A floating shoe is a cylindrical piece used in drilling oil and gas wells to guide the drilling equipment to the bottom without snagging. It also contains a check valve to allow fluids to flow in one direction only. The shoe is screwed into the bottom of the casing string to guide it to the bottom of the well and prevent mud from entering. It has a ball check valve that prevents liquid from entering the rest of the casing string.
A floating shoe is used in drilling oil and gas wells. It is a single cylindrical piece that acts as both a floating collar and a guide shoe. Its main purpose is to guide the drilling equipment to the bottom of the well without snagging, like a guide shoe. It also contains a check valve to allow fluids to flow in one direction only, like a float collar.
When operators drill a well, they cover the hole with casing. The casing is a steel tube of the same diameter as the hole. Prevents hole walls from sagging during the drilling process. It also prevents fluid from entering the hole. In the event that oil is found at the drill site, the casing is used as a conduit to pump oil from the well.
Because each section of casing, or joint, is only 30 feet (9 meters) long, many are required to reach the bottom of most wells. A series of casings screwed together is called a string of casings. The floating shoe is screwed into the bottom of the casing string to guide the casing to the bottom of the well. Prevents mud from entering the carcass. It also helps the casing float during the descent, which reduces the load acting on the oil derrick and other drilling equipment from above.
The floating shoe is a short steel cylinder. It is rounded at the bottom to allow for easy insertion into the well hole. The cylinder is hollow in the center to allow the liquid to pass through. Most have check valves, which allow liquid to flow in only one direction. This prevents water or mud from being pushed up through the casing.
The type of check valve most often used in a floating shoe is called a ball check valve, which is basically a ball inside a tube. The wider end of the tube faces the bottom of the float skid. As the liquid moves up the floating shoe, it pushes the ball up the tube until the ball hits the narrowest neck at the top of the tube. The pressure of the liquid against the ball seals it to the tube, preventing the liquid from entering the rest of the wrap string. If water or concrete is pumped into the floating skid, the ball falls off its neck, allowing the liquid to flow out.
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