Apparatus for installing and removing flow valves

Abstract

An apparatus for installing and removing flow valves in a well tubing having a plurality of valve receiving side pockets offset from the main bore by providing an orientation sleeve for directing a guide key of a valve handling apparatus in the sleeve, and a shoulder in the sleeve for actuation of the valve handling apparatus. A valve handling apparatus including a support body supporting a longitudinally movable body which includes a guide key pivotally connected at its lower end and yieldably urged outwardly by spring means so that the guide key will readily pass downwardly through any number of orientation sleeves and can selectively install or remove a valve in or from any desired vertically positioned mandrel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A well installation comprising, a well tubing having a plurality of tubing mandrels each having a main bore therethrough and a valve receiving side pocket offset from the main bore and including an orientation sleeve mounted in the main bore comprising, each said orientation sleeve including a longitudinally directed slot angularly spaced from the axis of said offset pocket a predetermined amount, said slots being angularly spaced the same amount from said pockets,   a guide surface positioned below each said slot and directed upwardly and inwardly towards the bottom of said slot,   a shoulder positioned at the top of and blocking each slot, and a valve handling apparatus comprising,   a support body adapted to be moved through the tubing and mandrels,   a movable body carried by longitudinally movable relative to the support body,   a longitudinal guide key having an upwardly directed shoulder and an inwardly directed taper facing downwardly, pivotally carried at its lower end by the movable body for outward movement from the movable body and sized for engagement in said slot whereby said guide key will readily pass downwardly through any number of sleeves to the desired sleeve, but on upward movement will engage the first slot and shoulder encountered,   a shifting tool pivotally supported from the support body and adapted to support a valve handling support,   releasing means on said movable body initially holding the shifting tool aligned in the main bore, and   shifting means connected to the shifting tool for shifting the shifting tool into the side pocket when the releasing means is actuated.     
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 including means normally preventing longitudinal movement between the support body and the movable body.   
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the key is pivotally supported by a shear pin. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3 including, said movable body including a recess into which the guide key is received when the shear pin is broken.   
     
     
       5. A well installation comprising, a well tubing having a plurality of tubing mandrels each having a main bore therethrough and a valve receiving pocket offset from the main bore and including an orientation sleeve mounted in the main bore for coacting with a valve handling apparatus having a guide key,   each said sleeve including a longitudinally directed orientation slot angularly spaced from the axis of the offset pocket a predetermined amount, said slots of each sleeve being angularly spaced the same amount from the axis of said pockets,   a guide surface positioned below each said slot and directed upwardly and inwardly towards the bottom of said slot for receiving said guide key in said slot and orientating the valve handling apparatus, and   a shoulder positioned at the top of and entirely blocking the slot for preventing upward movement of said key through the slot for actuating the valve handling apparatus.   
     
     
       6. The combination of claim 5 of a well valve handling apparatus adapted for use in placing a valve in or removing a valve from desired pockets comprising, a support body adapted to be moved in the well tubing and mandrels,   a shifting tool pivotally supported from the support body and adapted to support a valve handling support,   a movable body carried by the support body, a longitudinal guide key pivotally secured to the movable body at the lower end of the key by shear pin, said key sized to become engaged in said orientation slot,   spring means yieldably urging said guide key outwardly for engagement in the slot of the desired sleeve but allowing said key to bypass sleeves above the desired location,   releasing means on said movable body initially holding the shifting tool aligned in the main bore but releasable on upward movement of the support body relative to the movable body when the key is contacting said shoulder, and   shifting means connected to the shifting tool for shifting the shifting tool into the side pocket when the releasing means is released.   
     
     
       7. A well valve handling apparatus adapted for use in placing a valve in or removing a valve from a well tubing having a plurality of tubing mandrels each having a main bore therethrough and a valve receiving pocket offset from the main bore and including an orientation sleeve mounted in the main bore having a longitudinal orientation slot and a shoulder at the top of said slot, comprising, a support body adapted to be moved in the tubing,   a movable body carried by and longitudinally slidable movable relative to the support body,   a guide key pivotally connected by a shear pin adjacent its lower end to the movable body,   spring means yieldably urging said guide outwardly for engagement in the longitudinal orientation slot of the desired mandrel but allowing said guide to downwardly bypass sleeves above the desired location,   a shifting tool pivotally supported from the support body and adapted to support a valve support apparatus,   releasing means on said movable body initially holding the shifting tool aligned in the main bore but releasable on movement of the movable body relative to the support body, and   shifting means connected to the shifting tool for shifting the shifting tool into the side pocket when the releasing means is released.   
     
     
       8. A well valve handling apparatus adapted for use in placing a valve in or removing a valve from a well tubing having a plurality of tubing mandrels each having a main bore therethrough and a valve receiving pocket offset from the main bore and including an orientation sleeve mounted in the main bore having a longitudinal slot and a shoulder at the top of said slot, comprising, a support body adapted to be moved in the well tubing,   a movable body carried by and longitudinally movable relative to the support body,   a guide key pivotally connected to the movable body having an upwardly directed shoulder and an inwardly directed taper facing downwardly,   spring means yieldably urging said guide outwardly for engagement in the longitudinal orientation slot of the desired mandrel but allowing said guide to downwardly bypass sleeves above the desired location,   a key retracting shoulder on the support body for retracting the key when the support is moved toward the movable body,   spring means between said support body and said movable body yieldably urging said movable body away from the support body and thereby urging the key out of contact with the retracting shoulder,   a shifting tool pivotally supported from the support body and adapted to support a valve support apparatus,   releasing means on said movable body initially holding the shifting tool aligned in the main bore but releasable on movement of the movable body relative to the support body, and   shifting means connected to the shifting tool for shifting the shifting tool into the side pocket when the releasing means is released.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 8 including means normally preventing longitudinal movement between the support body and the movable body.   
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the movable body includes, first and second parts connected together with a shear pin adapted to be sheared when the valve handling apparatus is raised past a shoulder in a sleeve.   
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the key is pivotally supported adjacent its lower end by a shear pin. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 11 including, said movable body including a recess into which the guide key is received when the shear pin is broken.   
     
     
       13. A well installation comprising, a well tubing having a plurality of tubing mandrels each having a main bore therethrough and a valve receiving pocket offset from the main bore and including an orientation sleeve mounted in the main bore for coacting with a valve handling apparatus having a guide key comprising, each such sleeve including a longitudinally directed orientation slot angularly spaced from the axis of the offset pocket a predetermined amount, said slots of each sleeve being angularly spaced the same amount from the axis of said pocket,   a guide surface positioned below such slot and directed upwardly and inwardly towards the bottom of the slot for receiving said guide key in said slot and orientating the valve handling apparatus, and   a shoulder positioned at the top of and entirely blocking each slot for preventing upward movement of said key through the slot for actuating the valve handling apparatus, and a valve handling apparatus comprising,   a support body adapted to be moved in the well tubing,   a movable body carried by and longitudinally movable relative to the support body,   a guide key pivotally connected to the movable body having an upwardly directed shoulder and an inwardly directed taper facing downwardly,   spring means yieldably urging said guide outwardly for engagement in the longitudinal orientation slot of the desired mandrel but allowing said guide to move downwardly to bypass sleeves above the desired location,   a key retracting shoulder on the support body for retracting the key when the support body is moved towards the movable body,   spring means between said support body and said movable body yieldably urging said movable body from the support body and thereby urging the key out of contact with the retracting shoulder,   a shifting tool pivotally supported from the support body and adapted to support a valve support apparatus,   releasing means on the movable body and initially holding the shifting tool aligned in the main bore but releasable on movement of the movable body relative to the support body, and   shifting means connected to the shifting tool for shifting the shifting tool into the side pocket when the releasing means is released.     
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the movable body includes, first and second parts connected together with a shear pin adapted to be sheared when the valve handling apparatus is raised past a shoulder and a sleeve. .Iadd. 15. A tubing mandrel for use in a well tubing comprising,   a mandrel body having connecting means at each end for connection in a well tubing and having an open bore for alignment with the well tubing,   a valve pocket positioned in the body offset from the open bore,   a guide sleeve positioned in the open bore adjacent the pocket, said sleeve mounted in said open bore with the upper end of said guide sleeve recessed in the wall of the open bore whereby interfering contact between the upper end of the sleeve and objects moving downward through the open bore is prevented; said sleeve including a longitudinally directed orientation slot in said sleeve and angularly spaced from the axis of the pocket a predetermined amount,   a guide surface positioned below such slot and directed upwardly toward the bottom of the slot for orientating a valve handling apparatus relative to the pocket, and   a downwardly directed actuating shoulder in the body above the pocket for actuating a valve handling apparatus. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 16. A tubing mandrel for use in a well tubing comprising,   a mandrel body having connecting means at each end for connection in a well tubing and having an open bore for alignment with the well tubing, a recess formed in the wall of the open bore;   a valve pocket positioned in the body offset from the open bore,   a guide sleeve mounted in the recess in the wall of the open bore adjacent the pocket with the internal surface of the sleeve coextensive with the internal surface of the open bore, said sleeve including a longitudinally directed orientation slot in said sleeve and angularly spaced from the axis of the pocket a predetermined amount,   a guide surface positioned below such slot and directed upwardly toward the bottom of the slot for orientating a valve handling apparatus relative to the pocket, and   a downwardly directed actuating shoulder in the body above the pocket for actuating a valve handling apparatus. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 17. The mandrel of claim 16 wherein said sleeve is positioned with its internal surface coextensive with the internal surface of said open bore adjacent the upper end of said sleeve. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 18. A tubing mandrel for use in a well tubing comprising,   a mandrel body having connecting means at each end for connection in a well tubing and having an open bore for alignment with the well tubing,   a valve pocket positioned in the body offset from the open bore,   a guide sleeve positioned in the open bore adjacent the pocket, said sleeve mounted in said open bore with the internal surface of the sleeve being parallel to and having a diameter at least as large as the internal surface of said open bore; said sleeve including a longitudinally directed orientation slot in said sleeve and angularly spaced from the axis of the pocket a predetermined amount,   a guide surface positioned below such slot and directed upwardly toward the bottom of the slot for orientating a valve handling apparatus relative to the pocket, and   a downwardly directed actuating shoulder in the body above the pocket for actuating a valve handling apparatus. .Iaddend.