MANDREL AND FLOW CONTROL VALVES FOR WELL TUBING

摘要

The combination of a mandrel and multiple flow control valves for use in a well tubing in which the mandrel includes a sidepocket and a locking shoulder aligned with the pocket. A plurality of vertically connected flow control valves, such as gas lift valves, each having an inlet and an outlet are adapted to be positioned in the pocket by a single latch connected to the valves for engaging the locking shoulder. The pocket has a vertical length sufficient for receiving the valves, a plurality of vertically spaced openings extending between the interior of the pocket and the outside of the mandrel, one of the openings being positioned adjacent each of the inlets of the valves when the valves are installed, and a plurality of passageways extending between the interior of the pocket and the interior of the mandrel with one of the passageways being positioned to communicate with each of the outlets of said valves when the valves are installed. In one embodiment, each passageway is positioned below one of the openings and the pocket includes a sealing surface on each side of each vertically spaced opening for coacting with a seal on the valves for isolating the valves from each other. In another embodiment the number of openings is two and includes a sealing surface in the pocket above and below the two openings, and the number of passageways is two and one is positioned above the upper sealing surface and the other is positioned below the lower sealing surface. The valves may be gas lift valves having a pressure charged bellows acting against a valve element in a direction to close the valve, and the bellows of both of said valves may be charged from a single pressure chamber.