Granted Patent B2

US 7,237,615 · App. 11/455,978 · Granted Jul 3, 2007

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A casing mandrel for wells completed using an independent screwed wellhead, comprising:

a casing mandrel body having an annular shoulder adapted for mating engagement with a top flange of a casing bowl nut of the wellhead, an outer contour below the annular shoulder that mates with a casing bowl of the independent screwed wellhead, and an axial passage that extends from a casing mandrel bottom end to a casing mandrel top end of the casing mandrel body, the axial passage having a diameter at least as large as an internal diameter of a casing of a well to which the wellhead is mounted; and

the casing mandrel top end extends above the annular shoulder, and includes a pin thread adapted for engagement with a box thread of a lockdown nut for securing a tubing head spool to the casing mandrel top end, the pin thread being located above a top of the casing bowl nut when the casing mandrel is secured to the independent screwed wellhead by the casing bowl nut.

2. The casing mandrel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the axial passage that extends from the casing mandrel bottom end to the casing mandrel top end further comprises a box thread to which a pin threaded bottom end of the tubing head spool is connected.

3. The casing mandrel as claimed in claim 2 wherein the casing mandrel top end further comprises a secondary seal bore concentric with the axial passage and located above the box thread, the secondary seal bore having a diameter that is larger than the axial passage and at least one groove for retaining an elastomeric seal for sealing against an outer mating surface of a secondary seal barrel on a bottom end of the tubing head spool.

4. The casing mandrel as claimed in claim 3 wherein the elastomeric seal comprises an O-ring.

5. The casing mandrel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer contour below the annular shoulder that mates with the casing bowl of the wellhead includes at least one groove for retaining an elastomeric seal that seals against the casing bowl.

6. The casing mandrel as claimed in claim 5 wherein the elastomeric seal comprises an O-ring.

7. A well stimulation tool mandrel for use in high pressure stimulation of a well completed using an independent screwed wellhead equipped with a casing mandrel having a pin threaded casing mandrel top end, comprising:

a tool mandrel top flange to which a high pressure fracturing stack is connected;

a tool mandrel bottom end with a pin thread that engages a box thread in a top end of an axial passage through the casing mandrel;

a lockdown nut that engages the pin threaded casing mandrel top end to secure the well stimulation tool mandrel to the casing mandrel; and

an annular flange located above the pin thread on the tool mandrel bottom end, the annular flange rotatably supporting the lockdown nut.

8. The well stimulation tool mandrel as claimed in claim 7 wherein the tool mandrel bottom end further comprises a secondary seal barrel located above the pin thread on the tool mandrel bottom end, the secondary seal barrel being received in a secondary seal bore in a top end of an axial passage through the casing mandrel.

9. A well stimulation tool mandrel for use in high pressure stimulation of a well completed using an independent screwed wellhead equipped with a casing mandrel having a casing mandrel top end that includes a pin thread, comprising:

a well stimulation tool mandrel having a tool mandrel top flange;

a tool mandrel bottom end having an annular groove that retains a highpressure fluid seal at the top end of the casing mandrel;

a lockdown nut that engages the pin thread on the casing mandrel top end to secure the well stimulation tool mandrel to the casing mandrel; and

an annular flange located above the bottom end of the well stimulation tool mandrel for rotatably supporting the lockdown nut.

10. The well stimulation tool as claimed in claim 9 wherein the high-pressure fluid seal comprises a ring gasket.

11. The well stimulation tool as claimed in claim 10 wherein the ring gasket comprises a metal ring gasket.

12. A method for completing a well equipped with an independent screwed wellhead, comprising:

installing a casing mandrel in the independent screwed wellhead, the casing mandrel having a casing mandrel top end that includes a pin thread;

securing a well stimulation tool to the casing mandrel top end using a lockdown nut with a box thread that engages the pin thread on the casing mandrel top end to lock the well stimulation tool against the casing mandrel top end;

mounting a high pressure valve or a blowout preventer and a blowout preventer protector to the well stimulation tool and connecting high pressure fracturing lines to the high pressure valve or the blowout preventer protector to permit well stimulation fluids to be pumped into a casing of the well; and

pumping high pressure well stimulation fluids through the high pressure fracturing lines, the high pressure valve or the blowout preventer protector and the well stimulation tool into the casing of the well.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein prior to connecting the high pressure fracturing lines, the method further comprises:

lubricating a perforating gun into the casing of the well;

perforating the casing to provide fluid communication with a production zone of the well; and

lubricating the perforating gun out of the casing of the well.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising flowing back the high pressure well stimulation fluids after the production zone has been stimulated.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising determining whether a last production zone of the well has been stimulated.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein if the last production zone of the well has not been stimulated, the method further comprises:

disconnecting the high pressure lines; and

lubricating in an isolation plug to isolate stimulated production zones from production zones that have not been stimulated.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein prior to reconnecting the high pressure fracturing lines, the method further comprises:

lubricating a perforating gun into the casing of the well;

perforating the casing to provide fluid communication with a production zone that has not been stimulated;

lubricating the perforating gun out of the casing of the well;

re-connecting the high pressure fracturing lines; and

pumping the high pressure well stimulation fluids into the production zone that has just been perforated.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising flowing back the high pressure well stimulation fluids after the last mentioned production zone has been stimulated.

Assignments (8)