Patent ID: 6626245
Filing Date: 2003-09-30
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
An apparatus for protecting a blowout preventer from exposure to fluid pressures, abrasives and corrosive fluids used in a well treatment to stimulate production and for supporting a tubing string in a wellbore of a well so that the tubing string is accessible during the well treatment, the apparatus including a mandrel adapted to be inserted down through the blowout preventer to an operative position, and a base member adapted for connection to a wellhead, the base member including fluid seals through which the mandrel is reciprocally movable, comprising:a fracturing head including a central passage in fluid communication with the mandrel and at least one radial passage in fluid communication with the central passage; a tubing adapter mounted to a top end of the fracturing head, the tubing adapter supporting the tubing string while permitting fluid communication with the tubing string, wherein the tubing adapter is a flange through which coil tubing can be run into the well and a blowout preventer is mounted to the tubing adapter to seal around the coil tubing and contain fluid pressure within the wellbore; a sealing assembly attached to a bottom end of the mandrel to seal an annulus between the mandrel and a casing of the well when the mandrel is in the operative position; and a lock mechanism for locking the apparatus in the operative position to inhibit upward movement of the mandrel induced by fluid pressures in the wellbore.