel means and said drive sleeve means. 10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising J-slot means in said housing means, and lug means on said lower mandrel assembly, said lug means arranged to engage said J-slot means in said housing means and travel within said J-slot means in response to relative movement of said housing means with respect to said lower mandrel assembly; said J-slot means adapted to provide upper and lower travel limit stops in said housing means for limiting vertical movements of said housing means with respect 
     
     
        to said lower mandrel assembly. 11. An oil well testing tool having a fully opening axial bore, said testing tool being capable of opening and closing an indefinite number of times, comprising: a cylindrical tubular external housing assembly adapted at its upper end to be interconnected in a tubing string or string of testing tools; said assembly having a plurality of ports through the wall thereof, and a plurality of inner annular recesses therein;   an upper inner mandrel assembly slidably and concentrically located within said housing assembly; said mandrel assembly being generally cylindrical and tubular and having a plurality of ports through the wall thereof; said mandrel assembly further arranged with respect to said housing assembly to form annular chambers therebetween, and said mandral assembly having a plurality of differential pressure areas thereon;   a tubular, generally cylindrical, lower mandrel assembly slidably and concentrically located within said housing assembly below said upper mandrel assembly and adapted to coact with said upper mandrel assembly upon axial movement of said lower mandrel assembly within said housing assembly; said lower mandrel assembly being adapted at its lower end to interconnect into a string of test tools or tubing string;   a valve member having a substantially large axial bore therethrough, said member arranged within said housing assembly and adapted in one position of said member to communicate said axial bore coaxially with the bore of said tubular housing assembly and the bores of said tubular mandrel assemblies, said valve member further adapted to be actuated by vertical movement of said mandrel assemblies with respect to said valve member; and   activating means within said testing tool arranged to coact with said valve member and said upper mandrel assembly by receiving vertical reciprocations of said upper mandrel assembly and transmitting said reciprocations to said valve member in order to open and close said valve member bore to said bore passages in said housing and mandrel assemblies.   
     
     
         2. The testing tool of claim 11 further comprising: impedance means between said housing assembly and said lower mandrel assembly, said impedance means arranged to impede but not prevent movement of said lower mandrel assembly upward in said housing assembly;   hydrostatic pressure balancing means within said testing tool and arranged to prevent premature telescoping of said upper and lower mandrel assemblies into said housing assembly; and,   spring dampening means on said activating means arranged to dampen upward movements of said upper mandrel assembly and transmit said dampened   
     
     
        movements to said valve member. 13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: spring biasing means between said lower mandrel assembly and said housing assembly and arranged to provide a biasing force tending to maintain said lower mandrel assembly extended out of said housing assembly a maximum predetermined distance; and   J-slot limit stop means in said testing tool, said J-slot means further comprising a J-slot groove in said housing assembly; and, located on said lower mandrel assembly, a rotatable lug ring having lug projection means thereon for engaging in said J-slot groove. .Iadd. 14. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said flow tube and said valve means further comprises:   a first tubular sleeve in the open bore of said housing means and having an open bore therethrough axially aligned and communicating with the open bore of said housing means, said first sleeve being secured at one end to said housing means to prevent axial and rotatable movement of said first sleeve with respect to said housing means;   said rotatable ball valve at the second end of said first tubular sleeve arranged such that when in said one position its cylindrical bore is aligned and communicates with the open bore through said first sleeve, thereby communicating with said axially aligned open bore through said housing means;   a second tubular sleeve in the open bore of said housing means and positioned such that said rotatable ball valve is axially aligned with and between said first tubular sleeve and said second tubular sleeve; said second tubular sleeve having an open bore therethrough axially aligned and communicating with the open bore through said housing means and the cylindrical bore through said rotatable ball valve when said ball valve is in said one position, said second tubular sleeve further having an annular recess in the end adjacent said rotatable ball valve;   valve seating means within said annular recess for forming a fluid tight seal between said rotatable ball valve and said second tubular sleeve when said rotatable ball valve is in said second position; and   connecting means connecting said first tubular sleeve to said second tubular sleeve, passing around said rotatable ball valve and arranged to allow said activating means to move said rotatable ball valve between said one position and said second position. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising spring biasing means within said second tubular sleeve for biasing said valve seating means into said rotatable ball valve. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said activating means includes activating sleeve means connected to said rotatable ball valve, and located between said housing means and said second tubular sleeve, and extending from adjacent said rotatable ball valve beyond said second tubular sleeve in the axial direction, for moving said rotatable ball valve between said one position and said second position. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first tubular sleeve has lateral ports through the wall thereof for providing fluid communcation between the open bore through said first tubular sleeve and an annular space between said first tubular sleeve and said housing means, and wherein an annular space is provided between said second tubular sleeve and said housing means in fluid communication with said annular space between said first tubular sleeve and said housing means forming a bypass channel around said rotatable ball valve; and   bypass valve means in said activating sleeve means operably by sliding movement of said mandrel means for controlling fluid communication between said bypass channel and the open bore through said mandrel means at a preselected time. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 18. An apparatus for use with a string of testing tools and drill tubing which extends within a borehole from the surface of the earth to an oil bearing formation for testing the productivity of the oil bearing formation, said apparatus comprising:   housing means having a substantially open bore therethrough;   mandrel means having an open bore therethrough and slidably received in a portion of the open bore of said housing means and coaxially aligned therewith; said mandrel means operable from the surface of the earth for sliding movement within said housing means;   a first tubular sleeve in a first portion of the open bore of said housing means, having an open bore therethrough axially aligned and communicating with the open bore of said housing means, said first sleeve being secured at one end to said housing means to prevent axial movement of said first sleeve with respect to said housing means;   a second tubular sleeve in a second portion of the open bore of said housing means, having an open bore therethrough, and spaced in the axial direction from and axially aligned with the second end of said first tubular sleeve to form a fluid flow passage which includes the open bore of said housing means, the open bores of said first and second sleeves, and the open bore of said mandrel means;   a rotatable ball valve in the space between said first tubular sleeve and said second tubular sleeve, having a relatively large, open, cylindrical bore passing therethrough; said rotatable ball valve arranged in one position to align said cylindrical bore with said flow passage for opening said flow passage, and arranged in a second position to isolate said cylindrical bore from said flow passage for closing said flow passage;   valve seating means between one of said tubular sleeves and said rotatable ball valve for forming a fluid tight seal between said rotatable ball valve and said one tubular sleeve when said rotatable ball valve is in said second position;   activating means interconnecting said mandrel means and said rotatable ball valve for moving said rotatable ball valve between said one position and said second position responsive to sliding movement of said mandrel means; connecting means connecting said first tubular sleeve to said second tubular sleeve, passing around said rotatable ball valve and arranged to allow said activating means to move said rotatable ball valve between said one position and said second position and further arranged to allow limited movement of said second tubular sleeve with respect to said rotatable ball valve; and   sealing means between said second tubular sleeve and said housing means for providing a fluid tight seal therebetween, and operable to provide a pressure responsive area on said second tubular sleeve for providing a force on said second tubular sleeve for moving said second tubular sleeve into tight engagement with said rotatable ball valve when a pressure in said second portion of said housing open bore is higher than the pressure   
     
     
        in said first portion of said housing open bore. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 19.  The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising spring biasing means within said second tubular sleeve for biasing said valve seating means and said rotatable ball valve into pressure sealing engagement. .Iaddend..Iadd. 20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said activating means includes activating sleeve means connected to said rotatable ball valve, and located between said housing means and said second tubular sleeve, and extending from adjacent said rotatable ball valve beyond said second tubular sleeve in the axial direction, for moving said rotatable ball valve between said one position and said second position. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said valve seating means is between said second tubular sleeve and said rotatable ball, wherein said first tubular sleeve has lateral ports through the wall thereof for providing fluid communication between the open bore through said first tubular sleeve and an annular space between said first tubular sleeve and said housing means, and wherein an annular space is provided between said second tubular sleeve and said housing means in fluid communication with said annular space between said first tubular sleeve and said housing means forming a bypass channel around said rotatable ball valve; and bypass valve means in said activating sleeve means operable by sliding movement of said mandrel means for controlling fluid communication between said bypass channel and the open bore through said mandrel means at a preselected time. .Iaddend..Iadd. 22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising impedance means between said housing means and said mandrel means for impeding movement of said mandrel means in the opening direction which causes said rotatable ball valve to move to said one position, and for providing substantially no impedance to movement of said mandrel means in the closing direction which causes said rotatable ball valve to move to said second position. .Iaddend..Iadd. 23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising J-slot and coengaging means between said mandrel means and said housing means for alternately limiting and allowing movement of said mandrel means in the opening direction such that said rotatable ball valve is moved to said one position only on every other movement of said mandrel means in the opening direction. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 24. Apparatus for testing the productivity of an oil bearing formation penetrated by a borehole having a testing string therein extending from the surface of the earth to a packer isolating said formation, said apparatus comprising:   housing means having an open bore therethrough;   mandrel means having an open bore therethrough coaxially aligned with and slidably received in the open bore of said housing means, with one of said housing means and said mandrel means being arranged to be connected to that portion of the testing string extending to the surface and the other of said housing means and said mandrel means being arranged to be connected to that portion of the testing string extending to the packer for providing slidable movement of said mandrel means with respect to said housing means between a contracted position and an expanded position during vertical reciprocal movement of said testing string;   a flow tube in the open bore of said housing means having a single end connected to the interior wall of said housing means for providing an open flow path through the open bore of said housing means, said flow path communicating with the open bore of said mandrel means;   valve means in said flow tube movable between an open condition and a closed condition for opening and closing the flow path through said flow tube; and   valve activating means having a portion extending between the interior wall of said housing means and the periphery of the unconnected end of said flow tube, and connecting said mandrel means and said valve means for moving said valve means to the closed condition when said mandrel means and said housing means are in the expanded position and for moving said valve means to the open condition when said mandrel means and said housing means are in the contracted position. .Iaddend.