Well injection systems
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention concerns systems useful in earth wells. This invention more specifically concerns well injection systems useful for injecting fluids in a formation encountered by an earth well bore. 
     2. Background Art 
     Various systems have been used in earth wells to pump fluids down well flow conduits for &#34;injection&#34; into a formation. The fluids, either liquid or gas, are usually required in larger volumes for Enhanced Oil Recovery operations, such as water, steam and CO 2  injection into selected wells in a formation to &#34;flood&#34; the formation or reservoir to ultimately cause recovery of greater quantities of hydrocarbons from the formation than if usual recovery methods were used. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,686 to Henry P. Arendt and Thomas J. Heard discloses a method of operating an injection well and apparatus used in the well. This patent teaches injection through a well flow conduit into a formation after a plug is expended from the conduit, but suggests no way of controlling injected flow rates. 
     SUMMARY 
     Both injection systems of the present invention will permit large quantity fluid injection into a formation with control of injected flow rates by multiple orifices. The orifices are housed in injection mandrels, which may be retrieved from cooperating landing nipples in the well flow conduit and orifice sizes changed for any required changes in injection rates. The landing nipples are included in well flow conduits and more than one nipple may be used in a conduit. Each landing nipple is installed in the well in sealed communication with a formation by setting packers in the well casing. Fluids to be injected in formations are pumped down the flow conduit, into and through the injection mandrel orifices, through openings for flow in the nipple walls, the tubing-casing annulus, casing perforations and into the formation. 
     Each injection mandrel includes a lock mandrel, openings for flow through the mandrel walls, an orifice in each opening and an orientor. The lock mandrels used are of the type usually lowered into a well conduit on wireline to land, seal and be releasably locked in a &#34;no-go&#34; landing nipple in the well conduit or caused to &#34;select&#34; a particular landing nipple from a number of identical landing nipples in a well conduit to seal and be releasably locked in. Both landing nipples have openings for flow through the nipple walls and orientors which engage the injection mandrel orientors to orient and align the injection mandrel and nipple flow openings when the injection mandrel is lowered into the nipple. 
     The no-go landing nipple has an internal profile in which a no-go type lock mandrel may seal and be releasably locked and orienting pins which engage orienting slots between flow openings on the no-go injection mandrel orientor. 
     The selective landing nipple has an internal profile in which a selective type lock mandrel may seal and be releasably locked and an internal orienting sleeve. This sleeve has openings and slots whose sides are camming surfaces which are engaged by lugs on the selective injection mandrel orientor as it is lowered into the selected nipple. The lugs, orientor and mandrel are rotated by the camming surfaces, aligning the openings for flow in the mandrel and nipple when the selective lock has sealed and landed in the nipple profile. 
     Each orienting lug in the selective mandrel orientor has a lower &#34;lead-in&#34; and an upper &#34;lead-out&#34; tapered surface on its outer surface. The lugs are slidably mounted for inward and outward movement in holes in the orientor mandrel and are biased outwardly. There is a camming surface in each nipple sleeve slot bottom which contacts the lug lead-in surface and cams the lug inwardly permitting the orientor and injection mandrel to be lowered through a selective landing nipple. Each lug also has side flat surfaces which engage the internal orienting sleeve opening and slot side camming surfaces when the mandrel is lowered into a selective nipple to turn the mandrel and align the orifices with flow openings in the nipple. 
     It should be apparent to all skilled in well injection and production art, that the injection systems disclosed in this application could also be used as production systems with the mandrel orifices controlling production rate or flow from a well formation upwardly to surface in a well conduit. 
     An object of this invention is to provide well injection systems through which large quantities of fluid may be injected. 
     Also an object of this invention is to provide well injection systems having means for controlling the rate of the large quantities injected. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide injection systems utilizing both no-go and selective locking systems. 
     Also an object of this invention is to provide an injection mandrel useful with a selective locking system, which may be lowered through a nipple and locked in a lower nipple in the well conduit. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide injection systems having injection mandrels with orientors which orient and align openings for injection flow when lowered into a landing nipple in the well conduit. 
     Also an object of this invention is to provide an orientor attachable to a well tool which will orient and align the tool when lowered into a landing nipple in the well conduit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectioned schematic drawing of a well utilizing the injection systems of this invention. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B is a partially sectioned drawing of an injection mandrel of this invention locked in a no-go type landing nipple. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross section drawing of the nipple and mandrel of FIGS. 2A and 2B on line 3--3 of FIG. 2B and viewed as indicated. 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B is a partially sectioned drawing of an injection mandrel of this invention locked in a selective type landing nipple. 
     FIG. 5 is a half sectioned drawing of an orientor of this invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a drawing in section of a landing nipple engageable by the orientor of FIG. 5. 
     FIG. 7 is an isometric drawing of an orienting lug useful in the orientor of FIG. 5. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows an earth well 10 having a casing 11, with perforations 11a, in the bored hole which passes through a formation 12. A landing nipple 14 having wall openings 14a and a packer 15 have been made up in a flow conduit 16 and lowered into the well. The packer has been operated to grip and seal to the inside of the casing. Fluids to be injected into the formation are introduced into the flow conduit on the surface and pumped down the conduit, out through nipple openings 14a, through perforations 11a and into formation 12. 
     The landing nipple in the flow conduit may be a no-go type, 17 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B or a selective type 18, shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. An injection mandrel 19 is shown oriented, sealing and locked in nipple 17 in FIGS. 2A and 2B. An injection mandrel 20 is shown oriented, sealing and locked in nipple 18 in FIGS. 4A and 4B. 
     The no-go landing nipple 17 has an upper section 17a which is internally profiled as a no-go type X® landing nipple (X is a registered trademark of Otis Engineering Corp.) This upper section has an appropriate thread 21 for connection into the flow conduit, internal grooving 22 having a particular profile, a seal bore 23 and a bore 24 smaller than bore 23 providing a no-go shoulder 25 between bores 23 and 24. Threads 26 connect upper nipple section 17a to lower nipple section 17b and resilient seal 27 seals section 17a in 17b. The lower nipple section has a number of pins 17c protruding into overbore 24a to a diameter less than bore 24, a number of slots or wall openings 17d, (see also FIG. 3), a lower bore 28 for seals and an appropriate lower connecting thread 29. 
     The injection mandrel 19 includes an X® no-go type lock mandrel 30 which has a fishing neck 30a, engageable by X® running tools and pulling tools, keys 30b profiled to engage grooving 22, a seal system 30c sealingly engageable in seal bore 23 and a no-go shoulder 30d, which lands on nipple shoulder 25. 
     Connected to the lower end of the lock mandrel by thread 31 and sealed with resilient seal 32, is an orifice mandrel 33. As shown best by FIG. 3, the orifice mandrel has wall holes 33a; each of these holes has two counterbores. Groove 33b is in the smaller counterbore and groove 33c is in the larger. A flow restrictor or orifice 34 has been installed in the smaller counterbore in each hole 33a and is sealed to mandrel 33 with resilient seal 35 and retained therein with retaining ring 36 positioned in groove 33c. Orifice mandrel 33 also has aligning slots 33d and camming surfaces 33e connecting the slots. A seal system 37 on the mandrel sealingly engages the mandrel and bore 28 in the landing nipple. A cap 38, housing a closed equalizing valve 39, is connected to the lower end of the mandrel with thread 40 and is sealed to the mandrel with resilient seal 41. The equalizing valve has a slidable valve member 39a and resilient seals 39b. Cap 38 has a number of wall openings through which flow may occur between the interior of the mandrel 42 and the annulus 43 when the equalizing valve is moved downwardly until upper resilient seal 39b is below openings 38a. 
     The landing nipple 18, shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, has an upper internal selective type X® profile and an appropriate thread 44 for connection in a flow conduit. Below the grooving 45 is a seal bore 46. This selective landing nipple also has a number of slots or wall flow openings 47 and a seal bore 48. Positioned in lower bore 18a of nipple 18 is an orienting sleeve 49, which is welded to the nipple at 50. This sleeve has a number of aligning slots 49a, camming surfaces 49b between the slots and inward camming surfaces 49c in the lower end of the slots. On the lower end of nipple 18 is an appropriate thread 51 for connecting this nipple in a flow conduit. 
     A selective type injection mandrel 20 is shown installed in nipple 18 in FIGS. 4A and 4B. This injection mandrel includes an X® selective type lock mandrel 52, which has an internal fishing neck 52a engageable by X® running tools and pulling tools, keys 52b engaging grooving 45 and a seal system 52c, which is sealingly engaged in nipple seal bore 46. Connected to the lower end of lock mandrel 52 is an orifice mandrel 53 which has wall holes 53a. Each of these holes has two counterbores; groove 53b is in the smaller counterbore and groove 53c is in the larger. A flow restrictor or orifice 34 has been installed in the small counterbore in each hole 53a and is sealed to the mandrel 53 with a resilient seal 35 and retained therein with a retaining ring 36 as the orifices 34 are in mandrel 33 shown in FIG. 3. 
     Returning to FIG. 4B, a seal system 54 seals on the mandrel and sealingly engages nipple bore 48. Connected to the lower end of mandrel 53 by threads 55 is an orienting mandrel 56. This orienting mandrel is closed at its lower end and has a number of upper openings 56a and lower openings 56b. Positioned by the upper openings are springs 57 and mounted for radial movement in the lower openings are orienting lugs 58. Upper and lower resilient seals 59 have been installed in grooves in orifice mandrel 56 to seal a sleeve 60 in the mandrel. The sleeve biases springs 57 and orienting lugs 58 outwardly. The interior of injection mandrel 20 is denoted by numeral 61. 
     As may be seen in FIG. 7, each orienting lug has a slot 58a into which spring 57 protrudes and ears 58b, which prevent the lugs from being pushed out of openings 56b. Each lug also has a radial outer surface 58c, a chamfered lead-in surface 58d and a chamfered lead-out surface 58e. These lead-in and lead-out surfaces cam the lugs inwardly to permit passage through restrictions and sliding by any square shoulders encountered in the flow conduit while the selective injection mandrel 18 is being lowered or raised from an engageable nipple in the flow conduit. When it is desirable to lower a selective injection mandrel through a selective type landing nipple, slot end camming surface 49c contacts orienting lug lead-in surfaces 58d and cams the lugs inwardly for passage of the injection mandrel downwardly through the nipple 18. Each lug 58 also has flat camming surfaces 58f and 58g. 
     FIG. 5 is a drawing of an orientor 62 which attaches to any well tool which requires orienting in a well flow conduit. FIG. 6 is a drawing of an orienting nipple 63, which may be engaged by orientor 62 and is connected in the well flow conductor. 
     The orientor has an appropriate thread 64 for connection to the well tool in the upper end packing mandrel 65. Another seal system 54 seals around the mandrel and is sealingly engageable in seal bore 63a in orienting nipple 63. An orienting mandrel 66 is connected to the packing mandrel by thread 67 and is sealed to it by resilient seal 68. Orienting mandrel 66 is the same as orienting mandrel 56 except mandrel 66 has an open lower end permitting longitudinal flow in passage 69 through orientor 62. Nipple 63 includes an upper thread 70 and a lower thread 71 for connection in a flow conduit. 
     Mandrel 66 (as mandrel 56) has upper and lower openings 66a and 66b. Positioned in 66a are more springs 57 and mounted for radial movement in openings 66b are orienting lugs 58. Resilient seals 59 seal sleeve 60 in the mandrel and this sleeve biases springs 57 and lugs 58 outwardly. 
     Landing nipple 63 has an orienting sleeve 49 positioned in nipple bore 63a and welded to the nipple at 50. Sleeve 49 has aligning slots 49a, camming surfaces 49b and inward camming surfaces 49c in the lower slot ends. 
     To use the no-go injection mandrel and nipple of FIGS. 2A and 2B in the system of FIG. 1, no-go nipple 17 would be used as the nipple 14 in the flow conduit 16 of FIG. 1. Orifices 34, sized to permit desired injection rates, are selected and installed in no-go injection mandrel 19. A particular system may not require equalizing valve 39 and cap 38 on the lower end of the injection mandrel. The lower end may be closed as is orienting mandrel 56 of FIG. 4B or open for flow as is orienting mandrel 66 in FIG. 5. The injection mandrel is attached to a running tool and lowered in conduit 16 and into nipple 17 until aligning slots 33d in the orientor mandrel move down in nipple pins 17c or more probably, camming surfaces 33e contact nipple pins 17c. On further downward movement of injection mandrel 19, camming surfaces 33e sliding on pins 17c rotate the injection mandrel until the slots may move down in the pins, seal system 37 moves into seal bore 28, seal system 30C moves into seal bore 23 and orifices 34 are aligned with nipple wall openings 17d. Downward movement of the injection mandrel stops when lock mandrel no-go 30d contacts nipple shoulder 25. Lock mandrel keys 30b are now opposite grooving 22 and the lock mandrel may be operated to lock the keys and injection mandrel 19 in landing nipple 17. 
     Fluids to be injected into the formation may now be introduced into the flow conduit at surface and be pumped down into the interior 42 of injection 19 to flow out through orifices 34, nipple wall openings 17d, through perforations 11a and into formation 12. Those skilled in well production art will recognize the injection system just described could as well be utilized as a production system with large production outflow rates controlled by orifices 34. 
     When it is necessary to retrieve injection mandrel 19 to surface for changing orifice sizes and injected flow rate or for maintenance, a pulling tool engageable with lock mandrel fish neck 30a and carrying a prong which will open equalizing valve 39, is lowered into the mandrel, opening the equalizing valve and engaging the fish neck to permit lock mandrel 30 to be unlocked from nipple 17 and injection mandrel 19 to be raised back to surface. 
     To use the selective injection mandrel and nipple of FIGS. 4A and 4B in the system of FIG. 1, selective nipple 18 would be used as the nipple 14 in the flow conduit 16 of FIG. 1. Orifices 34, sized to permit desired injection (or production) rates, are selected and installed in selective injection mandrel 20 on surface. This injection mandrel is attached to an appropriate running tool and lowered in conduit 16 and into nipple 18 until orienting lugs 58 more down in sleeve slots 49a or most likely, lug surfaces 58f or 58g will contact sleeve camming surfaces 49b. On further movement down of injection mandrel 20, orienting surfaces 58f or 58g sliding down surfaces 49b rotate the injection mandrel until lugs 58 move down in 49a, seal system 54 moves into seal bore 48, seal system 30c moves into seal bore 46 and orifices 34 are aligned with nipple wall flow openings 47. Downward movement of the injection mandrel stops when selective lock keys 52b land in nipple grooving 45. Lock mandrel 52 is operated to lock the keys in grooving 45 and injection mandrel 20 in selective landing nipple 18. If it desired to not lock the selective injection mandrel in an upper nipple, it may be lowered through the selective nipple and locked in any compatible nipple below as nipple camming surfaces 49c cam lugs 58 inwardly to permit the mandrel to pass through the nipple. 
     Fluids to be injected into the well formation may now be pumped down the flow conduit into the interior 61 of injection mandrel 20, out through orifices 34 and nipple wall openings 47, through perforations 11a and into formation 12. Again, those skilled in well production art will recognize the selective injection system could just as well be utilized as a production system with production flow rate to surface controlled by orifices 34. Equalizing valve 39 with cap 38 may be attached to the lower end of orifice mandrel 56 or the lower end may be left open as the system requires. Selective injection mandrel 20 may be retrieved to surface using methods previously described for no-go mandrel 19. 
     To use the orientor 62 of FIG. 5 in the orienting landing nipple 63 of FIG. 6, the nipple should be connected into the flow conduit and lowered into the well. The orientor is connected to the tool requiring orientation and lowered down the flow conduit and into the nipple. Lugs 58 slide down into positioning slots 49a or lug flat surfaces 58f or 58g contact camming surfaces 49b and as orientor 62 is lowered further into nipple 63, the lug flat surfaces sliding down surfaces 49b turn orientor 62 and the well tool to align lugs 58 for lowering into slots 49a. When desired, orientor 62 may be retrieved or lowered through nipple 63. When the orientor is lowered lug surface 58d contacts slot end surface 49c and cams the lugs inwardly.